Bible Popcorn: hymns and poems about 1Cor. 9, portrait of a vessel of Christ

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1st Corinthians 9
Sweet and Abundant is this Boast
melody

Sweet and abundant is this boast,
"Well done thou servant of the field"
My rights on earth I count as loss
For heaven's hope contains my yield

Gavest thou me the gospel seal,
When once Thou sealed me as Thine own,
To plant where they know not of Thee
That in Thee might this seed be grown

This boast my flesh would still deny
If to its alter I now bend
To drink its lust or lift its pride
And wear the wreath of fallen men

I fromThy use shall not be cast
If Thou remain my prize and shield
For then this boast will come at last,
"Well done thou servant of the field"

Words: ©2015 by Stephen Popovich
Music: Hamburg 1824 by Lowell Mason

1st Corinthians 9

Paul - A Portrait of a Vessel of Christ

Summary:
Believers can use this chapter as a checklist comparing our own transformed minds to Paul who was very near to Christ as he followed him through the trials of this world.

The Vessel's Priority

Heart of a servant
(1)Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

When once Thou sealed me as Thine own

Paul qualified as an apostle because he had seen and been sent by the Lord. Through his dramatic encounter with the Lord he was converted from Saul, the persecutor of the Lord's Body, to Paul a servant of the Lord's Body. Although a "free" man, Paul became as a servant for the Lord's work. He did not ask for support because he knew that would be an obstacle to the flow of the word of God. Amazingly, there were some at Corinth that pointed to Paul's free service as a sign of inferiority. Peter and the others, they surmised, were paid professional Apostles but Paul's labor came cheap because he was a second rate Apostle if he was an apostle at all.

Paul is not concerned about his reputation. But he knows that a correct understanding of his apparent ‘slavery’ would make the Corinthians more appreciative of his being an example "in the Lord" of the words he ministered to them.

Branded
(2)If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Gavest thou me the gospel seal,

In verse three, Paul answers his detractors but in verse two he appeals to his children---those in whom he planted the seed of the gospel and nurtured---who were hearing the slanderous words of these “others”.

Apostles are 'sent ones' with a message---the living word of God. Paul was God’s bottle with a letter in it that God had floated to Corinth. The words of the letter had been written on the heart of Paul and were now being transcribed by the Holy Spirit onto the hearts of the Corinthians. Their hearts were now branded with the words from Paul's heart (2Cor.3:2-3).

Forgoing rights
(3-6)My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?

Paul was under scrutiny at the Corinthian Church. He wanted the Corinthians to understand that he was foregoing his rights for the gospel's sake, and for their sake.

God gave to Adam the task of tending a garden. With that task God gave Adam the right to eat food produced by the garden and the right to a helpmate. Those rights continue for workers of God's spiritual garden.

Was Paul inferior to Peter and other Apostles because he did not receive support from the church? Not at all, in fact his refusal of those rights made him a more useful vessel of the Lord (1Cor.7:32-33).

Rights set by the world
(7)Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

Workers were entitled to received food from that on which they labored. Grapes were given to vineyard workers and goats milk to shepherds. And soldiers were allowed to eat in the homes of those who lived in the land they protected.

These three workers bring to mind their spiritual counterparts that labor among God's spiritual field:

1) Soldiers equipped with the Lord's sword to bring to nothing things that are set against God (2Cor.10:3-5, 13:10).

2) Laborers in the field, planting the gospel in the ground of hearts.

3) Undershepherds leading His flock beside still waters and out of harm's way (1Pet.5:1).

Rights set by God
(8-10)I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher {to thresh} in hope of sharing {the crops.}

To plant where they know not of Thee

The right for laborers to eat was established by God in one verse from the Old Testament law (Deut.25:4). As a workman labors in the field, he has hope---or a rightful expectation---to receive of the fruit of his labor.

In the Old Testament, Christ is figuratively portrayed as the ox of the burnt offerings. Thr yoke placed on Christ by the Father led to Calvary; the yoke placed on us by Christ will lead to the place of the work He has prepared for us.

