Difficult Verses I: 1 Cor. 9.23

For the next few weeks on this blog, I am going to go through some verses that people might find difficult to understand.  I will especially look at New Covenant verses that don’t seem to match or line up with the message of the complete work of Christ.  If there are any verses you would like me to look at or comment on, please comment on this blog, or email me on ben@treeoflifechurch.org.uk and let me know. 

Today, I am going to look at 1. Cor. 9.23 which in the KJV says: And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

This verse initially seems difficult because it looks like Paul is saying that he is going around the world preaching the gospel, planting churches and ministering the gifts and power of the Spirit to  become a partaker of the gospel.  But surely knowing what we know of the complete work, Paul is already a partaker of the gospel, the good news.  Our ability to receive salvation, healing, prosperity, joy is nothing to do with our works and our ministry.

So is this verse wrong?  Is our understanding of the complete work wrong?  Or have we missed a point.  It’s that we have missed a point, and it’s a very simple point: Paul wasn’t preaching around the world, planting churches, healing the sick and ministering life and grace to partake of the gospel, but to partake of the gospel with you.

We don’t preach the gospel to get blessed – we are blessed.  We don’t preach the gospel to get healed – we are healed.  We don’t preach the gospel to get happy – we are happy.  But we do preach the gospel to share the blessings.  We do preach the gospel to share the healings.  We do preach the gospel to share the joy.  You see the greatest happiness is life is NOT being blessed – it’s sharing the blessings.  The greatest joy is not partaking of the gospel – it’s partaking of the gospel with others.

Getting blessed is great.  Watching others get blessed is greater.  The greatest of all is watching others get others blessed.

Getting healed is great.  Watching others get healed is greater.  The greatest of all is watching others get others healed.

Today, decide that you want to partake of this gospel with as many people as possible.  Your partaking of it is set in stone, but how many others you get to share that partaking with – that’s up to you.