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1 Corinthians 9
Wycliffe Bible
1 Corinthians 9
Wycliffe Bible
9 Whether I am not free? Am I not apostle? Whether I saw not Jesus Christ, our Lord? Whether ye be not my work in the Lord?
2 And though to others I am not apostle, but nevertheless to you I am; for ye be the little sign of mine apostlehood [for why ye be the signal, or little sign, of mine apostlehood] in the Lord.
3 My defence to them that ask me, that is. [My defence to them that ask me, is this].
4 Whether we have not power to eat and drink?
5 Whether we have not power to lead about a woman, a sister, as also other apostles, and brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I alone and Barnabas have not power to work these things?
7 Who travaileth any time with his own wages? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of his fruit? Who keepeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?[a]
8 Whether after man I say these things? whether also the law saith not these things?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not bind [up] the mouth of the ox that thresheth. Whether of oxen is charge to God?
10 Whether for us he saith these things? For why those be written for us [For why for us they be written]; for he that ploweth, oweth to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, in hope to take fruits.
11 If we sow spiritual things to you, is it great, if we reap your fleshly things?
12 If others be partners of your power, why not rather we? But we use not this power, but we suffer all things, that we give no hindering [that we give no letting] to the evangel of Christ.
13 Know ye not, that they that work in the temple, eat those things that be of the temple [Know ye not, that they that work in the sanctuary, eat those things that be of the sanctuary], and they that serve to the altar, be partners of the altar?
14 So [and] the Lord ordained to them that tell the gospel, to live of the gospel.
15 But I used none of these things; and I wrote not these things, that they be done so in me; for it is good rather for me to die, than that any man should make my rejoicing void [than that any man void my glory].
16 For if I preach the gospel, glory is not to me, for need-like I must do it[b]; for woe to me, if I preach not the gospel.
17 But if I do this thing willfully, I have meed; but if against my will, dispensing is betaken to me. [Forsooth if I willing do this thing, I have meed; soothly if against my will, dispensation is betaken to me.]
18 What then is my meed? That I preaching the gospel, put the gospel without others' cost, that I use not my power in the gospel.[c]
19 For why when I was free of all men, I made me servant of all men, to win the more men [that I should win more men].
20 And to Jews I am made as a Jew, to win the Jews [that I should win Jews]; to them that be under the law, as I were under the law, when I was not under the law, to win them that were under the law [that I should win them that were under the law];
21 to them that were without law, as I were without law, when I was not without [the] law of God, but I was in the law of Christ, to win them that were without law [that I should win them that were without law].
22 I am made frail to frail men, to win frail men; to all men I am made all things, to make all men safe. [I am made sick to sick men, that I should win sick men; to all men I am made all things, that I should make all men safe.]
23 But I do all things for the gospel, that I [should] be made partner of it.
24 Know ye not, that they that run in a furlong, all run, but one taketh the prize? So run ye, that ye catch.
25 Each man that striveth in fight, abstaineth him from all things; and they [forsooth], that they take a corruptible crown, but we an uncorrupt.
26 Therefore I run so, not as to an uncertain thing; thus I fight, not as beating the air;
27 but I chastise my body, and bring it into servage; lest peradventure when I preach to others [lest peradventure when I have preached to others], I myself be made reprovable.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:7 Who fighteth, or holdeth knighthood, any time with his own soldiers? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruits? Who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
- 1 Corinthians 9:16 forsooth need lieth to me (forsooth need lieth before me)/forsooth need nigheth to me
- 1 Corinthians 9:18 What therefore is my hire, or meed? That I preach the gospel, put the gospel without expense, either taking of sustenance therefore, that I mis-use not my power in the gospel.
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
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
2001 by Terence P. Noble
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.