Anonymous Christian

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • SoundCloud
  • STAY CONNECTED

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • BLOG
  • E-BOOKNEW
    • Other New Christian Books
    • Parable of the 5 Wise and 5 Foolish Virgins by Lord Jesus Christ with Church Fathers in First Christianity and Protestant Reformers Martin Luther & John Wesley
    • Almsgiving and Atonement Mystery – Essays in First Christianity Book
    • Lake of Fire – Hope for the Wicked One Day? – Essays in First Christianity Book
    • First Christianity – Thirty Sixty and Hundredfold Mystery Book
    • Book of 1Enoch – Christ Centered Universalism Mystery – Essays in First Christianity
    • Lost Orthodoxy (Paternal Light – Heart of the Gospel through the Eyes of the Kings of Christian Theology) St. Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeous of Lyons
    • Saviour of The World Book
  • AUDIO
  • LYRICS
  • GALLERY
    • PHOTO
    • VIDEO
  • CONTACT US

OUR BLOG

  • A Greatly Misunderstood Verse: Gospel Money

    Anonymous Christian
    Apr 1, 2015
    Reason, Theology
    Comments Off on A Greatly Misunderstood Verse: Gospel Money

    (1 Corinthians 9:14)

    Examples of the translations:

    “New International Version
    In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

    New Living Translation
    In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.”

    Now, what does it mean and why is apostle Paul quoting it?

    Apostle Paul is clearly talking about “two ways” of preaching the Gospel:

    1) First way = take a living out of those who benefited the Gospel from you (a right; but a ‘lower exemplary walk of faith’)

    A verse prior:

    “Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?” (1 Corinthians 9:6)

    2) Second way = “no” taking a living out of those who benefited the Gospel from you (a right but ‘not’ used in ‘sincerity’; but a ‘higher exemplary walk of faith’)

    Verses from the ‘same chapter’ expounding this comparison in greater detail:

    “If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

    But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 9:12)

    Apostle Paul’s response to verse 14 (regarding this right) makes it even clearer (in the subsequent verse which follows):

    “But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.” (1 Corinthians 9:15)

    Here is the ‘wisdom’ of ‘why’ Paul didn’t want to use this ‘right’:

    “If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.” (1 Corinthians 9:17)

    The verse above means that “voluntary” (‘free of charge’ or by ‘not’ receiving money-‘not’ using this right) = reward.

    And,

    If “not voluntarily” (taking money/wages for it; ‘not’ working or using the right) = “simply discharging the trust committed”.

    In conclusion (the exemplary walk of preaching the Gospel absolutely ‘free of charge’ with no strings attached is a path very few have traversed):

    “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:18)

    P/S:
    The choice is yours.

    P/S 2:

    Sometimes, God gives us ‘rights’ to ‘test us’. To use these ‘rights’ usually accounts for ‘selfishness’ while to ‘not’ use these ‘rights’ accounts for our ‘selflessness’ in following after our Most Selfless Lord Himself Who didn’t invoke any rights for Himself. Be wise.

anonymous-christian

Jonathan Ramachandran is founder at AnonymousChristian.org which serves as a Christian Blog discussing the Greater Hope of Biblical Christian in Christ Alone. He is also an IMO (International Math Coach) and a featuring Guitarist for many bands.

Advertisement

Recent Posts

  • Dialogues – FAQ and Doctrine to Possibilities
  • Bible and Church Fathers Quotes for Charity Doctrine
  • Water of Life – Two References 1000 years Apart in Chiliasm Timeline and meaning of Unsaved with the Shepherd of Hermas, St. Papias and St. Irenaeous
  • Mystery of the Marriage of Christ and His Church through the Eyes of the Direct Disciples of the Apostles only
  • Earning Salvation Fallacy and God’s Commands by Faith Mystery to the Endless Beauty of His Written Word

Search

Advertisement

Categories

  • ages of Ages (21)
  • AIMO (4)
  • AMC (1)
  • APMO (3)
  • Apostolic Fathers (6)
  • ASMO (2)
  • Book of Enoch (6)
  • Calculus (2)
  • Charity (14)
  • Christian Leaders (45)
  • Earning Salvation Fallacy (3)
  • Fatherless and Orphans (13)
  • First Christianity (53)
  • Foreigner (1)
  • Forever (10)
  • Free Choice (17)
  • Gehenna (20)
  • GMC (2)
  • Godliness (2)
  • Gospel Hope for Non Christians (75)
  • Hate and Love (9)
  • Head Covering (5)
  • Heavens Definition in First Christianity (18)
  • Holy Bible Aionion Edition (12)
  • Hundredfold Mystery (4)
  • ICAS (1)
  • IJMO (1)
  • IMC (1)
  • IMO (11)
  • Jewish Hell (11)
  • Justice Human Law (3)
  • KBAT/HOTS (1)
  • KMC (3)
  • Lake of Fire (20)
  • LGBT (2)
  • Marriage (8)
  • Math (174)
  • Math Olympiad (154)
  • Math Olympiad Classes (11)
  • Math Olympiad Primary (11)
  • Math Olympiad Secondary (10)
  • Millennial Reign (8)
  • Money Matters (11)
  • Music (1)
  • Non Elect Salvation (6)
  • Old Testament (6)
  • OMK (14)
  • Parent Children Duty (2)
  • PMONK (4)
  • Poem (1)
  • Preterism (1)
  • Probability (3)
  • Purgatorial Hell Universalism (33)
  • Puzzle (12)
  • Rapture (3)
  • Reason (1,799)
  • Recapitulation (7)
  • Repentance Afterlife (12)
  • Sabbath and Tithes (5)
  • Sadhu Sundar Singh (2)
  • Saints (5)
  • SASMO (4)
  • Shadow of Death (10)
  • Shepherd of Hermas (12)
  • Sibyline Oracles (9)
  • Singapore Maths (3)
  • Slavery (1)
  • SMOPS (2)
  • Spirit World Visions (9)
  • Statistics (1)
  • Testimony (6)
  • Theology (1,665)
  • Tree of Life (3)
  • Trinity (4)
  • UKMT (1)
  • Uncategorized (7)
  • Unconditional Love (14)
  • Understanding Evil (5)
  • Videos (1)
  • Water of Life (4)
  • Wicked Spirit Saved (14)
  • Women (5)
  • Zionism (6)
© Copyright 2014 - 2022 Anonymous Christian | All Rights Reserved.