Corinthios I 9
1 non sum liber non sum apostolus nonne Iesum Dominum nostrum vidi non opus meum vos estis in Domino
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Aren’t you yourselves my work achieved in union with the Lord?
2 si aliis non sum apostolus sed tamen vobis sum nam signaculum apostolatus mei vos estis in Domino
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 mea defensio apud eos qui me interrogant haec est
The defence that I make to my critics is this:
4 numquid non habemus potestatem manducandi et bibendi
Haven’t we a right to food and drink?
5 numquid non habemus potestatem sororem mulierem circumducendi sicut et ceteri apostoli et fratres Domini et Cephas
Haven’t we a right to take a wife with us, if she is a Christian, as the other apostles and the Master’s brothers and Cephas all do?
6 aut solus ego et Barnabas non habemus potestatem hoc operandi
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to give up working for our bread?
7 quis militat suis stipendiis umquam quis plantat vineam et fructum eius non edit quis pascit gregem et de lacte gregis non manducat
Does anyone ever serve as a soldier at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat its produce? Or does anyone look after a herd and not drink the milk?
8 numquid secundum hominem haec dico an et lex haec non dicit
Am I, in all this, speaking only from the human standpoint? Does not the Law also say the same?
9 scriptum est enim in lege Mosi non alligabis os bovi trituranti numquid de bubus cura est Deo
For in the Law of Moses it is said – “You should not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it the bullocks that God is thinking of?
10 an propter nos utique dicit nam propter nos scripta sunt quoniam debet in spe qui arat arare et qui triturat in spe fructus percipiendi
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 si nos vobis spiritalia seminavimus magnum est si nos carnalia vestra metamus
Since we, then, sowed spiritual seed for you, is it too much that we should reap from you an earthly harvest?
12 si alii potestatis vestrae participes sunt non potius nos sed non usi sumus hac potestate sed omnia sustinemus ne quod offendiculum demus evangelio Christi
If others share in this right over you, don’t 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 nescitis quoniam qui in sacrario operantur quae de sacrario sunt edunt qui altario deserviunt cum altario participantur
Don’t 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 ita et Dominus ordinavit his qui evangelium adnuntiant de evangelio vivere
So, too, the Master has appointed that those who tell the good news should get their living from the good news.
15 ego autem nullo horum usus sum non scripsi autem haec ut ita fiant in me bonum est enim mihi magis mori quam ut gloriam meam quis evacuet
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 will make my boast a vain one!
16 nam si evangelizavero non est mihi gloria necessitas enim mihi incumbit vae enim mihi est si non evangelizavero
If I proclaim the good news, I have nothing to boast of, for I am compelled to do so. Woe is me if I do not share it!
17 si enim volens hoc ago mercedem habeo si autem invitus dispensatio mihi credita est
If I do this work willingly, I have a reward; but, if unwillingly, I have been charged to perform a duty.
18 quae est ergo merces mea ut evangelium praedicans sine sumptu ponam evangelium ut non abutar potestate mea in evangelio
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 nam cum liber essem ex omnibus omnium me servum feci ut plures lucri facerem
Although I was entirely free, yet, to win as many converts as possible, I made myself everyone’s slave.
20 et factus sum Iudaeis tamquam Iudaeus ut Iudaeos lucrarer
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 his qui sub lege sunt quasi sub lege essem cum ipse non essem sub lege ut eos qui sub lege erant lucri facerem his qui sine lege erant tamquam sine lege essem cum sine lege Dei non essem sed in lege essem Christi ut lucri facerem eos qui sine lege erant
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 factus sum infirmis infirmus ut infirmos lucri facerem omnibus omnia factus sum ut omnes facerem salvos
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so as at all costs to save some.
23 omnia autem facio propter evangelium ut particeps eius efficiar
And I do everything for the sake of the good news, so that with them I may share in its blessings.
24 nescitis quod hii qui in stadio currunt omnes quidem currunt sed unus accipit bravium sic currite ut conprehendatis
Don’t you know that on a racecourse, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 omnis autem qui in agone contendit ab omnibus se abstinet et illi quidem ut corruptibilem coronam accipiant nos autem incorruptam
Every athlete exercises self-restraint in everything; they, indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one that is unfading.
26 ego igitur sic curro non quasi in incertum sic pugno non quasi aerem verberans
I, therefore, do not run aimlessly. I do not box like a man hitting the air.
27 sed castigo corpus meum et in servitutem redigo ne forte cum aliis praedicaverim ipse reprobus efficiar
No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, so that I, who have called others to the contest, will not myself be rejected.
