1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not 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 I be not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of my apostleship are you 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 answer to them that do examine me is this,

The defence that I make to my critics is this:

4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?

Have not we a right to food and drink?

5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as 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 I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

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

7 Who goes a warfare any time at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit thereof? or who feeds a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock?

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 Say I these things as a man? or says not the law the same also?

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 the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. Does God take care for oxen?

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 says he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker 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 have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal 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 be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel 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 Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers 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 has the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

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: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying 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 though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid on me; yes, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!

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 thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed 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 is my reward then? Truly that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

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 be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant 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 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that 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 them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, ) that I might gain them that 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 became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might 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 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that with them I may share in its blessings.

24 Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.

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 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain 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 so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air:

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

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

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