|
Chapter 9 |
| 1 |
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are
not ye my work in the Lord? |
| 2 |
If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal
of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. |
| 3 | Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, |
| 4 | Have we not power to eat and to
drink? |
| 5 | Have we not
power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? |
|
6 | Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? |
| 7 | Who goeth a warfare any
time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? |
| 8 | Say I these things as a
man? or saith not the law the same also? |
| 9 | For it is written in the law of Moses,
Thou shalt not
muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for
oxen?
Deut 25:4
1 Tim 5:18
|
| 10 | Or saith he it
altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he
that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be
partaker of his hope. |
| 11 |
If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap
your carnal things? |
| 12 |
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless
we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the
gospel of Christ. |
| 13 | Do
ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of
the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? |
| 14 | Even so hath the Lord
ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. |
| 15 | But I have used none of these
things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me:
for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying
void. |
| 16 | For though I
preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me;
yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! |
|
17 | For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward:
but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. |
| 18 | What is my reward then?
Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without
charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. |
|
19 | For though I be free from all men, yet have I made
myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. |
| 20 | And unto the Jews I became as a Jew,
that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law,
that I might gain them that are under the law; |
|
21 | To them that are without law, as without law, (being
not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them
that are without law. |
| 22 |
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things
to all men, that I might by all means save some. |
|
23 | And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be
partaker thereof with you. |
| 24
| Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. |
| 25 | And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we
an incorruptible. |
| 26 | I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air: |
| 27 | But I keep under
my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. |
