1 Corinthians 9:17 Commentary and Bible Study

‘If I do this thing willingly, I have a reward.’ What reward? First of all, the joy of seeing people saved. That is a tremendous happiness: to see people saved. Some people say that the reward is in eternity, and God will give you some special reward for having been a soul winner, but when we get to heaven, if we are saved by the blood of Christ, everybody gets the same reward, because it is the maximum conceivable reward. But already in this life we have the great joy of seeing people saved, and seeing them rejoicing in Christ; that gives great happiness. ‘But if against my will’ – whatever can he mean? I am a Christian; I love Christ. Could it be against my will to preach the gospel, to witness to others? Oh yes, it might be. I might be going through some depression. I might be battling against some grief or loss. I may possibly have become exhausted, and my feelings are running cold and deserting me. There may be some reason, some hindrance or trial, and so just for the time being I am doing this thing less than willingly. I am witnessing out of duty; I am preaching out of duty, rather than strongly motivated and filled with desire. That could happen. Well then, is there any help for me? Yes, here is my motivation: ‘a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.’ ‘A dispensation [or distribution] of the gospel is committed unto me.’ There is an illustration here. Paul is like a steward, an under-manager in olden times. He works for a wealthy master, but his job is to pay all the wages, to give out the bounty. Every week all the servants in the house and on the estate, both high and low, receive their wages, and I, says Paul, am the steward who pays them. It is a privileged position. I am only a servant of the owner, but my task is to distribute the bounty. It feels very special giving out those wages. ‘A [distribution] is committed. unto me.’ It is my job, my task. If I do not turn up, they will not be paid; people will go hungry; they depend upon me. So if I feel down, or I am distressed or depressed or in some trial, I have still got to do this work. If I do not do it; if I say, ‘No, my low state is going to determine what I do, they will go unpaid that week.’ Well then I should not be surprised if my landowner fires me and appoints someone else. I must realise what a commission I have received and what trust is has been placed in me. Those are the apostle's motives. He is motivated by a sense of commission from the most high God; he is motivated by a desire to reach people at whatever cost to himself; and he is motivated by joy.