| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ 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 yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord? |
| 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. | 2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. |
| 3My defense to those who examine me is this: | 3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me: |
| 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? | 4Have we no right to food and to drink? |
| 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? | 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? |
| 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? | 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living? |
| 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? | 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk? |
| 8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? | 8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? |
| 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? | 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? |
| 10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. | 10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest. |
| 11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? | 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you? |
| 12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. | 12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. |
| 13Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? | 13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? |
| 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. |
| 15But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. | 15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast. |
| 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! | 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! |
| 17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. | 17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility. |
| 18What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. | 18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it. |
| 19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; | 19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. |
| 20and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; | 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law. |
| 21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; | 21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law. |
| 22to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. | 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. |
| 23Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. | 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. |
| 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. | 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. |
| 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. | 25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. |
| 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. | 26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. |
| 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. | 27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. |
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