The ministry observed in I Corinthians is that of the apostle Paul and his associates, reflected in a letter written about A.D. 54 or 55 while he was in Ephesus ( I Cor. 16:8). Earlier Paul had established the church at Corinth, a cosmopolitan Greek city and capital of the Roman province of Achaia. With a population of more than half a million people, Corinth ranked with Rome, Alexandria, and Ephesus as one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire.^[1]Raymond B. Brown, “I Corinthians,” The Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman PRess, 1970): 10:287. It was located on an isthmus, connecting Greece with the Peloponnesus and linking a vital trade route between the West and Far East. Corinth was noted for its thriving commerce, cultural significance, mixed population, widespread immorality, and various religions.

According to Acts 18:12-17, Paul was in Corinth on his so-called second missionary journey during the administration of Lucius Gallio. Ancient records indicate that Gallio had been sent to Corinth as proconsul of Achaia about A.D. 51 or 52.^[2]Ibid., pp. 288-89. Since Paul was in Corinth at the time Gallio was made pro­ consul (Acts 18:12), it is presumed he arrived in A.D. 50 or 51.

The work began as Paul joined Aquila and Priscilla, who had been driven from Italy by an edict of the Emperor Claudius. Paul lived and worked with these fellow Christians and tentmakers, then preached in the Jewish synagogue every Sabbath (Acts 18:3-5). Silas and Timothy joined Paul in his work in Corinth. After Jewish opposition arose, Paul moved into the house of a Gentile named Titius Justus, next to the synagogue. He evangelized effectively and organized a congregation of Jewish and Gentile converts during an eighteen-month mission (Acts 18:11). In time the apostle returned to Jerusalem, then moved through the province of Galatia to Ephesus for a three-year ministry (Acts 18:22 to 20:1).

I Corinthians was written in response to questions raised in correspondence from the church in Corinth and in reply to reports from concerned friends (I Cor. 1:11). Immorality and party strife troubled the church (1:10; 5:l; 6:12) ; spiritual gifts had become divisive (12: 1); and doctrinal and ethical issues puzzled the people. Various questions had arisen about sex and marriage, gifts of the Holy Spirit, resurrection of the dead, church order during the Lord’s Supper, meat sacrificed to idols, and similar matters of conscience. With profound insight inspired by God’s Spirit the apostle sought to deal methodically with these thorny issues.

Paul’s letter reveals a reciprocal relationship between his evangelistic zeal and pastoral concern, and between his theological wisdom and practical ministry. By his own admission, the apostle experienced “the daily pressure . . . of . . . anxiety for all the churches” he had helped to establish (II Cor. 11:28). While today’s ministers and missionaries may not re­ produce exactly Paul’s Corinthian adversaries and adversities, certain theological issues with which he struggled have a contemporary ring. And the skillful pastoral approaches he modeled in addressing first-century issues have relevance for our own times.

As to method, we shall look first at the apostle’s calling and chief task of proclamation, then trace his self-identity and sense of stewardship. We shall chronicle the pastoral problems in Corinth, observing how the apostle managed congregational conflict. After noting Paul’s rationale of an apostle’s rights and rewards, we shall conclude with a brief etching of the Holy Spirit’s supreme gift—love—as presented in the book’s best­ known passage (I Cor. 13).

 

The Apostle’s Calling and Chief Task

In his salutation to the Christian congregation at Corinth Paul identifies himself as “called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus” (1:1-2). By “church of God” he has in mind the assembly of believers with whom he lived and worked a year and a half in a great metropolis. The Greeks used ecclesia with reference to any social assembly. Not so Paul. These were God’s people. The church belonged to the One who had created it, not to them. Paul used the word church in a local sense as here, and in a universal sense for all believers as in 15:9.

