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
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.
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Military Bible Association