Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
9 ¶ Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 ¶ My answer to those that examine me is this,
4 Do we not have authority to eat and to drink?
5 Do we not have authority to bring with us a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles and as the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
6 Do only Barnabas and I not have authority to forbear working?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say this only according to men? or does not the law say the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Does God take care for oxen?
10 Or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope, and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap material things from you?
12 If others are partakers of this authority over you, why not us? Nevertheless we have not used this authority, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that those who work with sacred things live of the things of the sanctuary? and those who serve at the altar partake of the altar?
14 Even so the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
15 ¶ But I have used none of these things, neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me; for it were better for me to die than that anyone should make this my glory void.
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have no reason to glory, for it is an obligation laid upon me; for woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, the stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me.
18 What reward, then, shall I have? That preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel of the Christ without charge, that I abuse not my authority in the gospel.
19 ¶ Therefore, though I am free regarding everyone, yet I have made myself slave unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those that are under the law;
21 to those that are without law, as without law (being not without law of God, but under the law of Christ), that I might gain those that are without law.
22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to everyone, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker together of it.
24 ¶ Know ye not that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.
25 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible one.
26 I therefore so run, not as unto an uncertain thing; so I fight, not as one that beats the air;
27 but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest preaching to others, I myself should become reprobate.
10 ¶ Moreover, brothers, I would that ye not ignore how our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea
2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea
3 and did all eat the same spiritual food
4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was the Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not pleased; therefore, they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 ¶ Now these things became types of us, that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell dead: in one day, twenty-three thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt the Christ, as some of them also tempted and perished by the serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and perished by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them as types, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
12 Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
14 Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 ¶ I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ?
17 For one loaf of bread means that many are one body, for we are all partakers of that one loaf.
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices participants of the altar?
19 What do I say then? that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?
20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I would not that ye should be participants of demons.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; ye cannot be participants of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 ¶ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify.
24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other.
25 Whatever is sold in the market, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake;
26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.
27 If any of those that do not believe bid you to a feast, and ye are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you asking no questions for conscience sake.
28 But if anyone says unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, do not eat it for the sake of him that disclosed it and for conscience sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof:
29 conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other, for why should my liberty be judged by another man’s conscience?
30 For if I by grace am a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever ye do, do everything for the glory of God.
32 Be without offense, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God;
33 even as I please everyone in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
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