Christian Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 9:15
15For my part I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast!
1 Corinthians 9:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
- New International Version (NIV)But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But 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 deprive me of my ground for boasting.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.
Context of 1 Corinthians 9:15
13Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. For my part I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! 16For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach — and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a commission.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 91 Corinthians 9:15 word by word
ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ κέχρημαι οὐδενὶ τούτων· οὐκ ἔγραψα δὲ ταῦτα ἵνα οὕτως γένηται ἐν ἐμοί· καλὸν γάρ μοι μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου οὐδεὶς κενώσει.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- have usedχράωchraomai · to useG5530
- noneοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- of these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- neitherοὐou · noG3756
- have I writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- it should beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- untoἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- betterκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- ·μᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
- to dieἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
- thanἤē · orG2228
- any manτιςtis · oneG5100
- should makeκενόωkenoō · to emptyG2758
- gloryingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- gloryingκαύχημαkauchēma · prideG2745
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:15
- 1 Corinthians 9:12If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
- Acts 8:3Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.
- Acts 20:34You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- 2 Corinthians 11:9When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.
- 2 Corinthians 12:13So in what way are you worse off than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me for this wrong!
- Matthew 18:6“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.
- Acts 20:24But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
- Philippians 1:20My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Neither have I written, etc. - Though I might plead the authority of God in the law, of Christ in the Gospel, the common consent of our own doctors, and the usages of civil society, yet I have not availed myself of my privileges; nor do I now write with the intention to lay in my claims.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15But I have used none of these things - I have not urged and enforced this right. I have chosen to support myself by the labor of my own hands. This had been objected to him as a reason why he could not be an apostle. He here shows that that was not the reason why he had not; urged this claim; but that it was because in this way he could do most to honor the gospel and save the souls of people; compare Acts 20:33; 2 Thessalonians 3:8. The sense is, “Though…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 It is the glory of a minister to deny himself, that he may serve Christ and save souls. But when a minister gives up his right for the sake of the gospel, he does more than his charge and office demands. By preaching the gospel, freely, the apostle showed that he acted from principles of zeal and love, and thus enjoyed much comfort and hope in his soul. And though he looked on the ceremonial law as a yoke taken off by Christ, yet he submitted…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Paul had never insisted on his rights, and he was not trying to do so now. Instead, he showed the importance of giving up one's rights to help others (compare 8:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Paul's special gift of continency, which enabled him to abstain from marriage, and his ability to maintain himself without interrupting seriously his ministry, made that expedient to him which is ordinarily inexpedient; namely, that the ministry should not be supported by the people. What to him was a duty, would be the opposite to one, for instance, to whom God had committed a family, without other means of support. I have used none of these…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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