1 Corinthians 9,10

I don't think these Chapters get much work from us "lay" people. They deal a lot with rules, regulations, protocol, proper attitudes toward each other etc. We like the fun stuff like God's love, mercy, grace, justification and forgiveness. I like Chapter 9 though for several reasons. 1. It emphasizes Paul's authority. Since he writes much of the New Testament it's a good reminder of his qualifications. 2. It humanizes the early church and helps me realize that those folks were no different than us. They sometimes got caught up in jealousy, comparing themselves to each other and looking for differences rather than similarities. They had wives and families and the Scripture clearly implies that it's okay for preachers and teachers to be married. 3. It leaves no doubt that we should be supporting our teachers and our churches "do not muzzle the ox.". 4. Finally it leads me to admire Paul and his level of commitment to the spread of the gospel. Although he was entitled to receive support he did not take advantage of that. He worked, and went without. He did whatever it took to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. It inspires me to want to do that, to "run that race."