I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:23 ESV)

Lectionary Epiphany 5B 1 Corinthian 9:16-23

Is Paul's message inferior to that of his opponents since they make more money preaching than Paul does? In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul addresses this argument raised by those who disparaged him.

Paul provided his own financial support, a fact that distinguished his message from that of the professional orators and philosophers of his day. While Christian laborers are entitled to support, Paul forewent this right so that he could extend the reach of his message and demonstrate its essential nature. The gospel is a free gift and not to be sold. While the gospel is free, it is not cheap. It cost Jesus everything. As a follower of Jesus, Paul demonstrated the sacrificial nature of the gospel in his manner of preaching. He bore the burden of providing his own financial support so that he could offer the gospel free of charge, just as Christ offered his own life.

Paul's opponents replied that the speaker's message is worth what you pay for it. Those who really have something to say - the talented, the wise, the fascinating - are well paid. You can tell the value of the message by what people are willing to pay the messenger, they argued.

My annual conference publishes a list of all clergy and their annual salaries. The list used to be sorted by salary, from the greatest to the least. How easy is it to see one's value reflected in one's paycheck. It is a great temptation - even for clergy - to judge one's success in earthly terms.

Paul told the Corinthians that he preached the gospel because God had entrusted this responsibility to him, not because preaching was his chosen profession. Paul's words here, of course, speak to Christian clergy. One does not choose the profession of ministry; it - or rather God - chooses you. That's not to say that the normal human elements aren't involved in deciding on a career. They are. And at least some of those who believe that they have a direct call from God are mistaken. Many confuse the call to be full-time Christians with the call to ordained ministry. Nevertheless, all clergy should look upon their calling as a trust from God. Clergy should be "professionals," in the best sense of that word. They should be supremely competent experts in their field, no less than doctors or lawyers. No one should ever see them, however merely as professionals in the secular sense of that term. They should be supremely competent experts because that's what God expects of them.

Paul's words, however, don't just apply to clergy; they apply to all Christians. Current church structures did not exist in Paul's day. The message of the gospel has been entrusted to the whole church. Whatever role one plays in the transmission of the gospel, every Christian can adopt the characteristics that we see here in Paul:

• a passionate love of the gospel message
• an ever-present sense of responsibility for the mission of the church
• an unwavering integrity in one's labor for the Lord
• a burning desire to see all people come to faith in Christ
• a sacrificial spirit willing to pay whatever price is necessary

These characteristics of are rooted in Jesus himself, who paid the price for our salvation. Those who follow him unsurprisingly find their own characters transformed so that they reflect the one who lives in them.

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