Προς Κορινθιους Α΄ 9
1 ουκ ειμι αποστολος ουκ ειμι ελευθερος ουχι ιησουν χριστον τον κυριον ημων εωρακα ου το εργον μου υμεις εστε εν κυριω
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 ει αλλοις ουκ ειμι αποστολος αλλα γε υμιν ειμι η γαρ σφραγις της εμης αποστολης υμεις εστε εν κυριω
If to others I am not an Apostle, at least I am one to you: for the fact that you are Christians is the sign that I am an Apostle.
3 η εμη απολογια τοις εμε ανακρινουσιν αυτη εστιν
My answer to those who are judging me is this.
4 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν φαγειν και πιειν
Have we no right to take food and drink?
5 μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν αδελφην γυναικα περιαγειν ως και οι λοιποι αποστολοι και οι αδελφοι του κυριου και κηφας
Have we no right to take about with us a Christian wife, like the rest of the Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 η μονος εγω και βαρναβας ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν του μη εργαζεσθαι
Or I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from work?
7 τις στρατευεται ιδιοις οψωνιοις ποτε τις φυτευει αμπελωνα και εκ του καρπου αυτου ουκ εσθιει η τις ποιμαινει ποιμνην και εκ του γαλακτος της ποιμνης ουκ εσθιει
Who ever goes to war without looking to someone to be responsible for his payment? who puts in vines and does not take the fruit of them? or who takes care of sheep without drinking of their milk?
8 μη κατα ανθρωπον ταυτα λαλω η ουχι και ο νομος ταυτα λεγει
Am I talking as a man? does not the law say the same?
9 εν γαρ τω μωσεως νομω γεγραπται ου φιμωσεις βουν αλοωντα μη των βοων μελει τω θεω
For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders?
10 η δι ημας παντως λεγει δι ημας γαρ εγραφη οτι επ ελπιδι οφειλει ο αροτριων αροτριαν και ο αλοων της ελπιδος αυτου μετεχειν επ ελπιδι
Or has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it.
11 ει ημεις υμιν τα πνευματικα εσπειραμεν μεγα ει ημεις υμων τα σαρκικα θερισομεν
If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world?
12 ει αλλοι της εξουσιας υμων μετεχουσιν ου μαλλον ημεις αλλ ουκ εχρησαμεθα τη εξουσια ταυτη αλλα παντα στεγομεν ινα μη εγκοπην τινα δωμεν τω ευαγγελιω του χριστου
If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ.
13 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι τα ιερα εργαζομενοι εκ του ιερου εσθιουσιν οι τω θυσιαστηριω προσεδρευοντες τω θυσιαστηριω συμμεριζονται
Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar?
14 ουτως και ο κυριος διεταξεν τοις το ευαγγελιον καταγγελλουσιν εκ του ευαγγελιου ζην
Even so did the Lord give orders that the preachers of the good news might get their living from the good news.
15 εγω δε ουδενι εχρησαμην τουτων ουκ εγραψα δε ταυτα ινα ουτως γενηται εν εμοι καλον γαρ μοι μαλλον αποθανειν η το καυχημα μου ινα τις κενωση
But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.
16 εαν γαρ ευαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι δε μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελιζωμαι
For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not.
17 ει γαρ εκων τουτο πρασσω μισθον εχω ει δε ακων οικονομιαν πεπιστευμαι
But if I do it gladly, I have a reward; and if not, I am under orders to do it.
18 τις ουν μοι εστιν ο μισθος ινα ευαγγελιζομενος αδαπανον θησω το ευαγγελιον του χριστου εις το μη καταχρησασθαι τη εξουσια μου εν τω ευαγγελιω
What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.
19 ελευθερος γαρ ων εκ παντων πασιν εμαυτον εδουλωσα ινα τους πλειονας κερδησω
For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.
20 και εγενομην τοις ιουδαιοις ως ιουδαιος ινα ιουδαιους κερδησω τοις υπο νομον ως υπο νομον ινα τους υπο νομον κερδησω
And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those under the law.
21 τοις ανομοις ως ανομος μη ων ανομος θεω αλλ εννομος χριστω ινα κερδησω ανομους
To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law.
22 εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ως ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα τα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω
To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation.
23 τουτο δε ποιω δια το ευαγγελιον ινα συγκοινωνος αυτου γενωμαι
And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in it.
24 ουκ οιδατε οτι οι εν σταδιω τρεχοντες παντες μεν τρεχουσιν εις δε λαμβανει το βραβειον ουτως τρεχετε ινα καταλαβητε
Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward.
25 πας δε ο αγωνιζομενος παντα εγκρατευεται εκεινοι μεν ουν ινα φθαρτον στεφανον λαβωσιν ημεις δε αφθαρτον
And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown.
26 εγω τοινυν ουτως τρεχω ως ουκ αδηλως ουτως πυκτευω ως ουκ αερα δερων
So then I am running, not uncertainly; so I am fighting, not as one who gives blows in the air:
27 αλλ υπωπιαζω μου το σωμα και δουλαγωγω μηπως αλλοις κηρυξας αυτος αδοκιμος γενωμαι
But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.
