Paul’s Use of Freedom

9 Am I not ^(A)free? Am I not an ^(B)apostle? Have I not ^(C)seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not ^(D)my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the ^(E)seal of my ^(F)apostleship in the Lord.

³ My defense to those who examine me is this: ^4 [a](G)Do we not have a right to eat and drink? ^5 [b](H)Do we not have a right to take along a ^[c]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the ^(I)brothers of the Lord, and ^[d](J)Cephas? ⁶ Or do only ^[e](K)Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from ^[f]working? ⁷ Who at any time serves ^(L)as a soldier at his own expense? Who ^(M)plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not ^[g]consume some of the milk of the flock?

⁸ I am not just asserting these things ^(N)according to human judgment, am I? Or does the Law not say these things as well? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “^(O)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” God is not concerned about ^(P)oxen, is He? ¹⁰ Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written ^(Q)for our sake, because ^(R)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops. ^11 (S)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we ^(T)did not use this right, but we endure all things ^(U)so that we will cause no hindrance to the ^(V)gospel of Christ. ^13 (W)Do you not know that those who ^(X)perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share ^[h]from the altar? ¹⁴ So also ^(Y)the Lord directed those who proclaim the ^(Z)gospel to ^(AA)get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have ^(AB)used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make ^(AC)my boast an empty one! ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for ^(AD)I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach ^(AE)the gospel. ¹⁷ For if I do this voluntarily, I have a ^(AF)reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a ^(AG)commission nonetheless. ¹⁸ What, then, is my ^(AH)reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel ^(AI)without charge, so as ^(AJ)not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am ^(AK)free from all people, I have made myself ^(AL)a slave to all, so that I may ^(AM)gain more. ^20 (AN)To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though ^(AO)not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; ²¹ to those who are ^(AP)without the Law, I became ^(AQ)as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but ^(AR)under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. ²² To the ^(AS)weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become ^(AT)all things to all people, ^(AU)so that I may by all means save some. ²³ I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

^24 (AV)Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives ^(AW)the prize? ^(AX)Run in such a way that you may win. ²⁵ Everyone who ^(AY)competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable ^(AZ)wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ Therefore I ^(BA)run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as ^[i]to avoid ^(BB)hitting air; ²⁷ but I strictly discipline ^(BC)my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

10 For ^(A)I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all ^(B)under the cloud and they all ^(C)passed through the sea; ² and they all were ^(D)baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and they all ^(E)ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all ^(F)drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was ^[a]Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were ^(G)spread out in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things happened as ^(H)examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as ^(I)they indeed craved them. ⁷ Do not be ^(J)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “^(K)The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to ^(L)play.” ⁸ Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as ^(M)some of them ^[b]did, and ^(N)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as ^(O)some of them ^[c]did, and were killed by the snakes. ¹⁰ Nor ^(P)grumble, as some of them ^[d]did, and ^(Q)were killed by the ^(R)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(S)example, and ^(T)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(U)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let the one who ^(V)thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and ^(W)God is faithful, ^[e]so He will not allow you to be ^(X)tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my ^(Y)beloved, flee from ^(Z)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is the ^(AA)cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the ^(AB)bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one loaf, we ^(AC)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf. ¹⁸ Look at ^[f]the people of ^(AD)Israel; are those who ^(AE)eat the sacrifices not partners in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(AF)that an idol is ^[g]anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(AG)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. ^21 (AH)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(AI)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(AK)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (AL)All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things ^[h](AM)build people up. ²⁴ No one is to ^(AN)seek his own advantage, but rather that of his ^[i]neighbor. ^25 (AO)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; ^26 (AP)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[j]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(AQ)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(AR)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But ^(AS)if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and for the sake of conscience; ²⁹ Now by “conscience” I do not mean your own, but the other person’s; for ^(AT)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(AU)why am I slandered about that for which I ^(AV)give thanks?

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or ^(AW)whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. ^32 (AX)Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or ^(AY)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(AZ)please everyone in all things, ^(BA)not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of the many, ^(BB)so that they may be saved.

Christian Order

11 ^(A)Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

² Now ^(B)I praise you because you ^(C)remember me in everything and ^(D)hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. ³ But I want you to understand that Christ is the ^(E)head of every man, and ^[a](F)the man is the head of a woman, and God is the ^(G)head of Christ. ⁴ Every man who has something on his head while praying or ^(H)prophesying disgraces his head. ⁵ But every ^(I)woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman ^[b]whose head is ^(J)shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover ^[c]her head, have her also ^[d]cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to ^[e]have her hair cut off or ^[f]her head shaved, have her cover ^[g]her head. ⁷ For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the ^(K)image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(L)man ^[h]does not originate from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but ^(M)woman for the man’s sake. ¹⁰ Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ However, in the Lord, neither is woman ^[i]independent of man, nor is man ^[j]independent of woman. ¹² For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and ^(N)all things originate ^(O)from God. ^13 (P)Judge ^[k]for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does even nature itself not teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, ^(Q)we have no ^[l]such practice, nor have ^(R)the churches of God.

¹⁷ Now in giving this next instruction ^(S)I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸ For, in the first place, when you come together ^[m]as a church, I hear that ^[n](T)divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. ¹⁹ For there also ^(U)have to be factions among you, ^(V)so that those who are approved may become ^[o]evident among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you come together it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, ²¹ for when you eat, each one takes his own supper first; and one goes hungry while ^(W)another gets drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the ^(X)church of God and ^(Y)shame those who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall ^(Z)I praise you? In this I do not praise you.

The Lord’s Supper

²³ For ^(AA)I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that ^(AB)the Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same way He also took ^(AC)the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the ^(AD)new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death ^(AE)until He comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way, shall be ^(AF)guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But a person must ^(AG)examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For the one who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize the ^[p]body. ³⁰ For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number ^[q](AH)are asleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are ^(AI)disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with ^(AJ)the world.

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is ^(AK)hungry, have him eat ^(AL)at home, so that you do not come together for judgment. As to the remaining matters, I will ^(AM)give instructions ^(AN)when I come.