1 Corinthians 9
9
Paul’s Use of Freedom
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4#9:4 Lit It is not that we have no right to eat and drink, is it?Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5#9:5 Lit It is not that we have no right to take along...Cephas, is it?Do we not have a right to take along a #9:5 Lit sister, as a wifebelieving wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and #9:5 Peter’s Aramaic nameCephas? 6Or do only #9:6 Lit I and BarnabasBarnabas and I have no right to refrain from #9:6 I.e., to support themselvesworking? 7Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not #9:7 Lit eat fromconsume some of the milk of the flock?
8I am not just asserting these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does the Law not say these things as well? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops. 11If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share #9:13 Lit withfrom the altar? 14So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
15But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one! 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. 18What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; 21to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as #9:26 Lit not hittingto avoid hitting air; 27but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
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1 Corinthians 9
9
Paul’s Right to Be Paid for His Work as an Apostle
1Don’t you agree that I’m a free man? Don’t you agree that I’m an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? 2If I’m not an apostle to other people, at least I’m an apostle to you. You are the seal which proves that I am the Lord’s apostle. 3This is how I defend myself to those who cross-examine me. 4Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas #9:5 Cephas is the Aramaic name for the Apostle Peter. do? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves?
7Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep? 8Am I merely stating some human rule? Don’t Moses’ Teachings say the same thing? 9Moses’ Teachings say, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing #9:9 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain. grain.” God’s concern isn’t for oxen. 10Isn’t he speaking entirely for our benefit? This was written for our benefit so that the person who plows or threshes should expect to receive a share of the crop. 11If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods? 12If others have the right to expect this from you, don’t we deserve even more? But we haven’t used our rights. Instead, we would put up with anything in order not to hinder the Good News of Christ in any way.
13Don’t you realize that those who work at the temple get their food from the temple? Don’t those who help at the altar get a share of what is on the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who spread the Good News should earn their living from the Good News.
15I haven’t used any of these rights, and I haven’t written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words. 16If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News! 17If I spread the Good News willingly, I’ll have a reward. But if I spread the Good News unwillingly, I’m ⌞only⌟ doing what I’ve been entrusted to do.
18So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won’t use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News.
Paul’s Work as an Apostle
19Although I’m free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them. 20I became Jewish for Jewish people. I became subject to the laws in Moses’ Teachings for those who are subject to those laws. I did this to win them even though I’m not subject to Moses’ Teachings. 21I became like a person who does not have Moses’ Teachings for those who don’t have those teachings. I did this to win them even though I have God’s teachings. I’m really subject to Christ’s teachings. 22I became like a person weak in faith to win those who are weak in faith. I have become everything to everyone in order to save at least some of them. 23I do all this for the sake of the Good News in order to share what it offers.
24Don’t you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win. 25Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. 26So I run—but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box—but not as if I were just shadow boxing. 27Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.
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