In today's reading Paul talks about the ways the church supports leaders. In those days it seems some traveling teachers received financial support from the church so they could devote themselves to teaching and evangelism. Paul reminds the Corinthian congregation of that "right" to support that apostles have. We'll see that he goes on from there to talk about why he doesn't used that right. Supporting professional leadership in the church is going to take some creativity in the next twenty years. In some ways Laurelton is ahead of the curve on that; we'll talk more tomorrow.
God bless,
Sam
1 Corinthians 9:1-12
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If
I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my
apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defence to those
who would examine me. 4Do we not have the right to our food and
drink? 5Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing
wife, as do the
other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6Or is it
only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7Who
at any time pays the expenses for doing military service? Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not get any of
its milk?
8 Do I say this on human
authority? Does not the law also say the same? 9For it is written in
the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the
grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10Or does he not speak
entirely for our sake? It was indeed written for our sake, for whoever ploughs
should plough in hope and whoever threshes should thresh in hope of a share in
the crop. 11If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much
if we reap your material benefits? 12If others share this rightful
claim on you, do not we still more?
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