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Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
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?
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?
The Rights of the Apostles
Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not *ye* my work in [the] Lord?
Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not *ye* my work 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.
If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are *ye* in [the] Lord.
This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
My defence to those who examine me is this:
have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?
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?
Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?
For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen,
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.
or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it].
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?
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.
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
If others partake of this right over you, should not rather *we*? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.
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?
Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar?
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
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.
But *I* have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.
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!
For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.
If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.
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.
What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
Paul a Servant to All
For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].
For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].
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.
And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under 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.
to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain [those] without law.
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.
I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
The Need for Self-Discipline
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.
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.
Run Your Race to Win
Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.
Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.
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.
But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: *they* then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but *we* an incorruptible.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
*I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.