SERMON: Laying Aside Liberty for the Sake of the Gospel” (1 Cor. 9:15–18)

“Laying Aside Liberty for
the Sake of the Gospel” (1 Cor. 9:15–18)

Series:               “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #31   Text:                 1 Corinthians 9:15–18

By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                July 26, 2026

Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church            Occasion:          AM Service

 

Introduction

One of the positive stories in January 2020 (before Covid) came from Allentown, PA.  Both the uninsured and military veterans received free hand surgeries by a team of skilled surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses.  This team donated their time to remove tumors and repair other ailments that were keeping people from being able to function.

We understand that a laborer is worthy of his wages.  These talented individuals went to school, had bills to pay, and many have families of their own.  They could have rightly demanded money for their services, but they temporarily put aside that right for the sake of those in need.

We also understand that, while that is a noble endeavor worth replication, the greater need people have is spiritual.  The Apostle Paul has been trying to get the Corinthians to understand that it is worth temporarily setting aside some rights and privileges for the sake of the gospel.

Remember that, in the previous chapter, he addressed the issue of food offered to idols.  Some in the Corinthian church claimed the liberty to eat such food because they knew idols were nothing.  Others, whose consciences were weaker, were troubled by that practice and risked being led into sin.  Paul’s cautions them: Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.  Therefore, if eating meat causes a brother to stumble, the mature believer should willingly set aside that liberty for the sake of the weaker brother and for the advance of the gospel.

To illustrate that, in chapter 9, Paul spotlights himself.  He wants them to see how he’s living out this principle.  He has apostolic rights — rights to food and drink, rights to take along a believing wife, and especially the right to receive material support from those to whom he ministers — which he establishes in the first fourteen verses of this chapter.  Yet, he’s chosen not to exercise them.  Why?  Because the gospel is more important than his personal privileges, and he gave them up for the gospel.^[1]

Paul temporarily set aside his right for pay because of the reward of preaching the gospel free of charge, exemplifying to the Corinthians what it means to value the needs of others to hear the gospel over personal liberty.  As such, we see that there are times to lay aside liberty for the sake of the gospel message and those who hear, and we see that in three points.  First, we have the right to choose for the sake of the gospel (v. 15).  Second, we have compulsion to act for the sake of the gospel (vv. 16–17).  Third, we can have our reward redefined for the sake of the gospel (v. 18).  Let’s consider the first point.

First, we have the right to choose for the sake of the gospel (v. 15)

But I have used none of these things.  And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case, for it would be better for me to die than have anyone make my boast an empty one.

Paul set the example by choosing not to use these rights.  In fact, the Greek is emphatic: “But I, myself, have used none of these.”  He had the rights, especially as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning he had authority.  Yet, he deliberately chose not to exercise them, and the perfect tense of the noun indicates a settled course of action.  He wants them to be aware of this.

Again, Paul occasionally received support from churches for preaching the gospel (as we see in 2 Corinthians 11:8 and Philippians 4:14–18).  So, Paul didn’t waive every aspect of this right.  Even so, he never received such support from Christians in the places where he was currently working.^[2]  In Corinth, he supported himself by tentmaking (Acts 18:3).  He refused to create any appearance that he was ministering for financial gain, like some of the pagan spiritual “gurus” did as they came through town.

Now, some might think that Paul is saying this so they’ll feel guilty and offer him money now (it’s easy to assume the worst motives in people, but it’s far better to seek understanding).  So, he quickly clarifies his motive for writing: “And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case.”  He isn’t angling for their support.  He simply asserts his right in this chapter so that he can demonstrate that he has freely waived it.

If we were still wondering if Paul is trying to manipulate his readers, consider his following strong words — “for it would be better for me to die than have anyone make my boast an empty one.”  In other words, Paul would rather die, whether from need or anything else, than have his boast emptied by people thinking “he ministered with a financial motive.”^[3]  That’s remarkable!

