1 Corinthians 9
9
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? 2Others may not think of me as an apostle. But I am certainly one to you! You are the proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
3That is what I say to stand up for myself when people judge me. 4Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife with us when we travel? The other apostles do. The Lord’s brothers do. Peter does. 6Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to do other work for a living? Are we the only ones who can’t just do the work of apostles all the time?
7Who serves as a soldier but doesn’t get paid? Who plants a vineyard but doesn’t eat any of its grapes? Who takes care of a flock but doesn’t drink any of the milk? 8Do I say this only on human authority? The Law says the same thing. 9Here is what is written in the Law of Moses. “Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw.” (Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it oxen that God is concerned about? 10Doesn’t he say that for us? Yes, it was written for us. Whoever plows and separates the grain hopes to share the harvest. And it is right for them to hope for this. 11We have planted spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask that we receive from you some things we need? 12Others have the right to receive help from you. Don’t we have even more right to do so?
But we didn’t use that right. No, we have put up with everything. We didn’t want to keep the good news of Christ from spreading.
13People who serve in the temple get their food from the temple. Don’t you know this? People who serve at the altar eat from what is offered on the altar. Don’t you know this? 14So those who preach the good news should also receive their living from their work. That is what the Lord has commanded.
15But I haven’t used any of those rights. And I’m not writing because I hope you will do things like that for me. I would rather die than allow anyone to take away my pride in my work. 16But when I preach the good news, I can’t brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news! 17If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I’m only doing my duty. 18Then what reward do I get? Here is what it is. I am able to preach the good news free of charge. And I can do this without using all my rights as a person who preaches the good news.
Paul Uses His Freedom to Share the Good News
19I am free and don’t belong to anyone. But I have made myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law. I did this even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law. 21To those who don’t have the law I became like one who doesn’t have the law. I did this even though I am not free from God’s law. I am under Christ’s law. Now I can win those who don’t have the law. 22To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people. I have done this so that in all possible ways I might save some. 23I do all this because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings.
Training to Win the Prize
24In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. 25All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26So I do not run like someone who doesn’t run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air. 27No, I train my body and bring it under control. Then after I have preached to others, I myself will not break the rules. If I did break them, I would fail to win the prize.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 9: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1 Corinthians 9
9
1Do I not have cherut?#9:1 in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Am I not a Shliach? Have I not seen Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu? Are you not my po'al (work) in Adoneinu?
2If to others I am not a Shliach, surely I am to you, for you are the chotam (seal) of my shlichus,#9:2 Ga 2:10 in Hashem.
3My apologetic to the ones cross-examining me is this:
4Do I not have the privilege of eating and drinking?
5Is the privilege not mine to take an achot b'Moshiach as isha in my travels for Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiachʼs avodas kodesh, just as the rest of his Shlichim do and the Achim#9:5 See Mt 13:55 of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu and Kefa?
6Or is it only Bar-Nabba and I who are denied the privilege of not working at a parnasah?
7Whoever heard of someone serving as a chaiyal (soldier) but having to pay his own wages for doing so? Who plants a kerem (vineyard) but does not eat the p'ri hakerem? And who serves as a ro'eh (shepherd) over a flock and of the cholov (milk) of the flock does not partake?#9:7 Dt 20:6; Prov 27:18
8Do I say this according to the dvar haBnei Adam? Or does not the Torah say these things?
9For, in the Torah of Moshe#9:9 Rabbenu it has been written, LO TACHSOM SHOR BEDISHO (You shall not muzzle an ox treading grain).#9:9 Dt 25:4 Surely it is not for oxen that Hashem is concerned.
10Or does he not speak altogether for our sake, and is it not for us that Hashem says this? Ken, for us, because it was written that the one plowing ought to plow on in tikvah, and the one threshing ought to partake with tikvah.
11If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it too much if we reap in material things from you?#9:11 Ro 15:27
12If others over you can claim this privilege, can we not even more? But we did not make use of this privilege; we endure all things, lest any hindrance we should give to Moshiachʼs Besuras HaGeulah.
13Do you not have da'as that the kohanim serving in the Beis Hamikdash sherut (service in the Temple) eat the things of the Beis Hamikdash; the kohanim attending the Mizbe'ach (altar) have their share with the Mizbe'ach (altar)?
14So also Moshiach Adoneinu appointed the ones proclaiming the Besuras HaGeulah to get their parnasah from the Besuras HaGeulah.
15But I have not used any of these privileges; I did not write these things that it might be so with me; for itʼs better for me rather to die than that someone deprive me of my kavod [in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Pp 1:21].
16For if I preach the Besuras HaGeulah there is nothing for me to boast about, als (since) necessity is laid on me, for Oy Li (Woe to me!) if I do not preach the Besuras HaGeulah.#9:16 Jer 20:9
17For, if I do this willingly, I have a sachar (reward), but if unwillingly, then a ne'emanut (trusteeship), a kehunah for the Besuras HaGeulah#9:17 Ro 15:16 has been entrusted to me.
18What then is my sachar (reward)? That in preaching as a maggid of the Besuras HaGeulah, I may make the Besuras HaGeulah free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the Besuras HaGeulah.
19For being no indentured servant to any one of the Bnei Adam, I made myself a servant [working for nothing] to kol Bnei Adam, that I might win the more.
20And I became to the Yehudim as a Yehudi, that I might win Yehudim; to the ones under Gezetz, I became as under Gezetz — not being myself under [the epoch of] Gezetz#9:20 Ro 8:2 — that the ones under Gezetz I might win;
21To the ones without Gezetz, as without Gezetz, though not being without the Torah of Hashem#9:21 Ac 21:23 but being under Moshiachʼs Torah,#9:21 Ro 15:8; Isa 42:4 that I might win the ones without Gezetz.
22I became weak to the weak ones that I might win the weak ones. I have become all things to kol Bnei Adam, that by all means I might save some.
23And all things I do because of the Besuras HaGeulah that a fellow partaker and deveykus sharer in it I may become.
24Do you not have da'as that the ones running on a race course all indeed run, but it is only one who receives the prize? So run that you may obtain the prize.
25And everyone competing in the [Olympic] games in all things exercises shlitah atzmi: those ones, therefore, that they may obtain a perishable wreath; but we, an imperishable.
26Therefore, I run not as one without a goal that is kovua (fixed, set). I box as not beating the air.
27But I do more than merely spar with my basar; I pommel it and keep it under strict subjection, so that after I am the maggid to others, I myself will not become declared ineligible.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.