Here and elsewhere, the apostle referred to every Christian’s calling in faith to salvation and sanctification (1:2, 24, 26). Yet, he claimed for himself a unique, divine assignment of apostleship. “An apostle of Christ Jesus” was Paul’s favorite self-description. He was a man like those persons he addressed, living under grace; yet, he was not a self-made minister. He had received a call from the Lord to fulfill a distinctive, divinely appointed service (9:1; 15:9 ). Paul’s understanding of apostolos—the gift of the apostolate—as one sent forth by God with a saving gospel message both motivated his ministry and shaped his preaching. It also influenced the order of priorities for his missionary task and actual ministerial practice. His commitment to the Gentile mission, courage in facing misunderstanding-even vicious opposition, plus concern for the saints like those in Corinth were rooted in his sense of apostleship.

Paul viewed his unique calling as a gracious gift from God. In his list of charismata (grace gifts) of the Spirit to the church, Paul wrote: “God has appointed in the church first apostles . . .” (12:28). A parallel list in Eph. 4:11 also places apostles before prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In the body analogy of the Romans correspondence, his call for using “our different gifts” according to the grace God provides begins with those persons who “speak God’s message” ( Rom. 12:6 ). Viewed thus, prophecy (preaching) walks hand in hand with apostleship.

Paul’s chief task was proclaiming Jesus Christ-as crucified, risen, and returning savior-to “the Jews first” and also the Gentiles. His call was to preach deliverance to persons who had not heard God’s good news (1:17, cf. Gal. 1:16; Rom. 15:18-21). The preacher’s sense of vocation prompted him to cry out, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (9:16). The passion that prompted his mission was a divine necessity. He preached not on the basis of his free choice but with a conviction of God’s chosenness. Paul viewed himself as traveling “under orders,” on a road without compromise or turning. Later he explained that he preached without their financial support for the sheer joy of serving Christ (9:15-23). He ministered not in order to receive payment, but because of what he had already received from the Lord. Herein lies a paradox. He preached freely in behalf of others because he was in bonds-a “bondslave” of Jesus Christ and debtor to all men (Rom. 1:14).

The character and content of the church founder’s preaching might be described first as “plain talk” about “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1:24). Decrying “foolish wisdom of the world,” Paul claimed to have left off eloquent, man-centered logic in his persuasive discourses (1:20; 2:1). Rather, “since . . . the world did not know God through wisdom,” he wrote, “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1:21). Even today a devoted pastor or missionary may appear to be a “fool for Christ’s sake” because of his visionary commitment (4:10). Imagine relying on the audacity of preaching to prompt obedience to God and thus change the world!

As the world reasons, “Do-gooders don’t amount to much.” Even insiders occasionally belittle the ministry. Of one congregation a friend said: ‘1wouldn’t be pastor of that bunch of folks for a million dollars!” Small wonder, the ministry holds no mighty place among the high-paid, skilled professions in our technological society. Exposed by the media in stereotypes varying from would-be Elmer Gantrys to clumsy nit-wits, ministers must work overtime to establish their intelligence and validate their integrity before other persons.

Second, the apostle’s frontal assault on the mindset of urbane Corinthians was “the crucified Christ,” presented convincingly “in the power of God” (1:2, 3; 2:5). He told the Corinthians that his gospel was “the word of the cross” (1:18); further, that when he came preaching he knew nothing among them “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:1-2). The apostle’s message was more than a testimony of his own personal experience. Rather, his words marked a transaction with God by his faithful servant-Paul (3:5; 4:1; II Cor. 4:5). His service was that of a herald of “good news” from the sovereign King of the universe. In any assessment of contemporary preaching, one should ponder implications of Paul’s centered Christological concern.

His intent, moreover, was that preaching eventuate in changed lives-both personal and social. In order to establish the gospel Paul sought “to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed” (Rom. 15:16, 18). The challenge of his preaching was not to “support the church” but to “obey the gospel.” The formation of Christian congregations, like that in Corinth, was a vital aspect of the “eventuality” of Paul’s preaching, but it was viewed as a consequence of obedience to the gospel.

