Paul Struggles

To Legitimize His Apostleship

Dissension in the Church of Corinth

1 Cor 1:11-12

1:11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people
that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.
1:12 What I mean is that each of you says,
"I belong to Paul," or
"I belong to Apollos," or
"I belong to Cephas," or
"I belong to Christ."

Cf. 1 Cor 3:21-23

3:21 So let no one boast about human leaders.
For all things are yours,
3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas
or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all belong to you,
3:23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Paul Makes his Claim to Apostolic Legitimacy

1 Cor 9:1

9:1 Am I not free?
Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?
Are you not my work in the Lord?

Paul's Apostleship is being questioned in Corinth

1 Cor 9:2

9:2 If I am not an apostle to others,
at least I am to you;
for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Paul is being examined by some who reject his apostleship;
he defends himself by claiming Apostolic Rights,
he compares himself to the genuine Apostles:
"the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas."

1 Cor 9:3-16

9:3 This is my defense to those who would examine me.
9:4 Do we not have the right to our food and drink?
9:5 Do 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?

Paul discusses Payment for Preaching the Gospel,

complains that he is not being given the apostolic right
"to refrain from working for a living"

9:6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 9:7 Who 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? 9:8 Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law also say the same?

Paul justifies Payment for Preaching the Gospel by

1. citing and allegorically interpreting an obscure OT passage 
as a prophecy that was written for "our (his?) sake"

9:9 For 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? 9:10 Or does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was indeed written for our sake, for whoever plows should plow in hope and whoever threshes should thresh in hope of a share in the crop.

2. citing as a prototype for the paid Christian Preachers
the Priestly figures who were employed in the service
of the Jewish Temple of Solomon and who served at its altar

9:13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is sacrificed on the altar?

3. citing an otherwise unknown commandment of Jesus:
"that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel"

9:14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. 9:15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this so that they may be applied in my case. Indeed, I would rather die than that--no one will deprive me of my ground for boasting! 9:16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!

Paul wants to reap the "material benefits" of the Corinthians
    in return for "having sown spiritual good" among them

9:11 If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? 9:12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Paul twice says that he has not made use of these Apostolic Rights (9:12, 15)

Is this because he has not been permitted to use them?
Is that what this argument is all about?

Paul Adds Himself to the Traditional List of Jesus' Apostles

1 Cor 15

15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 15:2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.

Paul Recounts the Tradition he Received (from the Apostles?)

15:3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received:

• that Christ died for our sins
  in accordance with the scriptures,
• 15:4 and that he was buried,
  and that he was raised on the third day
  in accordance with the scriptures,
• 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas,
• then to the twelve.
• 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters
  at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
• 15:7 Then he appeared to James,
• then to all the apostles.
• 15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
  15:9 For I am the least of the apostles,
  unfit to be called an apostle,
  because I persecuted the church of God.
  15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am,
  and his grace toward me has not been in vain.
  On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--
  though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
  15:11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Conclusions:

• Paul's Opponents in 1 Cor 9 and 15 are the same people

• They Dispute his Apostolic Authority and
  make reference to the Jerusalem Apostles
   
• Paul Defends himself by appealing to
  • his Vision of the Risen Jesus,
  • his Missionary Work

• Do you buy Paul's argumentation in 9:6-16:

that God and Jesus want the preachers of the gospel to be paid?

• Do you accept:

• Paul's interpretation of his OT citation above,
• his reference to an otherwise unknown "commandment" of Jesus