Giving Up My Rights

Well, we're going to look to his word this morning. We have been walking through First Corinthians in our lessons here in Bible class. And we're going to look to the ninth chapter today. I want to read a portion and then we'll get into the lesson. But we we will be going through this chapter. I want to start in verse 18 though and read five six verses there. 1 Corinthians 9:18. Paul asks, "What is my reward then?" And he tells us it's verily that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

For though I be free from all men, yet I have made myself servant unto all that I might gain them more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews. To them that are under the law as under the law that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without the law as without the law. Now he does qualify that. He said being not without law to God but under the law to Christ. So he wasn't saying I walk away from the commandments and but he was saying I still live under the law that I might gain them that are without the law.

To the weak became I as weak that I may gain the weak. I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake that I might be partaker thereof with you. Last week as we looked at chapter 8, we we looked at Paul's response to the Corinthians concerning eating of meat offered to idols. Now, we observed and we we did say that while that's really not an issue that we face here in America, it's not something that we go down to the local temple of some false gods, false idol and and buy meat there.

And so, uh really it's not an issue for us to buy meat. But the principle he laid down is as ramifications has ramifications far beyond the eating of meat. So, much more than that. In fact, it's a principle that applies to every aspect of our life because Paul admonishes admonished us in uh 8 and9. He said, "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak." And so the point that Paul was making that as Christians, we are obligated to edify one another in love, to build one another up and not do things that would destroy.

Okay. And so at the end of chapter 8, Paul gives us a bit of personal resolve in verse 13. He said, "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend." So he said, so personally, here's my take on it. If it's going to cause someone else to fall, then I won't do it. I'll stay away from it. And so I mentioned in the last lesson that Paul takes a side road in chapter nine and part of chapter 10.

And it it kind of appears that way because he's talking about the eating of meats in chapter 8. And he ends in the verse that we read. And then he picks up this idea again uh toward the middle of chapter 10 and he goes on and talks about it. And what we read today in chapter nine would seem on the outset to really not have anything to do with the situation. And so it does seem like a detour, but it is not because in it Paul describes how he applied this principle of preferring others to his ministry.

And so that's what we want to look at today. We're going to dive in and look at these arguments that he presents. It's an interesting chapter because it it's kind of a sad note, but before Paul could even begin this part of his argument, he first had to clarify his position as an apostle to him to them. Paul dealt with those who question the validity of his apostilhip, which is interesting because he is they are the church that he started. And we saw in the first chapter that the Corinthian church was divided into factions and some said, "Well, I'm of Paul and others I'm of Peter.

I'm of Apollos. I'm of Jesus. They were split up into all these groups. And no doubt there were those who looked to Peter and Apollos as more legitimate examples of apostolic ministry than they did Paul. And so they kind of looked down on him even though he founded the church in their city. It it's kind of a sad commentary as you read through the Corinthians that Paul was always having to defend himself to the very church that he started. And so although he founded their church, they looked at him almost like a secondass person.

And telling is his opening volley of questions in chapter nine. In fact, he asked the whole, you'll see questions all throughout this chapter, rhetorical questions. He says this, "Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord?" And so he asks these questions. And these first questions set the stage for the ones that will follow. this this first one in particular uh am I not an apostle? He asked that question and then the remaining ones kind of outline where his arguments will go.

Obviously Paul considered himself an apostle whether anyone else did or not. In fact, he opened the letter to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:1 as Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God. So he declared right from the beginning, I am an apostle. And I'm sure it grieved him to have to defend this calling before those that he had introduced to the gospel. He had brought them to know who Jesus was. And yet he constantly had to say, "I'm an apostle." Interesting situation.

So then the next question he asked, "Am I not free? Do I not have liberty which all the Christians possess?" He was saying, "I'm I'm free. I'm free from the bondage of sin. I'm free." He said in another place from all men uh as a Roman citizen he was free uh in the sense that he was a citizen and not a slave or bound to anything. And so so he was just setting forth I have freedom. I have liberty. But specifically, the liberty he referred to is most likely the privilege or the right to abstain from labor, from enjoying as other others did, the relationships of having a wife and support as a public minister and an apostle.

