1 Corinthians 9:3-18

English Standard Version

³This is my defense to those who would examine me. ⁴^(A)Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ⁵^(B)Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife,^[a] as do the other apostles and ^(C)the brothers of the Lord and ^(D)Cephas? ⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? ⁷^(E)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^(F)Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

⁸Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? ⁹For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^(G)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written ^(H)for our sake, because ^(I)the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. ¹¹^(J)If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹²If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, ^(K)we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything ^(L)rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. ¹³Do you not know that ^(M)those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord commanded that ^(N)those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

¹⁵But ^(O)I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone ^(P)deprive me of my ground for boasting. ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For ^(Q)necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with ^(R)a stewardship. ¹⁸What then is my reward? That in my preaching ^(S)I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 9:5 Greek a sister as wife

1 Corinthians 9:3-18

New International Version

³This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. ⁴Don’t we have the right to food and drink?^(A) ⁵Don’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) ⁶Or is it only I and Barnabas^(E) who lack the right to not work for a living?

⁷Who 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? ⁸Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹For 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) ¹⁰Surely 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) ¹¹If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?^(L) ¹²If 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.

¹³Don’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) ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.^(P)

¹⁵But 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) ¹⁶For 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! ¹⁷If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;^(T) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.^(U) ¹⁸What 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.