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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?
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?
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.
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.
This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
Don’t we have the right to food and drink?
Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals?
Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
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?
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?
Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing?
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.
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 have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?
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 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.
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?
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.
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive 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 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.
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 when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to 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!
If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed 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? 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 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
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.
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 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.
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 do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
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.
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.