Probably some had objected to his claims of apostilhip because he had not used that right. And perhaps they they thought, well, you understand, Paul. we think that you you know you really don't deserve it so you're not asking for it and so by asking this question am I not free he strongly implies that that I'm a free man I am an apostle and I have this right so then he asked the question have I not seen Jesus now to Paul that was critical to his understanding as being an apostle he knew what happened on the road to Damascus he he knew the calling where Jesus appears to him and says I I have called thee for the work that I have for you to do.

You are going to be the apostle of the Gentiles. And so, this was all set up in Paul's mind. It's what completely changed his direction and changed his life and everything else. And so, for Paul, that was the easiest thing to defend. But I I can see where to others it would probably be the most difficult argument to defend. I mean, it was obvious that the 12 had seen Jesus. They had been with him for the three and a half years of ministry. They had been there with him the night he was crucified.

Many of them watched from a far off and and watched him be crucified and died. They were with him after the resurrection. He appeared to them first some of them individually and then to all 12 at one time. And so they had seen Jesus. They had watched him. They had seen this whole thing. And of course Paul would claim the same thing. Well, I met him on the road to Damascus. And although there were other men with Paul, the Bible talks about that all fell down.

We don't know what they saw, if anything, but we also don't see that any of them ever coming forth to witness. Yes, Paul saw Jesus. We were there and saw him, too. You don't see that. Maybe they didn't see him. Maybe they fell down also and and were blinded and did not see what was going on. So, I think it's significant that that even in the final chapter of this letter, Paul is still repeating this defense to him. He he says it over and over. Of course, you read the book of Acts and you see Paul's story three different times.

But in 1 Corinthians 15:8, he said, "And last of all, he was seen also of me as one born out of due time. I am the least of the apostles that I'm not me to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church, but by the grace of God, I am what I am." God called me is what he's saying. And even though I don't deserve it, he called me and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in b vain because I labored more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace that was working within me.

So again we see him defending that apostilhip. And then his final question is are ye not my work in the Lord? The word translated apostle from the Greek literally means one that is sent or one that is sent forth. And usually uh in New Testament language it is one that is sent by another with authority. So one that would send out and say here is a work I need you to do and go you as a messenger or an envoy or or more specifically in New Testament as one sent by God to preach the gospel usually to cultures other than his own and to go out.

And so it's with this definition in mind Paul says am I not an apostle? I've been sent. I've been called. Obviously, I came to you and presented the gospel to you. And so, in verse two, he answers this question. He said, "Are you not my work in the Lord?" And so, verse two, he said, "If I'm not an apostle to others, if others look at me and say, well, I don't know about you, Paul." He said, "For sure I am to you. Definitely, doubtless I am to you.

For the seal of mine apostilhip are you and the Lord. Here's proof that I'm a an apostle." It's you. So, you're the ones arguing, but you're proof. You're right there. He brings up the same idea in the second letter of Corinthians in 3:2. He said, 'You are our epistle. You are written in our hearts and you're known of all men. Read and known of all men. They can see when they look at you that I'm an apostle. They can see that I did a work to bring the gospel to you all.

And he had this tenderness for this congregation even though they rejected him over and over. And so this is sets the stage for what Paul wants to talk about. And then he begins to talk about his rights as an apostle. We in America, we're concerned about our rights, aren't we? We defend our rights. I've got a right free speech. I've got a right to bear arms. I've got a right to do this. A right to do that. And as as free people, we jealously regard those light rights.

Particularly when we look at the Bill of Rights and say, you know, these things are my rights. you can't take those away from me. And so although in verse one Paul was asking the questions, yet in verse three he places those questions in the mouths of the detractors. So he really wasn't asking the questions of himself. Am I not an apostle? He knew he was. Have I not seen the Lord? He knew he had. Am I not free? He knew he was. Are you not my work?

Yes, he knew this. So he puts these questions in the mouths of those that were arguing. He said, "My answer to them that do examine me." So for those of you that are asking these questions, here's my answer. And he spends the next several verses speaking of the rights he has an apost as an apostle. And again, he does so by rhetorically asking questions. In fact, this chapter is full of them from uh those first few that we read. There are 16 more questions in this chapter that Paul keeps asking.

He just keeps bringing them up. As we said rhetorically, he knew the answer to them. The answer to almost all of them was just yes, Paul, you are. Yes, that is true. And so, we could say that this was his apostolic bill of rights, apostles bill of rights, if you will. And so, we'll look at them to see how Paul viewed his liberty as an apostle. Here's the things that were in question. Paul sees this liberty as an exertion of apostolic authority. I am allowed to do these things because God has called me.

And so in the next three verses he uses the word power uh three different times. And the the word power there literally means authority. It is the Greek word exuzia which means authority. It's not dunamis which is a power that you know of strength or of might but it is a power of authority. And so he gives three areas where as an apostle he can has the authority to exercise his rights. I'm going to read them together and then we'll comment on them separately. And so beginning in verse four, he said, 'Have we not power to eat and drink.

Talk about that in a minute. He said, 'Have we not power to lead about a sister or wife as well as other apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and of Cphus or only I and Barnabas have we not have not we power to forbear working. Now Paul doesn't comment on the first two questions. Uh so we'll look at them briefly, but he does spend a bit more time on the third. So we'll look in a little bit more detail at that to see what he has to say.

In the first question, Paul asks, "Have I not power? Have we not power to eat and drink?" He's not just saying, "Am I able to eat? Am I able to drink? I've got the power to do that." Think what's that got to do with anything? But what he was referring to was the right of an apostle to receive sustenance from those he ministered to. Let me give you an example. Jesus gave us this in authority to his disciples in Mark chapter 10 or Mark chapter 6 beginning at verse 7.

He said, "And he called unto them the 12 and he be to send them forth by two and two." So that's this idea of an apostle send forth. You go out and share this gospel, preach the good word of the kingdom. He gave them power over unclean spirits. And we saw that in Paul's ministry as well. We saw several times at Ephesus and other places where unclean spirits were there and and uh Paul cast them out or spoke directly to them and bound them or whatever it happened to be in that situation.

So this is the same principle that applies here and then he says this and he commanded them Jesus commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only. Okay, you can take a staff to walk with. No script, and that would be in a leather bag where they put provisions. No bread, no money in their purse, but be shaw with sandals. Don't even wear two coats. And he said unto them, "What places soever you enter into a house there abide or there live till ye depart from that place." He said, "And if they don't receive you in that house, walk out and go to a different house." So what he was saying is don't take anything to provide for your labor, for what you are going to be doing.

Let those where you go provide for you. Eat what they present to you. Drink what they give you to drink. You're going to stay there. You're going to live. You're going to abide. You're going to live. You're going to stay in that house until you depart from that place. So you're going to go there and they are going to take care of you in a very literal sense. So Paul claimed this same right or authority. He said, "Have I not a right to eat and drink?

When I came to Corenth, could I not have come to someone's house and stayed there and expected to be fed and expected to have provisions for me?" And we know Paul did not do that. Instead, he went to Corinth and he met Aquill and Priscilla and he worked with them as a tent maker. So he worked by his hand to support himself. And so some felt because he didn't do that. Well, you're probably not an Apostle Paul because you're just not following the pattern. The second question has a similar logic.

While other apostles were married for the most part and traveled with their wives, we know Peter did that and others. Paul was single and he usually traveled uh sometimes alone but usually with another male companion such as Luke or Barnabas or Si Silas, John, Mark, others that would travel with him at different times. And so this assertion he is making here would be even if I were married, my wife would have the same provisions as I do. You would be obligated to feed and give her shelter and drink and water.

