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 free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are not you yourselves my work achieved in union with 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 I am not an Apostle to others, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal that stamps me as an Apostle in union with the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

The defence that I make to my critics is this:

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have not we a right to food and 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?

Have not we a right to take a wife with us, if she is a Christian, as the other Apostles and the Master’s brothers and Kephas all do?

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

Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to give up working for our bread?

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?

Does any one ever serve as a soldier at his own expense? Does any one plant a vineyard and not eat its produce? Or does any one look after a herd and not drink the milk?

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

Am I, in all this, speaking only from the human standpoint? Does not the Law also say the same?

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 said — ‘Thou shalt not muzzle a bullock while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it the bullocks that God is thinking of?

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 is not is said entirely for our sakes? Surely it was written for our sakes, for the ploughman ought not to plough, nor the thrasher to thrash, without expecting a share of the grain.

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

Since we, then, sowed spiritual seed for you, is it too much that we should reap from you an earthly harvest?

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 share in this right over you, do not we even more? Still we did not avail ourselves of this right. No, we endure anything rather than impede the progress of the Good News of the 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 not you know that those who do the work of the Temple live on what comes from the Temple, and that those who serve at the altar share the offerings with the altar?

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

So, too, the Master has appointed that those who tell the Good News should get their living from the Good News.

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.

I, however, have not availed myself of any of these rights. I am not saying this to secure such an arrangement for myself; indeed, I would far rather die — Nobody shall make my boast a vain one!

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 tell the Good News, I have nothing to boast of, for I can but do so. Woe is me if I do not tell it!

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 work willingly, I have a reward; but, if unwillingly, I have been charged to perform a duty.

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 is my reward, then? To present the Good News free of all cost, and so make but a sparing use of the rights which it gives me.

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

Although I was entirely free, yet, to win as many converts as possible, I made myself everyone’s slave.

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, to win Jews. To those who are subject to Law I became like a man subject to Law — though I was not myself subject to Law — to win those who are subject to 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 who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law — not that I am free from God’s Law; no, for I am under Christ’s Law — to win those who have no 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 weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so as at all costs to save some.

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

And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that with them 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 not you know that on a race-course, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

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 exercises self-restraint in everything; they, indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one that is unfading.

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

I, therefore, run with no uncertain aim. I box — not like a man hitting 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.

No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, lest I, who have called others to the contest, should myself be rejected.