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| [1] | AM I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? |
| [2] | If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. |
| [3] | My defence to them that examine me is this. |
| [4] | Have we no right to eat and to drink? |
| [5] | Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, 1 even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? |
| [6] | Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? |
| [7] | What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? |
| [8] | Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? |
| [9] | For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth, |
| [10] | or saith he it assuredly 2 for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking. |
| [11] | If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? |
| [12] | If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel 3 of Christ. |
| [13] | Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? |
| [14] | Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel 4 should live of the gospel. 5 |
| [15] | But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. |
| [16] | For if I preach 6 the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach 7 not the gospel. |
| [17] | For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me. |
| [18] | What then is my reward? That, when I preach 8 the gospel, I may make the gospel 9 without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel. 10 |
| [19] | For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. |
| [20] | And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; |
| [21] | to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. |
| [22] | To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. |
| [23] | And I do all things for the gospel’s 11 sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. |
| [24] | Know ye not that they that run in a race 12 run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. |
| [25] | And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. |
| [26] | I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight 13 I, as not beating the air: |
| [27] | but I buffet 14 my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have 15 preached to others, I myself should be rejected. |
