1 Corinthians 9 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Paul’s Use of Freedom

1 Am ^G1510 I not free ^G1658? Am ^G1510 I not an apostle ^G652? Have I not seen ^G3708 Jesus ^G2424 our Lord ^G2962? Are you not my work ^G2041 in the Lord ^G2962?

2 If ^G1487 I am ^G1510 not an apostle ^G652 to others ^G243, at ^G235 G1065 least ^G235 G1065 I am ^G1510 to you; for you are the seal ^G4973 of my apostleship ^G651 in the Lord ^G2962.

3 My defense ^G627 to those ^G3588 who examine ^G350 me is this ^G3778: 4 [fn]Do we not have ^G2192 a right ^G1849 to eat ^G2068 and drink ^G4095? 5 [fn]Do we not have ^G2192 a right ^G1849 to take ^G4013 along ^G4013 a [fn]believing ^G79 wife ^G1135, even ^G2532 as the rest ^G3062 of the apostles ^G652 and the brothers ^G80 of the Lord ^G2962, and [fn]Cephas ^G2786? 6 Or ^G2228 do only ^G3441 [fn]Barnabas ^G921 and I have ^G2192 no ^G3756 right ^G1849 to refrain ^G3361 from [fn]working ^G2038? 7 Who ^G5101 at any ^G4218 time ^G4218 serves ^G4754 as ^G4754 a ^G4754 soldier ^G4754 at his own ^G2398 expense ^G3800? Who ^G5101 plants ^G5452 a vineyard ^G290 and does not eat ^G2068 its fruit ^G2590? Or ^G2228 who ^G5101 tends ^G4165 a flock ^G4167 and does not [fn]consume ^G2068 some ^G1537 of the milk ^G1051 of the flock ^G4167?

8 I am not just asserting ^G2980 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 according ^G2596 to human ^G444 judgment ^G444, am I? Or ^G2228 does the Law ^G3551 not say ^G3004 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 as ^G2532 well ^G2532? 9 For it is written ^G1125 in the Law ^G3551 of Moses ^G3475: “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE ^G5392 THE OX ^G1016 WHILE IT IS THRESHING ^G248.” God ^G2316 is not concerned ^G3199 about ^G3199 oxen ^G1016, is He? 10 Or ^G2228 is He speaking ^G3004 entirely ^G3843 for our sake ^G1223? Yes ^G1063, it was written ^G1125 for our sake ^G1223, because ^G3754 the plowman ^G722 ought ^G3784 to plow ^G722 in hope ^G1680, and the thresher ^G248 to thresh in hope ^G1680 of sharing ^G3348 in the crops. 11 If ^G1487 we sowed ^G4687 spiritual ^G4152 things ^G4152 in you, is it too ^G3173 much ^G3173 if ^G1487 we reap ^G2325 material ^G4559 things ^G4559 from you? 12 If ^G1487 others ^G243 share ^G3348 the right ^G1849 over you, do we not more ^G3123? Nevertheless ^G235, we did not use ^G5530 this ^G3778 right ^G1849, but we endure ^G4722 all ^G3956 things ^G3956 so ^G2443 that ^G2443 we will cause ^G1325 no ^G3361 G5100 hindrance ^G1464 to the gospel ^G2098 of Christ ^G5547. 13 Do you not know ^G6063 that those ^G3588 who perform ^G2038 sacred ^G2413 services ^G2413 eat ^G2068 the food of the temple ^G2413, and those ^G3588 who attend ^G4332 regularly ^G4332 to the altar ^G2379 have ^G4829 their share ^G4829 [fn]from the altar ^G2379? 14 So ^G3779 also ^G2532 the Lord ^G2962 directed ^G1299 those ^G3588 who proclaim ^G2605 the gospel ^G2098 to get ^G2198 their living ^G2198 from the gospel ^G2098.

