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1 Corinthians 9

1

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?

2

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.

3

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4

Have we not power to eat and to drink?

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5

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?

6

Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

7

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?

8

Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

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9

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?

10

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.

11

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

1
12

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.

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13

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?

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14

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

15

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.

16

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!

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17

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.

18

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.

19

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

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20

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;

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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.

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22

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.

23

And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

24

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

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25

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.

26

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27

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.

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1 Corinthians 9

Paul defends his apostolic authority and freedom: has he not seen Jesus our Lord, and are the Corinthians not his workmanship in the Lord? He has apostolic rights—the right to eat and drink, to be accompanied by a believing wife, to refrain from working—do other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas not have these rights? Yet Paul has renounced these freedoms, choosing instead to make the gospel free of charge, boasting in preaching the gospel without financial burden; he would rather die than have anyone empty his boast. To the Jews he became as a Jew to win Jews; to those under the law as under the law; to those outside the law as outside the law; he has become all things to all people in order to save some, sharing in the blessings of the gospel. The athlete metaphor frames his discipline: everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline, to obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. Therefore, Paul runs with purpose and boxes not beating the air; he disciplines his body and brings it under control lest after preaching to others he himself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. — The athletic metaphor: competitors in the stadion (race) aim for the prize (brabeion). Only one wins, yet all run to win. Paul applies this to Christian life: trechō (run, pursue) in such a way as to obtain the prize. The metaphor embodies intensity and single-mindedness.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. — The athlete's training (egkrateuetai) is strict, punishing. Their reward is stephanos phthartēs (perishable crown), while Christians pursue an aphthartos (imperishable) crown. The contrast motivates: eternal reward surpasses temporal recognition. The training necessary for earthly achievement is minimal compared to spiritual discipline.

1 Corinthians 9:26

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. — Paul's negative example: not to run stochastikōs (aimlessly), lacking aim. Nor to fight like one striking the air—shadowboxing without real opponent. The metaphor underscores purpose: Paul's labor is directed, intentional, not wasted effort.

1 Corinthians 9:27

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. — Paul's discipline: hupōpiazō to sōma mou (I strike a blow to my body, literally 'blacken the eye'). Soulagōgeō (I make it slave) turns the body into an instrument. The fear of adokimos (disqualified, disapproved) in the end motivates present discipline. Even the apostle is accountable to the same athletic standard; complacency invites judgment.

1 Corinthians 9:4

Don't we have the right to food and drink? — The rhetorical question asserts the right (exousia) to material support. All apostles presumably enjoy this right; Paul questions whether he has less standing. The basic needs—food and drink—are mentioned as the minimum due to those who labor in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:5

Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? — Paul extends the claim: other apostles travel with wives; he and Barnabas do not (cf. v. 6). The inclusion of the adelphoi kyriou (Lord's brothers) and Peter (Cephas) establishes that even the closest associates of Jesus enjoy marital support. Paul asserts the right but indicates he exercises it differently.

1 Corinthians 9:6

Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? — Paul and Barnabas are singled out as exceptions: they work for their own sustenance (ergonmai = labor, work). The right to be supported is granted; their choice not to exercise it is voluntary, not forced by some lower status. Paul's self-support will be the focus of the following argument.

1 Corinthians 9:7

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? — The triple rhetorical question establishes the principle from common practice: soldiers, vintners, shepherds all benefit from their work. The logic is simple: labor merits compensation. If the vineyard owner eats, and the shepherd drinks, surely the gospel worker should be supported.

1 Corinthians 9:8

Do I say this merely on human authority, or doesn't the Law say the same thing? — Paul now invokes scripture. Human analogy is merely prolegomenon; the nomos (Torah) itself establishes the principle. The shift from common practice to divine law elevates the claim: apostolic support is not merely reasonable but scripturally mandated.

1 Corinthians 9:9

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? — Paul cites Deuteronomy 25:4: the ox treading grain is not to be muzzled, preventing it from eating. The rhetorical question suggests deeper meaning: God's concern is not primarily for oxen but for the principle behind the law. The command is illustrative of divine regard for those who labor.

1 Corinthians 9:10

Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. — Paul interprets the ox law allegorically: it teaches about human laborers. The plowman and thresher, working in hope of (elpis) harvest, embody the principle. The law 'was written for us' (di' hēmas egraphē), suggesting scripture's ongoing relevance to the church. Labor merits sustenance; this is a principle transcending specific animal care.

1 Corinthians 9:11

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? — The transition from scripture to his own apostolic work: Paul has sown spiritually (ta pneumatika espeiramen); the Corinthians are harvest. The rhetorical question presumes that material support (sarká) is the minimal return for spiritual labor. The asymmetry—giving spirit, receiving material—is no violation but simple reciprocity.

