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Chapter 9 |
1 |
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are
not ye my work in the Lord? |
2 |
If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal
of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. |
3 | Mine answer to them that do examine 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 well as other apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? |
6 | Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? |
7 | Who goeth a warfare any
time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? |
8 | Say I these things as a
man? or saith not the law the same also? |
9 | For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not
muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for
oxen?
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10 | Or saith he it
altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he
that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth 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 carnal things? |
12 |
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless
we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the
gospel of Christ. |
13 | Do
ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of
the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? |
14 | Even so hath the Lord
ordained that they which 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 glorying
void. |
16 | For though I
preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory 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 dispensation 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 power in the gospel. |
19 | For though I be 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 to 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 ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. |
25 | And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we
an incorruptible. |
26 | I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air: |
27 | But I keep under
my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. |
