I Corinthians 9

¹Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?

²If I am not an apostle to others, yet surely I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

³This is my answer to those who question my authority.

⁴Have we not a right to eat and drink?

⁵Have we not a right to carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?

⁷Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?

⁸Is it on man’s authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same?

⁹For it is written in the law of Moses: "Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain." Is it for oxen that God careth?

¹⁰Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking.

¹¹If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body?

¹²If others possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

¹³Do ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with the altar?

¹⁴In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in.

¹⁶For in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!

¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship.

¹⁸What then is my reward? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of the gospel.

¹⁹For being free from all men, yet I made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more;

²⁰and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law, not being myself under the Law, that I might gain those under the Law;

²¹to those without the Law, as without the Law, being not without a law before God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain those without the Law;

²²to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all, that I might by all means save some.

²³And I do all for the sake of the gospel, that I may with others partake of it.

²⁴Know ye not, that of those who run in the race-course all run, but one receiveth the prize? Thus run, that ye may obtain.

²⁵And every one who contendeth in the games is temperate in all things; they, however, to obtain a perishable crown, but we, an imperishable.

²⁶I therefore so run, not as one uncertain; I so fight, not as one striking the air;

²⁷but I beat down my body, and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps, when I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected as unworthy.

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.