Chapter Nine

¹ Chapter Nine. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Since he had said, “If food scandalizes my brother, I will eat no flesh,” lest anyone should suppose him to be boasting and vaunting himself, he is constrained henceforth to show how he abstained even from things permitted, for the sake of not scandalizing any. For though Christ himself had enjoined that the one who preaches the Gospel should eat of the Gospel—that is, of those who are taught—I chose rather to be destroyed by hunger, and to take nothing from you, but laboring with my own hands, working and providing for myself. For there were among them too, as it seems, certain wealthy teachers, who made it a point of honor to teach without charge, and thereby contrived to put Paul to shame. Which he himself perceiving, abstained, as I said, from being fed by the disciples, although permitted this. I indeed, he says, am thus; but you do not even abstain from things sacrificed to idols. The whole sense of the passage, then, is this, which he works out through many lines; but now let us look also at each word. “Am I not an apostle?” Lest anyone should say to him, It is not lawful for you, and on this account you do not take—he says, How so? Do not the other apostles take? Yes, he says. What then? “Am I not an apostle?” That is, as those are. “Am I not free?” That is, Have I anyone who hinders me from taking? And again, lest they should say that the other apostles have something more, in that they saw the Lord—he says, “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?”

² Are you not my work in the Lord? If you are free and an apostle, but have shown no work of an apostle, what of it? For Judas too was an apostle, and saw the Lord. On this account, then, he says, “My work you are.” So that I fulfilled an apostolic ministry. And since he had said a great thing, he added, “In the Lord”—that is, Not in my own power, but in the Lord’s.

³ If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least to you I am. I do not say that I am teacher of the whole inhabited world, but, Am I not your teacher? How then did I not take from you, from whom most of all I ought to have taken? And he sets down the saying by way of concession.

⁴ For the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord. That is, the proof. And if anyone wishes to learn whether I am an apostle, I point to you; and you are those who seal and confirm my apostleship. For all the works that are an apostle’s, I displayed among you.

⁵ My defense to those who examine me is this. To those who seek to learn whence it is manifest that I am an apostle, this defense I put forward—that is, You. For by showing you all to have been taught by me, I beat back those who examine me.

⁶ Have we not authority to eat and to drink? That is, having received from the disciples. And indeed we have authority, but we do not use it.

⁷ Have we not authority to lead about a sister, a wife, as also the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? The well-to-do women followed the apostles, supplying them with the necessaries, and procuring for them all freedom from care in these things, so that they might be occupied with the preaching alone. And observe that he has placed the chief one last, as the greater, hinting at this: And why, he says, do I speak of the others? Peter himself does this. And by brethren of the Lord he means James, the bishop of Jerusalem, and Joses, and Simon, and Jude; who were named brethren of the Lord, on account of Joseph’s betrothal to the Theotokos.

⁸ Or do I alone and Barnabas not have authority to refrain from working? That is, Have we not authority to live idly, and to be fed by those who are taught, working nothing? And he did not conceal Barnabas, who shared with him the strictness in this matter; for he too lived by working.

⁹ Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? That is, at his own rations. For all who serve as soldiers are fed from the public treasury. And well did he set the example of the soldier first. For this is fitting to the apostleship, on account of the dangers in it, and the war against the spiritual enemies.

¹⁰ Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of its fruit? Through this example he indicated the labor, and the great hardship, and the diligence. And he did not say, He eats the whole fruit, but, “Of the fruit.” Nor did he say, Who does not drink of the fruit? but, “Does not eat”; everywhere exhorting to seek the needful, not the superfluous.

¹¹ Who tends a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock? He did not say that He sells the sheep, or, He eats them, or, All the milk, but, “Of the milk”; showing us that the teacher ought to be content with a small solace, and with the necessary nourishment. And the great solicitude which the teacher ought to have, he declared through the “tending.”

¹² Do I say these things according to man? Or does not the law also say these things? That is, Do I establish these things from human examples only, and have I not also testimony from the Scripture? I am able to show that these things seem good to God also, and that the law—which is not human, but divine—declares these things.

