1 Corinthians 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Paul Gives Up His Rights
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 to others I am not an apostle, 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 (G)Do we not have authority to eat and drink? 5 (H)Do we not have authority to take along a [a]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the (I)brothers of the Lord and (J)Cephas? 6 Or do only [b](K)Barnabas and I not have authority to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves (L)as a soldier at his own expense? Who (M)plants a vineyard and does not [c]consume the fruit of it? Or who shepherds a flock and does not [d]consume the milk of the flock?
8 Am I speaking these things (N)according to [e]human judgment? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “(O)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” Is God merely concerned about (P)oxen? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, (Q)for our sake it was written, because (R)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing 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 this authority over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we (T)did not use this authority, 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 [f]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 am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case, for it would be better for me to die than have anyone make (AC)my boast an empty one. 16 For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast, for (AD)I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not proclaim (AE)the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a (AF)reward; but if against my will, I have a (AG)stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my (AH)reward? That, when I proclaim the gospel, I may offer the gospel (AI)without charge, so as (AJ)not to make full use of my authority in the gospel.
19 For though I am (AK)free from all, I have made myself (AL)a slave to all, so that I may (AM)win more. 20 (AN)And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews. To those who are under [g]the Law, as under [h]the Law though (AO)not being myself under [i]the Law, so that I might win those who are under [j]the Law. 21 To those who are (AP)without law, (AQ)as without law, though not being without the law of God but (AR)under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the (AS)weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become (AT)all things to all men, (AU)so that I may by all means save some. 23 So 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 [k]race all run, but only one receives (AW)the prize? (AX)Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who (AY)competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a corruptible (AZ)crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 Therefore I (BA)run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not (BB)beating the air; 27 but I [l]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 9:5 Lit sister, as wife
- 1 Corinthians 9:6 Lit I and Barnabas
- 1 Corinthians 9:7 Lit eat of
- 1 Corinthians 9:7 Lit eat of
- 1 Corinthians 9:8 Lit man
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 Lit with
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
- 1 Corinthians 9:24 Lit stadium
- 1 Corinthians 9:27 Lit bruise
1 Corinthians 9
Common English Bible
Waiving rights for the gospel
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2 If I’m not an apostle to others, at least I am to you! You are the seal that shows I’m an apostle. 3 This is my defense against those who criticize me. 4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to travel with a wife who believes like the rest of the apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who don’t have the right to not work for our living? 7 Who joins the army and pays their own way? Who plants a vineyard and doesn’t eat its fruit? Who shepherds a flock and doesn’t drink its milk? 8 I’m not saying these things just based on common sense, am I? Doesn’t the Law itself say these things? 9 In Moses’ Law it’s written: You will not muzzle the ox when it is threshing.[a] Is God worried about oxen, 10 or did he say this entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake because the one who plows and the one who threshes should each do so with the hope of sharing the produce. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it so much to ask to harvest some material things from you?
12 If others have these rights over you, don’t we deserve them all the more? However, we haven’t made use of this right, but we put up with everything so we don’t put any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get to eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share part of what is sacrificed on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel. 15 But I haven’t taken advantage of this. And I’m not writing this so that it will be done for me. It’s better for me to die than to lose my right to brag about this! 16 If I preach the gospel, I have no reason to brag, since I’m obligated to do it. I’m in trouble if I don’t preach the gospel. 17 If I do this voluntarily, I get rewarded for it. But if I’m forced to do it, then I’ve been charged with a responsibility. 18 What reward do I get? That when I preach, I offer the good news free of charge. That’s why I don’t use the rights to which I’m entitled through the gospel.
19 Although I’m free from all people, I make myself a slave to all people, to recruit more of them. 20 I act like a Jew to the Jews, so I can recruit Jews. I act like I’m under the Law to those under the Law, so I can recruit those who are under the Law (though I myself am not under the Law). 21 I act like I’m outside the Law to those who are outside the Law, so I can recruit those outside the Law (though I’m not outside the law of God but rather under the law of Christ). 22 I act weak to the weak, so I can recruit the weak. I have become all things to all people, so I could save some by all possible means. 23 All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel, so I can be a partner with it.
24 Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. 25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. 26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. 27 Rather, I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others.
Footnotes
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