Belief came, third, by faith which was inspired by God’s divine Spirit, not some worldly spirit (2:6-16). There is much mystery in the preaching event. Someone has said that to declare God’s Son as Savior, in the power of the Spirit, is an occasion, not merely an occurrence. The Trinity’s explosive power prompts worldly wise unbelievers to focus existence in a new Center-the Maker of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ honors faithful preaching of his Word in the remarkable event of a hearer’s belief and obedience. Thus, the apostolic witness to divine revelation anticipated a verdict—a faithful response—from his hearers. Such claims for Paul’s preaching lead us to examine his self-identity and sense of stewardship.

 

The Apostle’s Self-identity and Sense of Stewardship

It is worth pausing here to emphasize that preaching for the apostle Paul was an inclusive concept. Authentic belief was crucial as the end of his witnessing; yet, it was the front end. Upbuilding God’s followers followed immediately their conversion experience. Salvation for the first-century missionary was both a point of initial belief and a process of continual growth in grace. Discipline, then as now, was perhaps less glamorous but just as essential as winning converts.

Paul used several self-descriptive terms, in addition to apostle, to illustrate his ties with the Corinthian believers. He viewed himself as their brother and father in familial language (4:6, 15). He was a skilled master builder, constructing a house of faith on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ himself (3:10-11); a seed-planter, relying upon a divinely ordered harvest (3:6-8); a fellow worker-with Apollos and all the believers-in God’s employment ( 3:9); a servant of Christ with a profound sense of stewardship in handling “the mysteries of God” (4:1); their teacher-“interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit” (2: 13; cf. 12:28-29); and member of the body of Christ (12:12-27). Using familiar metaphors and analogies of human relationships, the apostle sought to bond himself affectionately with his Christian friends in distant Achaia.

How was it that this Corinthian evangelist, now removed from them in time and space, could feel such strong ties with the believers that he could say of them: ‘Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (II Cor. 11:29). The answer, notes Victor Paul Furnish, is that “Paul’s pastoral ministry, no less than his missionary activity, was rooted in the character and meaning of the gospel to which he was committed.”^[3]Victor Paul Furnish is Professor of New Testament at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology. See “Theology and Ministry in the Pauline Letters,” A Biblical Basis for Ministry, ed. Earl E. Shelp and Ronald Sunderland (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1981), p. 103. The commitment he sought to win from the Corinthians involved their becoming members of Christ’s body (12:12-27), and of God’s family (4:15-21), and true residents of a house of faith (3:10-17). Thus, Paul’s rhetorical questions, ‘Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” are specific pastoral applications of his basic assertion about the oneness of Christ’s body: “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (12:26).

While the word “pastor” (poimen) appears only once in Pauline writings (Eph. 4:11-12), and is not used of himself in the document under study, his relationship to the Corinthian church was that of a care-giver.^[4]Ibid., p. 104. In fact most of the epistles comprising the New Testament are products of Paul’s pastoral concern for former congregations. The importance of his work for the practice of ministry in our day lies beyond his terminology, though that has great value as noted above. What impresses us most is Paul’s fidelity to his understanding of the gospel and unfailing effort to shape his ministry to the gospel, even in the face of adversity and apparent failure.

Concerning his sense of stewardship, Paul noted: “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (4:1-2). The word used for servant (huperetas) in this instance means “under-rower,” one serving as an oarsman at the water level of a ship. Referring to himself, Cephas, and Apollos-sources of party strife in the church-the founder claimed a role of hard, humble toil for the leaders. Likewise, steward (oikonomos) designates a slave who “supervises other slaves and has the responsibility of over­ looking the affairs of a household.”^[5]Brown, “I Corinthians,” p. 313. Obviously the believers had chosen up sides and had criticized one or more former church leaders. Some members had sought to discredit Paul. The apostle claimed trustworthiness for himself because a steward was required to be completely dependable.

Their former pastor drew attention to “the mysteries of God,” rather than himself, in an attempt to focus preeminence where it rightly belonged. A secret concealed for aeons and generations had now been made known to all true believers (Col. 1:25-26). His claim to fame, thus, was not in having been their founding pastor. Rather, it was his fidelity to the revelation of God’s drama of redemption through Jesus Christ. The faithful steward was accountable to his lord. Paul’s commendation would come from God alone (4:5).

His reference to divine disclosure of “the purposes of the heart” grabs our attention (4:5). The purity of a person’s motives determines all else about life. The saints at Corinth had jumped to conclusions about “things now hidden in darkness.” Thus, their mentor in the faith reminded them that, when the Lord comes, he “will bring to light” the intentions of the spirit (4:5). The apostle lived in a pre-Freudian world; yet, he understood well the unconscious drives that motivate human action. His former church members had made claims for themselves that could not be documented. “What have you that you did not receive?” Paul chided (4:7). Had the Corinthians forgotten that the gifts they prized so highly (like speaking in tongues, healing, and so on) reflected God’s grace gifts, rather than their own achievements (I Cor. 12-14)?

As further token of his integrity, Paul noted real risks and heartaches of a true minister, like: deprivation, rejection, loneliness, adversity, and apparent failure (4: 11-13). Money could not pay for his services under stress, nor keep him in the church-founding “business.” With a sense of irony, Paul wrote: ‘We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ” (4:10). The Corinthians had falsely criticized him from their position of presumed strength and self-sought honor. Paul understood well that a true servant is not above his master. Christ had suffered. Now, in order to serve God, so had he. Self-denial had become the unenviable style of his life. He defended his apostleship thus:

To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things (4:12-13).

For Christ’s sake Paul was willing to count everything the world could provide as worthless. He understood it would cost him dearly to bring new spiritual life to the Gentiles (cf. II Cor. 4:10-11 for further commentary on his sense of stewardship).

The first-century apostle never attended a stress-management seminar; yet, he faced numerous problems with determination to help resolve them.

 

Pastoral Problems in Corinth

Seldom do we reflect upon the early church planter’s role as a peacemaker and conflict manager. We think of him as an evangelist; yet, he was also an effective administrator, nurturing teacher, and wise disciplinarian. Paul likened his concern for his offspring in the faith to that of a “father with his children” (I Thess. 2:11-12). Elsewhere he compared his anxiety about new believers to the pain of a woman in labor and to the frustration of a concerned parent (Gal. 4: 19-29). In his dealings with the Corinthian church, problems were perennial.

Our approach here will be to catalogue in brief detail the pastoral problems Paul faced. Since other articles in this series will elaborate issues like marriage and sexuality, spiritual gifts, and resurrection of the dead, we shall merely etch outlines of his proposed resolutions of several serious conflicts. Hopefully we can detect characteristics of his pastoral relationships that have particular relevance for our own church life and work today.

We know enough about the diversity of the Corinthian situation to appreciate the fact that Paul’s ministry there had to be conducted under pressure not unlike those experienced by Christian ministers today. Comparative New Testament studies reveal numerous things about the church: “its sociological makeup, its theological outlook, its competing factions, its moral standards and questions, its fear of authoritarian leaders, and yet its need to have apostolic heroes, its particular suspicions of Paul, etc.”^[6]Furnish, “Theology and Ministry in the Pauline Letters,” p. 137. Let us review, perhaps a bit unsystematically, some of the issues the apostle faced.

One, divisions were reported in the fellowship. A party spirit prevailed as factions in the congregation claimed to follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas, even Christ himself (1:10-13; 3:1-4; 4:6). The groups contended against each other rather than for the faith, and thereby sabotaged the apostle’s efforts at unity. A great section of the epistle is given to addressing such a false display of worldly wisdom and strife. In addressing these differences the writer did not attack the credentials or motives of his minister brothers, like Apollos. Neither did he try to lord it over his converts in an arrogant way. Rather, he called for a spirit of unity and mature cooperation because they belonged only to Christ.

