“Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?”
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? — Paul asserts his apostolic status through a series of rhetorical questions. Freedom (eleutheros) is his by virtue of being apostle; apostolic office he demonstrates by direct encounter with the risen Lord (heōraka... kyrie) and by the Corinthians themselves as evidence of his labor (ergon mou). The questions presume affirmative answers; Paul's authority is not in doubt but needs reassertion.
Church Fathers on 1 Corinthians 9:1
Inasmuch as he had said, “If meat make my brother to stumble I will eat no flesh forever;” a thing which he had not yet done, but professed he would do if need require: lest any man should say, “You vaunt yourself at random, and art severe in discourse, and utterest words of promise, a thing easy to me or to any body; but if these sayings come from your heart, show by deeds something which you have slighted in order to avoid making your brother stumble:” for this cause, I…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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