1 Am I not sent? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my work in the Lord
2 If to others I am not sent, but surely I am to you: for the seal of my sending are ye in the Lord.
3 My justification to them examining me is this,
4 have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife; as also the rest of the sent, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power not to work?
7 Who makes war at any time at his own charges who plants a vineyard, and eats not of its fruit or who feeds a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock?
8 Not according to man do I speak these things: or does not the law also say these things?
9 For in the law of Moses has been written, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox grinding. Is there not care to God for oxen?
10 Or does he say altogether on account of us? For it was written on account of us: that he ploughing ought to plough upon hope; and he grinding upon hope, to participate with his hope.
11 If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it great if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If others participate with your power, not rather we? But we used not this power; but endure all things, lest we give some hindrance to the good news of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they working consecrated things, eat of the temple? they working diligently at the altar, share together with the altar?
14 Thus also the Lord appointed to them announcing good news to live of the good news.
15 But I used none of these things: and I wrote not these things, that thus it might be with me: for good to me rather to die, than that any should render my boasting void.
16 For if I announce the good news, there is no boasting to me: for necessity is laid upon me; and woe is to me, if I announce not the good news!
17 For if of free will I do this, I have reward: and if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
18 What reward therefore is to me? That announcing good news, I shall make the good news of Christ not expensive, not to make use of my power in the good news.
19 For being free from all, I have subjected myself to all, that I might gain the more.
20 And I was to the Jews as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: to them under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them under the law;
21 To the lawless, as lawless, (not being lawless to God, but subject to the law to Christ,) that I might gain the lawless,
22 I became to the weak as weak, that I might gain the weak: I have been all things to all, that altogether I might save some.
23 And this. I do on account of the good news, that I might become a partaker of it.
24 Do ye not know that they running in a race-course, all truly run, and one receives the prize of combat? Do ye so run, that ye might receive.
25 And every one contending for the prize, has self command in all things. These surely therefore that they might receive a corruptible crown; and we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so practise I pugilism, as not laying stripes upon air:
27 But I give my body a blow under the eyes, and reduce to bondage: lest having proclaimed to others, I myself be rejected.