¹³ For in the law of Moses it is written: You shall not muzzle an ox while it threshes. Out of abundance he establishes what he wishes; on this account he brings in also the example of the oxen.

¹⁴ Is it for the oxen that God cares? What then? Does he not care? Yes, assuredly; but not so as even to lay down laws concerning them. So that he was hinting at something else through his benevolence toward the irrational creatures, training the Jews in zeal toward their teachers. And from this we learn that whatever is said about irrational creatures in the Old Testament contributes to the teaching of men.

¹⁵ Or does he say it altogether for our sake? For it was written for our sake. The word “altogether” he set down as of a thing agreed upon, that he might not allow the hearer to gainsay in anything whatever.

¹⁶ That the plowman ought to plow in hope; That is, the teacher ought to plow and labor in hope of recompense and reward.

¹⁷ And he that threshes, to partake of his hope, in hope. From the sowing he passed to the threshing-floor, and thence shows the many sweats of the apostles; that they both plow and watch over the threshing-floor. And since the plowman only hopes, while the thresher already enjoys something, on this account he said that “He that threshes partakes of his hope.” Lest, then, anyone should say: What then? of so many sweats do you give the apostles this recompense alone, merely to be fed?—he added, “In hope”; that is, of the good things to come. So that one ought both to hope for those things, and also to be fed.

¹⁸ If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? Here he shows the justice of the matter. For you do not give, he says, things like to those which you received. For we sowed to you spiritual things, but you give back to us carnal things in return. Is this, then, a great thing?

¹⁹ If others partake of authority over you, not much more we? He hints at certain false teachers, who took from them shamelessly and brazenly. Wherefore he did not even say, If others take, but, “If they partake of authority over you”—that is, They hold sway over you, they exercise authority, they treat you as servants; not much more we, who are the true teachers?

²⁰ But we did not use this authority. And yet, he says, though having authority to be fed by you, we did not use this authority, that you might not be scandalized; and do you not even abstain from things sacrificed to idols, for the sake of not scandalizing the weaker among the brethren?

²¹ But we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. Lest anyone should say, Since you had no need, on this account you did not take—he says, Being in great straits, nevertheless we bear all things, both hunger and thirst and nakedness, lest any hindrance should arise—that is, even the small and chance delay—to the Gospel and the preaching.

²² Do you not know that those who work at the sacred things eat of the temple? Not content with the first arguments, he brings others also from the law, showing that it was permitted him to take from the disciples. For since the things concerning the oxen were taken by him allegorically, he says that Expressly the law declares that those who work at the sacred things should eat of the temple—that is, the Levites, who are inferior to the priests in rank. And he did not say, They eat of those who offer, but, “Of the temple”; that neither those who take might be ashamed, as being fed by men, nor those who give might be exalted.

²³ Those who attend at the altar share with the altar. That is, the priests and the high priests. And he indicates their continual servitude and perseverance through the “attending.” And he did not say that they take the sacred things, showing the moderation, and that one ought not to gather money. Nor did he say that they take from those who sacrifice, but, “They share with the altar.” For the things offered were no longer the offerers’, but the temple’s and the altar’s. And he said, “They share,” since of the things sacrificed the blood was poured out at the altar, and the fat was burnt as incense; but certain portions of the flesh the priest took—such as the breast and the right shoulder and the maw; the whole burnt-offerings, however, belonged to the altar alone.

²⁴ So also the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Gospel should live of the Gospel. The strongest of all he set down last. For why, he says, do I say this and that? The Lord so ordained, legislating in accordance with the Old Testament. And just as above he said, “To eat of the temple,” so also here, not, “Of those who are taught,” but, “Of the Gospel,” that those who feed them might not be exalted. For it is not you, he says, who feed him, but his work, the Gospel. And he said, “Live,” not, “Make merchandise,” nor, “Lay up treasure.”

²⁵ But I have used none of these things. That is, Neither any of the examples which I mentioned, nor those of the Old Testament, nor the injunction of Christ, have I used toward being fed by you.

