1Cor 9:1-4 | JFB | STEP | . He Confirms His Teaching as to Not Putting a Stumbling-block in a Brother's Way ( ) BY His Own Example in Not Using His Undoubted Rights as an Apostle, so as to Win Men to Christ. 1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free?-- The oldest manuscripts read the order thus, "Am I not free? am I not an apostle?" He alludes to , "this liberty of yours": If you claim it, I appeal to yourselves as the witnesses, have not I also it? "Am I not free?" If you be so, much more I. For "am I not an apostle?" so that I can claim not only Christian, but also apostolic, liberty. have I not seen Jesus-- corporeally, not in a mere vision: compare , where the fact of the resurrection, which he wishes to prove, could only be established by an actual bodily appearance, such as was vouchsafed to Peter and the other apostles. In , the contrast between "the men with him seeing no man," and "Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way," shows that Jesus actually appeared to him in going to Damascus. His vision of Christ in the temple ( ) was "in a trance." To be a witness of Christ's resurrection was a leading function of an apostle ( ). The best manuscripts omit "Christ." ye my work in the Lord-- Your conversion is His workmanship ( ) through my instrumentality: the "seal of mine apostleship" ( ).

‏ 1 Corinthians 9:1-4

CHAPTER 9

1Co 9:1-27. He Confirms His Teaching as to Not Putting a Stumbling-block in a Brother's Way (1Co 8:13) BY His Own Example in Not Using His Undoubted Rights as an Apostle, so as to Win Men to Christ.

1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free?--The oldest manuscripts read the order thus, "Am I not free? am I not an apostle?" He alludes to 1Co 8:9, "this liberty of yours": If you claim it, I appeal to yourselves as the witnesses, have not I also it? "Am I not free?" If you be so, much more I. For "am I not an apostle?" so that I can claim not only Christian, but also apostolic, liberty.

have I not seen Jesus--corporeally, not in a mere vision: compare 1Co 15:8, where the fact of the resurrection, which he wishes to prove, could only be established by an actual bodily appearance, such as was vouchsafed to Peter and the other apostles. In Ac 9:7, 17 the contrast between "the men with him seeing no man," and "Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way," shows that Jesus actually appeared to him in going to Damascus. His vision of Christ in the temple (Ac 22:17) was "in a trance." To be a witness of Christ's resurrection was a leading function of an apostle (Ac 1:22). The best manuscripts omit "Christ."

ye my work in the Lord--Your conversion is His workmanship (Ep 2:10) through my instrumentality: the "seal of mine apostleship" (1Co 9:2).

2. yet doubtless--yet at least I am such to you.

seal of mine apostleship--Your conversion by my preaching, accompanied with miracles ("the signs of an apostle," Ro 15:18, 19; 2Co 12:12), and your gifts conferred by me (1Co 1:7), vouch for the reality of my apostleship, just as a seal set to a document attests its genuineness (Joh 3:33; Ro 4:11).

3. to them that ... examine me--that is, who call in question mine apostleship.

is this--namely, that you are the seal of mine apostleship.

4. Have we not power--Greek, "right," or lawful power, equivalent to "liberty" claimed by the Corinthians (1Co 8:9). The "we" includes with himself his colleagues in the apostleship. The Greek interrogative expresses, "You surely won't say (will you?) that we have not the power or right," &c.

eat and drink--without laboring with our hands (1Co 9:11, 13, 14). Paul's not exercising this right was made a plea by his opponents for insinuating that he was himself conscious he was no true apostle (2Co 12:13-16).