1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1

I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. In this great center of Greek culture, he felt a human timidity at first in presenting the simple gospel in the face of the splendors of the Greek philosophy.

1 Corinthians 9:2

Not with enticing words of man’s wisdom. He did not resort to the arts and enticements of Greek oratory or philosophy. But in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Filled by the Holy Spirit, he spoke in its power, and thus moved upon the hearts of his hearers. His words were also supported by the power of the Spirit shown in miracles (Romans 15:19 2 Corinthians 12:12).

1 Corinthians 9:3

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men. Their faith was not produced by the triumphs of oratory or philosophy, But in the power of God. By the gospel preached in the power of the Spirit. Hence it was wrought through the means supplied of God.

1 Corinthians 9:4

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. “We” refers to Paul and his fellow-preachers. Though the gospel abjured carnal wisdom, yet it has a wisdom of its own, a divine wisdom, which is imparted to and recognized by those who have become full-grown Christians. “The perfect” are the full-grown in Christ, instead of babes. Babes must be fed on milk, but the grown can endure strong meat (1 Corinthians 3:2). For such there is a depth of wisdom revealed in the gospel, but “not the wisdom of this world”. Princes of this world. Leading men of the Jews, Greeks and Romans. They had not learned this divine wisdom.

1 Corinthians 9:5

We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. The Greeks had their mysteries, like the Eleusinian, in which secrets were imparted to the initiated. A mystery is a secret as yet not made known. The wisdom of God in the gospel was a mystery hidden until Christ came, and since then fully comprehended only by “the initiated”, the full-grown Christians. The apostolic sense of “mystery” is that which was hidden, but is now disclosed to those who accept the gospel. Those who will not receive the gospel cannot comprehend this wisdom.

See Romans 16:25,26 Ephesians 3:6 1 Timothy 3:16. [Even] the hidden [wisdom]. Long hidden, though existing in God’s plans made before the world. Before the “age” (Revised Version, margin). The Greek word “aion” is correctly “ages”. The Jewish age of dispensation may be meant, or it may mean the ages of man’s existence. This hidden wisdom proposed all through the dispensations the glory of God’s chosen ones.

1 Corinthians 9:6

Which none of the princes of this world knew. Utterly ignorant of the divine wisdom to be revealed in Christ, they, the high priests, with Pilate and Herod, crucified the Son.

1 Corinthians 9:7

As it is written. See Isaiah 54:4. There was no human conception, as shown by the prophet, of the glory to be revealed in the mystery of the gospel. And indeed that glory is still beyond the power of mere human conception.

1 Corinthians 9:8

But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit. These wonders of the love of God, not seen by eye, nor heard by ear, nor revealed to the senses, were revealed by the Spirit to the apostles (“to us”), and made known through them to full-grown Christians (“the perfect”) (1 Corinthians 2:6). The Spirit searcheth all things. The Holy Spirit, imparted so freely to the apostles to lead them into all truth, is the Spirit of God (John 16:13). Hence this Spirit imparts a knowledge of the deep things of God. The secrets of the divine wisdom are thus made known.

1 Corinthians 9:9

For what man knoweth, etc. A man’s spirit knows all his secrets, though these are unknown to another man. So God’s Spirit knows the Divine secrets, and imparts these wherever he dwells in full measure as the Spirit of Knowledge.

1 Corinthians 9:10

Now we have received . . . the spirit which is of God. We apostles. The Spirit received by all the apostles was not the spirit of the world, but the Holy Spirit which Christ promised them as a guide into all truth (John 16:13). Hence they were enabled to know what God imparted freely to them.

1 Corinthians 9:11

Which things also we speak. The grand truths, “the hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7), “the mystery of God” (Colossians 2:2), revealed to them through the Spirit, they spoke to others. These things they spoke, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, not in the garb of philosophy, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. In the words given by the Holy Spirit. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. This difficult clause has received many explanations. Canon Cook explains it: “Matching spiritual things with spiritual words”. Conybeare and Howson say: “Explaining spiritual things to spiritual men”. This last view, which Canon Cook says does no violence to the Greek, harmonizes best with 1 Corinthians 2:6,14. I think that the next verse shows that this is the true meaning.

1 Corinthians 9:12

But the natural man. The natural man is the unregenerate, one who has the spirit of the world, one not born anew of water and of the Spirit. Man is a triune being–body, soul and spirit. The natural man is under the dominion of the soul, the animal life. Receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. The spirit must be stirred from its dormant condition, and born again, before one can comprehend the things of the Spirit. For they are foolishness unto him. These are foolishness to one under the dominion of the animal life, such as the Jewish scribes and Greek “disputers” (1 Corinthians 1:20), for They are spiritually discerned. They can be discerned only by the spirit of man. It is only when a spiritual hunger is felt, when one is born again, and when man becomes a spiritual instead of an animal being, that he can understand “the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). But blessed be God, the A B C’s of the gospel, which the ignorant and unlearned men can understand, are sufficient to convert and prepare one for a higher knowledge.

