◄ 1 Corinthians 9 Devotional Commentary ►

1 Corinthians 9:9

One of the best ways to learn is to ask questions, and Paul responded to many things that puzzled the Corinthian Christians. He explained about marriage and celibacy. He talked about eating meat offered to idols, and touched on the issue of head coverings for women. He explained the meaning of the Lord's supper, and addressed questions concerning the use and abuse of the gifts of the Spirit.

Although many of the matters he read more...

1 Corinthians 9:16

When Paul was converted to the Christian faith, he suddenly discovered the shocking consequences of his own unbelief because he recognised that his religious legalism had kept him estranged from God and excluded him from fellowship with the One he claimed to follow.

Once he discovered that Jesus of Nazareth was his God and Saviour, Paul's desire was to tell others of our great salvation. He wanted them to share in the hope we have read more...

1 Corinthians 9:22

Unlike the apostles who accompanied Jesus throughout His earthly 'pre-Cross' ministry, beginning with the baptism of John, Paul was called to be an apostle by Christ following His 'post-Cross' Resurrection, Ascension, and Glorification. Apostleship was not a matter of personal choice, entitlement, or passing an exam on apostleship! There is, however, a list of criteria in Scripture that established true, biblical apostleship, and there were also certain rights and read more...

1 Corinthians 9:24

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and once we are born again, we are to live our Christian life in a manner that is worthy of our position in Him. Paul often uses images of an athlete to illustrate the way that we are to live the Christian life.

We do not run the race set before us to win our salvation or get to heaven, for that is a free gift of grace. We participate in the Christian race to win a promised reward read more...

1 Corinthians 9:25

Paul's passion was to preach Christ to Jew and Gentile alike, Christ crucified, and Christ risen from the dead. When he taught the Jews about the Lord Jesus, he approached it from a Jewish perspective. He used the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and Psalms to point his kinsmen to Christ, explain the truth of Who the Lord Jesus was, and why He was the promised Messiah of God.

Similarly, when teaching non-Jews about the read more...