Two, a problem of sexual immorality had arisen in the fellowship. In addressing the issue Paul avoided using the Greek words for adultery or incest. Evidently a church member was living in an illicit sexual liaison with his stepmother (5:1-13). The woman was not referred to as a believer. Rather, a man in the congregation was the offender. Such a living arrangement was forbidden in the Old Testament (Lev. 18: 7-8; 20:11) and in Roman law.

It was the congregation’s attitude of winking at sin that needled Paul. Instead of manifesting concern, the Corinthians appeared insensitive to the moral damage such undisciplined behavior inflicted in their midst. There was “boasting,” rather than embarrassment or distress (5:6). The apostle steadfastly called for discipline of the offender by the whole church, cleansing of the fellowship, and for sexual behavior marked by “sincerity and truth” (5:8).

Three, lawsuits against fellow church members were being pressed in local pagan courts. Paul deplored Christian brothers battling one another in courts of unbelievers (6:1-11). It was bad enough to fail to settle disputes quickly and peaceably within the church. Carrying litigation about their grievances into public, secular courtrooms was unthinkable! Paul chastened his former congregants with a reminder that “the saints will judge the world,” even the hosts of heaven’s “angels” (6:2-3). They had both the power and sufficient reason to settle their differences privately. “To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? (6:7). Why not live at peace, he reasoned, settle trivial cases as brothers in Christ and get on with the business of advancing God’s kingdom?

Four, Paul addressed certain issues of self-gratification and pro per care of one’s body or one’s own self. As if to expand and clarify his remarks about sexual behavior, introduced with the example in 5:1-13, the apostle tackles issues related to care of one’s body, personality, and influence (6:12-30). Two illustrations are hypothesized, springing from the gnosticizing slogan: “All things are lawful for me” (6:1). One concerned food, the other sexual activity with a prostitute. Patiently, the faithful teacher, turns unhappy behavioral episodes into memorable lessons.

Certain Corinthians had adopted the Gnostic philosophy of dualism-separating one’s physical behavior from one’s spiritual well-being. Since the body “has no permanent significance in a man’s life,” they argued, “it can be used in whatever way brings sensuous pleasure.”^[7]Brown, “I Corinthians,” p. 324. Reflecting his Jewishness, Paul reminded them that a person does not merely have a body; he is his body. Further, Christian conversion influences how one uses his body or self.

As to resolution, one’s personality is joined to God in the faith-love encounter of conversion. “He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him,” Paul argued (6:17). Therefore Christians who “were bought with a price” do not belong to themselves. Since one’s body is “a temple of the Holy Spirit,” God’s person is to “glorify God” with the body (6:19-20). A great principle emerges from the possibility of such aberrant behavior. One is both to flee from fornication and to glorify God with his whole self.

Five, an entire, separate essay will address the marriage questions raised in 7:1-40.

Next, Paul comes to grips with the ideal of Christian freedom through the example of food offered to idols (8:1-13). He references the matter in terms of motivation and potential results of one’s behavior. While food offered to an idol may not hurt a strong believer, one’s behavior may unintentionally wound the conscience of a brother. Thereby the Christian offender “sins against Christ” because he has wounded the conscience of a weaker believer (8:12). A knowledgeable person who is not bothered by certain lawful-for-him behaviors may “become a stumbling block to the weak.” Thereby, noted Paul, ”by your knowledge (i.e. freer conscience) this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died” (8:10-11). The knowledge of the stronger believer, while correct, has had an evil effect.

One of the most memorable lessons concerning Christian influence is then enunciated: “Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall” (8:13). Paul avoids fanaticism, even moralism, by observing that what is lawful for one believer may be completely destructive for another. Rather than placing arbitrary limits on behavior in black-or-white fashion, the apostle payed believers then and now an almost intolerable compliment. Christian behavior, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit, must be decided by its total context and ultimate effect rather than the whim of one moment.