Now, don’t think he’s valuing his pride over money.  The term “boast” can refer to self-glory, but it also carries the idea of rejoicing.^[4]  Boasting is not always negative, for as Paul cited back in 1:31, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  So, Paul is saying here that he’s genuinely overjoyed for the privilege of serving the Lord by preaching the gospel, and his true want was that material support not to rob him of it in any way.^[5]  Paul sees the fruit of God working through him, and he rejoices to be a part of this marvelous work.^[6]

His ground for boasting, then — his “reward” — is that he preaches free of charge, and he will not allow anyone to take this away from him.  Ironically, loss is gain, and this is what he wanted the Corinthians to see.  While rights are important, and it is wrong to let others rob our liberties, there are times when Christians should set them aside for the glory of God.

Beloved, it is our glory to see the gospel advanced.  This means that we might set aside personal preferences, like style of music.  Some note that we might be able to do things as Christians that some find questionable — drink, smoke cigars, and other taboo acts that the Bible doesn’t necessarily forbid.  Yet, our greatest want shouldn’t be to exercise some freedom that we have in Christ; it should be to prefer the advancement of the kingdom of God.  This desire should even override our own personal interests as we deny ourselves to Christ and save souls.

It’s so easy to lose focus.  This is not about the

Second, we have compulsion to act for the sake of the gospel (vv. 16–17)

For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast, for I am under compulsion.  For woe is me if I do not proclaim the gospel.  For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

Paul now explains why preaching itself is not grounds for boasting.  He begins by writing, “For if I proclaim the gospel.”  The verb he uses is εὐαγγελίζωμαι (euangelizōmai), which is built on the word for “gospel,” the “good news.”  It could be translated “if I gospelize!”  Most English translations say “preach,” but as the LSB translation notes state, the “proclaim the gospel” better captures the focus on the message rather than the messenger.  This is more about the “power of God” in the message preached than Paul himself (cf. 1:18, 24; 2:5).  That already gives us a sense of why Paul has nothing to boast.

But, if it is the power of God at work, then it is God’s authority reigning, not Paul’s.  So, Paul says, “I am under compulsion” or “necessity is laid upon me” (ESV).  Paul did not choose the ministry as a profession; God chose it for him.  On the Damascus Road, the risen Christ confronted Paul, called him, and commissioned him as a chosen instrument to carry the name of Jesus before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:15).^[7]

Paul had been flattened by the call.  Like Jonah or Jeremiah, he was compelled to preach.  In fact, like the prophets, Paul pronounces a woe of judgment upon himself if he shirked his task.^[8]  Woes are reserved for the most serious offenders; that shows us how seriously he took his calling.

On of the fascinating features about this passage are the similarities and differences between Paul and the prophets of Israel.  Prophets sometimes bemoaned the suffering inherent in their calling, like Jeremiah, who experienced torments for the message.  Paul, however, does not complain here — he boasts!  Jeremiah might have said he wished he wasn’t born, but “Paul would rather die than give up his ministry of preaching the gospel freely.”^[9]  He doesn’t mind depriving himself of the right to material support; in fact, he insists on it.

If Paul does not preach, though, he will face the displeasure of the God who called him.  As one study notes, “God’s severest chastening is reserved for unfaithful ministers;”^[10] as James 3:1 says, teachers “will receive a stricter judgment.”  This was Paul’s major concern, which is why he could say earlier that he was with the Corinthians “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.”  That should be the mindset of Corinth and any church and any preacher.

Verse 17 might be a little confusing, but Paul is elaborating this point.  He is drawing the distinction between voluntary service and obligatory stewardship with a couple of hypotheticals.  He says, “For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.”  The first condition is hypothetical: “if I preach of my own free decision (but I do not), then I would have a reward.”  The second is factual: since I preach without having a choice in the matter of the call itself, I do it because I have been commissioned.^[11]  

His words here don’t mean “cheerfully” versus “reluctantly,” but rather “optionally” versus “obligatorily.”^[12]   Paul is not saying he begrudged the work; he is saying his will had no part in initiating the call.  Since it was God’s sovereign choice, he received not a reward in the ordinary sense, but a stewardship — a valuable responsibility.^[13]

This required Paul’s careful management.  Note the word “stewardship,” which is a word related to managing a household.^[14]  A steward oversees ensuring the needs of the household are met.  If a house had slaves, that responsibility fell to the most capable and trusted, like Joseph running Potiphar’s house in Egypt (Gen. 39).  

