Strong Christians Help Weak Christians | Why Paul Refused Pay

Are there more important things in life than one's rights? Why would the Apostle Paul refuse financial support for his needs? And why would he 'boast' in his ability to work for his own supply? For the Corinthian Christians to fully understand what it means to relinquish one’s ‘rights’ for the good of another, they must first correct their misunderstanding about Paul’s refusal to receive financial support. Once they stopped criticizing him for working to support himself, they were free to see his example of sacrificing one’s rights for the good of others. We are grateful to God for the rights He gave us. But surprisingly, there are times when giving up those rights for the love of another brings us great joy! In the ancient Christian Church, the question of whether it is permissible to eat meat that has been used in pagan sacrifices was a serious one. It is easy for Christians today to think this was a minor problem because of the secular nature of modern society. But, commentator Charles Hodge helps us with contextualization, “The idolatry of the Greeks and Romans pervaded their whole life. Their social intercourse, their feasts, the administration of justice, the public amusement, the offices and honors of the government, were all more or less connected with religious services. Christians, therefore, were constantly exposed to the danger of being involved in some idolatrous homage without even knowing it.” p.137, Geneva Series Commentary. Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 8-10, is responding to this question because the Corinthian Christians had written to him about it. We quickly see that the issue is many-faceted and has modern implications.