²⁶ But I did not write these things, that it should be so done in my case. Lest anyone should say to him: What then? if you did not use it now, but wish to use it for the future, and on this account say these things?—he quickly sets it right, that “I did not write, that it should be so done”—that is, that I might take.

²⁷ For it were better for me to die, than that anyone should make my boasting void. I choose, he says, rather to be destroyed by hunger, than that anyone should make void—that is, prove vain and empty—my boasting. And he said “boasting,” that he might show the excess of his joy. For perhaps someone said, Truly he did not take, but he did this groaning and in pain. So far, then, he says, am I from being grieved, that I even boast.

²⁸ For if I preach the Gospel, it is no boasting to me; for necessity is laid upon me. But woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel. What do you say? Is the preaching of the Gospel no boasting to you, but the preaching without charge? Is this, then, greater than that? Away with the thought, he says; but the preaching of the Gospel is an injunction and a debt, and if I fulfill it, it is no achievement. For woe is me if I fulfill it not; for I shall be beaten with many stripes, as not doing the injunction of the Master. But to preach without charge is the generosity of free choice; and on this account it is a boasting. And the words, “Necessity is laid upon me,” are said not toward the abolition of free will, but by way of contrast with the liberty that lies in taking, and on account of the fear of the punishment for not doing it.

²⁹ For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a stewardship. If, then, the preaching had not been put into my hands, he says, and I did this of myself, I have a great and abundant reward; but if it was put into my hands, it is plain that I do this not of myself, but fulfill a Master’s commandment. For this is the meaning of “unwillingly.” And on this account the matter is no generosity; for being entrusted with a stewardship, I administer it. But observe that he did not say, But if unwillingly, I have no reward; showing that he has indeed a reward even for preaching, although he fulfills a Master’s injunction. For it would be absurd if all the apostles should not receive a reward for the things they preached; only it is not such as his who preached without charge.

³⁰ What then is the reward? [That, in preaching the Gospel, I may make the Gospel of Christ free of charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Gospel.] That is, the greater reward, and one worthy of boasting: that I may not abuse my authority—that is, use it at all; for the simple use he named abuse. And everywhere he calls the matter “authority,” showing that not even those who take did anything amiss. And he said, “In the Gospel,” that he might show that he who preaches and labors ought to take; but he who is idle, no.

³¹ For being free from all, I enslaved myself to all, that I might gain the more. He says the greater thing: that Not only did I not take, though having authority; but also, being free, and subject to no one, nor having necessity, I enslaved myself to all—not to one or two, but to the inhabited world; not that I might please them as men, but that I might gain the more; for all, it is impossible.

³² And I became to the Jews as a Jew, that I might gain Jews. When he circumcised Timothy. And he did not say, A Jew, but, “As a Jew,” that he might show that the matter was a stewardship.

³³ To those under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those under the law. He means the proselytes, or those who had become believers from among the Jews, but still clung to the law. And these things came to pass when he shaved his head, when he offered the things of purification. And he did these things by way of stewardship, and for show, that he might set right those who truly did them.

³⁴ To those without law, as without law. By those without law he means those who do not have the law of Moses, those from among the nations, such as Cornelius was; to whom also, in visiting them, he condescended to their weakness. Or also the Greeks, as when he disputed with the Athenians, conversing with them from the altar among them, and teaching not as concerning God, [namely] Christ, but as concerning a man. For they could not bear to hear any such thing; but they accounted this one also as one of those deified among them, such as Heracles, such as Asclepius. And everywhere the “as” is added, that you may learn that he displayed these things, not being so in truth.

³⁵ (Being not without law toward God, but under law to Christ), that I might gain those without law. Lest you should suppose that he changed his mind, conversing with those without law, he says, “Being not without law toward God”—instead of, being not outside the laws of God, but under law; and not simply under law, but “to Christ”—that is, having a law higher than the older law, the law of Christ. And what is the gain? “That I might gain those without law.”

