1Co 9:1. Οá½Îº εἰμὶ á¼Î»ÎµÏθεÏος, οá½Îº εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος;) am I not free? am I not an apostle?) There is a transposition of these two clauses in the present received reading:[68] but Paul first lays down the proposition, I am free; then, the reason of it [by aetiology. Append.], I am an apostle; and there is a hendiadys in this sense, I am entitled not only to Christian, but also to apostolic liberty. We have a chiasmus[69] in the discussion of the subject: for in it he first claims for himself the apostleship, 1Co 9:1-3, then he asserts his liberty, and that too as an apostle, 1Co 9:4-5; 1Co 9:19, [whereas in the statement of subject, 1Co 9:1, ‘free’ comes first, ‘apostle’ next]. That, which free is in the adjective, 1Co 9:1, á¼Î¾Î¿Ï…σία, power, is in the substantive, 1Co 9:4; comp. 1Co 8:9.-οá½Ï‡á½¶-εὥÏακα, have I-not seen?) Observe the firmness of the apostle.-τὸ á¼”Ïγον μου, my work) A testimony derived from actual facts, which is the strongest.
[68] AB Vulg. Memph. Syr. Orig. 4,266 b, support the order as in Bengel D G fg later Syr. put ἀπόστολος before á¼Î»ÎµÏθεÏος, as in Rec. Reading.-ED.