Temporal payment for spiritual gain
(11)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

Paul labored to bring forth fruit to be revealed at the Judgment Seat at which both Paul and those he ministered to will receive a reward. If Paul sought earthly support (which he did not), those he served should consider it a great bargain that they received eternal blessings in exchange for temporal payment.

The singular concern of a vessel of God
(12)If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

That in Thee might this seed be grown

If anyone had a right to support from the Corinthians it was Paul. He was like a father to them. It was through Paul that they first heard and became grounded in the gospel; but Paul wanted to maintain an unobstructed path to the hearts of the flock (2Cor.6:1-10). The matter of paying someone to hear God's word can be an impediment for some.

All for the Father's house
(13-14)Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the {food} of the temple, {and} those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

God considered the Old Testament temple as His house. In that house, God’s people offered grain and animal sacrifices. The priests who presented the sacrifices then shared in eating a portion of the sacrifice with the other sons of Aaron (Lev.2:1-3). It was their due (Lev.10:13-14). This depicts God's instruction for the support of saints called to minister God's word in his new covenant house, the church (1Pet.2:5,9). If the workers in God's temple made with hands were to receive support, how much more the workers in God's spiritual dwelling?

The Vessel's Boast

To be heard in heaven
(15)But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.

Sweet and abundant is this boast,

Paul was not making a pitch to receive earthly support. If he were, it would diminish his boast to be heard from the Lord in heaven, "Well done thou faithful servant".

A vessel's work is expected
(16)For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

A hammer does not boast because it's a hammer. It does not expect a reward for merely being what it was designed to be. The boasting before God comes from the hammer's dedication and reliability to perform the work it was designed to do. Woe unto the hammer if it decides to become a saw or retires to the golf course.

The vessel desires to perform its God given function
(17)For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward?

A hammer has a God given desire to be the hammer God designed. If that desire is stifled, what can the hammer's reward be?

The alignment of desire, rewards and work
(18)That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Paul was like a water fountain of truth who wanted as many hearts to receive as possible. If receiving his right of support on earth would diminish the fruit on earth, it would also reduce his rewards in heaven.

Rights of this earth I count as loss

How to be God's Winner

Servant's attitude
(19)For though I am free from all {men,} I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

"Well done thou servant of my field

Christ was sent into the world to serve, not be served . He served the Father by serving those to whom he was sent (Matt.20:28). Those will follow Him will do likewise (Matt.20:27, Rom.6:22). We have been given spiritual gifts for the edification of the church. those who would be a slave to Christ will become a slave to the Body of Christ.

Adapting for the sake of the gospel
(20-22)To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

In the Old Testament, God’s people were his peculiar treasure kept separate from “those without the law” through dietary laws (Deut.14:2-3) and certain laws against mixing with the heathen gentiles. God’s new program of reaching the lost began with the Day of Pentecost---a day that featured the Hebrew words of Peter being miraculously heard in the native tongue of each listener (Acts 2:1-11). This was a dramatic gesture by God signifying that there was now to be an unhindered flow of his truth to the gentiles.

Restaurants will often decorate and play music reflecting the mood and customs of the native land. A familiar feel makes for a comfortable patron who will linger longer and come back for repeat business. Paul applied this strategy to his ministry of soul-saving truth. For example, Paul circumcised Timothy so that Old Testament-based Jews would be more receptive of the message. Paul also would eat Jewish food and observe certain ceremonies (Acts 21:21-26) when he was around the Jews, all for the sake of optimally positioning the words of the gospel from his heart to theirs.

To Paul and all other early Jewish Christians, being “as without law” while gaining gentiles mostly meant stepping outside the obsolete Old Testament dietary laws (Acts 10:9-15) and into a gentile prepared dinner in a gentile home (Acts 10:28, 11:2-3). Paul met others on their turf. He could effectively minister to kings, scholars, peasants, Jews and Gentiles, jailors and the jailed. God picked the right man to be his main vessel of new covenant truths. Paul was God’s garden hose with an adjustable nozzle to best suit the variety of plants he encountered. He could be used for heavy spray, fine mist or high pressure cleaning---whatever was needed to most effectively deliver the water to the plants in order that they might bear fruit of salvation.

