In Part 1, Paul concluded that he would endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the preaching the gospel of Jesus. In Part 2, he discusses the rights he gladly never claimed:
“But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel” (1 Cor 9:15-18).
I have never before put my own experience in this context. Since 1998, I have written three books at a cost of thousands of dollars, now working on another, and hundreds of blogs. But my reward is having been entrusted with a stewardship, that I may present the gospel, especially related to the Cycle of Perfect Unity, free of charge. There is no other way for me, just as there was not for Paul either. The joy I feel and the presence of the Holy Spirit are more than enough – they are priceless. Perhaps one day I will see a great awakening toward repentance for our lack of unity in the body of Christ!
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (1 Cor 9:19-23).
As we have seen, perfect unity has many dimensions, and my stewardship is to point them out, such that perhaps even just one of them might win a heart softened and sensitive to perfect unity in his or her own experience and community.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27).
This series of two blogs has come a long way, from making sure an ox treading grain gets his share, to an Olympic athlete competing for an imperishable gold medal. It is a unique approach to saying why Paul did what he did, and why I, a much lesser man than Paul, do what I do. Following Paul’s example I try harder and harder to live in perfect unity. Why? Because after preaching to others, I do not want to be disqualified by my own actions.
In this world of pandemic, that is a great challenge, indeed.