1 Corinthians 9:17

1 Corinthians 9:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
• New International Version (NIV)If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

Context of 1 Corinthians 9:17

15I haven’t used any of these rights, and I haven’t written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words. 16If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News! If I spread the Good News willingly, I’ll have a reward. But if I spread the Good News unwillingly, I’m ⌞only⌟ doing what I’ve been entrusted to do. 18So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won’t use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News. 19Although I’m free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them.

1 Corinthians 9:17 word by word

εἰ γὰρ ἑκὼν τοῦτο πράσσω, μισθὸν ἔχω· εἰ δὲ ἄκων, οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• I doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• this thingοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• willinglyἑκώνhekōn · voluntarilyG1635
• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• butδέde · thenG1161
• against my willἄκωνakōn · unwillingG210
• a dispensationοἰκονομίαoikonomia · managementG3622
• is committed unto meπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:17

• 1 Chronicles 28:9“And you, my son Solomon, learn to know your father’s God. Serve the Lord wholeheartedly and willingly because he searches every heart and understands every thought ⌞we have⌟. If you dedicate your life to serving him, he will accept you. But if you abandon him, he will reject you from then on.
• 1 Chronicles 29:5to make gold objects, silver objects, and everything else the craftsmen will make. Who else is willing to make an offering and dedicate himself to the Lord today?”
• Nehemiah 11:2The people blessed everyone who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom will I send? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
• 2 Corinthians 8:12with whatever contributions you have. Since you are willing to do this, ⌞remember⌟ that people are accepted if they give what they are able to give. God doesn’t ask for what they don’t have.
• Philemon 1:14Yet, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it.
• 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.
• 1 Corinthians 3:8The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own work.
• Matthew 10:41The person who welcomes a prophet as such will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a godly person as such will receive a godly person’s reward.
• Exodus 4:13But Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”
• Jeremiah 20:9I think to myself, “I can forget the Lord and no longer speak his name.” But ⌞his word⌟ is inside me like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I wear myself out holding it in, but I can’t do it any longer.
• Ezekiel 3:14Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of the Lord came over me.
• Jonah 1:3Jonah immediately tried to run away from the Lord by going to Tarshish. He went to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid for the trip and went on board. He wanted to go to Tarshish to get away from the Lord.
• Jonah 4:1Jonah was very upset about this, and he became angry.
• Malachi 1:10“I wish one of you would shut the doors ⌞to my house⌟ so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
• 1 Corinthians 9:16If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News!

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For if I do this thing willingly - If I be a cordial co-operator with God, I have a reward, an incorruptible crown, 1 Corinthians 9:25. Or, if I freely preach this Gospel without being burthensome to any, I have a special reward; but if I do not, I have simply an office to fulfill, into which God has put me, and may fulfill it conscientiously, and claim my privileges at the same time; but then I lose that special reward which I have in view by preaching…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17For if I do this thing willingly - If I preach so as to show that my heart is in it; that I am not compelled, If I pursue such a course as to show that I prefer it to all other employments. If Paul took a compensation for his services, he could not well do this; if he did not, he showed that his heart was in it, and that he preferred the work to all others. Even though he had been in a manner compelled to engage in that work, yet he so acted in the work…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. 1-27Continuing the argument from 8:1, Paul shares personal examples of giving up his rights to help others (see study note on 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Translate, "If I be doing this (that is, preaching) of my own accord (which I am not, for the 'necessity' is laid on me which binds a servant to obey his master), I have a reward; but if (as is the case) involuntarily (Ac 9:15; 22:15; 26:16); not of my own natural will, but by the constraining grace of God; (Ro 9:16; 1Ti 1:13-16), I have had a dispensation (of the Gospel) entrusted to me" (and so can claim no "reward," seeing that I only "have done…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:17

• Evil
• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Crown
• Dispensation
• Forbear
• Mastery
• Plow
• Wait
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Mystery
• Paul, the Apostle

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