1 Corinthians 9:1-27 - Paul Gives Up His Rights As An Apostle

¹ Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you my work in the Lord? ² If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord. ³ My answer to them that do examine me is this, ⁴ Have we not the right to eat and to drink? ⁵ Have we not the right to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have not we the right to forbear working? ⁷ Who goes to warfare any time at his own expense? who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit thereof? or who feeds a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock? ⁸ Say I these things as a man? or says not the law the same also? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Does God care for oxen? ¹⁰ Or says he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. ¹¹ If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your material things? ¹² If others be partakers of this right over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this right; but endure all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that they who minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? ¹⁴ Even so has the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my boasting void. ¹⁶ For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me. ¹⁸ What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. ²⁰ And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; ²¹ To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. ²² To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴ Know you not that they who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. ²⁵ And every man that strives for self control is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. ²⁶ I therefore so run, not with uncertainty; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: ²⁷ But I roughly treat my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.