And so finally he gets to this third question which kind of sums it all up. He said, "Have not we power to forbear working?" The NIV states it this way. Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? Do I have to do that? It's well known, as we said, he was a tent maker. But rather than take food or money from his converts, he supported himself. And it was this practice that caused some to look on Paul as less than an apostle.

And so Paul spins. Isn't that funny? He comes and he's preaches the gospel. He's not charging them anything for it. You know, some people look at Christians and ministers and as charlatans because they get support from their congregations. Paul's getting no support and they're diminishing him. Kind of interesting. And so he spends the next few sentences giving examples of why he had a right to receive support and then he will follow up with some verses telling why he did not take it. So let's look at those.

The first he gives us some examples from life. And as he's done in the entire chapter, he does that in form of questions. The first examples come from everyday life in 1 Corinthians 9:7. Who goes to war any time in his own charges? Who plants a vineyard and eats not of the fruit thereof? Or who feeds a flock and doesn't eat of the milk of the flock? Well, that makes sense to us. If you join the army, you expect to get paid. We're in the shutdown.

You know, that's kind of up in the air. But generally, you don't go to fight for free, right? You don't say, "I'm going to become a soldier and I'll just bankroll myself." That's usually not what happens. And he says, "Well, who goes to warfare at your own charges? You're not doing that. You expect to get something in return. Pay for your services." We wouldn't expect our military to work for another. And we And here's the thing and what Paul is driving at. Neither you should you expect a minister to labor without pay.

It's only right for them to receive wages for their sacrifices. And so Paul is saying, "Here is my right." When I came to you, I had a right to receive from you support. Gives another example. Husbandsman's, those who plant a vineyard or or plant an an orchard or plant some those things. If you plant and you expect something from those crops, you expect to not just say, "Well, when it comes up, I don't get anything for it. I did all this hard work. I planted the seed and and I'll just let it go and I get nothing out of it.

Of course, you get something out of it. That's why you planted it in the first place. He talked about herds of stock, you know, the the sheep. You you feed these flocks. You expect to get something in return. You don't just do it because you like animals and you're going to starve yourself to death and and raise them and give it all away. No, that doesn't make sense. And so, they all share one common thing. They invest time and efforts in hope of receiving something for their labor.

And so Paul's argument is those who labor in the gospel are no different. And while he is speaking of apostolic rights, he's setting a precedent for ministry everywhere. When a minister plants the seeds of the gospel, he should receive a harvest from his labor. Yes, he should receive a harvest of souls. He should receive a harvest of faithful saints of God. But he should also receive support. I don't think we have to dwell on this because that's really this is Paul is setting this up to say this is how it is.

These are my rights. He's not saying here's what you should be doing. He said no this these are my rights. And that's really not even his intent in the chapter, but he's using these here's the principles that I want to tell you about. Those are principles apply today. And I'll just throw this in. This is pastor appreciation month. If you haven't appreciated your pastor, there's some baskets out there. Go ahead and give him a blessing. God will bless you for it. Out there in the lobby, there's baskets for our pastors.

And then he turns to the law. So, first this is examples from real life. Soldiers, yeah, they get paid for what they do. Farmers get paid for what they do. Ranchers get paid for what they do. Whatever it happens to be. Next, he gives us an example from the law. And while the verse he chooses may not seem obvious at first, we look at it and say, "What are you talking about?" In Paul's unique style of interpreting the word of God, he explains how this Old Testament law applies.

He says from Deuteronomy chapter 25 and 4, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn." Okay, Paul, we're talking about your apostolic authority. You're and you're talking about an ox out in the field treading out the corn. what are you talking about? And obviously the days of oxen working in the field, that's not something we ever see in most portions of our society. But this principle taught in scripture is not lost on us. When an ox was working in the field pulling that farmer's plow, a farmer wouldn't think of beating him to to get busy if the ox stopped for a minute and ate a couple grains of of what was falling out of the field.

