The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 299

Vers. 11, 12.-Rights assei·ted and fo1·ego11e. No passacre in Paul's writin(l's more re,·eals to us the nobility of the man's nature than this. A°s we read, we feel that such a character could not fail to command the admiration and sympathy of all who were capable of appreciating it. The apostle's abilities were crreat • but his moral qualities towered more loftily above those of other men, even th;n did his intellectual powers. Such a se.rntnt of God was well fitted to be the first and the greatest preacher of Christ to the natio?s; for he so shared the mind of the Master, that they who saw, l,eard, and knew him must have been brought by such experience very near to the Saviour whose Spirit he possessed and whose gospel he preached. I. Tm: JUST RlGIITS THE APOSTLE ASSERTED. Paul claimed that like other teachers lie had a claim upon his scholars for recompense and support. 1. He supported this by striking illustrations. The soldier has his rations provided by his country on whose behalf he fights; the vine-dresser cats of the produce of the vineyard· the shepher<l shares in the profit of the flock which he feeds; the husbandman who' plouo-hs sows, r.nd threshes does so in the expectation that he shall eat of the corn he grow~. '2. He adds au argument from Scripture. Ingeniously docs he apply the principle involved in the humane regulation which forbids the ox to be muzzled when it treads out the corn. A principle which holds good even with regard to cattle is surely valid when applied to men, to Christian labourers. 3. He nrgcs the superiority of the advantages bestowed by the teacher over those which he is justified in expecting by way of acknowledgment if not of return. They who receive spiritual things may surely yield carnal things. 4. This right Paul claims for all ministers and evangelists, himself included. II. THE K0ilILITY OF SPlRlT WITH WHICH THE APOSTLE WAS WONT DELIDERATELY -.,o FOREGO THESE RIGHTS. 1. Observe the fact. The apostle had acted upon this principle from the beginning. An open statement like this could not have been made had it not corresponded with the actual and well-known facts of the case. 2. Consider what this purpose involved, viz. hard manual labour. Like every Jew, Paul had been taught a trade; he wove the Cilician goats' hair into the fabric used for tents and sails, etc. It was a tax upon his energies whilst he was thinking, writing, and preaching, !0 spend part of the day in hard, rough toil. 3. Remember the exception; from_ the Mace- donian Churches, fur a special reason, Paul had consented to receive a liberal gift. 4. '!'be motive which animated Paul deserves attention. It was not pride. There was a personal motive; whilst preaching was a necessity in his case, so that he could take no credit and make no boast for his ministry, he willingly gave up his right to maintenance, that he might have the pleasure of a voluntary sacrifice, a ground ol Jowly glorying. And there was an official motive; his design w:i.s to remove any hindrance out of the way of the progress of the gospel. It might be thought by surnc that he preached for gain, and such a supposition would render his hearers suspicious an<l unreceptive. '!'hat this should not be the case, he chose to forego his rights, that tho -obvious disinterestedness of his conduct might support and render effective the gospel which he proclaimed.-1'. Ver. 16.-The obligation of preaching. The sincerity of the strong emphatic language -of the apostle iu this passage is not to be questioned. His w~ole life is a proof that it was with him as be here affirmed. A law, a vow, was upon him; and there was no .discharge, no intermission, until his fight was fought and his course was run. I. THE SPECIAL 0BLIGATl0N LAID UPON THE APOSTLE. 1. In what it originated. There is no room for doubt upon this point. Christ himself had met Paul on the way to Damascus, and at the same time that he shed Divine light upon the mind of the persecuting Phari~ee Saul, he converted him into the apostlo of the Gentiles, and gave him the" marching orders" upon which he was henceforth to act. "Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." The tones of that voico rang in his cars through- .out the whole of the ministry which was thus inaugurated. 2. llow it wasfulfillerl. 'l'he record makes it plain that the obligation was not only recognized, but practically folfilled, in a spirit of cheerfulness, gratitude, confidence, and devotion. Such is tho en. Ix. l-2i.J 'l'HE .FIRST EPISTLE TO THE COnINTHIA~S. 301