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1 Corinthians 9:1–6

Paul Surrenders His Rights

jAm I not free? kAm I not an apostle? lHave I not seen Jesus our Lord? mAre not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are nthe seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me. oDo we not have the right to eat and drink? pDo we not have the right to take along a believing wife,1 as do the other apostles and qthe brothers of the Lord and rCephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

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1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — The New International Version (NIV)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.

This is my answer to those who question my authority. Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — New Century Version (NCV)

I am a free man. I am an apostle. I have seen Jesus our Lord. You people are all an example of my work in the Lord. If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are proof that I am an apostle in the Lord.

This is the answer I give people who want to judge me: Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to bring a believing wife with us when we travel as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter? Are Barnabas and I the only ones who must work to earn our living?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — American Standard Version (ASV)

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. My defence to them that examine me is this. Have we no right to eat and to drink? Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

My defence to those who examine me is this: Have we not a right to eat and to drink? have we not a right to take round a sister as wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Don’t you agree that I’m a free man? Don’t you agree that I’m an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? If I’m not an apostle to other people, at least I’m an apostle to you. You are the seal which proves that I am the Lord’s apostle. This is how I defend myself to those who cross-examine me. Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephasdo? Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves? 

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? Or do Barnabas and I alone have no right to refrain from working?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet indeed I am to you, for you are my seal of apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a sister as wife, like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right to refrain from working?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? Even though others may not think of me as an apostle, I am certainly one to you! You are the proof that I am the Lord’s apostle. That is what I say to stand up for myself when people judge me.

Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife with us when we travel? The other apostles do. The Lord’s brothers do. Peter does. Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for a living?

1 Corinthians 9:1–6 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

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

If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

My defense to those who examine me is this:

Do we not have a right to eat and drink?

Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?


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