A Pattern of Self-Denial
1 AmI not an apostle? Am I not free?Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you arethe seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this:
4 Do we have no right to eat and drink?
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, asdoalso the other apostles,the brothers of the Lord, andCephas?
6 Orisitonly Barnabas and Iwhohave no right to refrain from working?
7 Who evergoes to war at his own expense? Whoplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or whotends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as amereman? Or does not the law say the same also?
9 For 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?
10 Or does He sayitaltogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt,thisis written, thathe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown spiritual things for you,isita great thing if we reap your material things?
12 If others are partakers ofthisright over you,arewe not even more?
# Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all thingslest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eatofthethingsof thetemple, and those who serve at the altar partake oftheofferingsofthe altar?
14 Even sothe Lord has commandedthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 ButI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; foritwouldbebetter 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, fornecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this willingly,I have a reward; but if against my will,I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
18 What is my reward then? Thatwhen I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that Imay not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Serving All Men
19 For though I amfree from allmen,I have made myself a servant to all,that I might win the more;
20 andto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to thosewhoareunder the law, as under the law, that I might win thosewhoareunder the law;
21 tothosewhoarewithout law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win thosewhoarewithout law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.I have become all things to allmen,that I might by all means save some.
23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it withyou.
Striving for a Crown
24 Do 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 obtainit.
25 And everyone who competesfortheprizeis temperate in all things. Now theydoitto obtain a perishable crown, but weforan imperishablecrown.
26 Therefore I run thus:not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not asonewhobeats the air.
27 But I discipline my body andbringitinto subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should becomedisqualified.