ordained “that they which proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.” This is the Lord’s own arrangement and ordina tion. Beyond all question this means that ministers of the Word should be sup ported by those to whom they minister; but it is far from meaning that we should drive a bargain for just so many dollars for just so many sermons, et cetera, Paul had “used none of these things,” that is, he had claimed nothing of his rights of support as a minister of the gospel; and he did not now write that hereafter the Corinthians might support him. Paul did not wish support. He gloried in preaching the gospel without cost and he would rather die than that any man should make this glorying void. Yet, after all he felt he had nothing to glory in in the whole matter. He preached because he vhad to. He had to because there was a mighty con straint upon him to preach. As others are constrained by some overmastering lust for selfish gratification or some overmastering greed for money, so he was constrained by an overmastering desire to preach the good news of Christ crucified and risen. It was misery to him not to preach. ' “Woe is unto me,” he cried, “if I preach not the gospel.” It was not a passion for mere talking, he had; many have that; it was a passion for proclaiming the gospel. If he did this of persorml choice and not merely by the constraint of duty or for the sake of profit, he would receive a reward. If he did it of constraint, he only had a stewardship | entrusted to him. | And what was the reward on which he had set his heart? Only this, to make the gospel with out charge. Friday,.Nov. 2 . 1 Cor. 9 : 19 . Every believer in Jesus Christ is “free
Thursday, Nov. I. i Cor. 9 : 11 - 18 .
Paul here announces a great principle, namely, that when one sows to others in spiritual things, that is, teaching them the truth and thus ministering to their spiritual life, he is entitled to reap of their carnal things, that is, to receive support in tem poral matters, matters pertaining to their bodies and other needs. As Paul had min istered to the spiritual welfare of the Cor inthians more than anyone else, he had a greater right to claim support from them; but he did not claim this right. The rea son why he did not claim this right he states in fifteen words that should sink down into our hearts and never be forgot ten. These words are, “We bear all things that we may cause no hindrance to the gos pel of Christ.” Noble words these! If the spirit manifested in his words were the spirit of Christians generally, what mighty strides the Gospel would make. To Paul his own interests were nothing, the prog ress of “the gospel of Christ” was every thing. There was much that came to Paul that was very hard to bear, more by far than comes to any of us; but Paul would say, “I will bear this and say nothing. Otherwise I might hinder at least a little the progress of the gospel.” Paul knew full well what his rights were, but he put them aside. O, that we all had our hearts so set on the progress of the gospel that we would be willing to suffer anything rather than to put the slightest hindrance in the way of its progress. In the old dis pensation of the law God had appointed “that they which ministered about sacred things, eat of the things of the temple, and (that) they which wait- upon the altar have their portion with the altar,” and just so in the gospel dispensation had the Lord
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