no barriers

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:12b

The apostle Paul deliberately chose to put nothing in the way of the gospel. The gospel was offensive enough, without anything of his own person getting in the way. He did not put the demands of support of his ministry above the preaching of the gospel. In fact, he just avoided the topic altogether. He was not a money-begging televangelist huckstering funds for his own private jet. Paul was the opposite: he deliberately did not ask support of the Corinthians so as not to create any sort of barrier to the gospel. He humbly worked to support himself. He downplayed his need in order to lift up the cross. He didn’t take an offering. He simply offered the preaching of the gospel unhindered as his total presentation of his ministry.

We know Paul had no qualms about Christians stewarding financial resources. In fact, his second letter to Corinthians gave explicit instructions on collecting generous funds for relief of saints suffering in Jerusalem. It is a healthy call to give. It was Paul’s regular practice to do this in all the gentile churches. But what Paul did in Corinth was to not take a dime of funding for himself. He modeled ministry austerity to make a point: He was not gaining personal financial profit from the apostleship God had given to him. Instead, Paul wanted the gospel to be known, and the potential barrier was removed.

I too want no personal barriers to the gospel to get in the way in my ministry. I will look for and listen to anything God shows me about my personality, my ministry, or my lifestyle that might cloud the clarity of the cross and not enhance it. And God helping me, I wish to remove them so people see past me to Jesus.