To continue the list of problems, seven, Paul faced misunderstandings about baptism and the Lord’s Supper (10:1-22). In mystery religions prominent in Corinth, one could be saved by experiencing certain religious rites. Apparently, some of the believers had brought such magical views about rites to the practice of the church ordinances. Without pursuing the matter at length, we simply note that the apostle used a lesson from the Old Testament to show the importance of obedience to the demands of a mature faith.^[8]Ibid., p. 346.

And the list goes on: varied questions concerning dress, behavior, and leadership of Christian worship (11:2 to 14:40), including thorny issues of charisms or spiritual gifts (12:1-31) and resultant divisiveness from their inappropriate use or practice. Treated fully in a companion essay elsewhere in this publication, we enunciate simply the apostle’s plea about using gifts that “all things should be done decently and in order” (14:40).

Our list of pastoral problems closes with brief reference to the resurrection of Christ and of believers, along with the mystery of the end-time (15:1-58.) Obviously, certain Corinthians were saying “there is no resurrection of the dead” (15:12). Such an assertion struck at the heart of Paul’s gospel. With­ out a risen savior, he noted, “our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (15:14). Rejecting the resurrection was tantamount to denying “the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith” (Rom. 1:16). That Christ had been raised from the dead guaranteed eternal life, now and forever, for true believers. It lay at the heart of Paul’s claim of spiritual victory (15:55).

To enforce his argument the apostle creates hypothetical “straw men” situations then pushes them over with persuasive logic. He traces the historical tradition of Christ’s death and resurrection, and sets the Christian’s bodily resurrection in a significant theological context. While the apostolic message fails to tell us all we wish to know about last things, it clarifies all we need to know. Death is man’s awful enemy, but in Christ’s victory its stinging pain is removed (15:26, 55).

We have examined a Pandora’s Box of theological and ethical concerns that confronted Paul in Corinth. Through his whole heartbreaking caseload of thorny problems the apostle demonstrated the integrity of his gospel mission. He believed in and blessed the local church, where each believer was viewed as part of Christ’s body (12:26). In a strange, uncharted world of bewildering ecclesiastical issues he pled for unity of thought and action. He let theological and ethical norms test human experience, not the reverse. The apostle investigated issues with rigorous accountability toward God and unfailing concern for the people. He used a case approach to problems and talked in specific, rather than abstract, terms. His logic was clear, consistent with gospel events, and protective only of kingdom citizens’ welfare.

To counter criticism or conflict, he retraced God’s mighty acts in the cross-resurrection event, yet found it unnecessary to defend God. Granted he defended his own apostleship, but that was to enforce the authenticity of the apostolic witness. In removing himself from “any human court” in Corinth, he averred: “It is the Lord who judges me” (4:4)-a lesson ministers today might well learn.

Thus far we have examined the apostle’s calling and chief task, perception of himself and sense of stewardship, then listed certain pastoral problems in Corinth. We have seen how he faced issues head-on.

We seek a final perspective on ministry in I Corinthians by noting Paul’s list of apostolic privileges and rewards. The account should help us know what we are working for and pointing toward in Christian ministry today.

 

Rights and Rewards of Apostleship

Paul was pardonably proud of his Christian calling to the gospel ministry. A subtle defense of his apostleship runs through the book’s earlier portions. In the ninth chapter he addresses directly those who have denied his office: “This is my defense to those who would examine me” (9:3). We note the teacher’s style of questions, arguments, and shared personal experiences. Claiming his spiritual offspring in Corinth as “the seal of my apostleship in the Lord,” Paul uses common analogies, Old Testament references, and personal claims to demonstrate that their minister was “worthy of his hire.”

Bracketed between lessons on using one’s freedom wisely to protect weaker brothers (8:7-13), and living obediently in times of temptation (10:1-13), are words supporting the Corinthians’ need to respect Paul’s ministry. He lists three rights that belong to him as an apostle:^[9]Brown, “I Corinthians,” p. 341. freedom in matters of food and drink, the privilege of marriage were he to desire that, and support from the churches he served (9:4-6). Such a recital likely illustrates, but does not exhaust, Paul’s deep conviction about respecting the privacy and privileges of God’s chosen ambassadors. While he preferred to support himself by making tents, he held that an apostle merits material sup­ port from the churches he leads. The congregation does not “pay” for a minister’s services as such but frees him from secular cares in order to engage fully in God’s service. Such support makes one’s ministry possible.

