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The Rights of an Apostle

Verse1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?

Verse2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Verse3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:

Verse4Have we no right to food and to drink?

Verse5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

Verse6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

Verse7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

Verse8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

Verse9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

Verse10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.

Verse11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

Verse12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Verse13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

Verse14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Verse15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.

Verse16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Verse17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

Verse18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.

Paul the Servant to All

Verse19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Verse20To 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), to win those under the law.

Verse21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.

Verse22To 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.

Verse23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Run Your Race to Win

Verse24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.

Verse25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

Verse26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.

Verse27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.