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Paul Is like the Other Apostles

·I am a free man [L Am I not free?]. ·I am [L Am I not…?] an apostle. ·I have [Haven’t I…?] seen Jesus our Lord. ·You people are all an example of [L Are you not…?] my work in the Lord. If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are ·proof that I am an apostle [L the seal/verification of my apostleship] in the Lord.

This is the answer I give people who want to ·judge me [examine me; question my credentials]: Do we not have the right to eat and drink [C receive hospitality and support for their missionary work]? Do we not have the right to ·bring a believing wife with us when we travel [or be married to a believer; L take along a wife who is a sister] as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers [Matt. 13:55; Acts 1:14] and ·Peter [L Cephas; C Peter’s name in Aramaic; see 1:12]? Are Barnabas [Acts 13—14] and I the only ones who ·must work to earn our living [L don’t have the authority/right not to work]? ·No soldier [L Who…?] ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. ·No one [L Who…?] ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes. ·No person [L Who…?] takes care of a flock without drinking some of the milk.

I do not say this ·by human authority [from human experience; L according to man]; God’s law also says the same thing. [L For] It is written in the law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox when it is ·working in [treading; threshing] the grain [Deut. 25:4].” When God said this, was he ·thinking only [concerned] about oxen? No. 10 He was ·really [surely] talking ·about us [for our benefit]. Yes, that Scripture was written for us, because it goes on to say: “The one who plows and the one who ·works in the grain [threshes] should hope to get some of the grain for their work.” 11 ·Since [If] we ·planted [sowed] spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things from you [C receive support for ministry]? 12 If others have the right to get something from you, surely we have this right, ·too [or even more so]. But we ·do not use it [have not exercised this right]. No, we put up with everything ourselves so that we will not ·keep anyone from believing [L put up a hindrance to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ. 13 ·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know that those who ·work at the Temple [perform priestly temple service] get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get part of what is offered at the altar. 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who ·tell the Good News [proclaim/preach the Gospel] should get their living from ·this work [L the Gospel].

15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than to have my reason for ·bragging [boasting] taken away. 16 ·Telling the Good News [Preaching the Gospel] does not give me any reason for ·bragging [boasting]. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] me if I do not ·tell the Good News [preach the Gospel]. 17 If I preach ·because it is my own choice [voluntarily], I have a reward. But if I preach ·and it is not my choice to do so [without volunteering], I am ·only doing the duty that was given to me [L entrusted with a stewardship/responsibility]. 18 So what ·reward [payment; wages] do I get? Only this: that when I tell the ·Good News [Gospel] I can offer it ·freely [free of charge]. I do not ·use [take advantage of; or misuse] my full rights in ·my work of preaching the Good News [L the Gospel].

19 I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I myself am not ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. But to those who are ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law I became like a person who is ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. I did this to win those who are ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. 21 To those who are without the law [C Gentiles] I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ·ruled by [L under] Christ’s law.) 22 To those who are weak [C in faith; 8:7–13], I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. 23 I do all this because of the ·Good News [Gospel] and so I can ·share in its blessings [or be a participant in it].

24 ·You [L Don’t you…?] know that in a ·race [L stadium] all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! 25 All those who compete in the games ·use self-control [train with strict discipline] so they can win a ·crown [victor’s wreath]. That ·crown [victor’s wreath] is ·an earthly thing that lasts only a short time [L perishable], but our crown ·will never be destroyed [L is imperishable]. 26 So I do not run ·without a goal [aimlessly]. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air. 27 I ·treat my body hard [discipline/subdue/pummel my body] and ·make it my slave [subdue it] so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.

Am I eimi not ou free eleutheros? Am I eimi not ou an apostle apostolos? Have I horaō not ouchi seen horaō Jesus Iēsous · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios? Are eimi you hymeis not ou the result of · ho my egō labor ergon in en the Lord kyrios? If ei to others allos I am eimi not ou an apostle apostolos, at least alla I am eimi to you hymeis, for gar you hymeis are eimi the ho proof sphragis of ho my egō apostleship apostolē in en the Lord kyrios.

· ho This houtos is eimi my emos defense apologia to those ho who sit in judgment on anakrinō me egō. Do we not ou have echō the right exousia to eat esthiō and kai drink pinō? Do we not ou have echō the right exousia to the company of periagō a believing adelphē wife gynē, as hōs also kai the ho other loipos apostles apostolos, · kai the ho Lord’ s kyrios brothers adelphos, · ho and kai Cephas Kēphas do? Or ē is it only monos I egō and kai Barnabas Barnabas who have echō no ou right exousia to refrain from working ergazomai? Who tis ever pote serves in the army at his own idios expense opsōnion? Who tis plants phyteuō a vineyard ampelōn and kai does esthiō not ou eat esthiō · ho its autos fruit karpos? Or ē who tis tends poimainō a flock poimnē and kai does esthiō not ou drink esthiō of ek · ho its poimnē milk gala? · ho