15 But I have used ^G5530 none ^G3762 of these ^G3778 things ^G3778. And I have not written ^G1125 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 so ^G2443 that ^G2443 it will be done ^G1096 so ^G3779 in my case ^G1722; for it would be better ^G2570 G3123 for me to die ^G599 than ^G2228 that. No ^G3762 one ^G3762 shall make ^G2758 my boast ^G2745 an empty ^G2758 one! 16 For if ^G1437 I preach ^G2097 the gospel ^G2097, I have nothing ^G3756 to boast ^G2745 about, for I am ^G1945 under ^G1945 compulsion ^G318; for woe ^G3759 to me if ^G1437 I do not preach ^G2097 the gospel ^G2097. 17 For if ^G1487 I do ^G4238 this ^G3778 voluntarily ^G1635, I have ^G2192 a reward ^G3408; but if ^G1487 against ^G210 my will ^G210, I have been entrusted ^G4100 with a commission ^G3622 nonetheless. 18 What ^G5101, then ^G3767, is my reward ^G3408? That, when I preach ^G2097 the gospel ^G2097, I may offer ^G5087 the gospel ^G2098 without ^G77 charge ^G77, so ^G1519 as ^G1519 not to make ^G2710 full ^G2710 use ^G2710 of ^G2710 my right ^G1849 in the gospel ^G2098.

19 For though I am ^G1510 free ^G1658 from all ^G3956 people ^G3956, I have made ^G1402 myself ^G1683 a slave ^G1402 to all ^G3956, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I may gain ^G2770 more ^G4183. 20 To the Jews ^G2453 I became ^G1096 as a Jew ^G2453, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I might gain ^G2770 Jews ^G2453; to those ^G3588 who ^G3588 are under ^G5259 the Law ^G3551, I became as one under ^G5259 the Law ^G3551, though not being ^G1510 under ^G5259 the Law ^G3551 myself ^G846, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I might gain ^G2770 those ^G3588 who ^G3588 are under ^G5259 the Law ^G3551; 21 to those ^G3588 who are without ^G459 the ^G459 Law ^G459, I became as one without ^G459 the ^G459 Law ^G459, though not being ^G1510 without ^G459 the ^G459 law ^G459 of God ^G2316 but under ^G1772 the law ^G1772 of Christ ^G5547, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I might gain ^G2770 those ^G3588 who are without ^G459 the ^G459 Law ^G459. 22 To the weak ^G772 I became ^G1096 weak ^G772, that I might gain ^G2770 the weak ^G772; I have become ^G1096 all ^G3956 things ^G3956 to all ^G3956 people ^G3956, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I may by all ^G3843 means ^G3843 save ^G4982 some ^G5100. 23 I do ^G4160 all ^G3956 things ^G3956 for the sake ^G1223 of the gospel ^G2098, so ^G2443 that ^G2443 I may become ^G1096 a fellow ^G4791 partaker ^G4791 of it.

24 Do you not know ^G6063 that those ^G3588 who run ^G5143 in a race ^G4712 all ^G3956 run ^G5143, but only one ^G1520 receives ^G2983 the prize ^G1017? Run ^G5143 in ^G3779 such ^G3779 a ^G3779 way ^G3779 that you may win ^G2638. 25 Everyone ^G3956 who competes ^G75 in ^G75 the ^G75 games ^G75 exercises ^G1467 self-control ^G1467 in all ^G3956 things ^G3956. So ^G3767 they do it to obtain ^G2983 a perishable ^G5349 wreath ^G4735, but we an imperishable ^G862. 26 Therefore ^G5106 I run ^G5143 in ^G3779 such ^G3779 a ^G3779 way ^G3779 as not to run aimlessly ^G84; I box ^G4438 in ^G3779 such ^G3779 a ^G3779 way ^G3779, as [fn]to avoid hitting ^G1194 air ^G109; 27 but I strictly ^G5299 discipline ^G5299 my body ^G4983 and make ^G1396 it my slave ^G1396, so ^G3361 that ^G3361, after I have preached ^G2784 to others ^G243, I myself ^G846 will not ^G3361 be disqualified ^G96.