SNT 0243 I Corinthians 9
I Corinthians 9 February 25, 1968
Expository teaching of the entire chapter.
SNT – 243
Format: audio
Publication Date: 02-25-1968
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
1Co 9:1-19; (Suggested reading - Rom 15:27; 2Co 12:13-17; Gal 6:6-10; 1Th 2:8, 9; 2Th 3:7-10)
1Co 9:27, 19-22; (Gal 5:1); Rom 8:26
Rom 8:26; 1Co 9:22-25
1Co 9:26, 27
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DRAFT
Snt-0243-1Corinthians9
SUMMARY KEYWORDS: Word, God, run, Gentiles, discipline, partaker, gospel, race, Corinthians, law, receive, preach, power, church, Romans, profit
I'd like for you to take your Bibles tonight and during the first Corinthians chapter nine. First Corinthians chapter nine has some different called verses in it in the latter part of the chapter, I have taken the privilege and the opportunity to translate these verses, literally, from the text. And I'm going to be sharing this with you later in the teaching sessions. So if you want to jot them down, or if you want to write the translations down, as I give them to you later on, it's your privilege. You don't get it all on the first time, usually, I go through it twice, you can pick it up or the second time through, but Galatians chapter nine, of course, you understand that Galatians has a lot of practical error in the church had practice, not to Galatians But the church had practical error in it. So the revelation that's given in the book of Corinthians, is to correct the practical error that had crept into the church. The apostle Paul had was suffering a lot of criticism from the people are some of the people. And you know, when you're suffered criticism, many times, those Some cry the loudest, and they make so much noise that you can't hear the quiet beauty in the life with all the rest of them. And the Apostle Paul had discovered that in the church at Corinth and other places, that there were some repercussions that God wanted straighten them. And so God by revelation gave this word. And the apostle Paul wrote it in the ninth chapter of Corinthians, am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? Because he had won them to Christ. He had given them the word that had brought them to Christ, and had given them the greatness of that word. If I be not an apostle unto others, yet, doubtless I am to you. He was a criticism was that, among others, was that he really was an apostle. But he says, Well, if I'm not others, at least I am to you because I brought the new light to you, that one you to the Lord. This is what he was saying to the church. Or the seal of mine, apostleship? Are ye in the Lord? You are my proof. He says, in the Lord, my answer to them that do examine me as this. Have we not power to eat and drink? You see, they were accusing him and saying of him, that he didn't have the right to do this or to do that. And he says, Well, do I not have the right to eat what I want to to drink? What I want to? Have we not power to lead about a sister, or wife. The text reads? Have we not power to lead about a woman convert? Who is the wife? It's really intriguing, isn't it? As well as the other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, as sea fasts? Or I only invited this have we not power to forbear working? Do we not have the right just Barnabas and I, the rest of them have the right to do this? Who go with a warfare anytime at his own chart? Or who planted the vineyard, and he does not have the fruit thereof? Or who feed us a flock? And he does not have the milk of the flock? say aye these things as a man or Steph not the law the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the car. What reason? Because the law was a B, if the oxen had enough strength to pull, he ought to have enough right to eat that try. So he weren't allowed to Muslim so he could go along, get himself a bite once the while.
04:24
That's why he says, Does God take care of the oxen? Well ask the question, would he take care of the oxygen and when they take care of his own people, this is what Paul's trying to say. This is the word of the Lord to the church, or Sati it all together for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt this is written that he that Polish should plow in hope, and that he that thrashes in hopes should be partaker of his hope. And this is singly significant considering the meeting we had with those members that were in the recent class that I taught here at headquarters with I left on this itinerary in the discussion of the word hope in that verse. Because when you plant when you plant corn, can you immediately eat that corn after you've planted it? No, you plant it with a lot hope, because you can't eat it at that time. But you know, it's in the future, a wonderful word. If you want to jot down some scriptures, and I think you should, because I just feel I do not want to take the time to unfold them. But all the scriptures that should be jotted down on verse 10. You will not find them in your center reference of your Bible, with the exception of perhaps one or two, that's all. But I had originally planned on taking the time to unfold all of this to you. But in verse 10, that he that flowers should plow in hope he that trashes in hopes should be partakers of his hope. And this verse 11, if we have sewn on to you spiritual things, is it a great thing, if we should read your carnal things he's talking about the material thing. The scriptures that you ought to put in line with this are Romans 1527. Second Corinthians 1213, to 17 Galatians six, six to 10. First Thessalonians, chapter two, verses eight and nine. And second Thessalonians, chapter three, verses seven to 10. Now these scriptures all deal with the essence of what he is talking about here. If you don't muzzle the ox and allow the ox to eat of the corn that he's harvesting or plowing? Does God not take care of the oxen? Would he not take care of his people? We have sewn onto you spiritual thing. Is it a great thing if we should reap carnal things from those to whom we have sown and among whom we have sown spiritual things? First, well, if others be partakers of this power over you, Are not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all things less we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that they which Minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple, and they which weighed at the altar on partakers with the altar? Here he is referring back to the Old Testament Levitical laws, the tribe of Levi. And, of course, the priests that came out of the Aaron bloodline. Even so verse 14, as the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live up to the gospel. But I've 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 individual should make my glory void. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory up, for necessity is laid upon me. Gay woe is unto me if I preach not what the gospel. Look at the burden this man had on his heart, a great concern he had for men and women to hear the word. It was a real burden to me. Not that it's oppressive. Not that it depresses you. But it's the the great inner desire, you just want to help everybody you want everybody to hear the wonderful word of God and you want that word to set them free. What a tremendous burning in the heart of Imam this must be. Or if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward. But if against my will, a dispensation and administration, however, is committed on to me.
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What is my reward them? Barely, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abused not my power in the Gospel. Or though I be free from all verse 19. The word man is in italics. Yet have I made myself servant and all that I might gain? The mode right here is where the real great difficult section of this particular chapter begin. And the reason this is true, is because of the 27th verse. It is this 2730 that they constantly keep driving at you. They say what we're reading here, I keep them under my body and bring it into subjection, less than by any means when I have preached to others, I myself might be a watt, castaway. And they use that verse to do that unless you do so and so you're going to be a castaway. You might preach the gospel, you might teach the greatness of God's word. But if you're not careful, you can be castaway. Now, first of all, knowing what eternal life as you would know, from that particular verse, that there has to be something wrong someplace. Because once you're born again of God's Spirit, and you're God's Son, you're his son eternally, right? But you see, we're looking for verses or for scriptures, that instead of bringing joy and peace and happiness and glory, to the heart, life of a man, we're always looking for that which will be literally which are driving down, which will put him into that little pan, where he has to stay, because you are I said, he better stay there. And this is why we need to understand now, verses 19 and following, because then verse 27, will become very clear. Electoral translation of verse 19 is for though IB free, within, free within. Free from all is King James. The lid pro text reads, For though I be free with him, from all restrictions, he has the freedom on the inside. Why? Because he's born again of God's Spirit. And if God if you're born again, a God's Spirit, Whose son are you, God, and remember, Galatians five, stand fast, therefore in what the Liberty were with Christ, Jesus has set you free. He says, I am free with him absolutely free because I'm born again of God's Spirit. I am free within from all restrictions, then, yet, I continue a slave to all that I might profit the most. Now is that one. You see, he was absolutely free with him. He was absolutely heaven bound. But he disciplined himself. He says, yet I continued a slave. I continued, being a slave. did God make him that slave? No, he, by his own will decided to give the best that he had to his master. That's it. He didn't give God second best, or third best. He didn't offer to God His life on just a, you know, a little bit here and a little bit there. He says, I'm free with him from all restrictions. Yet I continued a slave to all that I might profit, the more the more dedicated you are to the integrity of God's Word, the more the profit to you. The more you become a slave, by the freedom of your choice to the Lord Jesus Christ, the more freedom you have, and the more profit you bring to yourself sex with a wonderful group at a tremendous verse, verse point. And under the Jews, I became a Jew, that I might gain to do that I might profit did you? to them that are under the law? Or under the law? Do you see them that are under the law?
