1 Corinthians 9

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

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

2 And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

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

3 My defence with them that do examine me is this.

This is my reply to my critics.

4 Have not we power to eat and to drink?

Have I no right to claim food and drink?

5 Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have I no right to take a believing wife with me on my journey, as the rest of the apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter do?

6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?

Are we the only ones, Barnabas and I, who have no right to give up manual labor?

7 Who serveth as a soldier at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? What farmer ever plants a vineyard and his flock and does not taste the milk?

8 Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say these things?

Am I saying this on human authority only, or does not the Law also say the same?

9 For it is written in the law of Moses: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

Yea, in the Law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while he is treading out the grain.

10 Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope; and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.

Is it the oxen that God is thinking about, or is it really said for our sakes? It was written for us; because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of getting a share of the crop.

11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?

If I have sown for you the seeds of spiritual good, is it a great thing if I reap from you temporal goods?

12 If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ’s gospel.

13 Know you not, that they who work in the holy place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar, partake with the altar?

You know, do you not, that those who minister in the temple, and those who serve at the altar, get their portion of the sacrifices?

14 So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void.

But for my part, I have never availed myself of any of these rights. I do not say this to bring it about in my own case. I would rather die than let any one make void this boast of mine.

16 For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.

Proclaiming the gospel gives me no ground of boasting; for necessity is laid upon me; woe is me if I preach not the gospel.

17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me:

For if I do this of my own accord, I have my pay; but if unwilling, I have at least discharged my stewardship.

18 What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

What then is my wage? This, that I can make the gospel free where I carry it; and that I can refrain from using my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

19 For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

Though free from all men, I make myself the slave of all, that I may win the more.

20 And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:

To the Jews I am become like a Jew, that I may win Jews; to those under the Law, like one under the Law, though I am not under the Law, myself;

21 To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law, ) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ, ) that I might gain them that were without the law.

to those outside the Law, as one outside the Law, to win those outside the Law (though I am not outside the law of God, but inside the law of Christ).

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.

I am become weak to the weak, to win the weak. I am become all these things to all men that, by any and by all means, I may save some.

23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.

And I am doing it all for the gospel’s sake, that I may become a copartner in it.

24 Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.

Do you not know that in a foot-race, though all run, only one receives the prize? So run that you may win.

25 And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

Every man who contends in the games continually trains himself by all manner of self-restraint. Now they do it to get a fading garland, but we, one that is unfading.

26 I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air:

For my part, then, I run with no wavering to the goal. I box not as one beating the air,

27 But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.

but I bruise my body and keep it in subjection, lest having called others to the contest, I should myself be disqualified.