1 Corinthians 9:12
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
Here is Paul’s motive for so much of what he did. His desire was to be a catalyst for others to come to faith in Jesus. He would rather be in poverty or support himself by his own labor than to be a hindrance to anyone else. This is the principle that lays behind ch. 8 and the relationship between the strong and weak. Ch. 9 is Paul’s personal example of how the Corinthians should respond in relation to eating food sacrificed to idols.
How serious do we take the call to witness and live out our faith? Are we willing to give up our rights, privileges, and support in order not to be a hindrance to others? This is getting closer to what Jesus said about laying down our lives because we love them (John 15:13). Laying down our lives shares the same attitude that Paul is showing here. Self-giving love is the catalyst for how we should act in order to bring others to Christ.
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