1 Corinthians 9
New English Translation
The Rights of 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 confirming sign[a] of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to financial support?[b] 5 Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?[c] 6 Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? 7 Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? 8 Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense,[d] or does the law not say this as well? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[e] God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? 10 Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. 11 If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? 12 If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving?
But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple[f] eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? 14 In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me.[g] In fact, it would be better for me to die than—no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting![h] 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. 18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.[i] 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law)[j] to gain those under the law. 21 To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. 22 To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.
23 I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.
24 Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
26 So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:2 tn Grk “the seal.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:4 tn Grk “the right to eat and drink.” In the context this is a figurative reference to financial support.
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211). Both the Aramaic name “Cephas” and the Greek name “Peter” are related to words in each language which mean “rock.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “only according to human authority”; Grk “saying these things according to men.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:9 sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 tn Grk “working the sacred things.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:15 tn Grk “so that it will happen in this way in my case.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:15 tc The reading ἤ—τὸ καύχημά μου οὐδεὶς κενώσει (ē—to kauchēma mou oudeis kenōsei, “than—no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!”) is syntactically abrupt, but fully in keeping with Pauline style. It is supported by P46 א* B D*,c 33 1739 1881 as well as early patristic authors. Most witnesses, especially the later ones (א2 C D2 Ψ M lat), have a significantly smoother reading than this: ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ (or κενώσει); ē to kauchēma mou hina tis kenōsē (or kenōsei), “than that anyone should deprive me of my boasting.” The simple replacement of οὐδείς with ἵνα essentially accomplishes the smoothing out of the text, and as such the ἵνα reading is suspect. Not only is the harder reading in keeping with Pauline style, but it is also found in the earlier and better witnesses.sn Paul breaks off his thought at mid-sentence (indicated by the dash in the translation) and it is somewhat difficult to determine his reason for boasting. Most likely Paul would rather die than be deprived of the boast that he had offered the gospel free of charge even though as an apostle he had the right to such support (9:14). Did he say this as a way of criticizing his opponents? Perhaps only indirectly. His focus has more to do with not hindering the gospel than what his opponents were doing (9:12).
- 1 Corinthians 9:19 tn Or “more converts.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 tc The Byzantine text, as well as a few other witnesses (D2 [L] Ψ 1881 M) lack this parenthetical material, while geographically widespread, early, and diverse witnesses have the words (so א A B C D* F G P 33 104 365 1175 1505 1739 al latt). The phrase may have dropped out accidentally through homoioteleuton (note that both the preceding phrase and the parenthesis end in ὑπὸ νόμον [hupo nomon, “under the law”]), or intentionally by overscrupulous scribes who felt that the statement “I myself am not under the law” could have led to license.
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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