1Corinthians - Chapter 9 | American Standard Version

  • 1. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?
  • 2. If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
  • 3. My defence to them that examine me is this.
  • 4. Have we no right to eat and to drink?
  • 5. Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
  • 6. Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?
  • 7. What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
  • 8. Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same?
  • 9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth,
  • 10. or saith he it assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, {cf15i to thresh} in hope of partaking.
  • 11. If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?
  • 12. If others partake of {cf15i this} right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
  • 13. Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat {cf15i of} the things of the temple, {cf15i and} they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?
  • 14. Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.
  • 15. But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for {cf15i it were} good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorifying void.
  • 16. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.
  • 17. For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.
  • 18. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.
  • 19. For though I was free from all {cf15i men,} I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
  • 20. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
  • 21. to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.
  • 22. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
  • 23. And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.
  • 24. Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.
  • 25. And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they {cf15i do it} to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
  • 26. I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:
  • 27. but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
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