“Am I not free?
Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus
Our Lord?
Are not you my work
In the Lord?”
Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος; οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος; οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἑόρακα; οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Κυρίῳ;
Paul asked a series of questions to get his point across. “Am I not free (Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος)? Am I not an apostle (οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος)? Have I not seen Jesus Our Lord (οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἑόρακα)? Are you not my work (οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε) in the Lord (ἐν Κυρίῳ)?” Paul got defensive. By asking these questions, he was stating that he was set free as an apostle. He had seen the Lord Jesus Christ. They were the result of his work in the Lord. He wanted the Christian Corinthians to understand his authority and credentials. Paul was a Christian apostle who had seen Jesus Christ in a vision. He had worked to spread the word about Jesus Christ among them in Corinth. There should be no questions about these things. The answer to all his questions was “Yes” on all counts. Do you get defensive at times?