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Not as being myself under the law. That is, is a phrase you must get the text literally read not as being myself under the law. Why? Because he has just told us in verse 19, though I be free within from all what restrictions. So therefore he could not be under the law himself if he was free from all what? Restrict not as being myself under the law that I might profit them that are under the law. That's the translation. Give it to you again, because it's really a tremendous thing. And to the Jews, I became As a Jew, that I might profit the Jews, to them that are under the law, not as being myself under the law, however, that I might profit them that are under the law. Why did he do this? Because the various before he says he continued to be a slave to all that he that he might profit the more as he shared the Word of God, they got blessed. They heard the word, but he in turn, God bless to, you can't work it any other way. Because what you're given out dream. If you give out love, you bring back to yourself love. If you give out bitterness, you bring back to yourself bitterness. If you give out the word of God, you get the profit of that word of God back to you. This is the is the page he was talking about in the earlier part, reset it was without charge. This is the page that Paul received because he handed out this wonderful word of God. Now, verse 21, may remain just as it is in your King James, to them that are without the law, without the law talking now about Jews. No, talking about Gentiles. As without law, he became too damn you know, as without law, then the parentheses being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ. The so your read on from the first part into the latter part, bypass the parentheses for a moment, let me read it to them that are without the laws without law, that I might gain them that are without law. Who? The Gentiles. See if he had compassion. He had a heart's desire in learning, not only to win the Jews, but also to win the Gentiles. We posited an interesting question among the group earlier this afternoon. Have you ever asked yourself why did the householder Cornelius or the Gentiles have to wait so long? To get the gospel after the day of Pentecost? Why did they have to wait 1215 and some scholars think even 18 years after the original outpouring on the day of Pentecost in Acts two? Why did the Gentiles have to wait so long? Before they received this wonderful news of God's wonderful grace? The answer is because nobody believes sufficiently to carry the word to him. They were not ready to carry it God was ready. But God has committed on to us the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation. And they were not spiritually prepared to take this word. Mentally they were not prepared to take the word to the Gentiles until so many years after the original opera. Don't you think God loved the Gentiles? The same as he did the Jews the day that they received on the day of Pentecost? Alright, then there has to be a reason why it took so many years to like not to the Gentiles can't be in God's responsibility. It has to be in the people unto whom he committed the ministry and the word of reconciliation. Verse 22, to the week they came is weak, that I might gain the weak. I have made all things to all that I might by all means save some. First of all, the word weak is the word in firm. someplace in one of the Epistles Reverend Wade you taught it? Maybe you can tell me the infirmity is that they do not know what to pray for as they asked to pray. Romans 827 We better look at this. Because I believe you could have heard that Robert laid directly with this use a jig here.
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Romans eight he said 27 Verse 2026, cetera. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities is the King James Right. The original text is singular help with our infirmity. The Spirit helpers are infirmity. What is our infirmity? Next phrase? Are we know not what we should pray for? As we are with our senses mind, but the Spirit maker. The Spirit itself, not here. himself if so, The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered. So the infirmity there in Romans specifically is that we know not what we should pray for, as we ought with our senses mind. Therefore, we pray in the Spirit, and it's the spirit that makes intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. In Corinthians, First Corinthians 922, he says to the infirm, became i as input. What he said to them, or he could have said to them was that look, since knowledge wise, I don't know how to praise or sense knowledge wise, you've been praying, perhaps you've been missing the boat, I missed the boat too, when I pray, sense knowledge wise. So to the infirm, he became inferred, that I might profit, but he might profit, the infirm, to profit the infirm is to bring them teaching and understanding of the greatness of God, I am become all things to all in order that I might by all means, save certain runs. This is why he became all things unto all, he identified himself. Now, who is there of us, who cannot identify himself with another human being, because you have maybe been where they have been, God has saved you, God has redeemed you, you have accepted His salvation. Therefore, you are able to identify yourself with others who are unsafe, that I might by all means, by all means, save certain one. King James says some. But the word certain one is the usage of the word regarding teaching the word accurately so that those whom God knew before the foundation of the world, those certain ones will hear the word, they'll believe it, and they'll get saved. That's why the word certain ones is so important. Not everybody, but to certain ones, which certain ones, those that when they hear the word, well do what? That's it, that's the verse 23. And this I do for the gospel sake, that I might be partaker thereof, with you. A literal translation is, and this I do on account of the gospel of grace, in order that I may become a co partner, there are a co partner there of a co partner of us, in a parentheses, the gospel of grace. So that's what he's talking about. That I make become a co partner thereof with it. Again, I'll give you the translation, I'll give you the parentheses as I go through this I do on account of the gospel of grace, in order that I may become a partaker, thereof, parentheses, the gospel of grace and a parentheses with it.
