1 Corinthians 9
9
Paul Surrenders His Rights
1 # ver. 19 Am I not free? #Acts 14:14; 2 Cor. 12:12; 1 Thess. 2:6; [2 Cor. 10:7; Rev. 2:2] Am I not an apostle? #ch. 15:8; Acts 9:3, 17; 18:9; 22:14, 18; 23:11 Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? #See ch. 3:6Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are #[2 Cor. 3:2]the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4#ver. 14; 1 Thess. 2:6, 9; 2 Thess. 3:8, 9Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5#[ch. 7:7] Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife,#9:5 Greek a sister as wife as do the other apostles and #See Matt. 12:46 the brothers of the Lord and #Matt. 8:14; See John 1:42Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7#2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:3, 4 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? #[ch. 3:6-8; Deut. 20:6; Prov. 27:18; Song 8:12]Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses, #1 Tim. 5:18; Cited from Deut. 25:4“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written #See Rom. 4:24 for our sake, because #2 Tim. 2:6the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11#[Rom. 15:27; Gal. 6:6]If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, #ver. 15, 18; See Acts 20:33 we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything #[2 Cor. 6:3; 11:12]rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13Do you not know that #Lev. 6:16, 26; 7:6; Num. 5:9, 10; 18:8-20; Deut. 18:1those 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? 14In the same way, the Lord commanded that #ver. 4; Matt. 10:10those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15But #See Acts 18:3 I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone #2 Cor. 11:10deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For #[Acts 4:20; 9:6; Rom. 1:14]necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with #ch. 4:1; Gal. 2:7; [Phil. 1:16]a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching #2 Cor. 11:7; 12:13I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For #ver. 1; [ch. 10:29] though I am free from all, #[Gal. 5:13] I have made myself a servant to all, that I might #Matt. 18:15; 1 Pet. 3:1win more of them. 20#Acts 16:3; 21:23-26To 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. 21To #Rom. 2:12, 14 those outside the law I became #[Gal. 2:3; 3:2] as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but #See ch. 7:22under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22#2 Cor. 11:29 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. #ch. 10:33 I have become all things to all people, that #ch. 7:16; Rom. 11:14by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, #[ch. 10:24]that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives #Phil. 3:14; Col. 2:18 the prize? So #Gal. 2:2; 5:7; Phil. 2:16; Heb. 12:1; [2 Tim. 4:7]run that you may obtain it. 25Every #1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:5; 4:7; [Jude 3] athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we #See James 1:12an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I #[Heb. 12:4] do not box as one #[ch. 14:9]beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and #[Rom. 6:19] keep it under control,#9:27 Greek I pummel my body and make it a slave lest after preaching to others #[Song 1:6] I myself should be #[Jer. 6:30; Rom. 1:28; Heb. 6:8]disqualified.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Corinthians 9
9
1 AM I not an apostle (a special messenger)? Am I not free (unrestrained and exempt from any obligation)? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you [yourselves] not [the product and proof of] my workmanship in the Lord?
2 Even if I am not considered an apostle (a special messenger) by others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal (the certificate, the living evidence) of my apostleship in the Lord [confirming and authenticating it].
3 This is my [real ground of] defense (my vindication of myself) to those who would put me on trial and cross-examine me.
4 Have we not the right to our food and drink [at the expense of the churches]?
5 Have we not the right also to take along with us a Christian sister as wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from doing manual labor for a livelihood [in order to go about the work of the ministry]?
7 [Consider this:] What soldier at any time serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of the fruit of it? Who tends a flock and does not partake of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say this only on human authority and as a man reasons? Does not the Law endorse the same principle?
9 For in the Law of Moses it is written, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn. Is it [only] for oxen that God cares? [Deut. 25:4.]
10 Or does He speak certainly and entirely for our sakes? [Assuredly] it is written for our sakes, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in expectation of partaking of the harvest.
11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?
12 If others share in this rightful claim upon you, do not we [have a still better and greater claim]? However, we have never exercised this right, but we endure everything rather than put a hindrance in the way [of the spread] of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those men who are employed in the services of the temple get their food from the temple? And that those who tend the altar share with the altar [in the offerings brought]? [Deut. 18:1.]
14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.
15 But I have not made use of any of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me [now]. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone make void and deprive me of my [ground for] glorifying [in this matter].
16 For if I [merely] preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)!
17 For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have my pay (my reward); but if it is not of my own will, but is done reluctantly and under compulsion, I am [still] entrusted with a [sacred] trusteeship and commission.
18 What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights and privileges [as a preacher] of the Gospel.
19 For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ].
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law.
21 To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.
22 To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ].
23 And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you].
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours.
25 Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.
26 Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.
27 But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
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