1 Corinthians 9:27

"But I discipline my body and keep it under control, [Greek I pummel my body and make it a slave] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

Throughout history many people have been slaves of other people. None of us want to be slaves, and those who were slaves were often kept under control only through severe beatings. Slavery and the beating of slaves is wrong, but the effort used to keep slaves under reflects the effort we must use to keep our selfishness under.

We are deplorably selfish, and it may take drastic measures to overcome this selfishness. You will not naturally serve others. Therefore, great discipline is required. But what in what sense should "I pummel my body" to keep my selfishness under control? The passage is not promoting flagellation. It is pointing out that just as the slave rightly bucks against his slavery, our selfish will wrongly bucks against serving others.

We must all exert much effort to overcome our selfishness. But the one who encourages others to be a servant must take special care that he keeps his selfishness under control for the good of others.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air."

Self-control and self-sacrifice do not come easily or naturally. A runner who seeks to win a prize must practice and practice hard. He will be selective about his activities—sleep, work, exercise, diet, etc. And when he runs the race, he will through all he is into winning.

We too must be disciplined and must exert much effort. We do not tend surrender our rights for the benefit of others, but this is what we are called to. Our effort goes into giving our lives for other people so that they may share in the blessings of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:20-23

"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. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings."

These verses scream cultural adaptively to me, but they are so often misused. What does it mean to be all things to all people? Does it mean that you do whatever you have to for the gospels sake? Are there no boundaries? Some would say that the propagation of the gospel can be accomplished by any means necessary and that to engage your culture you must become like your culture. But I don’t believe that the text warrants such a position.

We are dealing with the need to become a servant by surrendering your rights. We are to meet people where they are and point them to Christ, but there are limitations as to how we can do this. To win the legalist, you may not put yourself under the law. You recognize their need and serve them, adapting to their mindset, but you do not disregard your spiritual freedom from the law by putting yourself under the law. Such an action would be destructive and would keep them from properly understanding the gospel.

Likewise, when dealing with the irreligious, you cannot forget who you are in Christ by becoming irreligious in order to minister to them. You can give up your rights, but you must not surrender the gospel or what it has done in your life. Your relationship with Christ should drive you to show people more love. You should long to see other people share in the blessings of the gospel. Give up your privileges and minister, but do not give up your relationship with Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19

"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them."

One thing I’ve learned from my time in Europe and Asia: people are very different from one another. I mean they are way different. Whole societies view things and see them the exact opposite way that my home society sees them. Beyond that there are huge differences of value and perspective within a culture. When dealing with other people who see things differently, we are not bound by their view, but if we want to minister to them, we need to put ourselves under their system of thought as much as is allowable biblically.

1 Corinthians 9:15-18

"But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel."

Ministers of the gospel are blessed with opportunity to work with the life-changing truth of God’s word on a daily basis. It is everyone’s responsibility to do this, but most people have other work responsibilities that naturally divide their time. The minister gets to do it all the time. This is undoubtably a privilege, but it does not earn him any special favor with God.

If a person does something kind because he chooses to, we put greater value on his kindness than if the same person does the same kind act when it is required of him. For the minister, sharing the gospel is a requirement (in addition to being a privilege). I would argue that it is also a necessity for every other believer, but the focus here is on the minister. Even if the minister doesn’t feel like delivering the gospel, it is his stewardship—his responsibility. He must do it, and there is no special reward for doing what is required of him. There is, however, a special reward for forfeiting his just right to receive compensation for doing this work.

What can those of us who don’t preach the gospel for a living learn from this? There are rewards for surrendering your rights. You have the Christian liberty to surrender your rights for the weaker brother. To fail to do so is disruptive for them and will bring consequences to you, but surrendering your rights protects the weaker Christian and brings rewards to you.

1 Corinthians 9:11-14

"If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on 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. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel."

It is not unspiritual to make your living by the gospel. Those who profit spiritually from a minister of the gospel should be willing to compensate him materially. Of how much greater value are the spiritual blessings that come through him than the material blessings that you are able to give back? The spiritual blessings are eternal and cannot be taken away. The physical blessings are temporary and can easily be lost. The spiritual blessings can fill a void in your life that no object can ever fill. And the spiritual blessings bring you closer to Christ. Physical blessings only give you strength to pursue those true blessings in Christ.

While it is perfectly acceptable for those who give their life for the ministry of the gospel to make their living by the gospel, one should never enter the gospel ministry merely to earn a living. The minister should be more concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of the flock God has entrusted him with than his paycheck. But the flock should provide him with a paycheck. It is the least they can do for one who gives them so much.