I Corinthians 9

1. 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?

2. If I am not an apostle to others, without a doubt I am to you. For you are the certification of my apostleship in the Lord.

3. My defense to those who are examining me is this:

4. Do we not have a right to eat and to drink?

5. Do we not have a right to take with us a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6. Or I only and Barnabas, do we not have a right to refrain from working?

7. Does anyone at any time serve as a soldier at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the fruit of it? Or does anyone shepherd a flock and not eat the meat and milk from the flock?

8. Am I saying these things merely from a human point of view? Or does not the law say the same things?

9. For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn.” Is it because God is concerned for oxen?

10. Or does He not certainly say this for our sakes? For our sakes it was written, so that the one who plows might plow in hope, and the one who threshes the corn in hope might be partaker of his hope.

11. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your physical things?

12. If others participate in this authority over you, much more surely should not we? Nevertheless, we have not used this authority; but we have endured all things, so that we might not hinder the gospel of Christ.

13. Don’t you know that those who are laboring in the sacred things of the temple live of the things of the temple, and those who are ministering at the altar are partakers with the altar?

14. In the same way also, the Lord did command that those who preach the gospel are to live of the gospel.

15. But I have not used any of these things. And I have not written these things in order that this might now be done to me. For it would be better for me to die rather than to have anyone make my boasting void.

16. For though I preach the gospel, there is no reason for me to boast because an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the gospel!

17. For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I do this against my will, I have been entrusted with a ministry.

18. What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without expense, so that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

19. For although I am not under bondage to anyone, I have made myself a servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

20. Now to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those who are under law, as under law, that I might gain those who are under law;

21. To those who are without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), that I might gain those who are without law.

22. To the weak, I became as weak, that I might gain those who are weak. To all these, I have become all things, so that I might by all means save some.

23. Now I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I might be a fellow partaker with you.

24. Don’t you know that those who run a race all run, but only one receives the prize? That is the way you are to run in order that you may obtain the prize.

25. For everyone who is striving for mastery controls himself in all things. Of course, they do this so that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we are striving for an incorruptible crown.

26. I therefore so run, not as one who is uncertain; so also I fight, not as beating the air.

27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, after preaching to others, I myself might be rejected.