1 Corinthians 9
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1 Cor 9.19; 2 Cor 12.12; 1 Thess 2.6; Acts 9.3,17; 1 Cor 15.8. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4#1 Cor 9.14. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? 5#1 Cor 7.7-8; Mt 12.46; 8.14; Jn 1.42. Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife,#9.5 Greek a sister as wife as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6#Acts 4.36. Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? 9#Deut 25.4; 1 Tim 5.18. For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10#2 Tim 2.6. Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. 11#Rom 15.27. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? 12#2 Cor 6.3. If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13#Deut 18.1. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14#Mt 10.10; Lk 10.7-8. In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
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2 Cor 11.10. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17#1 Cor 4.1; Gal 2.7. For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18#2 Cor 11.7. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20#Rom 11.14. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law—that I might win those under the law. 21#Rom 2.12,14. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. 22#2 Cor 11.29; Rom 15.1; 1 Cor 10.33; Rom 11.14. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
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Heb 12.1. Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25#2 Tim 2.5; 4.8; Jas 1.12; 1 Pet 5.4. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
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1 Corinthians 9: RSV
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
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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