Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you my work in the Lord?
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:1 Go To 1 Corinthians 9
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? It may be asked what connection this has with the preceding chapter: it seems to be an abrupt transition to another subject. I reply that Paul had spoken at the end of the last chapter of the necessity of avoiding all that might cause offence. Now, that he may enforce this, he puts himself forward as an example, and points to his having refused to receive any payment for his preaching, and his having earned his bread by his own labours; this cession of his rights he made, both to void causing any to offend, and to give an example of singular virtue. He would so teach the Corinthians not to stand upon their rights, especially in the matter of eating idol-sacrifices, out of regard for their neighbours, if they saw that they were thus made to stumble, or led into sin. Yet at the same time Paul, by implication, guards in this declaration the sincerity and authority of his preaching against the false apostles who impugned them; he points indirectly to his having preached the Gospel without money and without price, while the false apostles made gain out of it. He says therefore: "Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? Am I not within my rights, as the Apostle of Christ, if I demand and receive from you means for my maintenance? Yet this I do not Song of Solomon , because I wish to show you what our neighbour"s salvation demands from us, and how you ought, therefore, to avoid all causes of offence." Cf. Chrysostom"s homily on this text (No20).
Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? It is clear that I am an Apostle, for I have seen Christ, and been sent by Him to preach the Gospel. Cf. Acts 9:5; Acts 22:18.
Ye are my work in the Lord, because I begat you by the Gospel in Christ. Your Church was built up by me: ye are my building.
