| 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 ? |
| 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 . |
