That is, I did not make use of any of the above-mentioned Old Testament examples, nor of the commandment of Christ, in order to eat and drink at your expense.
1 Cor. 9:15. And I have not written these things so that it should be done so for me.
So that no one would say to him: "What then? If you have not made use of this right until now, you wish to make use of it in the future, which is why you are saying this," he hastens to correct such an opinion, saying: I did not write these things so that it would be so for me, that is, so that I might receive from you.
1 Cor. 9:15. I would rather die than have anyone nullify my boast.
I, he says, would rather agree to die of hunger than allow anyone to destroy my boast, that is, to declare it vain and empty. He said "boast" in order to show the abundance of his joy. Someone else might perhaps say: "he indeed did not take, but did this with grief and pain." But he says: I am so far from sorrow that I even boast of this.
1 Cor. 9:16. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for this is a necessary obligation of mine, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
What are you saying? Your praise is not in preaching the Gospel, but in preaching without charge? Is the latter better than the former? No, he says; but preaching the Gospel has been commanded to me, it is my duty, and if I fulfill it, there is no perfection in that, but if I do not fulfill it, woe to me, for I will be beaten much, as one who does not do the will of his Master (Luke 12:47). But to preach without charge is a matter of free choice, and therefore a praiseworthy matter. The words "a necessity is laid upon me" are said not to take away free will, but to distinguish it from the freedom to receive and from the fear of punishment for failure to fulfill one's duty.
1 Cor. 9:17. For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I am simply fulfilling the ministry entrusted to me.
If the work of preaching had not been entrusted to me, but I were performing it of my own accord, then I would have a great and abundant reward. But if it has been entrusted to me, clearly I am performing it not of my own accord, but am acting according to the will of the Master. This is what "unwillingly" means. Therefore this work does not merit honor, for I am merely fulfilling the ministry entrusted to me. Note also the following. He did not say: if I do this "unwillingly," then I will have no reward — in order to show that he will receive a reward even for preaching, although in this case he acts according to the will of the Master; for it would be contrary to justice if all the apostles received no reward for preaching — only not such a reward as the one who preaches without charge will receive.
1 Cor. 9:18. What then is my reward? That, in preaching the Gospel, I proclaim Christ free of charge, not making full use of (εις το μη καταχρήσασθαι) my authority in the Gospel.
That is: for me, the great and praiseworthy reward is in not using my right to take, not using it at all. For the word κατάχρησις (which in other cases means misuse) he used here in the sense of use (χρήσις) in general. He everywhere calls the taking "right," in order to show that even those who took were not sinning in the least. He said "in the gospel" in order to show that whoever preaches the gospel and labors should take, but whoever does not, should not.
1 Cor. 9:19. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more.
He says something even greater. Not only did I not take, though I had the authority, but also, being free, not being subject to anyone, without external compulsion, I enslaved myself to all, not to one or two, but to the whole world, not in order to please everyone through flattery, but to gain "more" believers; for it is impossible to gain all.
1 Cor. 9:20. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win the Jews.
For example, when he circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3). He did not say: a Jew, but: "as" a Jew, to show that this was done with a special purpose.
1 Cor. 9:20. For those under the law I became as one under the law, that I might gain those under the law.
We understand proselytes, or those of the Jews who believed but still held to the law. This was when he shaved his head (Acts 18:18), when he offered a sacrifice according to the rite of purification (Acts 21:26). He did this with a special purpose and for appearance's sake, in order to correct those who did this out of conviction.
1 Cor. 9:21. To those without the law, as one without the law.
By "lawless" he means either those who did not have the Law of Moses, who converted from among the Gentiles, such as Cornelius (Acts 10), and in visiting whom Paul condescended to their weakness, or also the Greeks, to whom he likewise adapted himself—for example, when he delivered a speech before the Athenians, he began it from the altar that they had, and taught about Christ not as God but as a man (Acts 17:22–23, 31); for they could not understand any such thing, but even regarded him as one of their own gods, such as Hercules or Asclepius. Everywhere the word "as" is added, so that you would know that Paul only appeared to be such, but in reality was not.
1 Cor. 9:21. Not being without law before God, but under the law of Christ, – in order to win those without law.
Lest they think that Paul in conversations with those alien to the law was changing his way of thinking, he says: "not being without law before God, but under the law of Christ," that is, having a law higher than the ancient law, the law of Christ. And for what purpose? In order to gain those alien to the law.
1 Cor. 9:22. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak.
So now too, for your sake, because of your unsteadiness in convictions and inclination toward temptation, I did not wish to be fed at your expense. And in those cases when, because of the weakness of his listeners, he does not speak clearly about the divinity of the Son or about the divinity of the Spirit, know that he becomes "to the weak, as weak."
1 Cor. 9:22. To all I have become all things, in order to save at least some.
And why enumerate many things? I adapted myself to all. Although I did not hope to save all, I desired to save at least a few. And this is even more remarkable. But to labor to exhaustion for the sake of a few is a great thing. He added "at least" to console teachers. For although no one will save all, a few he will undoubtedly save. Therefore one must not remain idle.