Christian Standard Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? | 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? |
2If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. | 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. |
3My defense to those who examine me is this: | 3My defense to those who examine me is this: |
4Don't we have the right to eat and drink? | 4Do we not have a right to eat and drink? |
5Don't we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas? | 5Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? |
6Or do only Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from working? | 6Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? |
7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? | 7Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? |
8Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn't the law also say the same thing? | 8I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? |
9For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. Is God really concerned about oxen? | 9For it is written in the Law of Moses, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about oxen, is He? |
10Isn't he really saying it for our sake? Yes, this is written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. | 10Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. |
11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? | 11If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? |
12If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don't we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. | 12If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. |
13Don't you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? | 13Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? |
14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. | 14So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. |
15For my part I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! | 15But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. |
16For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach--and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! | 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. |
17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a commission. | 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. |
18What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my rights in the gospel. | 18What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. |
19Although I am free from all and not anyone's slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. | 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. |
20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law--though I myself am not under the law--to win those under the law. | 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; |
21To those who are without the law, like one without the law--though I am not without God's law but under the law of Christ--to win those without the law. | 21to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. |
22To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. | 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. |
23Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings. | 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. |
24Don't you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. | 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. |
25Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. | 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. |
26So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. | 26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; |
27Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. | 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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