What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 9:15? But I have not used any of these rights Paul has just finished listing the very real rights God grants to those who preach the gospel—food, drink, material support (1 Corinthians 9:4-14). Yet he immediately says he has declined them. • This is not false humility; it is deliberate strategy. By supporting himself, Paul removes every excuse someone might raise against the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12). • His pattern is consistent: “We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone” (1 Thessalonians 2:9; see also 2 Thessalonians 3:8, Acts 20:33-35). • The choice illustrates a larger principle: believers may gladly surrender personal privileges when it helps others see Christ more clearly (compare 1 Corinthians 8:13). And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me Paul anticipates misunderstanding. He is not dropping hints for financial help. • His motive is transparent: “I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you” (2 Corinthians 12:14). • He refuses to exploit the church through intermediaries (2 Corinthians 12:17-18). • Like his Lord, he serves “not for dishonest gain, but eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2). • Even when he does receive gifts from other churches, his joy is not the gift itself but the spiritual fruit it represents in the givers (Philippians 4:17). Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast Paul’s “boast” is not self-promotion; it is the privilege of offering the gospel free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:18). • He would rather face death than see that testimony undermined. • The boast ultimately rests in the Lord: “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17). • By refusing payment, Paul dramatizes the cross—salvation comes without cost to the recipient, though at great cost to the giver (Galatians 6:14). • His stand challenges believers to ask what rights we might relinquish so nothing hinders others from receiving Christ. summary 1 Corinthians 9:15 shows Paul gladly surrendering legitimate rights to keep the spotlight on Jesus. He wants nothing—money, expectation, or misunderstanding—to blur the free offer of the gospel. His example invites us to hold our own privileges loosely so the message of Christ shines without obstruction. |
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