Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 9:1

"Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?" — 1 Corinthians 9:1 (ASV)

Am I not an apostle?—A better rendering, following the word order in the better manuscripts, is: Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? This phrasing allows the thought to develop more naturally from the previous chapter than it appears to in the English version.

He had mentioned his solemn resolve to forgo a freedom he rightfully possessed concerning eating meat. On another occasion, regarding his right to financial support from the Church, he also voluntarily sacrificed his freedom. Consequently, the Jewish party had denied the existence of these rights and questioned his apostolic dignity.

He asks with abrupt emphasis, “Was it because I am not free to demand such support? My freedom in this case is as real as in that other case when you questioned it, and to which I shall now refer. Was it because I am not an Apostle?”

Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?—To have seen Christ was a necessary qualification for the Apostolate (Acts 1:21). From the way the Apostle asks this question here, without directly answering it, it seems that even though a small minority might have questioned it at some time for partisan reasons, the fact was generally admitted and universally known that St. Paul did indeed see the Lord at the time of his conversion (Acts 9:4) and on other occasions (Acts 18:9; Acts 22:17).

Are not you my work in the Lord?—This is a further proof of his Apostleship, and therefore of his right or freedom to have demanded support from the Church. (See 1 Corinthians 4:15).