He'd be cruel if that would happen. And so there's a principle involved here. And Paul takes it up. He asked this question. Does God take care for oxen? Is this God's real concern is that that ox gets to eat something or saith he altogether for our sakes? Is he saying it for the ox or is he saying it for us? And he said it's it's for us. No doubt that it's written. He that ploweth, in other words, he that works, who that does any kind of work for the kingdom of God should plow in hope.

He plows for the purpose he thinks he is going to receive something. and he that threshth in hope that he should be a partaker. If we have sown, and then he says it this way, if we have sown unto you spiritual things, so I preached to you the gospel. I've given you the word of God. I've given spiritual things that will help you live for God. He said, "Is it a great thing if we should reap your carnal things? Is it such a great thing if if you support us?" In other words, that was a pattern.

This pattern of duty and remuneration, the payment back to the God's people was God was teaching his people. Since a minister must depend on God's people for support, he shouldn't be denied his portion of contribution to the work of God. We should not expect our ministers to feed our soul and to watch over us and then say, "Well, that's you figure out how you're going to live." They're investing in our lives and they should not be muzzled or alive. Paul says it very plainly in verse 19.

He said, "Do you or verse 13 in chapter 9, do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?" Now there he was talking about the Jews in particular, but also even in the pagan religions. We talked about that with the uh sacrifices at the temples to the idols. They would offer these sacrifices, but they wouldn't burn up or sacrifice the whole animal. They would take part of it for their own sustenance, for their own meal. Even the grain offerings when they would bring grain offerings and throw them, the the priests would always get a portion of that.

And so they which wait on the altar, he said, are partakers of the altar. And so they would take some of that sacrifice for themselves. And so then he said this, even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. So this Paul said is God's plan. So this is my right. I had a right when I come to you to live by the gospel that I preached. But here's the thing and here's really the focus of chapter nine.

Having established his rights as an apostle and of ministers in general, Paul then forsakes those rights for himself for the sake of the gospel. He said this in verse 12. If others are partakers of this power over you, so other people have done it, possibly Apollos and Peter and others that came through uh they they took of what was provided to them. He said, "Are we not rather or shouldn't we be able also to do the same thing as an apostle? I should be able to do that.

Nevertheless, we have not used that power." In other words, I gave up that right. I chose not to take anything from you. He said, "But suffer or I put up with all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." He struggled. He did what he had to do. He He made tents. He did anything he could to support his own self. So it would not hinder the gospel of Christ. Nobody could come back and say, "Well, you just did it for money or you did it for this other reason." And so Paul determined he would just labor for at his own expense.

And so he said in verse 15, "But I have used none of these things. I haven't taken any support from you. I haven't chosen to live in your house, to eat your food, drink your water, or clothing you provide. I I haven't taken any support." And then he said, "Neither have I written these things that it should be done unto me." So, I'm not saying to this so that you could say, "Well, you're just asking for what you deserve." He said, "No, it has nothing to do with that." He said, "It were better for me to die that any man should make my glory in vain.

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of." He said, "It has nothing to do with me. Necessity is laid upon me. Woe is me if I preach not the gospel." In other words, I have an obligation to preach the gospel. I'm not doing it for money. I'm not doing it for reward. He said, "And if I do it willingly, yes, I do have a reward one in heaven and a reward of seeing God's work. But even if I do it against my will, God has committed this gospel unto me and so I I do it." So he said, "What is my reward then?

What do I get out of it? Verily, when I preach the gospel that I make the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." So I I'm doing it for you. I'm doing it for others. I'm doing it because this is how I feel I want to do it. So you can say I'm not an apostle. You can do whatever you want and make that argument. I am telling you what I am doing is laying down my rights. I want to go back to that purpose behind this conversation.

Paul had written to Corinth to answer a question as we said earlier concerning the meat offered to idols. And rather than focus on the eating, he focused on the motive. As we studied last week, Paul's bigger concern was that he not cause someone else to stumble. There were those that had knowledge and felt that they could eat meat with a clear conscience, and they belittled those that could not eat meat offered to idols. And so Paul's admonition was everything we do must build up someone else, even if it means giving up our rights.

And so to put a stumbling block in the path of a fail fellow believer, he said it not only sins against them, but you're sinning against the Lord. 1 Corinthians 8:12, we read it last week. But when you so sin against your brethren, so you're standing up, well, that's my right, and I don't care what you think of it. We take that attitude. He said, you're sinning against your brethren, and you wound their weak conscience. And he said, when you do that, you sin against Christ.

And he concluded his chapter 8 with the verse we read earlier. Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to offend, I won't eat it unless he offends. So, here's the principle that we must uphold. And and here's really what this chapter is driving out. My rights end where my brother's convictions begin. If it's going to make him lose out with God, then I have no right to continue wanted in his face that I can do this and it's too bad that it's your problem. As Paul said in Romans, he says it so well in Romans 14:20.

For meat, and you could install insert anything there, for anything that causes someone else to stumble, destroy not the work of God. For your rights don't destroy God works, the work of God. He said, "All things are indeed pure." Okay, some of it, the meat, it it's really not an issue, but it is for someone that maybe came out of that environment and that saw it as something. He said, "But it is evil for a man who eateth with offense. It is evil for that man." And so he said, "It's good neither to eat flesh, to drink wine, or anything that causes your brother to stumble or is offended or is made weak." This whole discussion of Paul's rights and apostle was an object lesson and preferring his brother.

Paul was showing I was willing to come to you to preach the gospel and to give up all my rights of what I I had as an apostle, not charge anything, not live off of you all, not to do any of that kind of thing for the sake of the gospel. And so I gave up my rights. That that's why this chapter is inserted here. It wasn't just that he's changing subjects to talking about uh ministry and gospel and how we support that. What he was saying was, is it a little thing?

Put it this way. Is it a little thing for you to give up me when I come to you? I gave up all my rights so that you could be saved. That's what's important. He said this, the the remainder of this chapter shows this servant attitude that Paul had and that we must possess. He said, "For though I be free from all men." So really I I've got these rights that I can do and technically you can't you have no control over me. Yet I have made myself servant unto all that I might gain more.

Paul had a bigger thing in mind than just showing his apostolic authority. He made himself servant so that he could gain more. not more for himself but more for the kingdom of God. And then he gives this passage that we read. And under the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews. To them under the law as those that were under the law that I might gain them that are under the law. To those that don't have the law as without law that I might gain them that are without the law.

To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak. I have made all things to all men that I by by all means save some. What he is saying there is I don't do anything to offend any one of these groups if I can share the gospel with them. However you feel about people that you meet whether you agree with their lifestyle or whether you agree with their theology or their thinking or their beliefs or not if you offend you're not going to reach them.

And so Paul said, "I become all thing." That doesn't mean he agreed with their thinking. That didn't mean he agreed with their lifestyle. It didn't mean he agreed with with their principles, anything of that. Didn't mean he agreed with that. But he said, "I became that so that I could reach them." He said, "This I do for the gospel's sake that I may be a partaker thereof with you." He wasn't saying his doctrine changed depending on who he was with. what he was saying that was if he was with Jewish believers in Jerusalem, he'd submit to their traditions so as not to offend.

Let me give you an example. In Acts chapter 21 verse1 17, Paul comes to Jerusalem. This was his last visit. He had been there a couple other times previously uh for couple short visits. But he he came there in in Acts chapter 21. Uh for one thing, he was bringing them a big offering that the gentile churches had put together. uh for another he had taken uh for those that know what it is we won't go into detail but a Nazerite vow and he was going to the temple to fulfill that vow but he came to Jerusalem and it said the brethren gladly received us so he meets James and uh those that were there in Jerusalem those apostles and the day following Paul went under James and the elders were all present and so he declared unto them he saluted them and he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

So he told about all the good things God was doing, people that were being saved, churches that were being built, and when they heard it, they glorified God. So they gave thanks to God. But then they said to them, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe. Look around here, Jerusalem. There's a whole bunch of Jews that have are now become Christians." And then they said this, "And they are all zealous of the law." So they were Christians, but they were still going to the temple every day.

