I exist (used only when emphatic) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
you
ὑμῖνhymîn
G5213
to (with or by) you
for
γὰρgar
G1063
properly · conjunction
seal
σφραγίςsphragis
G4973
a signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropria… · noun — nominative singular feminine
mine
ἐμόςemós
G1699
my
apostleship
ἀποστολῆςapostolēs
G651
commission · noun — genitive singular feminine
are
ἐστέesté
G2075
ye are
ye
ὑμεῖςhymeîs
G5210
you (as subjective of verb)
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
Lord
κυρίῳ.kuriō
G2962
supreme in authority · noun — dative singular masculine, a title
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Corinthians 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: f…
2 Corinthians 3:1-3 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:1-2
Blessed Paul, in the work of his ministry, not only met with opposition from those without, but discouragement from those within. He was under reproach; false brethren questioned his apostleship, and were very industrious to lessen his character and sink his reputation; particularly here at Corinth, a place to which he had been instrumental in doing much good, and from which he had deserved well; and yet there were those among them who upon these heads created him great uneasiness. Note, It is no strange nor new thing for a minister to meet with very unkind returns for great good-will to a people, and diligent and successful services among them. Some among the Corinthians questioned, if they…
yet doubtless--yet at least I am such to you.
seal of mine apostleship--Your conversion by my preaching, accompanied with miracles ("the signs of an apostle," Rom 15:18-19; Co2 12:12), and your gifts conferred by me (Co1 1:7), vouch for the reality of my apostleship, just as a seal set to a document attests its genuineness (Joh 3:33; Rom 4:11).
Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:2
If I be not an apostle unto others - If there be other Churches which have been founded by other apostles; yet it is not so with you.
The seal of mine apostleship are ye - Your conversion to Christianity is God's seal to my apostleship. Had not God sent me, I could not have profited your souls.
The σφραγις or seal, was a figure cut in a stone, and that set in a ring, by which letters of credence and authority were stamped. The ancients, particularly the Greeks, excelled in this kind of engraving. The cabinets of the curious give ample proof of this; and the moderns contend in vain to rival the perfection of those ancient masters.
In the Lord - The apostle shows that it was by the grace and i…
Those Jewish believers who nevertheless continued to observe the law of Moses denied that Paul was an apostle because he taught that it was no longer necessary to be circumcised or to observe the sabbath. Even the other apostles thought that he was teaching something different because of this, and they denied that he was an apostle. But to the Corinthians Paul was an apostle, because they had seen the signs of God's power in him.
"If to others I am not an Apostle, yet at least I am to you." Do you see how far he is from enlarging here without necessity? And yet he had the whole world to speak of, and barbarous nations, and sea and land. However, he mentions none of these things, but carries his point by concession, and even granting more than he need. As if he had said, "Why need I dwell on things over and above, since these even alone are enough for my present purpose? I speak not, you will observe, of my achievements in other quarters, but of those which have you for witnesses. Upon which it follows that if from no other quarter, yet from you I have a right to receive. Nevertheless, from whom I had most right to receive, even you whose teacher I was, from those I received not." "If to others I am not an Apostle, yet at least I am to you." Again, he states his point by concession. For the whole world had him for its Apostle. "However," saith he, "I say not that, I am not contending nor disputing, but what concerns you I lay down. 'For the seal of mine Apostleship are ye:'" i.e., its proof. "Should any one, moreover, desire to learn whence I am an Apostle, you are the persons whom I bring forward: for all the signs of an Apostle have I exhibited among you, and not one have I failed in." As also he speaks in the Second Epistle, saying, "Though I am nothing, truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works. For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the Churches?" Wherefore he saith, "The seal of mine Apostleship are ye." "For I both exhibited miracles, and taught by word, and underwent dangers, and shewed forth a blameless life." And these topics you may see fully set forth by these two Epistles, how he lays before them the demonstration of each with all exactness.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Seal — Commonly a ring engraved with some device (Gen. 38:18, 25). Jezebel “wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal” (1 Kings 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish history…
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
If I be not an apostle unto others,.... This is said by way of supposition, not concession; for he was an apostle to many others; he was an apostle of the Gentiles in general; as the apostleship of the circumcision belonged to Peter, that of the uncircumcision fell to his share: but however, as if he should say, be that as it will,
yet doubtless I am to you; all the signs of apostleship were wrought among them; not only the grace of God was implanted in them under his ministry, but the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were received by them through it; and many signs, wonders, and mighty deeds, were done in the midst of them by him: see 2 Corinthians 12:12 which were sufficient to put the m…
1 Corinthians 9:1-12
1. 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?
1. Non sum liber? non sum Apostolus? [477] nonne Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum vidi? nonne opus meum vos estis in Domino?
2. If I be not an an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
2. Si aliis non sum Apostolus, vobis tamen sum: sigillum enim Apostolatus mei vos estis in Domino?
3. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
3. Haec mea defensio est apudeos, qui in me inquirunt.
4. Have we not power to eat and to drink?
4. Numquid non habemus potestatem edendi et bibendi?
5. Have we not…
Continuing the argument begun in 8:1 (see study note on 8:1–11:1), Paul cites personal examples of his giving up his own rights for the sake of other people.
9:1-2 These four rhetorical questions each expect a positive answer. The first, following his discussion in 8:1-13, is an assertion of Paul’s freedom from Jewish ritual obligations—though, as he later emphasizes (see 9:19-23), he freely accommodates himself to the practices of Jews in his desire to win them to Christ. The other three rhetorical questions are assertions of Paul’s apostolic authority, which was apparently being questioned by some in Corinth. • For those who might be skeptical, the reality of Paul’s apostolic calling was…