Today's Video Devotion

Saturday 4/19/25

Winning the Race

📺️ 1 Corinthians 9 🔊

¹Am I am not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

 ²If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

 ³Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

 ⁴Have we not power to eat and to drink?

 ⁵Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

 ⁶Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

 ⁷Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

 ⁸Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

 ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

 ¹⁰Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

 ¹¹If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

 ¹²If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

 ¹³Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

 ¹⁴Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

 ¹⁵But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

 ¹⁶For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

 ¹⁷For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

 ¹⁸What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

 ¹⁹For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

 ²⁰And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

 ²¹To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

 ²²To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

 ²³And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

 ²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

 ²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

 ²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

 ²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Paul

Date Penned: (55 AD)

Overview: Paul Answers Church Questions (c 7-16)

Theme: Instructions on Christian Freedom (c 8-10)

Message: The Rights of Apostles (v 1-27)

1 Corinthians 9 Commentary

(9:1-27) Pauls Gives Up His Rights - At the end of chapter 8, Paul said that he would gladly give up his right to eat meat if that would help a weaker believer not to stumble. What follows in this chapter is Paul’s defense of his apostleship and of his freedom to exercise, or not to exercise, his rights as a believer who is free in Christ.

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the book of 1st Corinthians with Chapter 9 and in our text we see addressing how the Christian is to support the leaders of the Church & how the Christian is like an athlete running a race which takes discipline, hard work, and preparation. In making application we see that the Christian is run a race, and to win the race we need prayer, bible study, and worship to win the race that is before us. How about you? Are you winning the race before you? Let us learn from our text today and the illustration of Paul to see that our Christian life is like a race and just as the athlete we need prayer, Bible reading, and worship to win the race that is set before us.

Closing Prayer

Father in the Name and through the Blood of Jesus we pray that we would Take Today's Reading of Your Word and Give Us Understanding of Its Text, that You Apply this Word to Our Lives, and that you would help us grow in You. Father, Finally we Pray for Your Kingdom to come, that Your Will to be Done here on Earth as it is in Heaven. That You would Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen

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