Chapter IX.
(Vers. 1.)
(Verse 1.) Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? While he appears to deny, he affirms; for he speaks in anger. He proves himself to be an apostle, for he was sent to the Gentiles, as the Lord said to him: 'I will send you to the Gentiles' (Acts 22:21). He also shows himself to be free, for he desired nothing from anyone, nor did he teach in flattery. And he has seen our Lord Jesus, while he was praying in the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 22:18). Is not my work in the Lord? Therefore they are working because he himself planted them in the Lord, preaching the word of God to them for a year and six months.
(Vers. 2.)
(Ver. 2.) Although I am not an apostle to others, I am certainly an apostle to you; for I was denied apostleship by the Jews who believed and still observed the Law. For he taught that circumcision is no longer necessary and that the Sabbath should not be observed. But to avoid causing offense to others, the other apostles chose not to openly disagree with him in this matter. Therefore, he was denied apostleship by them. For he was an apostle to those who witnessed the signs of his power in him. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord; for it is by preaching this that they have been converted from idols to the faith of the one God.
(Vers. 3.)
(Verse 3) This is my defense before those who question me. Now he begins to argue the case, which he previously introduced saying: 'All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.' Food for the stomach and the stomach for food (1 Corinthians 6:12). Thus, he begins this case by saying: 'This is my defense before those who question me.' And he adds what it is, saying:
(Vers. 4, 5.)
(Verses 4, 5.) Do we not have the power to eat and drink? This is what he said: 'All things are lawful for me.' Do we not have the power to lead about a sister as well, as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Therefore he added: 'And Cephas;' because he, being the first among the apostles, did not make use of his right to maintenance. Cephas himself is Simon Peter. For women, desiring the instruction of the Lord, and eager for virtues, followed the apostles, ministering to them with their possessions and services, just as they followed the Savior ministering to him from their own means.
(Vers. 6.)
(Verse 6.) Do only Barnabas and I not have the power to do these things? That is, we have the power to do them, but we do not want to. However, in order to be given the right to do them, he says that he spoke more honestly. And to strengthen this, he provides examples, saying:
(Vers. 7, 8.)
(Verse 7, 8.) Who ever serves in their pay? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock of sheep and does not drink their milk? Am I speaking according to human judgment? That is, am I following human reasoning? Does not the same law say this? The aforementioned testimonies have been shown to agree with divine teachings, so as to demonstrate that there is indeed good reason for not wanting to receive expenses from them, since it shows both giving and receiving in so many examples.
(Vers. 9.)
(Verse 9.) For in the Law (Deut. XXV, 4) it is written: You shall not muzzle the ox when it is treading out the grain. Does God care for oxen? Let us briefly address this; for it is written in the prophet Jonah: Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals? (Jonah IV, 11). And the psalmist says: You save both people and animals (Psalm. XXXV, 7). So how can it be that God does not care for oxen and animals? But he does not care about the oxen and cattle themselves because of these things, but because of us, for whose sake they were made; therefore he cares about us, not them.
(Vers. 10.)
(Verse 10) Or rather, he says, for our sake it is written: for our sake indeed it is written. For all things said pass on to us through a figure. For he who plows and threshes in hope, ought to receive the fruit of his hope. It is true, because work is done with this hope, so that the fruit may be obtained.
(Vers. 11.)
(Verse 11) If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even 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.
(Vers. 12.)
(Verse 12) If others have the authority over you, shouldn't we have it even more? For if those who are not your fathers through the Gospel do not have the same affection for you, they still have the power to receive, how much more so us? And it is implied, your apostles, because Barnabas was an apostle.
But we have not used this power. Yet, we endure everything, so as not to create any obstacle to the Gospel of Christ. For a long time, he kept hidden his intention; for he showed that he did not want to accept any support, even though he had the right to, so that the power of the Gospel might not weaken. False apostles fooled those who sinned, wanting to receive support; so much so that they did not seem to be sinning while in submission to them. But since this action goes against the discipline of the Gospel, he does not want to accept it here; so that he can freely criticize, and not be found among their number. For in order that the rule of Christian law might remain, it made lawful things unlawful, because they were offending through license.
(Vers. 13.)
(Verse 13.) Do you not know that those who work in the sanctuary live from the sanctuary, and those who serve at the altar share in the altar? In the sanctuary, it signifies the law of the Gentiles, but in the altar, that of the Jews. For the Lord decreed through Moses (Deuteronomy 18:3) that the priests should take a portion of what was offered.
(Vers. 14.)
(Verse 14.) And so the Lord Jesus ordained those who proclaim the Gospel to live from the Gospel. Therefore, God did not follow the form of the Gentiles through Moses, but natural reason itself has it that one should live from where one labors. Therefore, He decreed this reason itself for nature and human conversation. However, adding this to the top still burdens the cause, so as not to make it slight or odious, which He commends with such great testimonies; and yet He does not want to benefit Himself, so as not to humble the freedom of argument.
