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Paul’s Use of Liberty
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen 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 you not my work in the Lord?
Paul Gives Up His Rights
Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord?
Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to 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 if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
My defense to those who examine me is this:
Do we not have a right to eat and drink?
Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals?
Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?
What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk?
I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things?
Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing?
For it is written in the Law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He?
Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.
Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.
If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?
If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?
Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings.
So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.
But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.
Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.
What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.