- 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 I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are *ye* in [the] Lord.
- 3
- My defence to those who examine me is this:
- 4
- Have we not a right to eat and to drink?
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- have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
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- Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?
- 7
- Who ever carries on war at his own charges?
who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
- 8
- Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?
- 9
- For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn.
Is God occupied about the oxen,
- 10
- or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes?
For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it].
- 11
- If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?
- 12
- If others partake of this right over you, should not rather *we*?
But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.
- 13
- Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple;
they that attend at the altar partake with the altar?
- 14
- So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
- 15
- But *I* have used none of these things.
Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.
- 16
- For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of;
for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.
- 17
- For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward;
but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.
- 18
- What is the reward then that I have?
That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.
- 19
- For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].
- 20
- And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law:
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- to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain [those] without law.
- 22
- I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak.
To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some.
- 23
- And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
- 24
- Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize?
Thus run in order that ye may obtain.
- 25
- But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: *they* then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but *we* an incorruptible.
- 26
- *I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly;
so I combat, as not beating the air.
- 27
- But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.
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