Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
Am I not free
? Am I not an
apostle
? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you
yourselves
not my workmanship
in the Lord?
Am I not an
apostle
? am I not free
? have I not seen Jesus Christ
our Lord? are not ye
my work
in the Lord?
Even
if I am
not an apostle to
others, surely
I am to you .
For you
are
the seal of my
apostleship in the Lord.
If I be
not an apostle unto
others, yet
doubtless
I am to you :
for the seal of mine
apostleship are
ye
in the Lord.
This
is
my
defense
to those
who
scrutinize
me :
Mine
answer
to them
that
do
examine
me is
this,
Have we no
right
to food
and to drink?
Have we not
power
to eat
and to drink?
Have we no
right
to take
along
a believing
wife, as do
the
other apostles and the Lord’s
brothers
and Cephas?
Have we not
power
to lead
about
a sister,
a
wife, as well
as
other apostles ,
and as
the brethren
of
the
Lord,
and Cephas?
Or are
Barnabas
and
I the
only apostles
who
must
work
for
a
living
?
Or I only and
Barnabas,
have
not
we
power
to
forbear
working
?
Who 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?
Who goeth
a warfare
any
time
at his own charges
? who planteth
a vineyard ,
and eateth
not of the
fruit thereof
? or
who feedeth
a flock ,
and eateth
not of the
milk of
the
flock
?
Do
I
say this
from
a human
perspective
? Doesn’t
the Law say
the same thing
?
Say I
these
things
as
a man
? or
saith
not
the law the same also
?
For 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
?
For it is written in the law of Moses ,
Thou
shalt
not muzzle the
mouth
of
the
ox that
treadeth
out the corn
. Doth
God take
care
for
oxen
?
Isn’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
.
Or
saith
he it
altogether
for
our sakes
? For our
sakes
, no
doubt
, this
is
written:
that
he
that
ploweth
should plow
in hope;
and
that
he
that
thresheth
in
hope
should
be
partaker
of
his
hope
.
If we have sown spiritual
seed
among
you, is it too
much
for
us
to
reap
a material
harvest
from
you
?
If we have sown unto
you spiritual
things
, is it a great
thing
if
we
shall
reap
your
carnal
things
?
If 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.
If others be
partakers
of
this power
over
you
, are
not
we rather
? Nevertheless
we have
not used
this power;
but
suffer
all
things
, lest
we should
hinder the gospel of Christ.
Do 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
?
Do ye
not know that they
which
minister
about
holy
things
live
of
the things
of the
temple?
and they
which
wait
at the altar are
partakers
with
the
altar
?
In
the
same
way,
the Lord has
prescribed
that those
who
preach the gospel should receive
their
living
from
the gospel.
Even
so
hath
the Lord ordained
that they
which
preach the gospel should live
of
the gospel.
But 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
.
But I have used none
of these things:
neither
have
I written
these
things,
that it
should
be so
done unto
me:
for it
were
better
for
me to
die ,
than that
any
man
should
make
my glorying
void
.
Yet
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!
For
though
I preach the gospel, I have nothing
to glory
of:
for
necessity
is
laid
upon
me;
yea
, woe is
unto
me ,
if I preach not
the gospel!
If my
preaching
is
voluntary
, I have a reward .
But if it
is
not
voluntary
, I
am
still
entrusted
with
a responsibility
.
For
if I
do
this
thing
willingly
, I have a reward :
but if against
my
will
, a dispensation
of
the
gospel
is
committed
unto
me
.
What 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
.
What is my reward then
? Verily
that ,
when
I
preach
the gospel ,
I may make
the
gospel
of Christ
without
charge, that
I
abuse
not my power
in the
gospel
.
Though I am
free of
obligation
to
anyone
, I make
myself a
slave
to
everyone
, to
win
as
many
as
possible
.
For
though I be
free from
all
men
, yet
have
I made
myself servant
unto
all
, that
I
might
gain
the
more
.
To
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 .
And
unto
the Jews I became as
a Jew, that
I
might
gain
the Jews ;
to them
that
are
under the law ,
as
under the law, that
I
might
gain
them
that
are
under the law ;
To 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.
To them
that
are
without law ,
as
without law ,
( being
not without
law to
God ,
but under the law to
Christ, )
that
I
might
gain
them
that
are
without law.
To 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.
To the weak became I
as
weak, that
I
might
gain
the weak :
I am
made
all things to all men,
that I
might
by all means save some.
I do all
this
for the sake of
the
gospel
, so
that I may
share
in
its
blessings
.
And
this
I do for the gospel's
sake, that I might
be
partaker
thereof
with
you
.
Do
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
.
Know ye
not
that they
which
run
in a race run all
, but one receiveth
the prize? So
run ,
that
ye
may
obtain
.
Everyone
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
.
And
every
man
that
striveth
for
the mastery
is
temperate
in
all
things
. Now
they do it to
obtain
a corruptible
crown ;
but we an
incorruptible
.
Therefore
I do
not
run aimlessly;
I
do
not fight like
I am
beating
the air .
I therefore
so
run ,
not as
uncertainly;
so
fight I ,
not
as
one
that
beateth
the air :
No,
I discipline
my body and make
it my
slave,
so
that after
I have preached to others, I myself will
not
be disqualified
.
But
I keep
under
my body ,
and bring
it into
subjection:
lest
that by
any
means,
when
I have preached to others, I myself should
be a
castaway
.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..