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Verse 24, no, he not that they which run in a race, run all. But only one, just one receive at the Lord. Right.
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So run, that ye may obtain. The word receive it is the word Lombardo. The word obtained is the word lambino. From the word So, you see the phrase in the King James, the word so that last phrase, literally should be translated, as these runners do, in order that he may lay hold of in manifestations that you may lay a hold of us, the grace of God in plus manifestation. They're wonderful. He is here talking about the marathon. The races that were carried on the athletic games that were carried on in Rome, this is exactly what he's using. All of them run, but only in that race only one way. But in the race, to which you and I belong, the born again, sons of God, we can all run in that way and we are all rewarded. And when they would run these marathon races Well it comes up in this word corruptible laughter bit, but I'll tell it to you now in the next verse, because it just flipped up in my mind when all they would receive when they won the race would be a crowd of leaves, we grew up here on two things, grapes. The grape leaf would be made into a crown and this would be their reward. That's all they receive, are winning the race would be that crown of grape leaves. So, he says, as these runners do, in order that you may lay a hold up in manifestation that you make colombano that you may lay hold of in manifestation, this greatness of the grace of God, verse 25, in King James raised, and every man that strive for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible. Electro translation reads, mastery, mastery exercises, health care control, in all discipline, training. Now they do it, in order that they may receive a corruptible crown. But we and incorruptible. You see all mastery, no matter what you master in life, in the secular world, in the secular fields, as we've referred to it, anybody who masters anything has to have self control. You've got to be able to control yourself. If you're going to master you have to discipline yourself. This is why it's self control in all discipline, training. If you want to run 100 yard dash, you got to self control yourself, and discipline yourself day after day to run that 100. If you want to run a mile, you can't practice up on the 100 run the mind. If you want to run the mile in practice, you practice to run the mind. But it takes self control. Now this self control is he has put upon himself by his own free well, he is not responsible. Remember, he has no restrictions within he wouldn't have to but because of the greatness of the word, he deliberately disciplines himself and puts himself under self control. What would happen in the way Ministry of our people put themselves under self control and discipline to the accuracy of God's word really, nobody. And every morning, spend an hour reading the Word. Every evening, spend an hour reading the words and reading specifically, first and foremost that which is dressed to look at the growth of the greatness of the word that would be there and that self discipline? No, so many times is it true to say people have no self control.
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They just can't control themselves. They're always flipping from this and from that they just don't set themselves down and with a real discipline stay put. They're flipping on this or they're flipping on that they're not real cool or groovy. think some of you are going to get used to phrases this summer like blowing the mind. And a few other little minor phrases you may become acclimatized to. But you know something, when they use that word blowing the mind, that's just terrific. It's exactly renewed mind. Because the blow the mind means to cast out the stuff that's in there. That means to both get rid of well, if you get rid of it, something else has to come in and that other is groovy and cool. And that is true. Well, verse 26. I therefore, so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beat at the air. The translation reads, I therefore so race as not uncertain so I bought, I bought with determined As one not shadowboxing. That's lovely. Hi, the price fighters and enjoy that translation Israel current, isn't it? Sure. He says I bought with determination as one who is not shadowboxing. He's in this ministry to get the job done. And the boxing in that day was a little more rugged than boxing is today. And boxing is pretty rugged for some of us delicate women and men. Right? In that day, they would have metal things taped on their knuckles, metal and this would be taped on their hand. And then they would they get into the fight. That's what the that's this word. I box. I box with my hands wrapped with the metal I box with determination. He going to he's going to soccer tool is gonna get a knockout in the first round. Sure. He's He's determined. Because he's not going out there to shadowbox. Just look at that. If the word of God is what it says it is. We can't afford to shadowbox with it. We've got to know where we're going, we've got to go with a greatness of that word. You can't just hit miss. You've got to keep your aim. And you've got to know what you're going after. This is why he says I race not as one who is uncertain. I know where I'm going, why? Because I've self controlled my fail. I've disciplined myself, I am not uncertain, I know reminds me of His scripture and other