1 Corinthians 9:5

1 Corinthians 9:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
• New International Version (NIV)Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Context of 1 Corinthians 9:5

3This is my defense to those who examine me. 4Do we not have the right to financial support? Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? 7Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk?

1 Corinthians 9:5 word by word

μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ Κηφᾶς;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Have weἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• notοὐou · noG3756
• powerἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• to lead aboutπεριάγωperiagō · to take/go aroundG4013
• a sisterἀδελφήadelphē · sisterG79
• a wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• as wellὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• asκαίkai · andG2532
• otherλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062
• apostlesἀπόστολοςapostolos · apostleG652
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• CephasΚηφᾶςKēphas · CephasG2786

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:5

• 1 Timothy 3:2The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,
• 1 Timothy 4:3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
• Hebrews 13:4Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.
• 1 Corinthians 7:15But if the unbeliever wants a divorce, let it take place. In these circumstances the brother or sister is not bound. God has called you in peace.
• Romans 16:1Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
• 1 Timothy 5:2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters – with complete purity.
• Matthew 12:46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking to speak to him.
• Matthew 13:55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
• Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.
• Luke 6:15Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
• John 2:12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.
• Acts 1:14All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
• Galatians 1:19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.”
• Matthew 8:14Now when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever.
• Mark 1:30Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so they spoke to Jesus at once about her.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife - The word is to be understood here, as above in 1 Corinthians 9:4, as implying authority or right; and authority, not merely derived from their office, but from Him who gave them that office; from the constitution of nature; and from universal propriety or the fitness of things. When the apostle speaks of leading about a sister, a wife, he means first, that he and all other apostles, and consequently all…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Have we not power? - Have we not a right? The objection here seems to have been, that Paul and Barnabas were unmarried, or at least that they traveled without wives. The objectors urged that others had wives, and that they took them with them, and expected provision to be made for them as well as for themselves. They therefore showed that they felt that they had a claim to support for their families, and that they were conscious that they were sent of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5the Lord’s brothers: See Mark 6:3 for their names. Cephas: Mark 1:30 mentions that Peter (also called Cephas) was married.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. lead about a sister, a wife--that is, "a sister as a wife"; "a sister" by faith, which makes all believers brethren and sisters in the one family of God: "a wife" by marriage covenant. Paul implies he did not exercise his undoubted right to marry and "lead about" a believer, for the sake of Christian expediency, as well to save the Church the expense of maintaining her in his wide circuits, as also that he might give himself more undistractedly to…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:5

• Celibacy
• Jesus, the Christ
• Marriage
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Cephas
• Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas
• Brethren of the Lord
• Brother
• Crown
• Forbear
• Mastery
• Peter
• Plow
• Wait

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