1 Corinthians 9

¹Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? ²If 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. ³My defence to them that examine me is this. ⁴Have we no right to eat and to drink? ⁵Have 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? ⁶Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? ⁷What 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? ⁸Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? ⁹For 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, ¹⁰or 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, to thresh in hope of partaking. ¹¹If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? ¹²If others partake of 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. ¹³Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? ¹⁴Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel. ¹⁵But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. ¹⁶For 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. ¹⁷For 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. ¹⁸What 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. ¹⁹For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. ²⁰And 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; ²¹to 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. ²²To 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. ²³And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. ²⁴Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. ²⁵And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. ²⁶I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: ²⁷but 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.