1 Corinthians 9:13

He that is spiritual. He who lives the spiritual life. Judgeth all things. “Examineth”, in the margin of the Revised Version. The spiritual man, helped by the indwelling Spirit, is prepared to study the deeper truths of the Spirit. Yet he himself is judged of no man. None who are not spiritual are able to sit in judgment upon his higher life. He is on a higher level, and the animal man, from his lower level, cannot well estimate him.

1 Corinthians 9:14

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? etc. No man, not even the most spiritual, knows the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him. If there was such a one, he, and he only, might instruct those who have the mind of Christ. Two things are learned from this chapter: (1) There is a divine wisdom or philosophy. (2) This divine wisdom, or mystery, is an absurdity or perplexity to the world, but the wisdom of God to the saints.

1 Corinthians 9:16

Carnal Divisions SUMMARY OF I CORINTHIANS 3: The Proofs That the Corinthians Were Yet Carnal. Not Able to Endure Strong Meat. The Work of Paul and Apollos. The Increase of God. The Church, God’s Building. The One Foundation. Perishable Materials Built on This. The Sin of Dealing God’s Temple. The Glorious Estate of the Christians. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. See 1 Corinthians 2:6,14. The brethren at Corinth had not reached the state of “spiritual men”. They were carnal, undeveloped like “babes”.

1 Corinthians 9:17

I have fed you with milk. When he was at Corinth he treated them as babes, teaching them the simple, rudimentary principles. “Milk” is metaphorically simple teaching. And not with meat. Stronger and deeper doctrines. In the school of Christ, like all others, the teaching must be adapted to the advancement of the learner.

1 Corinthians 9:18

Ye are yet carnal. Hence, still not spiritual enough to receive the higher teaching, the “hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7), the meat. For whereas [there is] among you . . . divisions. The proof that they were yet carnal was the existence of divisions in the church. Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Exhibit the jealous and discordant spirit characteristic of men of the world.

1 Corinthians 9:19

While one saith, I am of Paul, etc. The fact that they are divided by following different human leaders, instead of all following Christ, demonstrated that they were yet carnal.

1 Corinthians 9:20

Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos? Their carnal-mindedness shows itself in choosing and following these human leaders. One said he was a Paulite, etc. Hence he asks, Who is Paul, or Apollos? Only ministers, servants, subordinates, agents through whom they believed on Christ. As the Lord gave to every man. Gave to Paul and Apollos power to lead you to faith.

1 Corinthians 9:21

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. It was Paul’s work given him to plant the seed of the kingdom; it was the work of Apollos to afterwards water or cultivate the Christian plants which had come forth, but God gave the growth; gave the seed its vitality and the plant its life.

1 Corinthians 9:22

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, etc. The parts of Paul and Apollos were as nothing; the power was all of God, who gave growth to the seed and plant.

1 Corinthians 9:23

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one. They have kindred work, as servants, and each will be rewarded as a servant, “according to his own labor”.

1 Corinthians 9:24

For we are labourers together with God. The ASV gives the true meaning: “For we are God’s fellow-workers”. They, he and Apollos, were fellow-laborers belonging to God (of God, not with God). They were fellow-laborers with each other, of God. Ye are God’s husbandry. “.Husbandry” is obscure. The Greek word “georgion” means “tilled land”. The Corinthian church was God’s “field” in which they labored. [Ye are] God’s building. The figure is now changed. Paul and Apollos are God’s builders, and the church is the building they build. The leading idea is that they are only God’s employees. How can Paul have a party, then, and Apollos another, when they are only employees of God?

1 Corinthians 9:25

According to the grace of God which is given to me. Given when? When he was called to be an apostle. I have laid the foundation. The figure of the building is retained. Paul is a discreet master-builder. He had laid the foundation at Corinth, when he was preaching Christ, and working through faith in him (1 Corinthians 2:4,5). Notice it is not “a foundation”, but “the foundation”, because God’s spiritual temple can have only one (1 Corinthians 3:16). Another buildeth thereon. After Paul left Corinth, Apollos and other teachers continued to build upon the foundation that Paul had laid. Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Since there is only one foundation of the temple, viz.: Jesus Christ, there should be most careful and conscientious building upon it (1 Corinthians 3:12).

1 Corinthians 9:26

Other foundation can no man lay, etc. There is only one foundation of the church (Matthew 16:16). This foundation-stone was laid by God (Isaiah 28:16). Paul’s work under God was to point to this foundation, to induce them to believe, and thus to build them upon it. His preaching laid it in their hearts. To preach Christ is to preach the fundamental or foundation truth of the church.

1 Corinthians 9:27

If any man buildeth upon this foundation. There is only one foundation for all builders to build upon. The church or temple will be of the character of the material built upon it. Gold, silver, precious stones. If this material be precious and imperishable, if apostolic doctrines and men molded into the image of Christ be this material, it is well. Wood, hay, stubble. If erroneous doctrines and unstable men, this will all be revealed in due time.