1st Corinthians 9

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¹Whether I am not free? Am I not apostle? Whether I saw not Jesus Christ, our Lord? Whether ye be not my work in the Lord?

²And though to others I am not apostle, but nevertheless to you I am; for ye be the little sign of mine apostlehood in the Lord.

³My defence to them that ask me, that is or is this.

⁴Whether we have not power to eat and drink?

⁵Whether we have not power to lead about a woman, a sister, as also other apostles, and brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Or I alone and Barnabas have not power to work these things?

⁷Who travaileth any time with his own soldier’s wages? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of his fruit? Who keepeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

⁸Whether after man I say these things? whether also the law saith not these things?

⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not bind up the mouth of the ox that thresheth. Whether of oxen is charge to God?

¹⁰Whether for us he saith these things? For why those be written for us; for he that eareth, oweth to ear in hope, and he that thresheth, in hope to take fruits.

¹¹If we sow spiritual things to you, is it great, if we reap your fleshly things?

¹²If others be partners of your power, why not rather we? But we use not this power, but we suffer all things, that we give no hindering to the evangel of Christ.

¹³Know ye not, that they that work in the temple, eat those things that be of the temple, and they that serve to the altar, be partners of the altar?

¹⁴So the Lord ordained to them that tell the gospel, to live of the gospel.

¹⁵But I used none of these things; and I wrote not these things, that they be done so in me; for it is good rather for me to die, than that any man avoid my glory.

¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, glory is not to me, for need-like I must do it; for woe to me, if I preach not the gospel.

¹⁷But if I do this thing willfully or willingly, I have meed; but if against my will, dispensing or dispensation is betaken to me.

¹⁸What then is my meed? That I preaching the gospel, put the gospel without others’ cost, or expense, either taking of sustenance therefore, that I use or mis-use not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹For why when I was free of all men, I made me servant of all men, to win the more men or that I should win more men.

²⁰And to Jews I am made as a Jew, to win the Jews; to them that be under the law, as I were under the law, when I was not under the law, to win them that were under the law;

²¹to them that were without law, as I were without law, when I was not without the law of God, but I was in the law of Christ, to win them that were without the law.

²²I am made sick to sick men, to win sick men; to all men I am made all things, to make all men safe.

²³But I do all things for the gospel, that I be made partner of it.

²⁴Know ye not, that they that run in a furlong, all run, but one taketh the prize? So run ye, that ye catch.

²⁵Each man that striveth in fight, abstaineth him from all things; and they, that they take a corruptible crown, but we an uncorrupt.

²⁶Therefore I run so, not as to an uncertain thing; thus I fight, not as beating the air;

²⁷but I chastise my body, and bring it into servage or servitude; lest peradventure when I preach to others, I myself be made reprovable.