How does 1 Corinthians 9:1 connect to Acts 9:3-6 about Paul's conversion? Paul’s Self-Defense in 1 Corinthians 9:1 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my workmanship in the Lord?” • Four rapid-fire questions defend Paul’s apostolic office. • The linchpin is “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?”—personal sight of the risen Christ was an essential mark of an apostle (cf. Acts 1:21-22). • By reminding the Corinthians of this sighting, Paul grounds his authority in a real, historical event, not in personal ambition. The Damascus Road Moment Revisited (Acts 9:3-6) “As he drew near to Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” • Saul literally sees a heavenly light and hears Jesus speak. • The encounter is public—companions hear the voice (9:7) and confirm the reality. • This sighting turns a persecutor into a preacher, supplying the very credentials Paul cites in 1 Corinthians 9:1. Direct Connections Between the Two Passages • Same Person: 1 Corinthians 9:1—“Jesus our Lord” / Acts 9—“I am Jesus.” • Physical Vision: Paul’s apostolic claim rests on having “seen” (Gk. heōraka) Jesus; Acts supplies the narrative proof of that sight. • Commissioning: Acts 9:6 gives marching orders; 1 Corinthians 9:1 assumes the fulfillment of those orders among the Corinthians (“Are you not my workmanship?”). • Freedom in Ministry: “Am I not free?” (1 Corinthians 9:1) flows from being released from old allegiances after meeting Christ on the road (Acts 9:18-20). Reinforcing Scriptures • Galatians 1:11-16—Paul repeats that his gospel and apostleship came “through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” • 1 Corinthians 15:8-10—“Last of all, as to one untimely born, He also appeared to me.” • Acts 22:14-15—Ananias: “The God of our fathers…has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.” Why This Matters Today • Apostolic Authority: Paul’s letters carry binding authority because they rest on a historical, bodily appearance of the risen Lord. • Gospel Certainty: The same Jesus who confronted Paul validates the message we believe—Christ died, rose, and can be personally known. • Transforming Grace: If Christ can turn Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle, He has power to redirect any life surrendered to Him. |
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