| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1I am free, am I not? I am an apostle, am I not? I have seen Jesus our Lord, haven't I? You are the result of my work in the Lord, aren't you? | 1Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? |
| 2If I am not an apostle to other people, surely I am one to you, for you are the evidence of my apostolic authority from the Lord. | 2Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle. |
| 3This is my defense to those who would examine me: | 3This is my answer to those who question my authority. |
| 4We have the right to earn our food, don't we? | 4Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? |
| 5We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we? | 5Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? |
| 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to keep on working for a living? | 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? |
| 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of its grapes? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink any of its milk? | 7What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? |
| 8I am not saying this on human authority, am I? The Law says the same thing, doesn't it? | 8Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? |
| 9For in the Law of Moses it is written, "You must not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not only concerned about oxen, is he? | 9For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? |
| 10Isn't he really speaking for our benefit? Yes, this was written for our benefit, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. | 10Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest. |
| 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? | 11Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? |
| 12If others enjoy this right over you, don't we have a stronger claim? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we tolerate everything in order not to put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of the Messiah. | 12If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. |
| 13You know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who serve at the altar get their share of its offerings, don't you? | 13Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. |
| 14In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who proclaim the gospel should make their living from the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. |
| 15But I have not used any of these rights, and I'm not writing this so that they may be applied in my case. I would rather die than let anyone deprive me of my reason for boasting. | 15Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. |
| 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't preach the gospel! | 16Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! |
| 17For if I preach voluntarily, I get a reward, but if I am unwilling to do it, I am still entrusted with that obligation. | 17If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. |
| 18What, then, is my reward? It is to be able to preach the gospel free of charge, and so I never resort to demanding my rights when I'm preaching the gospel. | 18What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. |
| 19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people. | 19Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. |
| 20To the Jews I became like a Jew in order to win Jews. To those under the Law I became like a man under the Law, in order to win those under the Law (although I myself am not under the Law). | 20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. |
| 21To those who do not have the Law, I became like a man who does not have the Law in order to win those who do not have the Law. However, I am not free from God's Law, but I'm subject to the Messiah's law. | 21When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. |
| 22To the weak I became weak in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some of them. | 22When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. |
| 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings. | 23I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. |
| 24You know that in a race all the runners run but only one wins the prize, don't you? You must run in such a way that you may be victorious. | 24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! |
| 25Everyone who enters an athletic contest practices self-control in everything. They do it to win a wreath that withers away, but we run to win a prize that never fades. | 25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. |
| 26That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I fight, not like someone shadow boxing. | 26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. |
| 27No, I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified. | 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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