Paul calls himself a slave with a trusted responsibility for the success of God’s household.  As God’s trusted steward, he is not entitled to a reward — or even to personal boast — for simply carrying out his assigned task.^[15]  Even if he were not disposed to preach the gospel on his own initiative, he would still have to do so, because his Master has entrusted him with this commission.  The language is that of a slave or freedman still under authority, one who executes tasks without expecting to be thanked or rewarded for doing his duty.

Paul didn’t really have a choice, and neither do Christians.  We don’t have a choice as to whether we are going to be speaking gospel truths to one another and sharing the faith with the lost.  Our response to the call of God is not to negotiate our rights and privileges, but to simply faithfully discharge the stewardship entrusted to each of us.  Whether in formal ministry or in the everyday witness of every believer, the sense of divine compulsion keeps the gospel central and our own comfort secondary.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t take joy in the work!  As Paul already noted, he does!  And, as we’ll see, even if we lose privileges, we’ll gain a different reward.

Third, we can have our reward redefined for the sake of the gospel (v. 18)

What then is my reward?  That, when I proclaim the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my authority in the gospel.

If preaching itself is no ground for boasting, and if Paul is simply a steward discharging a trust, then what reward does he have?  He answers with a paradox of being rewarded through offering the free gospel free of charge.^[16]  How does that work?

First, in doing so, his own ministry becomes a living paradigm of the gospel itself.  The gospel should come “without expense” or “free of charge” because that is what it is.  As Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’  And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’  And let the one who is thirsty come.  Let the one who wishes receive the water of life without cost.”  Jesus paid it all, so the gospel invitation is free!

Again, Paul preached the gospel in areas where traveling lecturers sometimes used their speaking skills to seek fortune.^[17]  Paul wanted the free gospel message to be free.  While he could have asked the Corinthians to support him, he believed engaging in manual labor there set a better example (cf. Acts 18:3; 2 Cor 11:7; 12:13).^[18]  The gospel could advance without that hindrance.

Though he felt bound as Christ’s servant to fulfill his commission, his obligation to preach the gospel was rewarding to him.  He took such pleasure in it that he could willingly forgo his right to compensation.  His reward was twofold:^[19] first, the integrity of his boast that he offered the gospel free of charge, which no one could deny; second, the opportunity to see the gospel at work among those to whom he preached. ^[20]  The believers themselves were his reward, the joy of reaping a harvest.^[21]  To widen that harvest he would gladly give up certain rights, among them the right to material support.

We can have our reward redefined for the sake of the gospel.  The world measures reward in comfort, recognition, and material provision.  The servant of Christ, however, finds his deepest joy in the very sacrifices that the world calls loss — sacrifices that clear the path for the free offer of the free gospel.  When our joy is relocated from the exercise of rights to the advance of the message, we begin to understand the freedom that Paul knew.

Conclusion

Understand, this is not a message against personal rights.  The Lord would not have His people take them away from others, nor would He say they are never important in your life.  There are certain privileges and liberties that each of us enjoy in the Lord, to the glory of God.

However, this is a message about ordering priorities.  There may be situations where you should temporarily set aside some authority or right you have for the sake of the gospel.  If that troubles you, then perhaps, like Paul, you should remember that you are but a mere steward, not the king.  You are called to follow God’s ways above your own.  And, if some right of yours causes a brother to stumble, then put it out of sight.

Let’s value the needs of the kingdom above all else, faithfully serving our Lord Jesus Christ and carrying out His mission!

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^[1] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1824.

^[2] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1616.

^[3] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1742.

^[4] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1742.

^[5] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 209.

^[6] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1616.

^[7] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1824.

^[8] David K. Lowery, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 524.

^[9] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 416.

^[10] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1742.

^[11] Ronald Trail, An Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 1–9, (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 355.

^[12] Ronald Trail, An Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 1–9, (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 355.

^[13] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1742.

^[14] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1616.

^[15] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 418.

^[16] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 418.

^[17] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1616.

^[18] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1616.

^[19] David K. Lowery, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 524.

^[20] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 420.

^[21] David K. Lowery, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 524.