1 Corinthians 9:12

If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. — Others (alloi apostoloi) exercise the right; Paul and Barnabas do not (ouk echrēsametha tē exousia). The phrase 'put up with' (stegō) conveys enduring hardship without complaint. The motivation is crucial: lest they hinder (mē egkopēn... tō euaggeliō) the gospel. Paul's refusal of support is strategic—to remove objections to the gospel's credibility.

1 Corinthians 9:14

In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. — Paul cites dominical teaching (epitaxen ho kyrios): gospel workers merit gospel sustenance. This likely references Jesus' saying about workers and wages (Luke 10:7). The commandment is explicit; Paul's right is Lord-established.

1 Corinthians 9:15

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now in the hope of receiving such help. I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. — Paul's refusal is absolute: ouch heōs touta gegrapthai = not to have this written about him, claiming payment. The phrase 'deprive me of this boast' (kenōsei to kauchēma mou) suggests that voluntary poverty is his claim to integrity. Death itself would be preferable to losing this grounds for boasting—his refusal to burden the church.

1 Corinthians 9:16

Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! — Paul's preaching is anankē (necessity, compulsion). The woe (ouai) expresses the internal drive: not to preach would be a violation of his being. The verb deon (it is necessary, obligatory) indicates divine pressure, not personal choice. Thus, boasting about preaching is impossible—he does what he must.

1 Corinthians 9:17

If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. — The paradox: voluntary service merits reward; involuntary service (under compulsion) is stewardship of a trust (oikonomia = dispensation, entrusted task). Paul opts for the latter interpretation: his preaching is an office entrusted by God, not an achievement for which he expects gratitude.

1 Corinthians 9:18

What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in preaching the gospel. — The reward (misthos) is the gospel offered without fee (dorean = without charge). By refusing support, Paul makes the gospel itself the gift, removing suspicion of mercenary motive. Renouncing rights becomes the reward itself—integrity exceeds remuneration.

1 Corinthians 9:19

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. — Paul's freedom (eleutheros) paradoxically expresses itself as slavery (edoulōsa emauton). The rhetorical inversion: the free man enslaves himself to all (pasin) to maximize converts (kerdainō = gain, win). The verb 'made myself' (epoiēsa) indicates deliberate self-renunciation of privilege for evangelistic purpose.

1 Corinthians 9:20

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), so as to win those under the law. — Paul's adaptability: metaschēmatizō (I change shape, conform). To Jews, he lives Jewishly; to those observing Torah, he accommodates. The parenthetical disclaimer—though not personally under law—establishes his freedom: he submits voluntarily for the sake of evangelism. Cultural accommodation is not hypocrisy but strategic love.

1 Corinthians 9:21

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. — Symmetrically, among gentiles he becomes like one outside Torah. Again, the disclaimer: though not truly anomos (lawless), he operates within the framework of his audience. The phrase 'under Christ's law' (entomos Christou) suggests that Christ's law (the law of love, of the Spirit) supersedes Mosaic Torah.

1 Corinthians 9:22

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. — The culminating principle: Gignōmai panta pasin (I have become all things to all people). Paul identifies this as soteriological (hina pantōs tinas sōsō = to save some by all possible means). Complete adaptability in external matters serves the singular goal of conversion. This is not unprincipled opportunism but principled renunciation for others' sake.

1 Corinthians 9:23

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. — All Paul's adaptability, self-renunciation, and labor serve the gospel (dia to euangelion). The phrase 'share in its blessings' (summetchos autou genemai = I may become partner of it) suggests that participation in the gospel is itself the reward. Evangelism and Paul's own sanctification are inseparable.

1 Corinthians 9:13

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? — The cultic precedent: temple workers (hierourgountai) are fed by the temple; those serving the altar (thysiasōm) receive a portion of sacrifices. The principle is ancient: those ministering receive sustenance from sacred resources. The Corinthians know this (ouk oidate); Paul expects agreement.

1 Corinthians 9:1

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? — Paul asserts his apostolic status through a series of rhetorical questions. Freedom (eleutheros) is his by virtue of being apostle; apostolic office he demonstrates by direct encounter with the risen Lord (heōraka... kyrie) and by the Corinthians themselves as evidence of his labor (ergon mou). The questions presume affirmative answers; Paul's authority is not in doubt but needs reassertion.

1 Corinthians 9:2

Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. — Paul hedges slightly: perhaps others deny his apostolic status, but the Corinthian church itself is his sphragis (seal, certification) of apostolate. The seal marks ownership and authentication; the Corinthians' conversion attests his calling. This appeal to the Corinthians' own existence as believers grounds authority in their lived experience.

1 Corinthians 9:3

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. — Paul turns to accusers (those 'examining' him—anakrizontōn). His defense (apologia) will be apostolic-autobiographical: he will justify his practice of refusing support by appeal to his authority and his choices. The tribunal of judgment is the Corinthian church itself, where critics question his legitimacy.