1 Corinthians 9:15

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 realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. 14In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. 16Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! 17If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.

1 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 you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 4:12We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.
• Acts 8:3But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
• Acts 20:34You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:9Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:8We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.
• 2 Corinthians 11:9And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.
• 2 Corinthians 12:13The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!
• Matthew 18:6But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
• Acts 20:24But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
• Philippians 1:20For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

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

• Evil
• Minister, Christian
• Self-Denial
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Crown
• Forbear
• Mastery
• Plow
• Wait
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Good
• Mystery
• Paul, the Apostle
• Person of Christ

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