1 Corinthians 9
New Matthew Bible
Love forgoes the thing that she may do according to the law. Paul exhorts them to keep on running in the course that they have begun.
9 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet I am to you. For you in the Lord are the seal of my apostleship.
3 My answer to those who ask me is this: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and to drink? 5 Or do we not have the right to have with us a sister as wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right to do this?
Who goes to war any time at his own expense? 7 Who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit? Who feeds a flock, and drinks not of the milk? 8 Do I say these things after the manner of men, or does the law not say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses: You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Is God taking thought for oxen, 10 or does he say it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt this is written, because he who plows should plow in hope, and because he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we sow spiritual things unto you, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, why not rather we? Nevertheless, we have not exercised this right, but endure all things, lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not understand that those who minister in the temple have their provision from the temple? And those who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Likewise also did the Lord ordain that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15 But I have availed myself of none of these things. Neither have I written these things so that it would be done so for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to take this claim from me.
16 In that I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is put upon me; woe it is to me, if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I do it with a good will, I have a reward. But if I do it against my will, an office is committed to me. 18 What is my reward then? Truly, that when I preach the gospel, I make the gospel of Christ free: that I do not misuse my authority in the gospel.
19 For though no man is my master, yet I have made myself a servant to all, so that I might win the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, to win the Jews. To those who were under the law, I was as though under the law, to win those who were under the law. 21 To those who were without law, I became as though I were without law (when I was not without law as pertaining to God, but under a law as concerning Christ), to win those who were without law. 22 To the weak I became as weak, to win the weak. In all things I fashioned myself to all men, to save at least some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, so that I may have my part in it.
24 Do you not perceive that of those who run in a race, all run, yet but one receives the reward? So run that you may prevail. 25 Athletes who compete discipline themselves in all things. And they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we to obtain an incorruptible crown. 26 I therefore run accordingly: not as at an uncertain thing. I fight accordingly: not as one who beats the air, 27 but I tame my body, and bring it into subjection, lest after I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9
World English Bible
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work? 7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?
8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.”(A) Is it for the oxen that God cares, 10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things? 12 If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more?
Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? 14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
15 But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News. 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law,[a] that I might gain those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. 24 Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win. 25 Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, 27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Footnotes
- 9:20 NU adds: though I myself am not under the law
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
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