1 Corinthians 9

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

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship 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 office of apostle in the Lord.

Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely 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 scrutinize me:

4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to food 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?

Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

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

Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

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

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

8 Do I say these things according to human authority? Or does not the Law also say the same thing?

Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God cares,

For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about 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 the hope of having a share.

Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.

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

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

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

If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

13 Do you not 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 work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

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 prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things, and I do not 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 to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.

16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the Good News.

Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. 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 my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

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

What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.

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

Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, 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, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to 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 without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.

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

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

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

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.

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

Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

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

Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am 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 rejected.

No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.