1 Corinthians 9–10

9^aAm I not an apostle? am I not ^aafree? ^bhave I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ^care not ye my work in the Lord? ²If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for ^dthe seal of mine ^eapostleship are ye in the Lord. ³Mine ^eeanswer to them that do ^fexamine me is this, ⁴Have we not power ^gto eat and to drink? ^5hHave we not power to lead about ⁱa sister, a ^||wife, as well as other apostles, and as ^jthe brethren of the Lord, and ^kCephas? ⁶Or I only and ^lBarnabas, have not we power ^gto forbear working? ⁷Who goeth ^ma warfare any time at his own ⁿcharges? who ^oplanteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who ^pfeedeth a ^qflock, and eateth not of the milk of the ^qflock? ⁸Say I these things ^ras a man? or saith not the law the same also? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, ^sThou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that ^ttreadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? ¹⁰Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? ^uFor our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that ^whe that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that ^tthresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. ^11xIf we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? ¹²If others be partakers of this power ^yover you, are not we rather? Nevertheless ^zwe have not used this power; but ^asuffer all things, ^blest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³Do ye not know that ^cthey which minister about holy things ^||live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? ¹⁴Even so ^dhath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel ^gshould live of the gospel. ¹⁵But ^eI have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make ^fmy glorying void. ¹⁶For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing ^fto glory of: for ^gnecessity is laid upon me; ^hyea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this thing willingly, I have ⁱa reward: but if against my will, ^ka dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. ¹⁸What is my ⁱreward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, ^lI may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I ^mabuse not my power in the gospel. ¹⁹For though I be ⁿfree from all men, yet have ^oI made myself servant unto all, that I might ^pgain the more. ²⁰And ^qunto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might ^pgain the Jews; ^qto them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might ^pgain them that are under the law; ^21rTo them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but ^sunder the law to Christ,) that I might ^pgain them that are without law. ^22tTo the weak became I as weak, that I might ^pgain the weak: ^oI am made all things to all men, that I might by all means ^usave some. ^23vAnd this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth ^wthe prize? So ^xrun, that ye may ^yobtain. ²⁵And every man that ^zstriveth for the mastery ^ais temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible ^bcrown; but we an ^cincorruptible. ²⁶I therefore so ^xrun, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that ^ccbeateth the air: ²⁷But ^dI ^ekeep under my body, and ^fbring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, ^gI myself should be ^ha castaway.

10Moreover, brethren, ^aI would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under ^aathe cloud, and all passed through ^bthe sea; ²And were all baptized ^cunto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³And did all eat the same ^dspiritual meat; ⁴And did all drink the same ^espiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that ^||followed them: and that Rock was Christ. ⁵But with many of them ^fGod was not well pleased: for ^gthey were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶Now these things were ^†our ^hexamples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as ⁱthey also lusted. ⁷Neither be ye ^kidolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ^lThe people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. ⁸Neither let us ^mcommit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day ⁿthree and twenty thousand. ⁹Neither let us tempt Christ, as ^osome of them also tempted, and ^pwere destroyed of serpents. ¹⁰Neither murmur ye, as ^qsome of them also murmured, and ^rwere destroyed of ^sthe destroyer. ¹¹Now all these things happened unto them for ^||hensamples: and ^tthey are written for our admonition, ^uupon whom the ends of the world are come. ¹²Wherefore ^xlet him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. ¹³There hath no temptation taken you but such as is ^||common to man: but ^yGod is faithful, ^zwho will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a ^away to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. ¹⁴Wherefore, my dearly beloved, ^bflee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak as to ^cwise men; judge ye what I say.

^16dThe cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the ^ecommunion of the blood of Christ? ^fThe bread which we break, is it not the ^ecommunion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷For ^gwe being many are one bread, and ^hone body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. ¹⁸ⁱBehold Israel ^jafter the flesh: ^kare not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? ¹⁹What say I then? ^lthat the idol is any thing, or ^mthat which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? ²⁰But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, ⁿthey sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should ^ehave fellowship with devils. ^21oYe cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and ^pthe cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. ²²Do we ^qprovoke the Lord to jealousy? ^rare we stronger than he?

^23sAll things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things ^tedify not. ^24uLet no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. ^25vWhatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, ^wasking no question for ^xconscience sake: ²⁶For ^ythe earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. ²⁷If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; ^zwhatsoever is set before you, eat, ^wasking no question for ^xconscience sake. ²⁸But if any man say unto you, This is ^moffered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not ^afor his sake that shewed it, and for ^xconscience sake: for ^ythe earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: ^29xConscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is ^bmy liberty judged of another man’s conscience? ³⁰For if I by ^||grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that ^cfor which I give thanks? ^31dWhether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. ^32eGive ^fnone offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the ^†Gentiles, nor to ^gthe church of God: ³³Even as ^hI please all men in all things, ^unot seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be ⁱsaved.