NT Text: 1 Corinthians 9:9
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s): Analogy
Significance: Deuteronomy 25:4 protects working animals' right to eat while laboring. Paul asks rhetorically "Is it for oxen that God is concerned?" then answers: this was written "for our sake" - referring to gospel ministers. This hermeneutical approach sees OT law as containing principles that apply beyond literal meaning. If God cares that animals receive sustenance from their labor, how much more should human gospel workers? Paul's method reveals his conviction that all Scripture teaches principles applicable to the church, not merely regulations for Israel. This text also shows Paul's eschatological hermeneutic: OT law was always "for us" (the church), written in anticipation of the new covenant community.