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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?
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 if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
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.
My defence to those who examine me is this:
Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals?
Have we not a right to eat and to drink?
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 Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?
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?
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?
Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does 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,
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.
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].
Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?
If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?
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.
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 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.
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 ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.
So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.
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.
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.
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 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 were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.
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 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.
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.
Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.
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].
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.
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 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.
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 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 everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
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.
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.
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.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
*I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.