1 Corinthians 9:1

1 Corinthians 9:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
• New International Version (NIV)Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

Context of 1 Corinthians 9:1

Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? 2Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle. 3This is my answer to those who question my authority.

1 Corinthians 9:1 word by word

Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος; οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος; οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἑόρακα; οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Am Iεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• an apostleἀπόστολοςapostolos · apostleG652
• freeἐλεύθεροςeleutheros · free/freedomG1658
• have Iὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• workἔργονergon · workG2041
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:1

• 1 Corinthians 9:2Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
• 1 Corinthians 1:1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.
• 1 Corinthians 15:8Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.
• Acts 9:15But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
• Acts 13:2One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”
• Acts 14:4But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
• Acts 22:14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.
• Acts 16:17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
• Romans 1:1This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.
• Romans 11:13I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,
• 2 Corinthians 11:5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.
• 2 Corinthians 12:11You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these “super apostles,” even though I am nothing at all.
• Galatians 1:1This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
• Galatians 2:7Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews.
• 1 Timothy 2:7And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.
• 2 Timothy 1:11And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Am I not an apostle? - It is sufficiently evident that there were persons at Corinth who questioned the apostleship of St. Paul; and he was obliged to walk very circumspectly that they might not find any occasion against him. It appears also that he had given them all his apostolical labors gratis; and even this, which was the highest proof of his disinterested benevolence, was produced by his opposers as an argument against him. "Prophets, and all…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Am I not an apostle? - This was the point to be settled; and it is probable that some at Corinth had denied that he could be an apostle, since it was requisite, in order to that, to have seen the Lord Jesus; and since it was supposed that Paul had not been a witness of his life, doctrines, and death. Am I not free? - Am I not a free man; have I not the liberty which all Christians possess, and especially which all the apostles possess? The “liberty”…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Chapter Outline The apostle shows his authority, and asserts his right to be maintained. (1-14) He waved this part of his Christian liberty, for the good of others. (15-23) He did all this, with care and diligence, in view of an unfading crown. (24-27) Verses 1-14 It is not new for a minister to meet with unkind returns for good-will to a people, and diligent and successful services among them. To the cavils of some, the apostle answers, so as to set…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2These four rhetorical questions expect a positive answer. The first question, following his discussion in 8:1–13, asserts Paul's freedom from Jewish ritual obligations. However, he later emphasizes (see 9:19–23) that he willingly follows Jewish practices to win them to Christ. The other three questions assert Paul's apostolic authority, which some in Corinth questioned. For you are the seal: For skeptics, Paul's apostolic calling was confirmed by his…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-271Co 9:1-27. He Confirms His Teaching as to Not Putting a Stumbling-block in a Brother's Way (1Co 8:13) BY His Own Example in Not Using His Undoubted Rights as an Apostle, so as to Win Men to Christ. 1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free?--The oldest manuscripts read the order thus, "Am I not free? am I not an apostle?" He alludes to 1Co 8:9, "this liberty of yours": If you claim it, I appeal to yourselves as the witnesses, have not I also it? "Am I not…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:1

• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• In the Lord
• Jesus Christ
• Apostle
• Crown
• Forbear
• Mastery

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