(Vers. 15.)
(Verse 15.) But I have not made use of any of these things. After showing in many ways that it is allowed to receive, yet he himself does not need it; for it is harmful to receive from sinners, as I mentioned before. But I did not write these things so that it would happen to me; for it is better for me to die. No one will detract from my glory. He speaks of his own glory in that, if the severity of the Gospel remains; and he chooses to die rather than violate the rights of the Gospel, knowing that this will benefit him more for future salvation. For indeed he refused the owed obedience that should be given to him; lest they take confidence in committing a wrong through this.
(Vers. 16.)
(Verse 16) For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
(Vers. 17.)
(Verse 17). For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. It is clear that no one receives a reward for the thing they do unwillingly. For if they do it willingly, they are deserving of a reward because they consent to the master, and what is done willingly is done better. But if they do it unwillingly, the responsibility is entrusted to me. And this is not unclear, because whoever does something without devotion does not do it willingly, but out of necessity. For since it is not within their power, they do it unwillingly because it was commanded to them.
(Vers. 18.)
(Verse 18) So what will be my reward? That, when proclaiming the gospel, I may offer the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. I want to be different from others, so that when they see that it is not advantageous, they do not even use what is lawful: if not, they will do things that are lawful, but in a way that causes harm.
(Vers. 19.)
(Verse 19) For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
(Vers. 20.)
(Verse 20.) And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order to gain Jews. It seems as though I pretended to be all things to all people, as flatterers usually do, but it is not so; for he is a divine man and a spiritual physician who knows the causes and wounds of all, and he diligently nurtures and sympathizes with them; for we all have certain things in common with everyone else. Therefore, he became to the Jews as a Jew; because for their sake he circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), and he purified himself and went up to the temple, so that they would not have a reason to blaspheme through him (Acts 21:26). Therefore, he did what should now have ceased, but he did it according to the Law. For he agreed with them that the Law was from God and the prophets, and he showed that this Christ is of them, who was promised, so that his agreement would have an effect.
(Vers. 21.)
(Verse 21.) Those who are under the Law, are as if I were under the Law (even though I am not under the Law myself) so that I may profit them who are under the Law. Those who are under the Law are called Samaritans; for they accept only the Law, that is, the five books of Moses. They are descended from the Persians and Assyrians whom the king of Assyria, after removing the children of Israel into captivity, placed in the land of Samaria to inhabit (2 Kings 17:6); therefore, they also worship fire in the manner of the Persians. Therefore, the Apostle, while not denying that the Law was from God, seemed to be under the Law; but from it he taught them to understand Christ with a gentle word, just like the Samaritan woman who said to the Lord: 'I know that the Messiah is coming' (John 4:25); taught through the Law.
Those who are without the Law are as if without the Law (even though without the Law they are not of God, but they are in Christ's Law) in order to benefit those who are without the Law. He says this because when it is in Christ's Law, it is in God's Law; because what is Christ's, is God's: and what is God's, is Christ's, as it is said: All mine are yours, and yours are mine. In order to benefit those who are without the Law (John 17:10). For while he agreed with them, that is, the Gentiles, according to the natural reason, that the world was made by God, and that the things in it, and that the soul is immortal, and that we have our origin from him (for in the Acts of the Apostles it says: For in him we live, and move, and have our being) it was done as if without the Law, through which he introduced to them that Christ himself is the one whom God chose to judge the world, and that he is the one through whom all things were made.
(Vers. 22.)
(Verse 22) I became weak for the weak, in order to win the weak. He became weak, while refraining from lawful things for the sake of weak brothers, so as not to cause them to stumble. I became all things to all people, in order to save all. This was the behavior of a prudent and spiritual man, to become all things to all people, yet not going beyond the purpose of religion; because where he yielded, he yielded for the sake of making progress: and he did nothing other than what the Law commanded.
(Vers. 23.)
(Verse 23) But I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it. That is, I do all the aforementioned things in order to become a participant in the gospel's purpose, which concerns human salvation.
(Vers. 24.)
(Verse 24) Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
(Vers. 25.)
(Verse 25.) But every athlete who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Therefore, I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into submission, lest, after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.
(Vers. 26.)
(Verse 26.) Thus I run, not as if uncertain. I run with great hope, knowing exactly what has been promised. Thus I fight, not as if beating the air. That is, I strive not primarily with words, but with actions.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Therefore, I keep my body under control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Therefore, he confirms the validity of his preaching by demonstrating through his actions that he follows what he teaches. For anyone who acts differently than what they preach raises suspicion among the listeners, causing them to doubt the promises. Therefore, he encourages others to practice not only with words but also with deeds, through his own example.