< 哥林多前書 9 >

1 不是自自由的嗎?我不是宗徒嗎?我不是見過我們的主耶穌嗎?你們不是我在主內所建的工程嗎?
Am I not free? Am I not an emissary? Haven’t I seen Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?
2 縱然我為別人不是宗徒,為你們我總是,你們在主內正是我任宗徒職份的印證。
If to others I am not an emissary, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my office of emissary in the Lord.
3 這也就是我對那些質問我的人的答辨。
My defence to those who examine me is this:
4 難道我們沒有取取得飲食的權利嗎?
Have we no right to eat and to drink?
5 難道我們沒有權利攜帶一位為姐妹的人,如其他的宗徒主的弟兄並刻法一樣嗎?
Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the emissaries, and the brothers of the Lord, and Kefa?
6 或者惟有我和巴爾納伯沒有不勞作的權利嗎?
Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
7 誰當兵而自備糧餉呢?誰種葡萄園而不吃它的出產呢?或者誰不牧放羊群而不吃羊群的奶呢?
What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?
8 我說這話,難道是按人之常情?法律不是也這樣說嗎?
Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the Torah also say the same thing?
9 原來梅瑟法律上記載說:『牛在打埸的時候,不可籠住它的嘴。』難道天主關心的是牛嗎?
For it is written in the Torah of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,
10 豈不是完全為我們說的嗎?的確是為我們記載的,因為犁地的當懷著希望去犁,打埸的也當懷著有份的希望去打埸。
or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who ploughs ought to plough in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.
11 若是我們給你們散播神聖恩的恩惠,而收割你們那屬物質的東西,還算什麼大事?
If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?
12 如別人在你們身上尚且分享權利,我們豈不更該嗎?可是我們沒有用過這權利,反倒忍受了一切,免得基督的福音受到妨礙。
If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Messiah.
13 你們豈不知道為聖事服務的,就靠聖殿生活;供職於祭壇的, 1分享祭壇上的物品嗎?
Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?
14 主也這樣規定了,傳福音的人,應靠福音而生活。
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
15 可是,這些權利我一樣也沒有用過;我寫這話,並非要人這樣對待我,因為我寧願死,也不願讓人使我這誇耀落了空。
But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.
16 我若傳福音,原沒有什麼可誇耀的,因為這是我不得已的事;我若不傳福音,我就有禍了。
For if I proclaim the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t proclaim the Good News.
17 假使我自願作這事,便有酬報;若不自願,可是責任已委托給我。
For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
18 這樣看來,我的酬是什麼呢?就是傳福音時白白地去傳,不享用我在傳福音上所有的權利。
What then is my reward? That when I proclaim the Good News, I may present the Good News of Messiah without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
19 我原是自由的,不屬於任何人;但我卻使自己成了眾人的奴僕,為贏得更多的人。
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
20 對猶太人,我就成為猶太人,為贏得猶太人;對於法律下的人,我雖不在法律下,仍成為在法律下的人,為贏得那在法律下的人;
To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
21 對那些法律以外的人,我就成為法律以外的人,為贏得那些法律以外的人;其實,我並不在天主的法律以外,而是在基督的法律之下。
to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law towards God, but under law towards Messiah), that I might win those who are without law.
22 對軟弱的人,我就成為軟弱的,為贏得那軟弱的人;對一切人,我就成為一切,為的是總要救些人。
To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
23 我所行的一切,都是為了福音,為能與人共沾福音的恩許。
Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
24 你們豈不知在運動埸上賽跑的,固然都跑,但只有一個得獎賞嗎?你們也應該這樣跑,好能得到獎賞。
Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.
25 凡比武競賽的,在一切事上都有節制;他們只是為得到可朽壞的花冠,而我們卻是為得到不朽壞的花冠。
Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
26 所以,我總是這樣跑,不是如同無定向的;我這樣打拳,不是如同打空氣的;
I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,
27 我痛繫我身,使它為奴,免得我給別人報捷,自己反而落選。
but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

< 哥林多前書 9 >