place where God gave it him. I know in whom I have what I believe and am persuaded beyond a shadow without that he is able to keep that which he committed to me against that day or any other day. Then comes that great and wonderful 27th Verse. But I keep my body under and bring it into subjection, less than by any means when I have preached to others, I myself could be a customer. He says literally in the text, but I suppress my buddy, I do it. God doesn't do it. I deliberately suppress my body and reduce it to slavery. That in no way having heralded the summon for the competitors. I myself proved to be rejected from the competition. That's the literal translation. Here we go again. If you're an athlete, you'd love this. It's wonderful. If you're not an athlete, you're an athlete in the spiritual love it anyway. But I suppress my body and reduce it to slavery. That in no way, having held at the summons for the competitors the word preach King James is the word helding. Every time before a race in the city of Rome, we still do it at the Kentucky Derby. I don't know why they do it. But they bring all these trumpeters out and they help the race. They blow the big long trumpet. That's what he's talking about. The word preach is the word heralded; get out there in the boat with a big long trumpet. That in no way having heralded that summons for the competitors to get on the line. Get set. Mambo. Everybody's often running track me having held a summons for the competitors, I myself prove to be rejected from the competition. Why? Because of lack of discipline of lack of training, that he himself did not discipline his mind that he would not have self controlled himself as we have and that he has not gone through the discipline training. This is why he says I suppress my body. Not that he's going to be a castaway. He he still would be able to run right? Even though he had hailed as the competitors to get in the run, running the race. He could have run but had he not discipline himself. Then he would have been rejected. He would have been rejected because he was not physically up to par to run All, you know he could run 100 yards you say we're, we're doing a mile run. You could run 100 yards, walked restfully. We saw it here a year or so ago. Of course, some of you fellows are far better. And I did. I never even started the race. I just sat out here on the bench and watched him in summer school go through these things. Dorothy was working on the rest of John, you stick them on the run all the time. And Tim took, well, I saw my brother Harry lob along over there. I sat on the bench watched. That's what he's saying about, you know, I might have been able to run to the end of the lane, but they ran the mile, well, then I'd have to sit on the bench, then I would not, I'd still be an individual, I'd still be alive. But I'd really been rejected from the competition, I'd rejected myself because I was not physically fit to do the run. That's all he states. And then that a wonderful verse. Then knowledge wise, they do these things to receive an acceptable crown. He says, we discipline ourselves. We bring our body under, we make our saints, self, slaves to God's word. So that when we Herald when we talk about the greatness of God's word, we don't have to sit on the sidelines and watch the rest of run the race. But that we can be right in there running and along with the rest. That's what verse 27 says, That's what is me. And that's a tremendous truth. Because there is nothing that we ever receive in life. That does not cost us something, you get nothing for nothing in life. Everything has to be paid for everything costs something. If you want a knowledge of God's Word, the Word says, where to do what study. And to study takes time. That study takes discipline, to study takes the ability to study, but it teaches how to do these things. And so we must be sure that when we are Christians, born again of God's Spirit, you wouldn't have to put your body under because you're a Christian, you're free without any restrictions. But because of the love you have for God who saved, you deliberately put yourself under the discipline or the self control, of making your life jell with the greatness of His revelation. So that if you ask others to join you in this spiritual quest, you and I need not sit on the sidelines, and let them do the running while we are incapable of staying up. That's the meaning of this particular 27th Verse, And the meaning of the greatness of His Word. And I think it speaks to our day in our time, as efficaciously as it spoke to the day and time when it was originally given. Well, this word in Corinthians is addressed to the church. Where there is error in the practice of the revelation that God gave in the book of Romans Shall we bow our heads our father and our God, unto whom every heart is open, and unto whom each and every desire is known.
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I thank thee for the ineffable greatness of your worried your presence and your power. I thank You, Father, for your goodness unto us through Christ Jesus, and the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And Father, I thank you for the living reality of this word and the power of it. And for the hungry hearts who enjoy this word and when endeavor to make it a living reality within themselves. We thank You, Father, for living and for the joy of living and for the greatness of you're worried in this hour day, and in this hour time, through Christ Jesus our living Lord, Amen.