Devotion

QT 09/07/2024 Tue. 1Cor 9 哥林多前书9章

QT 09/07/2024 Tue. 1Cor 9
READ http://www.esvbible.org/1cor9

REFLECTION: Do you often give up a right for the sake of others, even the local church you belong to?

We saw in 1Cor 8 the duty to give up a right to eat food previously offered to idols for the sake of a person within the spiritual community that might be stumbled if that right was insisted upon.

Here in 1Cor 9, Paul recounted his rights to sustenance from the gospel through the Corinthian believers on the basis of YES answers to these questions (1Cor 9:4-7):

Am I not free? YES
Am I not an apostle? YES
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? YES he has seen.
Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? YES

In spite of the above, Paul reminded them of this right (1Cor 9:3-14) but pointed out to them that he gave up these rights (1Cor 9:14-18) for the sake of winning people (and the Corinthians) to Christ with maximum effect and minimum obstacles (1Cor 9:19-23).

REFLECTION: The church has the responsibility to support her pastors sufficiently to express her thanks, so that :

(1) CURRENT pastors would not be distracted from focusing on pastoring; and

(2) FUTURE pastors that God had called within the community could see the beautiful partnership before hand, such that the church's current testimony would not hinder nor put off future and younger members of the congregation from obeying God's call to serve here.

What could you contribute to actualise that future? Have you done that?

星期二 2024年7月9日今日读经：哥林多前书9章.
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/1Co/9/
听 https://www.bible.com/bible/41/1cor.9.cnvs

反思:你会常常为了别人或甚至是为了自己所属的教会放弃自己的权利吗？

我们在林前8章里看到，如果坚持吃祭过偶像的食物会使一个在属灵家庭里的人绊倒，那么信徒有义务放弃其权利。

现在在林前9章里，保罗以哥林多信徒“肯定”的答案为基础述说了来自福音的权利(林前9:4-7):

我难道不是自由的吗？是的。

我难道不是使徒吗? 是的。

我难道没见过耶稣我们的主吗? 他确实有见过。

你难道不是我在主里努力的结果吗？是的。

尽管如上所述，保罗提醒他们这项权利(林前9:3-14)但他也同时向他们指出，他为了要领人归向基督(包括这些哥林多人)，达到最大的效果和把障碍减到最低(林前9:19-23)，放弃了这些权利(林前9:14-18)。

反思：教会有责任充足地支持她的牧者向教会致谢，这样：

(1) 现任的牧者就能专心牧养教会而不分心；和