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 :defense to them that examine me is this. 4 Have we not authority to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not authority to lead about a wife that is a sister, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have we not authority to forbear working? 7 Who is ever a soldier at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I speak these things after man’s manner? or saith not the law also the same? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle an ox threshing. Or careth God for the oxen, 10 or saith he it altogether for us? Yea, for us it was written: because who ploweth ought to plow in hope; and who thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking. 11 If we sowed for you :spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your :carnal things? 12 If others partake of this :authority over you, do not we yet more? But we did not use this :authority; but we †bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of the Christ. 13 Know ye not that who minister about the holy things eat of the things of the holy place; they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? 14 Thus also the Lord ordained those proclaiming the gospel to live of the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things: and I write not these that it be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than—none shall make my :glorying void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is me, if I should not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this of my will, I have reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my :reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may give the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my :authority in the gospel. 19 For though I was free from all, 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 those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, that I might gain those under law; 21 to those without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain those 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, that I may become joint partaker thereof. 24 Know ye not that who run in a †racecourse run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run ye that ye may apprehend. 25 And every one that striveth in games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it therefore to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I accordingly so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating air: 27 but I bruise my :body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be disapproved.