Goal Oriented
(23)I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

That in this hope would be my yield

The gospel does not end with our becoming born again. We are saved to serve (Mk.10:45). Those who serve faithfully will partake a more full measure of peace and joy on earth as well as rewards in heaven (Col.3:24). Those who don't, won't (1Jn.2:28).

The big picture purpose of a carpenter’s hammer might be to build a grand house for its owner, but its immediate purpose is to pound nails. Paul’s immediate purpose was to be a tool to distribute the gospel. On one hand it’s a simple job description. On the other hand he ordered his entire life to be the most effective vessel of God he could be because he was aware of the grand design.

This verse summarizes the chapter. Up to this point, Paul shows us how he had done all things to remove hindrances from the gospel flowing out of him. In the remaining verses we see how a man prepares his body to be a fit vessel for the master’s use.

The gospel is not only the gate of salvation, it is also the road we travel and its destination. To partake in the gospel is to first partake in the blood of Jesus and His life giving Spirit. Then we continue along a road of service where we are being sanctified into the likeness of Christ ....finally we arrive in heaven to receive rewards and honor. Our heavenly rewards will reveal the extent to which we "partook in the gospel".

Motivated
(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 win.

If Thou remain my prize and shield

Before a game, the coach will give his team a motivational pep talk. Paul's great motivation for himself and others was the promise of rewards in heaven.

The old Christian saying that all Christian’s have been ‘saved to serve’ is true. We can similarly say 'we have been ‘redeemed to run’. Our redeemed feet have been put in a foot race inside of a stadium. After the race, there will be winners who receive rewards and losers who don’t. Winners will receive the fruits of their dedication. Losers come up empty because their focus was not on the race at hand but on other things. The biggest winners will have done all things for the sake of the gospel.

The training table
(25)Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then {do it} to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

This boast my flesh would still deny
If to its alter I now bend
To sate its lust or raise its pride
And wear the wreath of fallen men

God’s winning players will be the ones whose hearts and minds push away the rubbish of the world and feast only at the training table set above with the word of God. We are nourished by the word of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The word of God is both our sustenance and content of our service to others. The more we are nourished, the stronger will be our service.

The game face
(26)Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

An athlete is said to have on his "game face" when his thoughts are focused on the game at hand. Paul didn’t start each day surfing the net for amusement. He knew the enemy was prepared and he must do like-wise. He wasn't swinging wildly at the air like an out of shape boxer, not knowing where the opponent was. Paul was 'a man with a plan'. He had his spiritual game-face on at all times.

Body control
(27)but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

I from thy use shall not be cast
For then this boast will come at last
"Well done thou servant of my field"

The football player uses his body as a tool to gain honor and rewards of victory. That means many long hours in the weight room where it is subject to rigorous workouts. The body might prefer a place of ease and pleasure, but the player must subject his body to his will, not the other way around.

The flesh is drawn like a magnet to lusts, riches and pride (1Jn.2:15-16). If our flesh is mired and clogged by things of the world, we have become dirty vessel unfit for the masters use to carry water (1Thes.4:4-5).

Paul knew his body was a vessel of service. He would receive rewards based on the quality of that service. All would be for naught if he let his flesh rule his desires. Paul was as a slave to the Corinthians for the sake of Christ, and Paul's body was as a slave to Paul.

The Master desires to use all his saints as vessels to wash His Body---the Church--- with his word. But if we are unclean in worldly lusts, he will reject us as unfit for his service (2Tim.2:20-21) and unworthy for rewards. We must be washed and willing to be fit for the Master's use.

God’s workers are his tools. He expects his hammers to have sturdy heads and his saws to be sharp. And He expects them both to be accessible and not missing in action in the world where their testimonies will be ruined---disqualifying them from the race and rewards.