Chapter nine is an insertion in the section on eating idol sacrifices. In this insertion the apostle presents himself to the Corinthian believers as a pattern that they may not cause others to stumble, but build them up by practicing the principle of considerate love in 8:13.
Verse 1 says, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?” The Apostle Paul is free from all men, enslaved to no one (9:19). As all believers in Christ should be, he is also free from the bondage of any particular way of eating, although he practices the principle of considerate love.
As he presents himself a pattern to the believers, Paul comes to his apostleship, which gives him authority to deal with all the problems covered in this book, serious problems concerning the church life and its fellowship. His handling of them is based not only on his teaching, but also on the authority inherent in his apostleship. To deal with the situation, Paul must take this standing and make this matter clear to the Corinthian believers. They had questioned his apostleship and were in a chaotic situation, mostly due to the foolishness of their worldly wisdom, self-confidence, and pride.
Apostle is an anglicized Greek word which means one who is sent. An apostle of the Lord is a believer who is sent out by Him with His authority to preach the gospel of God, to teach the divine truth, and to establish churches. Peter and John were such apostles among the Jews in the first section of the book of Acts, and Paul and Barnabas were such apostles among the Gentiles in the second section of Acts. Others, such as Silas and Timothy, also became apostles (1 Thes. 1:1; 2:6). As long as anyone has the power to preach the gospel, the gift to teach the divine truth, and the ability to establish churches, he is qualified and confirmed to be an apostle sent by the Lord with His commission and authority.
In verse 1 Paul asks, “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” This refers to Paul’s seeing the Lord in His glorious resurrected body (15:5-8). This is a special privilege; it constitutes some dignity and glory to the seer, but it is not a requirement or qualification for being an apostle of the Lord. This is proved by the case of Barnabas, who was one of the apostles (Acts 14:14), yet did not see the Lord in this way. However, to know the Lord in spirit by spiritual revelation is definitely needed for being an apostle.
In verse 1 Paul also asks, “Are you not my work in the Lord?” The fruitful result of his work in the Lord is a proof of Paul’s apostleship, not a qualification for it.
In verse 2 Paul goes on to say, “If to others I am not an apostle, yet surely I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” Because Paul had begotten the Corinthian believers in the Lord through the gospel (4:15), he was surely an apostle to them. The fruit of his labor is evidence of his apostleship. The sufficient result of the apostle’s efficient work is not only an evidence, a proof, but also a seal of his apostleship. It puts a distinctive mark on his apostolic labor that authenticates and certifies his apostleship.
In chapter nine Paul speaks about himself in a direct manner. The fact that he speaks about his apostleship indicates that the Corinthian believers also had a problem regarding Paul’s apostleship. Some of them may have doubted whether Paul was truly an apostle. They may have discussed this matter and questioned Paul’s apostleship. Paul must have learned of their doubts. Now in chapter nine he speaks about it in a way that is strong, direct, and frank. The four questions he asks in verse 1 illustrate Paul’s frankness. Paul’s spirit here is very clean. He is not in the least political. To play politics is to be impure. When we try to speak in a polite way, we may actually be political. Paul’s questions in verse 1 certainly are not polite. Would you write a letter in which you asked such questions? Here Paul was not polite or political, but he was pure, genuine, and honest. We, however, may be polite or political because we are not pure in our motive or intention.
Paul was also frank and direct in verse 2. Here he tells the saints that if he is not an apostle to others, he is surely an apostle to them. He had begotten them in the Lord, and they were the seal of his apostleship in the Lord. Here Paul seems to be saying, “To others I may not be a begetting father, but surely I am such a father to you. I have begotten you through the gospel, and your existence is a seal of my apostleship. I have the apostleship, and you are the seal.”