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

15But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

1 Corinthians 9:17 word by word

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

• For ifεἰei · ifG1487
• I doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• voluntarilyἑκώνhekōn · voluntarilyG1635
• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• againstἄκωνakōn · unwillingG210
• stewardshipοἰκονομίαoikonomia · managementG3622
• entrustedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:17

• 1 Chronicles 28:9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
• 1 Chronicles 29:5of gold for the things of gold and of silver for the things of silver, that is, for all the work done by the craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?”
• Nehemiah 11:2And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
• 2 Corinthians 8:12For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
• Philemon 1:14but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.
• 1 Peter 5:2shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
• 1 Corinthians 3:8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
• Matthew 10:41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
• Exodus 4:13But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”
• Jeremiah 20:9But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.
• Ezekiel 3:14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me.
• Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
• Jonah 4:1But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
• Malachi 1:10“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.
• 1 Corinthians 9:16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

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