1 Corinthians 9
Christian Standard Bible
Paul’s Example as an Apostle
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the seal(A) of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?(B) 5 Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife[a] like the other apostles,(C) the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?(D) 6 Or do only Barnabas(E) and I have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?(F) Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock?
8 Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox(G) while it treads out grain.[b](H) Is God really concerned about oxen? 10 Isn’t he really saying it for our sake? Yes, this is written for our sake,(I) because he who plows ought to plow in hope,(J) and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop.(K) 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything(L) so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar(M) share in the offerings of the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.(N)
15 For my part I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach[c]—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted(O) with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my rights in the gospel.(P)
19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win(Q) more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law[d]—to win those under the law.(R) 21 To those who are without the law,(S) like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.(T) 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.
24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,(U) but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.(V) 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control(W) in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown,(X) but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.(Y)
1 Corinthians 9
New American Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:4 Lit It is not that we have no right to eat and drink, is it?
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit It is not that we have no right to take along...Cephas, is it?
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit sister, as a wife
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 Peter’s Aramaic name
- 1 Corinthians 9:6 Lit I and Barnabas
- 1 Corinthians 9:6 I.e., to support themselves
- 1 Corinthians 9:7 Lit eat from
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 Lit with
- 1 Corinthians 9:26 Lit not hitting
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