1 Corinthians 9
9
1Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?
2if to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3My defence to those who examine me in this;
4have we not authority to eat and to drink?
5have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?
7who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?
8According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?
9for in the law of Moses it hath been written, ‘thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;’ for the oxen doth God care?
10or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.
11If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?
12if others do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.
13Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?
14so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.
15And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;
16for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;
17for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!
18What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;
19for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;
20and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;
21to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;
22I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.
23And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;
24have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;
25and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;
26I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
27but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.
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1 Corinthians 9: YLT98
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
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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