1 Corinthians 9

Paul’s Example as an Apostle

9Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ²If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal ^zof my apostleship in the Lord. ³My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? ^a5Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife ^blike the other apostles, ^cthe Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? ^d6Or do Barnabas ^eand I alone have no right to refrain from working? ⁷Who ever goes to war at his own expense? ^fWho plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? ⁸Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox ^gwhile it treads out grain. ^hiIs God really concerned with oxen? ¹⁰Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, ^jbecause he who plows ought to plow in hope, ^kand he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop. ^l11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹²If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything ^mso that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar ⁿshare in the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. ^o

¹⁵But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted ^pwith a stewardship. ¹⁸What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel. ^q

¹⁹Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win ^rmore people. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law ^s—to win those under the law. ^t21To those who are without that law, ^ulike one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. ^v23Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits. ^w

²⁴Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, ^xbut only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. ^y25Now everyone who competes exercises self-control ^zin everything. However, they do it to receive a crown ^athat will fade away, ^bbut we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. ^c