1 Corinthians 9 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Corinthians 9 ▼
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1 Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
2 And if I am not an Apostle to others, yet still I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord. If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense with those who question me is this: This is my defense to those who would examine me. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
4 Do we not have the authority to eat and to drink? Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to food and drink?
5 Do we not have the authority to travel around with a woman who is a sister, just as do the other Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
7 Who has ever served as a soldier and paid his own stipend? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from its produce? Who pastures a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?
8 Am I saying these things according to man? Or does the law not also say these things? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses: “You shall not bind the mouth of an ox, while it is treading out the grain.” Is God here concerned with the oxen? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10 Or is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce. Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
11 If we have sown spiritual things in you, is it important if we harvest from your worldly things? If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
12 If others are sharers in this authority over you, why are we not more entitled? And yet we have not used this authority. Instead, we bear all things, lest we give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who work in the holy place eat the things that are for the holy place, and that those who serve at the altar also share with the altar? Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
14 So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel. In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.
16 For if I preach the Gospel, it is not glory for me. For an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if I do this reluctantly, a dispensation is granted to me. For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
18 And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
19 For when I was a free man to all, I made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain all the more. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
21 To those who are under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
22 To the weak, I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 And I do everything for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become its partner. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26 And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
27 Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
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