Paul’s Example as an Apostle

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal^(A) of my apostleship in the Lord. ³ My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴ Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?^{(B) 5} Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife^[a] like the other apostles,^(C) the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?^{(D) 6} Or do Barnabas^(E) and I alone have no right to refrain from working? ⁷ Who ever goes to war at his own expense?^(F) Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? ⁸ Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox^(G) while it treads out grain.^(H)[b] Is God really concerned with oxen? ¹⁰ Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us,^(I) because he who plows ought to plow in hope,^(J) and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop.^{(K) 11} If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹² If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything^(L) so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar^(M) share in the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.^(N)

¹⁵ But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted^(O) with a stewardship. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel.^(P)

¹⁹ Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win^(Q) more people. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law^[c]—to win those under the law.^{(R) 21} To those who are without that law,^(S) like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.^{(T) 23} Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.^[d]

²⁴ Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,^(U) but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.^{(V) 25} Now everyone who competes exercises self-control^(W) in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown^(X) that will fade away,^(Y) but we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷ Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.^(Z)