1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

This is my defense to those who examine me.

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Do we not have a right to eat and to drink?

5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Do we not have a right to take along a wife who is a sister in Christ, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work to support ourselves?

7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?

Who at any time serves as a soldier while supplying his own provisions? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law also say the same thing?

9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,

For in the law of Moses it is written, “Yoʋ shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned?

10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.

Or does he speak entirely for our sake? Yes, this was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope ought to partake of his hope.

11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

If we have sown spiritual blessings among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?

12 If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

If others have a share in this right over you, do not we have it even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure everything so that we may not give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat of the temple sacrifices, and those who attend to the altar have a share in the altar sacrifices?

14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

But I have not used any of these rights, and I am not writing this so that such may be done in my case. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my reason for boasting.

16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.

If I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

If I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if I do it under compulsion, it is because I have been entrusted with a responsibility.

18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

What then is my reward? That when I preach, I may present the gospel of Christ free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, in order to win as many as possible.

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

To the Jews I became like a Jew, so that I might win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law, so that I might win those under the law.

21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

To those outside the law I became like one outside the law (though I am not outside the law of God but under the law of Christ), so that I might win those outside the law.

22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

To the weak I became like one who is weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I might save some.

23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

I do this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

24 Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

25 Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

Every athlete who competes exercises self-control in all things. They do so to receive a perishable wreath, but we do so to receive an imperishable crown.

26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,

Therefore I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;

27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

but I discipline my body and make it my slave, lest somehow after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.