1 Corinthians 9-10

New King James Version

A Pattern of Self-Denial

9 Am ^(A)I not an apostle? Am I not free? ^(B)Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ^(C)Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are ^(D)the ^[a]seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ My defense to those who examine me is this: ^4 (E)Do we have no ^[b]right to eat and drink? ⁵ Do we have no right to take along ^[c]a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, ^(F)the brothers of the Lord, and ^(G)Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I ^(H)who have no right to refrain from working? ⁷ Who ever ^(I)goes to war at his own expense? Who ^(J)plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ^(K)tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

⁸ Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, ^(L)“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? ¹⁰ Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that ^(M)he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. ^11 (N)If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? ¹² If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

^(O)Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things ^(P)lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. ^13 (Q)Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the ^(R)temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴ Even so ^(S)the Lord has commanded ^(T)that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

¹⁵ But ^(U)I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for ^(V)it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for ^(W)necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, ^(X)I have a reward; but if against my will, ^(Y)I have been entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸ What is my reward then? That ^(Z)when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel ^[d]of Christ without charge, that I ^(AA)may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

¹⁹ For though I am ^(AB)free from all men, ^(AC)I have made myself a servant to all, ^(AD)that I might win the more; ²⁰ and ^(AE)to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the ^[e]law, that I might win those who are under the law; ^21 (AF)to ^(AG)those who are without law, as without law ^(AH)(not being without ^[f]law toward God, but under ^[g]law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ^22 (AI)to the weak I became ^[h]as weak, that I might win the weak. ^(AJ)I have become all things to all men, ^(AK)that I might by all means save some. ²³ Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? ^(AL)Run in such a way that you may ^[i]obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize ^[j]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for ^(AM)an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: ^(AN)not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ^27 (AO)But I discipline my body and ^(AP)bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^(AQ)disqualified.

Old Testament Examples

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under ^(AR)the cloud, all passed through ^(AS)the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same ^(AT)spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same ^(AU)spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies ^(AV)were scattered in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as ^(AW)they also lusted. ^7 (AX)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ^(AY)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ^8 (AZ)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as ^(BA)some of them did, and ^(BB)in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us ^[k]tempt Christ, as ^(BC)some of them also tempted, and ^(BD)were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as ^(BE)some of them also complained, and ^(BF)were destroyed by ^(BG)the destroyer. ¹¹ Now ^[l]all these things happened to them as examples, and ^(BH)they were written for our ^[m]admonition, ^(BI)upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹² Therefore ^(BJ)let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but ^(BK)God is faithful, ^(BL)who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to ^[n]bear it.

Flee from Idolatry

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, ^(BM)flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to ^(BN)wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. ^16 (BO)The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the ^[o]communion of the blood of Christ? ^(BP)The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ For ^(BQ)we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

¹⁸ Observe ^(BR)Israel ^(BS)after the flesh: ^(BT)Are not those who eat of the sacrifices ^[p]partakers of the altar? ¹⁹ What am I saying then? ^(BU)That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰ Rather, that the things which the Gentiles ^(BV)sacrifice ^(BW)they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ^21 (BX)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ^(BY)the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the ^(BZ)Lord’s table and of the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(CA)provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^(CB)Are we stronger than He?

All to the Glory of God^(CC)

²³ All things are lawful ^[q]for me, but not all things are ^(CD)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things ^[r]edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but each one ^(CE)the other’s well-being.

^25 (CF)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for ^(CG)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁷ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, ^(CH)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it ^(CI)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; ^[s]for ^(CJ)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” ²⁹ “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For ^(CK)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? ³⁰ But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food ^(CL)over which I give thanks?

^31 (CM)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (CN)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just ^(CO)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.