1Co 1 Corinthians, chapter First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 9
Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are yöu not my work in the LORD? Act 9:3; Act 22:18; 1Co 4:15; 1Co 15:8If I am not an apostle to others—yet doubtless I am to yöu; for yöu are the seal of my apostleship in the LORD. 2Co 3:2My defense to those who examine me in this: do we not have authority to eat and to drink? Luk 10:7; 2Th 3:9Do we not have authority to lead about a sister—a wife—as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the LORD, and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I have no authority not to work? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? 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? Do I speak these things according to man? Or does the Law not also say these things? For in the Law of Moses it has been written: “you will not muzzle an ox treading out grain”; does God care for the oxen? Deu 25:4; 1Ti 5:18Or by all means does He say [it] because of us? 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. If we sowed to yöu the spiritual things—[is it] great if we reap yöur fleshly things? Rom 15:27If others partake of the authority over yöu—[do] we not more? But we did not use this authority, but we bear all things, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ. Act 20:33; 2Co 11:8; 1Th 2:9Have yöu not known that those working about the things of the temple eat of the temple, and those waiting at the altar are partakers with the altar? Deu 18:8So also the LORD directed to those proclaiming the good news to live of the good news. Mat 10:10And 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 anyone may make my glorying void; for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid on me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news; Act 9:6; Act 13:2for if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly—I have been entrusted with a stewardship! What, then, is my reward? That proclaiming good news, without charge I will make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news; for being free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that the more I might gain; 1Co 10:33and to the Jews I became like a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law as under law, that I might gain those under law; 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; 1Co 7:18to the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some. Rom 15:1And I do this because of the good news, that I may become a fellow-partaker of it; have yöu not known that those running in a race—all indeed run, but one receives the prize? So run that yöu may obtain; Php 3:12; 2Ti 4:7and everyone who is striving is temperate in all things; these, indeed, then, that they may receive a corruptible garland, but we an incorruptible; 2Ti 2:4; Rev 2:10I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air; but I bruise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others—I myself may become disapproved.Rom 6:18