1 Corinthians 9:19–27

Serving All Men

¹⁹For though I am ^bfree from all men, ^cI have made myself a servant to all, ^dthat I might win the more; ²⁰and ^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; ^21fto ^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; ²²ⁱto 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. ²³Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

²⁴Do 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. ²⁵And 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. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: ⁿnot with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ^27oBut I discipline my body and ^pbring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^qdisqualified.