The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

(Deuteronomy 18:1–8)

Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my worke in the Lord?

If I be not an Apostle vnto other, yet doutlesse I am vnto you: for ye are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord.

My defence to them that examine mee, is this,

Haue we not power to eat and to drinke?

Or haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister, as well as the rest of the Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or I only and Barnabas, haue not we power not to worke?

Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?

Say I these thinges according to man? saith not the Lawe the same also?

For it is written in the Lawe of Moses, Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doeth God take care for oxen?

Either saith hee it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt it is written, that he which eareth, should eare in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.

If wee haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges?

If others with you bee partakers of this power, are not we rather? neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, that we should not hinder the Gospel of Christ.

Doe ye not knowe, that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple? and they which waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar?

So also hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach ye Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.

But I haue vsed none of these things: neither wrote I these things, that it should be so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my reioycing vaine.

For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to reioyce of: for necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.

For if I do it willingly, I haue a reward, but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding the dispensation is committed vnto me.

What is my reward then? verely that when I preach the Gospel, I make the Gospel of Christ free, that I abuse not mine authoritie in ye Gospel.

Paul the Servant to All

For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.

And vnto the Iewes, I become as a Iewe, that I may winne the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Lawe, as though I were vnder the Lawe, that I may winne them that are vnder the Lawe:

To them that are without Lawe, as though I were without Lawe, (when I am not without Lawe as pertaining to God, but am in the Lawe through Christ) that I may winne them that are without Lawe:

To the weake I become as weake, that I may winne the weake: I am made all thinges to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.

And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Run Your Race to Win

Knowe ye not, that they which runne in a race, runne all, yet one receiueth the price? so runne that ye may obtaine.

And euery man that proueth masteries, abstaineth from all things: and they do it to obtaine a corruptible crowne: but we for an vncorruptible.

I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre.

But I beate downe my body, and bring it into subiection, lest by any meanes after that I haue preached to other, I my selfe should be reproued.

(Deuteronomy 18:1–8)

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?

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.

My defense to those who examine me is this:

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

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?

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

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?

Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?

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,

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.

If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

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.

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?

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Paul the Servant to All

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law,(b) that I might gain those who are under the law;

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.

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.

Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

Run Your Race to Win

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.

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.

I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,

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

(a)9:9 ℘ Deuteronomy 25:4

(b)9:20 NU adds: though I myself am not under the law