The apostle had in 1 Corinthians 8:13, mentioned his willingness to deny himself if he might be the means of benefitting others. On this principle he had acted; and on this he purposed to act. The mention of this principle of action seems to have led him to a further illustration of it in his own case, and in the illustration to meet an objection that had been urged against him at Corinth; and the scope of this chapter seems to have been not only to give an “illustration” of this principle (see 1 Corinthians 9:27), but to show that this principle on which he acted would account for his conduct when with them, and would meet all the objections which had been made against his apostleship. These objections seem to have been:
(1) That he had not seen Jesus Christ; and therefore could not be an apostle; 1 Corinthians 9:1.
(2) That he did not live like the other apostles, that he was unmarried, was a solitary man, and a wanderer, and was unlike the other apostles in his mode of life, not indulging as apostles might do in the ordinary comforts of life; 1 Corinthians 9:4-5.
(3) That he and Barnabas were compelled to labor for their support, and were conscious, therefore, that they had no pretensions to the apostolic office; 1 Corinthians 9:6. And,
(4) That the fact that he was unsupplied; that he did not apply to Christians for his maintenance; that he did not urge this as a right, showed that he was conscious that he had no claims to the apostolic character and rank.
To all this he replies in this chapter, and the main drift and design of his reply is, to show that he acted on the principle suggested in 1 Corinthians 8:13, that of denying himself; and consequently, that though he had a right to maintenance, yet that the fact that he did not urge that right was no proof that he was not sent from God, but was rather a proof of his being actuated by the high and truly principles which ought to influence those who were called to this office. In urging this reply, he shows:
(1) That he had seen Jesus Christ, and had this qualification for the office of an apostle; 1 Corinthians 9:1.
(2) That he had the power like others to partake of the common enjoyments of life, and that his “not” doing it was no proof that he was not an apostle; 1 Corinthians 9:4.
(3) That he was not prohibited from entering the domestic relations as others had done, but had the right to enjoy the same privileges if he chose; and that his not doing it was no proof that he was not an apostle, but was an instance of his denying himself for the good of others; 1 Corinthians 9:5.
(4) That he was not under a necessity of laboring with his own hands, but that he might have required support as others did; that his laboring was only another instance of his readiness to deny himself to promote the welfare of others; 1 Corinthians 9:6.
This sentiment he illustrates through the remainder of the chapter by showing that he had a right to support in the work of the apostleship, and that his not insisting on it was an instance of his being willing to deny himself that he might do good to others; that he did not urge this right because to do that might injure the cause 1 Corinthians 9:19, 1 Corinthians 9:15; and that whether he received support or not, he was bound to preach the gospel. In this he shows:
- 1 Corinthians 9:7-10, 1 Corinthians 9:13 That God gave him the right to support if he chose to exercise it;
- That it was equitable that he should be supported 1 Corinthians 9:11;
- That the Lord had ordained this as a general law, that they which preached the gospel should live by it 1 Corinthians 9:14;
- That he had not chosen to avail himself of it because it might do injury 1 Corinthians 9:12, 1 Corinthians 9:15;
- That necessity was laid upon him at all events to preach the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:16;
- That if he did this without an earthly reward, he would be rewarded in heaven in a distinguished manner 1 Corinthians 9:17-18;
- That he had made it the grand principle of his life, not to make money, but to save souls, and that he had sought this by a course of continued self-denial 1 Corinthians 9:19-22;
- That all this was done for the sake of the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:23; and,
- That he had a grand and glorious object in view, which required him, after the manner of the athlete, to keep his body under, to practice self-denial, to be temperate, to forego many comforts of which he might otherwise have partaken, and that the grandeur and glory of this object was enough to justify all his self-denial, and to make all his sacrifices pleasant; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
Thus, the whole chapter is an incidental discussion of the subject of his apostleship, in illustration of the sentiment advanced in 1 Corinthians 8:13, that he was willing to practice self-denial for the good of others; and is one of the most elevated, heavenly, and beautiful discussions in the New Testament, and contains one of the most ennobling descriptions of the virtue of self-denial, and of the principles which should actuate the Christian ministry, anywhere to be found. All classic writings would be searched in vain, and all records of profane history, for an instance of such pure and elevated principle as is presented in this chapter.