I Corinthians 9

¹Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my worke in the Lord?

²If I be not an Apostle vnto other, yet doutlesse I am vnto you: for ye are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord.

³My defence to them that examine mee, is this,

⁴Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

⁵Or haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Or I only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?

⁷Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?

⁸Say I these thinges according to man? saith not the Lawe the same also?

⁹For it is written in the Lawe of Moses, Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doeth God take care for oxen?

¹⁰Either saith hee it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt it is written, that he which eareth, should eare in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.

¹¹If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges?

¹²If others with you bee partakers of this power, are not we rather? neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, that we should not hinder the Gospel of Christ.

¹³Doe ye not knowe, that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple? and they which waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar?

¹⁴So also hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach ye Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.

¹⁵But I haue vsed none of these things: neither wrote I these things, that it should be so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my reioycing vaine.

¹⁶For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to reioyce of: for necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.

¹⁷For if I do it willingly, I haue a reward, but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding the dispensation is committed vnto me.

¹⁸What is my reward then? verely that when I preach the Gospel, I make the Gospel of Christ free, that I abuse not mine authoritie in ye Gospel.

¹⁹For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.

²⁰And vnto the Iewes, I become as a Iewe, that I may winne the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Lawe, as though I were vnder the Lawe, that I may winne them that are vnder the Lawe:

²¹To them that are without Lawe, as though I were without Lawe, (when I am not without Lawe as pertaining to God, but am in the Lawe through Christ) that I may winne them that are without Lawe:

²²To the weake I become as weake, that I may winne the weake: I am made all thinges to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.

²³And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴Knowe ye not, that they which runne in a race, runne all, yet one receiueth the price? so runne that ye may obtaine.

²⁵And euery man that proueth masteries, abstaineth from all things: and they do it to obtaine a corruptible crowne: but we for an vncorruptible.

²⁶I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre.

²⁷But I beate downe my body, and bring it into subiection, lest by any meanes after that I haue preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.

I Corinthians 9

¹Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

²If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

³Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

⁴Have we not power to eat and to drink?

⁵Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

⁷Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

⁸Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

¹⁰Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

¹¹If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

¹²If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

¹³Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

¹⁴Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

¹⁵But 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.

¹⁶For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

¹⁷For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

¹⁸What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

²⁰And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

²¹To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

²²To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

²³And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.