1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 3 says this;
This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
In this scripture, the Apostle Paul is reacting to criticism of his credentials and his methods.
There were people in Corinth who were grumbling that Paul did not have the stature of the other apostles to assert the things that he was asserting.
Paul defended himself against the challenges by indicating that He certainly did have the stature to assert apostolic leadership over the church at Corinth because he was the one who brought the message and the creed of Christ to them.
He also defended himself by saying that he met and exceeded any standard of apostleship by assiduously avoiding the burdening of the church with his financial support even though, as he showed from scripture, he had the right to be supported by the people of the church.
Paul has served the church of Corinth and invested in them but had forfeited his right to gain from his service. The people had twice benefitted from Paul; First by his ministry and then by having no burden to bear for that ministry.
An interesting juxtaposition can be found in Joshua chapter 9 where the Hivites deceived the Israelites and got a treaty signed that protected them from conflict with Israel. The scripture goes like this;
The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.
The Hivites, by their deceptive action, were obligated to the Israelites in the same way that the people of Corinth were obligated to Paul but whereas the Israelites did not absolve the Hivites of their obligation and the Hivites served as water carriers and woodcutters for the Israelites indefinitely, Paul, in His confidence in Christ, forfeited his right for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Bless the Lord our God whose richness in Christ let's us choose to forfeit our own right if it might strengthen others in Christ.
Amen
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