1 Corinthians 9

1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work 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 am not an apostle to others—yet doubtless I am to you; for you are the seal of my 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 defense to those who examine me in this:

This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:

4 do we not have authority to eat and to drink?

Have we no right to food and to drink?

5 Do we not have authority to lead about a sister—a wife—as also the other apostles, and the brothers 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 do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?

Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?

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 Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things?

Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

9 For in the Law of Moses it has been written: “you will not muzzle an ox treading out grain”; does God care for the 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 Or by all means does He say [it] because of us? Yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in 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 we sowed to you the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap your fleshly things?

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

12 If others partake of the authority over you—[do] we not more? But we did not use this authority, but we bear all things, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the 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 Have you not known that those working about the things of the temple eat of the temple, and those waiting 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 the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news.

In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

15 And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that anyone may make my glorying void;

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 if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid on me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

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 this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship!

If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

18 What, then, is my reward? That proclaiming good news, without charge I will make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

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 being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain;

Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

20 and to the Jews I became like a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law as under law, that I might gain those under law;

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 those without law, as without law—(not being without law to God, but within law to Christ)—that I might gain those without law;

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 weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save 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 I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it;

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

24 have you not known that those running in a race—all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain;

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 everyone who is striving is temperate in all things; these, indeed, then, that they may receive a corruptible garland, but we an incorruptible;

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, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.

27 but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.

No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.