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NASB | 1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free [unrestrained and exempt from any obligation]? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our [risen] Lord [in person]? Are you not [the result and proof of] my work in the Lord? |
Bible Question:
Please let me know if scripture indicates whether or not Paul continued to make tents after his conversion. Someone has said to me that the book of Acts does not mention Paul making tents anymore therefor the conclusion is that he no longer made them as a means of support. This argument is being proposed to me as grounds for regarding the Church as a "business". I maintain that it is an assumptive argument at best to say because "Paul making tents" does not appear in the book of Acts (I haven't yet searched scripture to see if that is true or not), he definitely did not make them anymore. Further, I maintain that a local church should be a God ordained institution that although subject to the laws and regulations of the particular land which it occupies, cannot be termed a "business" implying a motivation of natural, personal gain. Thank you for your help. |
Bible Answer: Greetings Gttgog! I would add the following Scriptures to EdB's excellent response: 1) Acts 18:1 - "After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them." 2) 1 Thess. 2:9 - "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." 3) 2 Thess. 3:8 - "nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you." It seems clear from Scripture that Paul did continue to support himself with his trade in many instances. Though, he did also receive support from some churches as well. I hope these help! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |