1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the results of my work in the Lord?

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 Even if I'm not an apostle to others, at least I am one to you. The proof of my being an apostle of the Lord is you!

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 Here is my reply to those who question me about this:

The defense that I make to my critics is this:

4 Don't we have the right to be provided with food and drink?

Haven’t we a right to food and drink?

5 Don't we have a right to be accompanied by a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Peter?

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 Is it only Barnabas and myself who have to work to support ourselves?

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

7 Which soldier ever had to pay his own salary? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't get to eat its fruits? Who feeds a flock and doesn't consume its milk?

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 Am I just speaking from a human point of view? Doesn't the law say the same thing?

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

9 In the law of Moses it's written, “Don't muzzle the ox when it's threshing out the grain.” Was God just thinking about oxen?

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 Wasn't he directing this at us? Surely this was written for us—for anyone who plows should plow in hope and anyone who threshes should hope to share in the harvest.

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

11 If we sowed what is spiritual with you, does it really matter if we reap some material benefit?

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

12 If others exercise this right over you, don't we deserve it even more? Even so we did not exercise this right. On the contrary we would rather put up with anything than hold back the gospel of Christ.

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 Don't you know that those who work in temples receive their meals from temple offerings, and those that serve at the altar receive their portion of the sacrifice on the altar?

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 In just the same way the Lord ordered that those who announce the good news should live from supporters of 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 not made use of any of these provisions, and I'm not writing about this to suggest it should be done in my case. I'd rather die than to have anyone take away my pride in not having received any benefit.

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 I have nothing to boast about in sharing the good news because it's something I feel compelled to do. In fact it's dreadful for me if I don't share the good news!

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 If I'm doing this work because of my own choice, then I have a reward. But if it wasn't my choice, and an obligation was placed on me,

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

18 then what reward do I have? It's the opportunity to share the good news without charging for it, not demanding my rights as a worker for 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 Even though I am free and serve no one, I have placed myself in service to everyone so that I might gain 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 behave like a Jew so that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law I behave as someone under the law (even though I am not obligated under the law), so that I might win those 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 don't operate according to the law, I behave like them, (though not disregarding God's law, but operating under the law of Christ), so that I might gain those who don't observe the 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 those who are weak, I share in their weakness so that I may win the weak. I have ended up being “everyman” to everyone so that by using every possible means I might win some!

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 I do all this for the sake of the good news so that I too may share in its blessings!

And I do everything for the sake of the good news, so that with them I may share in its blessings.

24 Wouldn't you agree that there are many runners in a race, but only one gets the prize? So run your best, so you may win!

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 Every competitor who participates in the games maintains a strict training discipline. Of course they do so to win a crown that doesn't last. But our crowns will last forever!

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

26 That's why I run straight in the right direction. I fight accurately, not punching the air.

I, therefore, do not run aimlessly. I do not box like a man hitting the air.

27 I also treat my body severely to bring it under my control, for I don't want somehow to be disqualified after sharing the good news with everybody else.

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.