The Apostle says in the beginning of this passage to the Christians coming from Paganism that they are the seal of his mission. They converted through his words. Some doubted Paul being an apostle. Those doubters might be the Judaizers in Church that want to preserve the Sabbath and other Jewish provisions and let these continue in Church. They might also be a group that brags about spiritually. Whatever the reason was, Paul found that he has enemies in Church.
Then he talks about his rights “to eat and to drink”. However, he didn’t want to eat from the parish. Another point is concerning preachers being allowed to be accompanied by their women. The word “apostles” that he uses refers to those that were not among the twelve disciples. Among those are the ones called “the Lord’s brothers” who were his relatives because the word brother was used to indicate close relatives. Then, he mentions Cephas, i.e. Peter, because some of the faithful in Corinth considered themselves as his people.
Barnabas, that was mentioned here, accompanied Paul in preaching Southern Asia Minor (Turkey nowadays), and then each of them went in his way. However, he mentions him without any tension.
Paul gives four arguments to defend his right to be helped by the parish: 1. this is the usual practice in daily life; 2. this is based on the Holy Book; 3. this was practiced in the Temple; and 4. this is a clear command from the Lord. Does the soldier work at his own expense? And also the vineyard planter and the flock tender? Paul proves that this position doesn’t come from him but is based on the Law. Nevertheless, he doesn’t care about earthly things, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in hope. Then his logic arises and he asks the recipients of the epistle: If we have sown spiritual seed among you (teaching, preaching and pastoral care), is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you (money)? Then he shows that he has a power over them that he took from the spiritual seed he gave them. However, he says: “But we did not use this right”, we didn’t take from you any material. “On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ”.
His only concern is preaching, whether it gave him food in return or not and whether they gave him a home or not. He is specialized in preaching in order to build people on Christ. He doesn’t care about his body. He manufactures tents to eat. He relies only on God to eat. He became hungry, yet he didn’t care. Pagans persecuted him and he didn’t care. He was drowned and stoned yet he didn’t care. God protected him during difficult conditions. God protected him from Nero’s persecution that killed Peter after writing his Epistle, while Paul came back to Rome and died there as a martyr a year or two after Nero’s persecution to the Church.
His right to eat and drink that he proved but didn’t hold on to is the right of every priest or servant in Church. Strengthening the Clergy is a command from God because we have to protect his health so that he could give us the maximum of his spiritual ability. How could he pray with the community if he was hungry or sick because the parish didn’t take care of him? The parish grows spiritually when its priest is grown on all levels so that God is glorified through the priest and the parish together.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “مكافحةُ بعضٍ لبولس” –Raiati 35- 28.08.2011
