19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win(A) 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[a]—to win those under the law.(B) 21 To those who are without the law,(C) like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—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.(D) 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:20 Other mss omit though I myself am not under the law

19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.[a] 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)[b] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.