You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

 

You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

 

1 Corinthians 9:1-3: "Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Have you not seen Jesus our Lord? Is it not you who have done my work in the Lord? Though I may not be an apostle to others, to you I am an apostle. You are the seal (sphrachies) of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense (apologia) against those who criticize me."

 

At that time, Christians did not regard Paul as an apostle. However, Paul speaks by citing several points. He asserts that an apostle is one sent by Jesus. Paul met Jesus in Damascus. Furthermore, he asks whether he did not cause the members of the Corinthian church to receive the Holy Spirit. These could serve as criteria for being recognized as an apostle at that time.

 

"Sphrachies" (σφραγίς) means to stamp a seal. This implies that the Corinthian church was the one with the largest number of members who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after Paul preached the gospel. Although Christians at the time did not regard Paul as an apostle, he is saying that the members of the Corinthian church, at least, should not act that way.

 

Apologia (ἀπολογία) means "to answer." "This" signifies being sealed in the Lord regarding the apostleship. Paul practiced self-supporting ministry at that time. Because he ministered while working as a tentmaker without receiving payment, Christians sometimes doubted his apostleship based on this.

 

Paul could have worked and received payment to eat and drink, marry, and live; however, even though this is a right given by God, he did not do so for the sake of the ministry of the Gospel. He is pointing out that soldiers, grape growers, and farmers engaged in livestock farming all receive payment.

 

1 Corinthians 9:8-9: "Do I speak of this according to human custom? Does not the Law also speak of this? For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.' Is God concerned about oxen?"

 

The Law also contains regulations regarding the payment for the work of the Lord's servants. The point is that those who labor hard in farming do so with the expectation of receiving a reward. It implies that pastors who preach the Gospel do the same, looking forward to the rewards for their work.

 

Paul explains that giving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is related to the Holy Spirit, and that your offering is a religious act. He asserts that it is not excessive for you to take a portion of the offerings given by ministers as a religious act. The question is simply with what heart you take it.

 

While it is a natural right for not only Paul but also other ministers to receive a portion of the offerings given by the congregation as compensation for their work, Paul declares that he will not exercise this right. The reason was to ensure it does not become an obstacle to the Gospel.

 

Paul explains the receiving of compensation by Gospel ministers by comparing it to those who worked in the temple during the Old Testament era. However, Paul states that he would rather die than accept the compensation, fearing that the Gospel might be misunderstood because of it.

 

Furthermore, he conveys that preaching the Gospel is not something to boast about. He is telling us that it is a mission that must be naturally proclaimed. The church pays stipends because ministers need money to make a living; if there are those who demand excessive fees, it is because their hearts are more focused on money than on the mission of preaching the Gospel.

 

Paul does not associate the preaching of the Gospel with money. Since preaching the Gospel is done without cost, he intends not to exercise the right to expect a reward for that ministry.

 

Paul spoke of various things he gave up in his life to preach the Gospel, and he adds this further. He states that those who receive the Holy Spirit are free from sin, yet they become slaves to everyone. The reason for this was to make more people into people of God.

 

Paul acted flexibly to lead people to salvation through the Gospel. Depending on the target audience, he acted in a way that appeared to be of the same kind. He conveyed the truth of the Gospel from their perspective, observing whether they were Jews or Gentiles, legalists or not, and the weak or not. This is sometimes referred to as indigenization evangelism.

 

Therefore, he lives a life of self-discipline for this purpose. Those who have turned away from God repent and turn back to Him; they die with Jesus on the cross, resurrect with Him, become recipients of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and receive the mission to proclaim the Word of the Logos.

 

Paul himself preached the gospel diligently, yet he fears that he may have preached a misguided gospel with a different direction and goal. This is because Paul was previously a man who had fallen into legalism. Paul states that if a minister preaches a false gospel, he will instead be cast out.

 

Today, most church communities do not preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God but focus on how to live in the world. This is because they do not know much about the Kingdom of God. Focusing on how to live in the world eventually leads to self-promotion and turns people into religious figures who strive diligently, similar to those of other religions.

 

Christianity is a religion of grace, not a religion of effort. This does not mean that effort is unnecessary, but that it is not the foundation. Such efforts are not for oneself, but are merely useful means to spread the gospel. However, the problem lies in the fact that there are people who regard such effort and labor as a reward.

 

According to false doctrine, salvation is received simply by believing in Jesus; yet, there are those who focus on what reward they will receive when they stand at the judgment seat after death for their hard work, evangelism, and missionary activities abroad.

 

If preaching the gospel were an act done in anticipation of a reward, could the compensation received by the person who entered the vineyard early in the morning and worked hard be the same as that of the person who entered and worked just as the vineyard was closing in the evening, as seen in the parable of the vineyard and the tenant's talents? The tenants who entered early expected to receive relatively more and protested to the vineyard owner, but the owner insisted that he would pay the wages according to the contract.

 

Preaching the gospel is done with a joyful heart. Since we have received the gospel, what could be more joyful than this? Therefore, preaching the gospel is closer to a mission than a reward. Those who think they preach the gospel expecting a reward may naturally demand their share, but they would be hireling shepherds.