1 Corinthians 9:1

1 Corinthians 9:1-14. St Paul's Defence of his Apostolic Authority

1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free? This chapter is devoted to a defence of the Apostolic authority of St Paul, but there is an under-current of thought connecting it with the last which may easily be missed. In ch. 8. St Paul has been exhorting the Corinthians to sacrifice their own personal predilections for the benefit of others. In 1 Corinthians 9:13 he declares himself to be ready to act upon this principle to the uttermost. But some may say, "Fine doctrine this, but does the Apostle practise what he preaches?" Robertson. He is about to give a proof of his sincerity by referring to his sacrifice of self for the good of others, when he anticipates in his mind the reply, You have no power to do otherwise: you are not an Apostle at all; and he replies to each of these statements in his usual fervid way, by asking of each of them, Is it really then true? This connection of ideas is strengthened if with the majority of MSS. and the Syriac and Vulgate versions (so Wiclif, Whethir I am not free? am I not Apostle?) we transpose the two clauses, and read, "Am I not free? am I not an Apostle?The argument is admirably summarized by Bp Wordsworth thus: "Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Am I not yourApostle?"

have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? One distinction drawn by St Paul's opponents between him and the other Apostles was that they had seen and associated with Christ, while he had not. He rebuts this in the form of a question. He hadseen the Lord (1) in the way to Damascus (Acts 9:3; Acts 9:17); (2) after his return to Jerusalem (Acts 22:17, cf. 1 Corinthians 9:14 of the same chapter, and Acts 9:26; Galatians 1:18); (3) at Corinth itself(Acts 18:9, where observe that the Greek word does not signify dream, since it is used of the burning bush in Acts 7:31 as well as of the transfiguration in St Matthew 17:9); (4) on some occasion not specified (2 Corinthians 12:1), but probably during the Apostle's sojourn in Arabia (Galatians 1:17), unless indeed it be the vision above-mentioned in Acts 22.