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 it will happen this way in my case—for I would rather die than let anyone deprive me of my reason to boast. 16For if I proclaim the Good News, I have no reason to boast—for pressure is put on me and woe to me if I don’t proclaim the Good News! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have been entrusted with a commission. 18What then is my reward? That when I preach, I may present the Good News free of charge, not making use of my right in the Good News. 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win over 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“Now you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for Adonai searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
• 1 Chronicles 29:5gold for golden objects and silver for silver for all the work—into the hands of craftsmen. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself this day to Adonai?”
• Nehemiah 11:2Then the people blessed all the men who volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying: “Whom should I send, and who will go for Us?” So I said, “Hineni. Send me.”
• 2 Corinthians 8:12For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have.
• Philemon 1:14But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness wouldn’t be by force but by free will.
• 1 Peter 5:2shepherd God’s flock among you. Watch over it not under compulsion but willingly before God, not for dishonest gain but eagerly.
• 1 Corinthians 3:8Now he who plants and he who waters work as 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 tzaddik in the name of a tzaddik shall receive a tzaddik’s reward.
• Exodus 4:13But he said, “Please, please, send it by another hand.”
• Jeremiah 20:9But if I say: “I won’t mention Him, or speak any more in His Name,” then it is like fire burning in my heart— shut up in my bones— I weary myself holding it in, but I cannot.
• Ezekiel 3:14The Ruach lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit. The hand of Adonai was strong upon me.
• Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish, from the presence of Adonai. He went down to Jaffa and found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fee and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish—away from the presence of Adonai.
• Jonah 4:1But it greatly displeased Jonah and he resented it.
• Malachi 1:10“If just one of you would shut the doors, and not light My altar uselessly! I have no delight in you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “Nor will I accept any offering from your hand.
• 1 Corinthians 9:16For if I proclaim the Good News, I have no reason to boast—for pressure is put on me and woe to me if I don’t proclaim 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