While
sharing the “gospel of Jesus Christ”,
Paul the apostle told the Corinthian church members, “if
I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a
dispensation of the gospel
is committed unto me”,
and in chapter nine and verse eighteen of
First Corinthians, Paul told
the Corinthians how he “preached”,
“the gospel of Christ without charge”
where we read:
What
is my reward then? Verily
that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ
without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
The
verse begins, “What
is my reward then? Verily
that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ
without charge, ...” Paul
began with the word, “What”
or “which” “is my reward” or
“is Paul's dues paid for work, wages or hire resulting from toil”
“then”
which means “therefore, accordingly and consequently”? “Verily
that” or
“in order that and so”, “when I
preach”
which means “at the time Paul brought, announced and told” “the
gospel” or
“the good news of the joyful tidings of God's kindness, in
particular of the Messianic blessings, of the coming kingdom of God
and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ”, “I
may make”
which means “that Paul might set, put and place” “the
gospel” or
“the good news” “of Christ”
who is “the anointed one, the Messiah and the Son of God”
“without charge”
which means “not having expense, requiring no outlay and costing
nothing”. Paul counted it a “reward”
to be able to share “the gospel of
Jesus Christ”
without any “cost”
to the Corinthian church members.
The
verse continues, “...
that I abuse not my power in the gospel.”
Paul added
the words, “that I abuse not” or
“that Paul would not use much or excessively and fully consume by
use” “my power”
which means “Paul's liberty, ability and power of choice and doing
as he pleases” “in the gospel”
which means “in the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be
set up and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah who is the founder
of this kingdom”. Paul would not allow himself to “abuse”
his “liberty” or “freedom” for the sake of the “gospel”.
When
we consider these words from Paul, we understand how important “the
gospel” was to Paul. He would not allow any remuneration to be
perceived as an inhibitor to the “salvation” that comes through a
relationship with Jesus Christ. He shared the “gospel”
“without charge”, and though as a minister of Jesus Christ he
was due wages for his work, he did it for nothing. The value of the
“gospel” should be evaluated this way, and there should
never be an “abuse of power” from any authority who is sharing
Jesus' “good news” with others. The minister is “due” “wages”
for his “toils”, but that should never be the drive and motive
for ministering. May the Lord Jesus help us know the “value” of
the “good news” of Jesus, and may we be motivated by Paul to
share it as much as possible “without cost”.
Next
time Paul tells the church members though he was, “free
from all men” he
had “made”
himself “servant to all”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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