1 Corinthians 9

(Deuteronomy 18:1–8)

1Am IG1510 notG3756 freeG1658? Am IG1510 notG3756 an apostleG652? Have I not seenG3780G3708 JesusG2424 ourG1473 LordG2962? AreG1510 youG4771 yourselves notG3756 myG1473 workmanshipG2041 inG1722 the LordG2962? 2Even ifG1487 I amG1510 notG3756 an apostleG652 to othersG243, surelyG235G1065 I amG1510 to youG4771. ForG1063 youG4771 areG1510 theG3588 sealG4973 of myG1473 apostleshipG651 inG1722 the LordG2962.

3ThisG3778 isG1510 myG1699 defenseG627 to those whoG3588 scrutinizeG350 meG1473: 4Have weG2192 noG3361G3756 rightG1849 to foodG5315 andG2532 to drinkG4095? 5Have weG2192 noG3361G3756 rightG1849 to take alongG4013 a believingG79 wifeG1135,1 asG5613 do theG3588 otherG3062 apostlesG652 andG2532 theG3588 Lord’sG3588G2962 brothersG80 andG2532 CephasG2786?2 6Or areG2228 BarnabasG921 andG2532 IG1473 the onlyG3441 apostles who mustG3756G2192G1849G3361 work for a livingG2038?3

7WhoG5101 serves as a soldierG4754 at his ownG2398 expenseG3800? WhoG5101 plantsG5452 a vineyardG290 andG2532 does not eat ofG3756G2068 itsG846 fruitG2590? WhoG5101 tendsG4165 a flockG4167 andG2532 does not drinkG3756G2068 ofG1537 its milkG1051?

8Do I sayG3361G2980 thisG3778 from a human perspectiveG2596G444? Doesn’tG3756 the LawG3551 sayG3004 the same thingG3778? 9ForG1063 it is writtenG1125 inG1722 theG3588 LawG3551 of MosesG3475: “Do not muzzleG3756G5392 an oxG1016 while it is treading out the grainG248.”4 Is it aboutG3588 oxenG1016 that GodG2316 is concernedG3199? 10Isn’tG2228 He actually speakingG3004G3843 on our behalfG1223G1473? IndeedG1063, this was writtenG1125 forG1223 usG1473, becauseG3754 when theG3588 plowmanG722 plowsG722 andG2532 theG3588 thresherG248 threshes, they shouldG3784 also expectG1909G1680 to share in the harvestG3348.

11IfG1487 weG1473 have sownG4687 spiritualG4152 seed among youG4771, is it too muchG3173 for usG1487G1473 to reapG2325 a materialG4559 harvest from youG4771? 12IfG1487 othersG243 haveG3348 this rightG1849 to yourG4771 support, shouldn’tG3756 weG1473 have it all the moreG3123? ButG235 we did not exerciseG3756G5530 thisG3778 rightG1849. InsteadG235, we put up withG4722 anythingG3956 rather thanG2443G3361 hinderG1325G5100G1464 theG3588 gospelG2098 ofG3588 ChristG5547.

13Do you not knowG3756G1492 thatG3754 those whoG3588 workG2038 in theG3588 templeG2413 eat ofG2068 its food, and those whoG3588 serveG4332 at theG3588 altarG2379 partakeG4829 ofG3588 its offerings? 14In the same wayG3779G2532, theG3588 LordG2962 has prescribed thatG1299 those whoG3588 preachG2605 theG3588 gospelG2098 should receive their livingG2198 fromG1537 theG3588 gospelG2098. 15ButG1161 IG1473 have not usedG3756G5530 any of theseG3778 rights. AndG1161 I am not writingG3756G1125 thisG3778 to suggest thatG2443 somethingG3779 be doneG1096 forG1722 meG1473. IndeedG1063, IG1473 would ratherG3123G2570 dieG599 thanG2228 let anyoneG3762 nullifyG2758 myG1473 boastG2745.

16YetG1063 whenG1437 I preach the gospelG2097, IG1473 haveG1510 no reasonG3756 to boastG2745, becauseG1063 IG1473 am obligatedG318G1945 to preach. WoeG3759 to meG1473 ifG1437 I do not preach the gospelG3361G2097! 17IfG1487 myG4238 preaching is voluntaryG1635, I haveG2192 a rewardG3408. ButG1161 ifG1487 it is not voluntaryG210, I am still entrusted withG4100 a responsibilityG3622. 18WhatG5101 thenG3767 isG1510 myG1473 rewardG3408? ThatG2443 in preaching the gospelG2097 I may offerG5087 it free of chargeG77, and soG1519 notG3361 use upG2710 myG1473 rightsG1849 inG1722 preaching it.

Paul the Servant to All

19ThoughG1063 I amG1510 free of obligationG1658 toG1537 anyoneG3956, I make myself a slaveG1402G1683 to everyoneG3956, toG2443 winG2770 as many as possibleG4119. 20To theG3588 JewsG2453 I becameG1096 likeG5613 a JewG2453, toG2443 winG2770 the JewsG2453. To thoseG3588 underG5259 the lawG3551 I became like one underG5259 the lawG3551 (though I myselfG846 amG1510 notG3361 underG5259 the lawG3551), toG2443 winG2770 thoseG3588 underG5259 the lawG3551. 21To thoseG3588 without the lawG459 I became like one without the lawG459 (though I amG1510 notG3361 outside the lawG459 of GodG2316 butG235 am under the lawG1772 of ChristG5547), toG2443 winG2770 thoseG3588 without the lawG459. 22To theG3588 weakG772 I becameG1096 weakG772, toG2443 winG2770 theG3588 weakG772. I have becomeG1096 allG3956 thingsG3588 to allG3956 people so thatG2443 by all possible meansG3843 I might saveG4982 someG5100.

23

I doG4160 allG3956 this for the sake ofG1223 theG3588 gospelG2098, so thatG2443 I may shareG1096G4791 in itsG846 blessings.

Run Your Race to Win

24Do you not knowG3756G1492 thatG3754 inG1722 a raceG4712 allG3956 theG3588 runnersG5143 runG5143, butG1161 only oneG1520 receivesG2983 theG3588 prizeG1017? RunG5143 in such a wayG3779 as toG2443 takeG2638 the prize. 25EveryoneG3956 whoG3588 competes in the gamesG75 trains with strict disciplineG1467G3956. TheyG1565 do it for a crownG4735 that is perishableG5349, butG1161 weG1473 do it for a crown that is imperishableG862. 26ThereforeG5106 IG1473 do not runG5143G3756 aimlesslyG3779G5613G84; I do not fightG4438G3756 likeG3779G5613 I am beatingG1194 the airG109. 27NoG235, I disciplineG5299 myG1473 bodyG4983 andG2532 make it my slaveG1396, so that after I have preachedG2784 to othersG243, I myselfG846 will not beG3361G4459G1096 disqualifiedG96.