1 Corinthians 9
Holman 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, for 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 Christian wife[a] like the other apostles,(C) the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?(D) 6 Or do Barnabas(E) and I alone have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war 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.(H)[b] Is God really concerned with oxen? 10 Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us,(I) because he who plows ought to plow in hope,(J) and he who threshes should do so 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?
However, 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 But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. 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 an obligation is placed on me. 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 stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel.(P)
19 Although I am a free man 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[c]—to win those under the law.(R) 21 To those who are without that law,(S) like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—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 I may become a partner in its benefits.[d]
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. However, they do it to receive a crown(X) that will fade away,(Y) but we a crown that will never fade away. 26 Therefore 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.(Z)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit a sister as a wife
- 1 Corinthians 9:9 Dt 25:4
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 Other mss omit though I myself am not under law
- 1 Corinthians 9:23 Lit partner of it
1 Corinthians 9
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
9 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? 2 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.
3 · ho This houtos is eimi my emos defense apologia to those ho who sit in judgment on anakrinō me egō. 4 Do we not ou have echō the right exousia to eat esthiō and kai drink pinō? 5 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? 6 Or ē is it only monos I egō and kai Barnabas Barnabas who have echō no ou right exousia to refrain mē from working ergazomai? 7 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
8 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? 9 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 mē 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 mē 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 mē 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 mē 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 mē 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 mē be ginomai disqualified adokimos.
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