Am I saying laleō these things houtos from kata a merely human anthrōpos point of view? Or ē · kai does legō not ou the ho Law nomos say legō the same houtos? For gar in en the ho Law nomos of Moses Mōysēs it is written graphō, “ You shall not ou muzzle kēmoō an ox bous while it is treading out aloaō the grain.” It is not for ho oxen bous that God theos is concerned melei, · ho is it? 10 Or ē does he legō not speak legō entirely pantōs for dia our hēmeis sake. To be sure gar, it was written graphō for dia our hēmeis sake, because hoti the ho one plowing arotriaō should opheilō plow arotriaō in epi hope elpis and kai the ho one threshing aloaō thresh in epi hope elpis of ho sharing metechō in the crop. 11 If ei we hēmeis sowed speirō spiritual things pneumatikos among you hymeis, · ho is it too much megas if ei we hēmeis reap therizō material things sarkikos from you hymeis? · ho 12 If ei others allos have a share in metechō this right exousia over ho you hymeis, do not ou we hēmeis even more mallon? Nevertheless alla, we have not ou made chraomai use of · ho this houtos right exousia, but alla endure stegō all pas things lest hina mē we place didōmi some tis obstacle enkopē in the way of the ho gospel euangelion of ho Christ Christos. 13 Do you not ou know oida that hoti those ho who perform ergazomai · ho sacred rites hieros · ho in the temple eat food esthiō from ek the ho temple hieron, and those ho who serve paredreuō at the ho altar thusiastērion share in symmerizō the ho sacrificial thusiastērion offerings ? 14 In the same way houtōs, · kai the ho Lord kyrios gave instructions diatassō to those ho who proclaim katangellō the ho gospel euangelion that they should get their living zaō from ek the ho gospel euangelion.

15 But de I egō have not ou used chraomai any oudeis of these houtos rights. And de I am not ou writing graphō this houtos so that hina something will be done ginomai for en me egō; for gar it would be better kalos for me egō rather mallon to die apothnēskō no one oudeis shall take away kenoō · ho my egō ground for boasting kauchēma! 16 If ean I preach euangelizō the gospel , I egō do not ou have eimi a ground kauchēma for boasting , for gar I egō am compelled anankē to do so epikeimai. Woe ouai is eimi me egō if ean I do not preach euangelizō the gospel ! 17 For gar if ei I do prassō this houtos willingly hekōn, I have echō a reward misthos. But de if ei unwillingly akōn, I have been entrusted with pisteuō a charge oikonomia. 18 What tis then oun is eimi my egō · ho reward misthos? That hina when I preach euangelizō I may present tithēmi the ho gospel euangelion free of charge adapanos, and so eis not make full use katachraomai of · ho my egō right exousia in en the ho gospel euangelion.

19 For gar though I am eimi free eleutheros from ek all pas, I have made douloō myself emautou a servant douloō to all pas, so that hina I might win kerdainō · ho as many as possible polys. 20 · kai To the ho Jews Ioudaios I became ginomai as hōs a Jew Ioudaios that hina I might win kerdainō Jews Ioudaios. To those ho under hypo the law nomos I became as hōs one under hypo the law nomos ( though I eimi myself autos am eimi not under hypo the law nomos) that hina I might win kerdainō those ho under hypo the law nomos. 21 To those ho outside anomos the law I became as hōs one outside the law anomos ( though I am eimi not free from the law anomos of God theos but alla subject to the law ennomos of Christ Christos) that hina I might win kerdainō those ho outside the law anomos. 22 To the ho weak asthenēs I became ginomai weak asthenēs that hina I might win kerdainō the ho weak asthenēs. I have become ginomai all things pas to ho all pas people , that hina by all means pantōs I might save sōzō some tis. 23 I do poieō all pas things · de for the sake dia of the ho gospel euangelion, that hina I may ginomai share with them in its autos benefits synkoinōnos.

24 Do you not ou know oida that hoti all pas who ho run trechō in en the stadium stadion compete trechō but de only one heis receives lambanō the ho prize brabeion? So houtōs run trechō that hina you may win katalambanō. 25 Everyone pas · de who ho competes agōnizomai exercises self-control in enkrateuomai all pas things . They ekeinos do it to hina receive lambanō a perishable phthartos wreath stephanos, but de we hēmeis for an imperishable aphthartos one. 26 So I egō do not ou run trechō aimlessly adēlōs; I do not ou box pykteuō like hōs one flailing derō the air aēr. 27 But alla I discipline hypōpiazō my egō · ho body sōma and kai bring it into subjection doulagōgeō, so that pōs having preached kēryssō to others allos I ginomai myself autos should ginomai not be ginomai disqualified adokimos.