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1 Corinthians 9:3-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me[a] is this. 4 [b]Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?(A) 7 Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating its produce? Or who shepherds a flock without using some of the milk from the flock?(B) 8 Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things? 9 It is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”(C) Is God concerned about oxen, 10 or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share.(D) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?(E) 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?(F)

Reason for Not Using His Rights. Yet we have not used this right.[c] On the contrary, we endure everything so as not to place an obstacle to the gospel of Christ. 13 [d]Do you not know that those who perform the temple services eat [what] belongs to the temple, and those who minister at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?(G) 14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.(H)

15 [e]I have not used any of these rights, however, nor do I write this that it be done so in my case. I would rather die. Certainly no one is going to nullify my boast.(I) 16 If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!(J) 17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.(K) 18 What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 9:3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me: the reference to a defense (apologia) is surprising, and suggests that Paul is incorporating some material here that he has previously used in another context. The defense will touch on two points: the fact of Paul’s rights as an apostle (1 Cor 9:4–12a and 1 Cor 9:13–14) and his nonuse of those rights (1 Cor 9:12b and 1 Cor 9:15–18).
  2. 9:4–12a Apparently some believe that Paul is not equal to the other apostles and therefore does not enjoy equal privileges. His defense on this point (here and in 1 Cor 9:13–14) reinforces the assertion of his apostolic character in 1 Cor 9:2. It consists of a series of analogies from natural equity (7) and religious custom (1 Cor 9:13) designed to establish his equal right to support from the churches (1 Cor 9:4–6, 11–12a); these analogies are confirmed by the authority of the law (1 Cor 9:8–10) and of Jesus himself (1 Cor 9:14).
  3. 9:12 It appears, too, that suspicion or misunderstanding has been created by Paul’s practice of not living from his preaching. The first reason he asserts in defense of this practice is an entirely apostolic one; it anticipates the developments to follow in 1 Cor 9:19–22. He will give a second reason in 1 Cor 9:15–18.
  4. 9:13–14 The position of these verses produces an interlocking of the two points of Paul’s defense. These arguments by analogy (1 Cor 9:13) and from authority (1 Cor 9:14) belong with those of 1 Cor 9:7–10 and ground the first point. But Paul defers them until he has had a chance to mention “the gospel of Christ” (1 Cor 9:12b), after which it is more appropriate to mention Jesus’ injunction to his preachers and to argue by analogy from the sacred temple service to his own liturgical service, the preaching of the gospel (cf. Rom 1:9; 15:16).
  5. 9:15–18 Paul now assigns a more personal motive to his nonuse of his right to support. His preaching is not a service spontaneously undertaken on his part but a stewardship imposed by a sort of divine compulsion. Yet to merit any reward he must bring some spontaneous quality to his service, and this he does by freely renouncing his right to support. The material here is quite similar to that contained in Paul’s “defense” at 2 Cor 11:5–12; 12:11–18.
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1 Corinthians 9:3-18
New International Version

3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink?(A) 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife(B) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers(C) and Cephas[a]?(D) 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas(E) who lack the right to not work for a living?

7 Who serves as a soldier(F) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(G) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b](H) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(I) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(J) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(K) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(L) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.(M) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(N) the gospel of Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?(O) 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.(P)

15 But I have not used any of these rights.(Q) 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.(R) 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.(S) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;(T) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.(U) 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,(V) and so not make full use of my rights(W) as a preacher of the gospel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:5 That is, Peter
  2. 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

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