³⁶ I became to the weak as weak, that I might gain the weak. As now to you, on account of your weak and easily-scandalized mind, in not having wished to be fed by you. But also, when you see him speaking plainly either of the Godhead of the Son or of that of the Spirit, on account of the weakness of the hearers, then too know that he became to the weak as weak.

³⁷ To all I became all things, that I might by all means save some. And why do I enumerate many things? To all I condescended; and that, not expecting to save all, but that I might save even a few; which is the more wonderful. For to labor in hope of a great harvest is not so wonderful; but to toil so greatly for the sake even of a small one—this is great. And the “by all means” he added, consoling those who teach. For even if one save not all, he will by all means save a few. So that he ought not to grow deadened.

³⁸ And this I do for the Gospel’s sake, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it. By “Gospel” he means the believers, those saved through the Gospel; just as above he said, “To live of the Gospel,” instead of, of those who believe. That, then, I may be able, he says, to share the crowns with the believers, on this account I do these things; not because he himself did these things for reward, but that he might persuade those others to do all things for the brethren’s sake, in hope of the good things above. And observe the humility, how he who is worthy of the chief place ranks himself with the simple believers in the fellowship of the good things.

³⁹ Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run indeed, but one receives the prize? After showing that one ought to condescend to the brethren, he addresses to them the more startling word. And what he says is this: Do not suppose that, because you believed and entered into the stadium of the Church, this already suffices you for salvation; just as neither for those runners does the running simply suffice, unless there be added also the running blamelessly, and to the very end. Wherefore also he alone receives the prize who has so run; which you are in danger of not receiving, despising the brethren on the pretext, forsooth, of the perfection of your knowledge, and gorging yourselves on the things sacrificed to idols.

⁴⁰ So run, that you may obtain. And everyone who strives is temperate in all things. You ought, he says, to run, “that you may obtain.” But this comes not to pass without love, which you do not have, even if you suppose yourselves perfect; which is not so; for you have not yet obtained. And hinting that they fall short in many things, inasmuch as gluttony has its citizenship in them, and fornication, and drunkenness, he says that “He who strives is temperate in all things”—not abstaining from this and not from that, but from all. Know, then, how much you are lacking, and learn the manner by which you shall be crowned, namely, by being temperate.

⁴¹ Those, then, that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. This word is shaming: if indeed those for the sake of a corruptible crown are temperate, but we do not do this for the sake of the incorruptible.

⁴² I therefore so run, as not uncertainly. What is “not uncertainly”? That is, I do all things with a purpose, both circumcising and shaving, and nothing at random and in vain, as you do. For what is the purpose of eating the things sacrificed to idols, while others are perishing? None at all. So that, doing this irrationally, you run uncertainly and aimlessly, and in vain. And as an excellent teacher, he sets himself in the midst as an example.

⁴³ So I box, as not beating the air. For I have one whom I may strike—that is, the devil; but you do not strike him, but in vain have used the perfection of your knowledge.

⁴⁴ But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage. Here he shows them to be held also by gluttony, and to be pampering it under the pretext of perfection. I, therefore, he says, endure every labor, so as to live temperately. For “I buffet”—that is, I box against the body; for the wounds beneath the eyes are called “buffetings,”[1] which came to be in boxing. He shows, then, the great contest against nature. For the body is a very great tyranny, and a great adversary. And since he said, “I buffet,” and made mention of wounds, he added concisely, “And I bring it into bondage”; that you may learn that one ought not to throttle it, but, like a refractory servant, to restrain and subdue it; which belongs to a master, and not to an enemy. But some understand “I buffet” to be said in a more idiomatic manner, instead of, I deliver it over to hunger. Which is not so; for it ought to have been “I buffet.”

⁴⁵ Lest, having preached to others, I myself should become disapproved. And through this also he makes them more sober. For if to me, he says, the preaching and teaching do not suffice for salvation, unless I render myself in all things beyond reproach—how shall you be saved from faith alone, being worsted by so many passions?