I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 9-11.

    I have never quite understood Paul’s argument here. The way I read it, he is making a case to establish his authority to give the Corinthian Church instruction. He then makes the case that he has the right to receive economic support (a place to stay, food, and have other expenses covered) from the Corinthian Church when he ministers in Corinth. While I do not understand how Paul’s claim to having a right to economic support supports his claim to authority, I do believe he makes a very good case that we should provide economic support to those called by God to the ministry. I believe that Paul gives us two important messages in this discussion.

    First, he tells us that we should provide material support to those called to ministry. Those whom God and the Church have called to ministry should be able to dedicate their lives to the ministry to which they have been called (I want to note that this includes pastors, but is not limited to pastors). We should strive to meet their economic needs to the best of our ability as a group. It is worth noting that this may involve offering them a place to stay in our homes and providing them meals rather than paying them money (although in the U.S. the latter is going to usually be the way which we should go). However, the second thing Paul tells us is that he never took advantage of his right to support by the Corinthian Church. This indicates to me that sometimes God calls people to minister without receiving support from those to whom they minister. This is a calling which can only be interpreted by the person who receives it. I do not believe it is ever my place to tell someone else that I believe they are called to minister while they provide their own support. I can say, an will say, that some people are so called, but I cannot say that a specific person is so called. If someone feels so called I can tell them that I think they are wrong, and I can help them analyze why they think they are so called. But in any case, only those who choose to refuse the support of those they minister should not receive such support and we should make every effort to make sure that they are adequately supported.

    Paul then circles back to his discussion about our freedom in Christ. He intermixes some theological ideas with practical advice. He does so because it is so easy to reach the wrong conclusion by making a small mistake in applying either. He returns to making the point that our bodies are joined with Christ so we should not join them in idolatry (it is worth noting that many idolatrous practices of that day involved sexual activity). The key message he makes is that we should not take part in idolatrous worship practices. However, if we are invited to an event of some kind we are free to take part in it, unless someone involved with it points out to us that is part of idol worship.
    In his example, Paul uses the idea of meat offered to idols, which is interestingly relevant once more. He tells us that we are free to eat whatever meat we buy in the market place, or which someone offers us, with no questions asked. If, however, someone points out to us that the meat was offered to idols, we should not eat it. How is this relevant? It has to do with controversy which has arisen recently regarding fast food restaurants and grocery stores selling meat which meats Muslim dietary standards. If we go into the store or restaurant and buy it with no particular notice being brought to the fact that it is halal (that is, that it meets Muslim dietary standards), we are free to consume it. On the other hand, if someone makes a big deal out of the fact that it is halal, we should refrain. A casual examination of halal requirements indicate that one of them is that the food be dedicated to the Muslim deity.

    There is a reason why I used the term “Muslim deity” rather than the word “Allah” above. Some people contend that Allah and the Christian God are the same being. I do know that many Bible translators translate the word God as “Allah” in Arabic and I understand why they do that. However, even if that may be a valid translation (and I do not know enough Arabic to know if there are any other options that would be better), if one looks at the characteristics of the god worshiped by Muslims and compare those characteristics to the God worshiped by Christians one quickly sees that these are not the same being. In reference to this, I like the way that C.S. Lewis put it in his Narnia series. There he said that if one does the things which Aslan(Jesus) calls us to do in the name of Tash(Allah), we are worshiping Aslan(God), no matter what name we use for Him. If on the other hand, we do the things which Tash(Allah) calls us to do in the name of Aslan(God), we are worshiping Tash(Alah), no matter what name we use for him.