1 Corinthians 9

A Pattern of Self‑Denial

Am ^aI not an apostle? Am I not free? ^bHave I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ^cAre you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are ^athe ¹seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 ^aDo we have no ¹right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along ¹a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, ^athe brothers of the Lord, and ^bCephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I ^awho have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever ^agoes to war at his own expense? Who ^bplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ^ctends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, ^a“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that ^ahe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 ^aIf we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
^aNevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things ^blest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 ^aDo you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the ^btemple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so ^athe Lord has commanded ^bthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 But ^aI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for ^bit would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for ^anecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, ^aI have a reward; but if against my will, ^bI have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That ^awhen I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel ¹of Christ without charge, that I ^bmay not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

19 For though I am ^afree from all men, ^bI have made myself a servant to all, ^cthat I might win the more; 20 and ^ato the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the ¹law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 ^ato ^bthose who are without law, as without law ^c(not being without ¹law toward God, but under ²law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 ^ato the weak I became ¹as weak, that I might win the weak. ^bI have become all things to all men, ^cthat I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? ^aRun in such a way that you may ¹obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize ¹is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for ^aan imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: ^anot with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 ^aBut I discipline my body and ^bbring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^cdisqualified.

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