1 Corinthians 9
9
Rights and Duties of an Apostle
1Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? And aren't you the result of my work for the Lord? 2Even if others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do! Because of your life in union with the Lord you yourselves are proof of the fact that I am an apostle.
3When people criticize me, this is how I defend myself: 4Haven't I the right to be given food and drink for my work? 5Haven't I the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my travels? 6Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for our living? 7What soldier ever has to pay his own expenses in the army? What farmer does not eat the grapes from his own vineyard? What shepherd does not use the milk from his own sheep?
8I don't have to limit myself to these everyday examples, because the Law says the same thing. 9#Deut 25.4; 1 Tim 5.18We read in the Law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh corn.” Now, is God concerned about oxen? 10Didn't he really mean us when he said that? Of course that was written for us. The one who ploughs and the one who reaps should do their work in the hope of getting a share of the crop. 11#Rom 15.27We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12If others have the right to expect this from you, haven't we an even greater right?
But we haven't made use of this right. Instead, we have endured everything in order not to put any obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ. 13#Deut 18.1Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who offer the sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. 14#Mt 10.10; Lk 10.7In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the gospel should get their living from it.
15But I haven't made use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this now in order to claim such rights for myself. I would rather die first! Nobody is going to turn my rightful boast into empty words! 16I have no right to boast just because I preach the gospel. After all, I am under orders to do so. And how terrible it would be for me if I did not preach the gospel! 17If I did my work as a matter of free choice, then I could expect to be paid; but I do it as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted me with this task. 18What pay do I get, then? It is the privilege of preaching the Good News without charging for it, without claiming my rights in my work for the gospel.
19I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. 20While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. 21In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. 22Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.
23All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings. 24Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 25Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last for ever. 26That is why I run straight for the finishing line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 27I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 9: GNBDC
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 9
9
The Rights of an Apostle
1#1Co 3:6; Ac 9:3Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet indeed I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my answer to those who examine me. 4#1Th 2:6; 2Th 3:8–9Do we have no right to eat and to drink? 5#Mt 8:14; Jn 1:42Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife as do other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6#Ac 4:36Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?
7#Dt 20:6; Pr 27:18Who goes to war at any time at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, but does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, but does not drink of the flock’s milk? 8Do I say these things as a man? Or does the law not say the same thing also? 9#Dt 25:4; 1Ti 5:18For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox while it treads out the grain.”#Dt 25:4. Is God concerned about oxen? 10#2Ti 2:6Or does He say it completely for our sake? For our sake, no doubt, this is written so that he who plows should plow in hope, and that he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 11#Ro 15:27; Gal 6:6If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your material things? 12#1Co 9:18; 2Co 11:12If others partake of this right over you, should not we instead?
Nevertheless, we have not used this right, but suffer all things, lest we might hinder the gospel of Christ.
13#Lev 6:26; Nu 18:8–20Do you not know that those who minister unto holy things live from the things of the temple? And do you not know that those who wait at the altar partake of the altar? 14#Mt 10:10; 1Co 9:4In the same way, the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15#Ac 18:3; 1Co 9:12But I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that it should be so done to me. For it would be better for me to die than allow anyone to make my boasting void. 16#Ro 1:14; Ac 9:15Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for the requirement is laid upon me. Yes, woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel! 17#Gal 2:7; 1Co 3:8So if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission. 18#1Co 7:31What is my reward then? Truly that when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, so that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
19#Mt 18:15; 1Co 9:1For though I am free from all men, I have made myself servant to all, that I might win even more. 20#Ac 16:3; 21:20–26To the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21#Ro 2:12; 2:14to those who are outside the law, as outside the law (being not without God’s law, but under Christ’s law) that I might win those who are outside the law. 22#Ro 11:14; 1Co 10:33To the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23This I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might partake of it with you.
24#Gal 2:2; Heb 12:1Do you not know that all those who run in a race run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain it. 25#Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10; 1Ti 6:12Everyone who strives for the prize exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. 26So, therefore, I run, not with uncertainty. So I fight, not as one who beats the air. 27#Ro 8:13; Jer 6:30But I bring and keep my body under subjection, lest when preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Military Bible Association