1 Corinthians 9:1–27
9 Am aI not an apostle? Am I not free? bHave I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? cAre you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are dthe 1seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 eDo we have no 2right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along 3a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, fthe brothers of the Lord, and gCephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I hwho have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever igoes to war at his own expense? Who jplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ktends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, l“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that mhe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 nIf we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
oNevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things plest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 qDo you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the rtemple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so sthe Lord has commanded tthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 But uI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for vit would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for wnecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, xI have a reward; but if against my will, yI have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That zwhen I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel 4of Christ without charge, that I amay not abuse my authority in the gospel.
19 For though I am bfree from all men, cI have made myself a servant to all, dthat I might win the more; 20 and eto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the 5law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 fto gthose who are without law, as without law h(not being without 6law toward God, but under 7law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 ito the weak I became 8as weak, that I might win the weak. jI have become all things to all men, kthat I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? lRun in such a way that you may 9obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize 1is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for man imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: nnot with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 oBut I discipline my body and pbring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become qdisqualified.