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Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?
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if to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am;
for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
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My defence to those who examine me in this;
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have we not authority to eat and to drink?
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have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
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or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?
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who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?
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According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?
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for in the law of Moses it hath been written, `thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care?
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or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.
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If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?
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if others do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.
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Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?
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so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.
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And I have used none of these things;
neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;
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for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news;
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for if willing I do this, I have a reward;
and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!
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What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;
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for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;
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and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain;
to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;
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to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;
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I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain;
to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.
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And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;
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have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;
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and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate;
these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;
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I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;
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but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.