Font Size
1 Corinthians 9
New Life Version
1 Corinthians 9
New Life Version
A Missionary’s Rights
9 Am I not a missionary? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not Christians because of the work I have done for the Lord? 2 Other people may not think of me as a missionary, but you do. It proves I am a missionary because you are Christians now. 3 When people ask questions about me, I say this: 4 Do we not have the right to have food and drink when we are working for the Lord? 5 Do we not have the right to take a Christian wife along with us? The other missionaries do. The Lord’s brothers do and Peter does. 6 Are Barnabas and I the only ones who should keep working for a living so we can preach?
7 Have you ever heard of a soldier who goes to war and pays for what he needs himself? Have you ever heard of a man planting a field of grapes and not eating some of the fruit? Have you ever heard of a farmer who feeds cattle and does not drink some of the milk? 8 These things are not just what men think are right to do. God’s Law speaks about this. 9 God gave Moses the Law. It says, “When the cow is made to walk on the grain to break it open, do not stop it from eating some.” (A) Does God care about the cow? 10 Did not God speak about this because of us. For sure, this was written for us. The man who gets the fields ready and the man who gathers in the grain should expect some of the grain. 11 We have planted God’s Word among you. Is it too much to expect you to give us what we need to live each day? 12 If other people have the right to expect this from you, do we not have more right? But we have not asked this of you. We have suffered many things. We did this so the Good News of Christ would not be held back.
13 You must know that those who work in the house of God get their food there. Those who work at the altar in the house of God get a part of the food that is given there. 14 The Lord has said also that those who preach the Good News should get their living from those who hear it.
15 I have not used any of these things. I am not writing now to get anything. I would rather die than lose the joy of preaching to you without you paying me. 16 I cannot be proud because I preach the Good News. I have been told to do it. It would be bad for me if I do not preach the Good News. 17 If I do this because I want to, I will get my reward. If I do not want to do it, I am still expected to do it. 18 Then what is my reward? It is when I preach the Good News without you paying me. I do not ask you to pay me as I could.
Learning to Get Along
19 No man has any hold on me, but I have made myself a workman owned by all. I do this so I might lead more people to Christ. 20 I became as a Jew to the Jews so I might lead them to Christ. There are some who live by obeying the Jewish Law. I became as one who lives by obeying the Jewish Law so I might lead them to Christ. 21 There are some who live by not obeying the Jewish law. I became as one who lives by not obeying the Jewish law so I might lead them to Christ. This does not mean that I do not obey God’s Law. I obey the teachings of Christ. 22 Some are weak. I have become weak so I might lead them to Christ. I have become like every person so in every way I might lead some to Christ. 23 Everything I do, I do to get the Good News to men. I want to have a part in this work.
Live a Life That Pleases Christ
24 You know that only one person gets a crown for being in a race even if many people run. You must run so you will win the crown. 25 Everyone who runs in a race does many things so his body will be strong. He does it to get a crown that will soon be worth nothing, but we work for a crown that will last forever. 26 In the same way, I run straight for the place at the end of the race. I fight to win. I do not beat the air. 27 I keep working over my body. I make it obey me. I do this because I am afraid that after I have preached the Good News to others, I myself might be put aside.
1 Corinthians 9
New International Version
1 Corinthians 9
New International Version
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
9 Am I not free?(A) Am I not an apostle?(B) Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?(C) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?(D) 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal(E) of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink?(F) 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife(G) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers(H) and Cephas[a]?(I) 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas(J) who lack the right to not work for a living?
7 Who serves as a soldier(K) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(L) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b](M) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(N) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(O) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(P) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(Q) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right.(R) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(S) the gospel of Christ.
13 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?(T) 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.(U)
15 But I have not used any of these rights.(V) 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.(W) 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.(X) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;(Y) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.(Z) 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,(AA) and so not make full use of my rights(AB) as a preacher of the gospel.
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
19 Though I am free(AC) and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,(AD) to win as many as possible.(AE) 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.(AF) To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),(AG) so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law(AH) (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),(AI) so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.(AJ) I have become all things to all people(AK) so that by all possible means I might save some.(AL) 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?(AM) Run(AN) in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown(AO) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.(AP) 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;(AQ) I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.(AR) 27 No, I strike a blow to my body(AS) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.(AT)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 That is, Peter
- 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.