What Old Testament practices are referenced in 1 Corinthians 9:13? Key Verse “Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings?” (1 Corinthians 9:13) Old Testament Background: God’s Provision for His Ministers • The LORD ordained that priests and Levites would live from the gifts and sacrifices His people brought (Numbers 18:8–32). • By literal command, their daily sustenance came straight from the altar and the storehouses of the sanctuary (Deuteronomy 18:1–5). • This arrangement was not optional or symbolic; it was a concrete, God-given right. Specific Practices Paul Has in View • Portions of Grain Offerings Leviticus 2:3, 10; 6:16–18 – “The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings to the LORD.” • Portions of Sin and Guilt Offerings Leviticus 6:26; 7:6–7 – The priest who offered the sacrifice ate the meat in a holy place. • Breast and Thigh of Peace Offerings Leviticus 7:31–34 – Designated parts were waved before the LORD, then given to the priests. • Showbread Leviticus 24:5-9; 1 Samuel 21:1-6 – Replaced weekly and eaten only by the priests. • Firstfruits and Heave Offerings Numbers 18:11-19 – “All the holy contributions the Israelites give… I have given to you and your sons and daughters.” • The Tithe Numbers 18:21-24; Deuteronomy 14:27-29 – A tenth of Israel’s produce supported the Levites, who in turn tithed to the priests. Paul’s Point in 1 Corinthians 9 • Just as God literally fed Old-Covenant ministers through temple gifts, He intends New-Covenant ministers to live from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14). • The principle—“the worker is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5:18)—stands on the unchanging authority of Scripture. • Paul voluntarily surrendered his right for strategic reasons (1 Corinthians 9:15-19), yet the right itself remains God-given. Takeaway The Old Testament practices of priests eating sacrificial portions, firstfruits, and tithes are the very practices Paul references. They establish a divinely designed pattern of material support for those who serve at God’s altar—then and now. |
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