They were still taking part in the Jewish festivals. They were still doing all these things that the law required. And he said, 'And they are informed of thee. They know who you are, that you've gone and that you're teaching all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses. That's not true. Paul didn't ask the Jews to do that. He did tell the Gentiles they didn't have to follow the law of Moses. And so they asked him, "What is it therefore? What are you going to do?

The multitude has to come together for they will hear that you're come. What are you going to do to make peace? And this is an example of Paul saying to the Jews, I became a Jew. He could have said, well, I have a right as the apostle of the Gentiles to preach it however I feel it. But no, verse 26 says Paul took some men with him. The next day they purify by purifying himself. That was a Jewish ritual of going there in the temple and doing the the washings and the things they entered the temple.

That was a very Jewish thing to do to Paul. It really had no significance. He already felt that he was clean by the power of the word of God and the spirit of God that was in him. But he did it to not offend the Jews to signify the accomplishment of those days of purication purification until an offering should be offered for one of them. So he entered the temple and as a Jew he fulfilled the requirements. To be sure, he no longer felt those were necessary for salvation, but he did it to maintain fellowship, to give up his rights to reach others.

That's example one. Number two, he said to the Gentiles that became as a gentile, Paul would go to Gentile cities and he would eat and drink at the table of Gentiles. That was completely against Jewish law. And so they would look at them and say, "You're not doing what is right." But you said, "I'm trying here." Paul said, "I'm trying to reach Gentiles and I'm not going to reach them." Said, "No, I'm not coming in your house. I don't want any a part of what you're doing." No, he would go and he would sit and he would eat with them.

Now, none of this said Paul would sin to fit in. But what it does say, he was always conscious of the convictions of others. Last week we mentioned sometimes when we come together, different church congregations have different standards of living, different things that they It's imperative this church that we all speak the same thing. Don't offend one another by doing things contrary to this church's teachings. I'm not lording that over us. Give an example what Paul is talking about in this chapter. Be willing to give up your rights if it's going to cause division and cause someone else to fall.

Consider one another before you proclaim it's my right. Paul ended this chapter by speaking of self-discipline. It's not easy to prefer others, is it? Not easy to say, well, I see nothing wrong with that, so why can't I do it? Instead, to say, well, that's going to cause someone to fall. And so he likened this effort to the sports world. Know ye that they which run in a race run all but one receives the prize. So here's what you do. Run that you might obtain. Run for that prize.

Every man that that wants to the best that strives for the mastery, he is temperate in all things. He thinks about. He considers all things. He said, "Therefore, so I run not as uncertainly. I have a purpose behind this." He said, "I fight not as one that just beats the air, not just, you know, shadow boxing. I keep under my body." In other words, I bring this into subject subjection. Let's by any means, however I can do it, that I don't lose out myself. That needs to be our attitude.

Prefer your brother, prefer your sister. be willing to say if it's going to cause you to lose out with God, I'm not going to do that. And that's what Paul was driving at here in this chapter. Yes, I'm an apostle. Yes, I have rights. But what's more important? I want to see you saved. I hope we have that attitude today. Whatever it takes, we want to see God touch lives. Let's stand. We'll get ready to take here a break here in just a moment. But if you're comfortable, lift a hand and ask God to help us with that.

Lord, in your name, we see it in your word. We understand, Lord, that I can fight for my rights and I can insist, well, and I can argue theology and scripture and say I I can do this and or I can strive to live peaceibly among all men. That I might reach others, Lord. That that we can reach our community around us. That we don't put a stumbling block or some reason for someone else to fail in their way. Help us to do that Lord in Jesus name we pray.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.