1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not all of you my work in the Lord?

Am I not a free man? Or, am I not a legate? Or, have I not seen Jesus Messiah our Lord? Or, have ye not been my work in my Lord?

2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are all of you in the Lord.

And if I have not been a legate to others, yet I have been so to you; and ye are the seal of my legateship.

3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

And my apology to my judgers, is this:

4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?

Have we not authority, to eat and to drink?

5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or have we not authority to carry about with us a sister as a wife; just as the other legates, and the brothers of our Lord, and as Cephas?

6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Or I only, and Barnabas, have we no right to forbear labor?

7 Who goes a warfare any time at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit thereof? or who feeds a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock?

Who, that serveth in war, doth so at his own expense? Or who, that planteth a vineyard, eateth not of its fruits? Or who, that tendeth sheep, eateth not of the milk of his flocks?

8 Say I these things as a man? or says not the law the same also?

Is it as a man, I say these things? Behold, the law also saith them.

9 For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not suppress the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. Does God take care for oxen?

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that thresheth. Hath God regard for oxen?

10 Or says he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

But manifest it is, for whose sake he said it. And indeed, for our sakes it was written: because the plougher ought to plough in hope, and the thresher in hope of fruit.

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

If we have sowed among you the things of the Spirit, is it a great matter, if we reap from you the things of the body?

12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

And if others have this prerogative over you, doth it not belong still more to us? Yet we have not used this prerogative; but we have endured every thing, that we might in nothing impede the announcement of the Messiah.

13 Do all of you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

Know ye not, that they who serve in a temple, are fed from the temple? And they who serve at the altar, participate with the altar?

14 Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Thus also hath our Lord commanded, that they who proclaim his gospel, should live by his gospel.

15 But I 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 my glorying void.

But I have used none of these things: and I write not, that it may be so done to me; for it would be better for me to actually die, than that any one should make void my glorying.

16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

For while I preach, I have no ground of glorying; because necessity is laid upon me, and woe to me, if I preach not.

17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

For if I do this voluntarily, there is a reward for me: but if involuntarily, a stewardship is intrusted to me.

18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

What then is my reward? It is, that when I preach, I make the announcement of the Messiah without cost, and use not the prerogative given me in the gospel.

19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

Being free from them all, I have made myself servant to every man; that I might gain many:

20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

and with the Jews, I was as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; and with those under the law, I was as under the law, that I might gain them who are under the law;

21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, ) that I might gain them that are without law.

and to those who have not the law, I was as without the law, (although I am not without law to God, but under the law of the Messiah, ) that I might gain them that are without the law.

22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

I was with the weak, as weak, that I might gain the weak: I was all things to all men, that I might vivify every one.

23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

And this I do, that I may participate in the announcement.

24 Know all of you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that all of you may obtain.

Know ye not that they who run in the stadium, run all of them; yet it is one who gaineth the victory. Run ye, so as to attain.

25 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

For every one who engageth in the contest, restraineth his desires in every thing. And they run, to obtain a crown that perisheth; but we, one that perisheth not.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air:

I therefore so run, not as for something unknown; and I so struggle, not as struggling against air;

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

but I subdue my body, and reduce it to servitude; lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a reprobate.