< 1 Corinthians 9 >

1 Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my worke in the Lord?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2 If I be not an Apostle vnto other, yet doutlesse I am vnto you: for ye are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord.
Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defence to them that examine mee, is this,
This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4 Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?
Have we no right to food and to drink?
5 Or haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?
Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8 Say I these thinges according to man? saith not the Lawe the same also?
Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 For it is written in the Lawe of Moses, Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doeth God take care for oxen?
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10 Either saith hee it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt it is written, that he which eareth, should eare in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.
Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11 If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges?
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12 If others with you bee partakers of this power, are not we rather? neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, that we should not hinder the Gospel of Christ.
If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Doe ye not knowe, that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple? and they which waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar?
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14 So also hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach ye Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.
In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 But I haue vsed none of these things: neither wrote I these things, that it should be so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my reioycing vaine.
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16 For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to reioyce of: for necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do it willingly, I haue a reward, but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding the dispensation is committed vnto me.
If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18 What is my reward then? verely that when I preach the Gospel, I make the Gospel of Christ free, that I abuse not mine authoritie in ye Gospel.
What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19 For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 And vnto the Iewes, I become as a Iewe, that I may winne the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Lawe, as though I were vnder the Lawe, that I may winne them that are vnder the Lawe:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21 To them that are without Lawe, as though I were without Lawe, (when I am not without Lawe as pertaining to God, but am in the Lawe through Christ) that I may winne them that are without Lawe:
To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22 To the weake I become as weake, that I may winne the weake: I am made all thinges to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Knowe ye not, that they which runne in a race, runne all, yet one receiueth the price? so runne that ye may obtaine.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25 And euery man that proueth masteries, abstaineth from all things: and they do it to obtaine a corruptible crowne: but we for an vncorruptible.
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26 I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre.
Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27 But I beate downe my body, and bring it into subiection, lest by any meanes after that I haue preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

< 1 Corinthians 9 >