1 Corinthians 9
9
1Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3My defence to those who examine me is this: 4Have we not a right to eat and to drink? 5have we not a right to take round a sister as wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work? 7Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock? 8Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things? 9For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen, 10or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of it. 11If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12If others partake of this right over you, should not rather we? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ. 13Do ye not know that they who labour at sacred things eat of the offerings offered in the temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar? 14So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
15But I have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for it were good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast. 16For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings. 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration. 18What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless to others, so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in announcing the glad tidings.
19For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most possible. 20And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law: 21to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain those without law. 22I became to the weak, as weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some. 23And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
24Know ye not that they who run in the race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain. 25But every one that contends for a prize is temperate in all things: they then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air. 27But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest after having preached to others I should be myself rejected.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
1 Corinthians 9
9
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the results of my work in the Lord? 2Even if I'm not an apostle to others, at least I am one to you. The proof of my being an apostle of the Lord is you!
3Here is my reply to those who question me about this: 4Don't we have the right to be provided with food and drink? 5Don't we have a right to be accompanied by a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Peter? 6Is it only Barnabas and myself who have to work to support ourselves?#9:6. The original is given in terms of a double negative. The suggestion is that only Paul and Barnabas are not given the privilege of not having to work. 7Which soldier ever had to pay his own salary? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't get to eat its fruits? Who feeds a flock and doesn't consume its milk?
8Am I just speaking from a human point of view? Doesn't the law say the same thing? 9In the law of Moses it's written, “Don't muzzle the ox when it's threshing out the grain.”#9:9. Quoting Deuteronomy 25:4. Was God just thinking about oxen? 10Wasn't he directing this at us? Surely this was written for us—for anyone who plows should plow in hope and anyone who threshes should hope to share in the harvest. 11If we sowed what is spiritual with you, does it really matter if we reap some material benefit? 12If others exercise this right over you, don't we deserve it even more? Even so we did not exercise this right. On the contrary we would rather put up with anything than hold back the gospel of Christ.
13Don't you know that those who work in temples receive their meals from temple offerings, and those who serve at the altar receive their portion of the sacrifice on the altar? 14In just the same way the Lord ordered that those who announce the good news should live from supporters of the good news. 15But I have not made use of any of these provisions, and I'm not writing about this to suggest it should be done in my case. I'd rather die than to have anyone take away my pride in not having received any benefit.
16I have nothing to boast about in sharing the good news because it's something I feel compelled to do. In fact it's dreadful for me if I don't share the good news! 17If I'm doing this work because of my own choice, then I have a reward. But if it wasn't my choice, and an obligation was placed on me, 18then what reward do I have? It's the opportunity to share the good news without charging for it, not demanding my rights as a worker for the good news.
19Even though I am free and serve no one, I have placed myself in service to everyone so that I might gain more. 20To the Jews I behave like a Jew so that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law I behave as someone under the law (even though I am not obligated under the law), so that I might win those under the law. 21To those who don't operate according to the law,#9:21. Meaning those who are not Jews, who do not observe the law of Moses. I behave like them (though not disregarding God's law, but operating under the law of Christ), so that I might gain those who don't observe the law.
22To those who are weak,#9:22. Probably referring to the “weaker believer” issue mentioned in 8:7 and on. I share in their weakness so that I may win the weak. I have ended up being “everyman” to everyone so that by using every possible means I might win some! 23I do all this for the sake of the good news so that I too may share in its blessings!
24Wouldn't you agree that there are many runners in a race, but only one gets the prize? So run your best, so you may win! 25Every competitor who participates in the games maintains a strict training discipline. Of course they do so to win a crown that doesn't last. But our crowns will last forever!
26That's why I run straight in the right direction. I fight accurately, not punching the air. 27I also treat my body severely to bring it under my control, for I don't want somehow to be disqualified after sharing the good news with everybody else.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com