With reference to rights, Paul wished to select his own diet (food and drink) and procedures of health care. Had he been wed he would have transported his spouse with him on his missionary travels (as did other apostles). In acknowledging such claims, he admits he is no more nor less than fully human. Elsewhere, he wrote of having the divine “treasure in earthen vessels” so that all glory would accrue to God in one’s work (II Cor. 4:7). The right to privacy, a home life, and financial support illustrate having a life of one’s own in the ministry. One does not need constant vulnerability to the eyes and expectations of a congregation. He thrives on the companionship, understanding, support, and loyal love of a spouse. While Paul confined his companionship needs to friends like Barnabas, Timothy, Luke, Silas, John Mark, etc., he held dear the right of ministers to marry. Though unmarried himself as a gif t from God, he did not buy into Greek dualism, asceticism, and celibacy for clergy.

The church’s obligation to support its professional leaders was illustrated from four analogies: a soldier is supported in military service; a vineyard owner shares its fruits; a shepherd takes milk for his use from the flock; and a farmer anticipates a share of the harvest (9:7-12). Paul referenced his argument from Deut. 25:4-the man who plows and the ox that threshes grain both merit support. He then enunciated a great principle: “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (9:14).

Though meriting generous provision from his congregants, Paul preached without financial reward. “I would rather die” than give up self-support while preaching the gospel, he wrote (9:15-18). The term bi-vocational had not been conceived in his day; yet, Paul made tents in order to missionize and plant churches. In renouncing all pay-for-preaching arrangements, he voiced a paradox: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more” (9: 19). He spoke not only of rights but of responsibilities.

One of the most frequently quoted passages from the epistle follows: “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (9:22). Few modern-day ministers can live up to this assertion. Some persons who try to become all things to all people, in all manner of circumstances, all (or too much) of the time may find themselves in grievous circumstances. Health fails. Money evaporates. Home life collapses. Zeal flags. Depression strikes. Anger boils within. A coronary comes. One blows up in an inappropriate moment. Thus, boundaries must be set upon one’s efforts. Paul could make the claim because he did just that-he spent his very existence for the sake of the gospel.

His defense, like so much else about his remarkable life and work, is unique.

We shall conclude this essay from the mountain peak perspective of the grandest possible motive for practicing Christian ministry. To understand Paul’s eschatology is to appreciate his sense of urgency about certain matters and neglect of other issues. To quote Furnish, “Paul and his fellow Christians lived with the fervent hope and expectation of the Lord’s imminent return and, with that, the close of history and the transformation of the world.”^[10]Furnish, “Theology and Ministry in the Pauline Letters,” p. 126. He believed that “the appointed time had gown very short” (I Cor. 7:29a). This belief conditioned significantly the way he practiced ministry. It accounts for his disinterest in political and social change. At “the end” wrote Paul, Christ will deliver “the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (15:24). The certainty of Christ’s coming made even more urgent that Christians share partnership in the gospel and cherish one another. Fellowship with Christ and with one’s fellow believers in the Christian community were inseparable.

Looming on the horizon, toward the epistle’s close, is Paul’s majestic appeal for love (agape) to be practiced as “a more excellent way” in all Christian relationships (I Cor. 13). What are the sources, expressions, and dimensions of agape love? The late Raymond Brown described this supreme Christian motive as living like God with concern for others. Christian persons “live by the love that redeems them in Jesus Christ. It becomes their love but it is the gift of God’s love,” he wrote. “One does not gain it; one receives it . . . through . . . self­ surrender.”^[11]Brown, “I Corinthians,” p. 370. Love is the Christian person’s highest motive because agape is grounded in the nature and being of God himself.