Pauls Apostleship
AM I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you my work in the Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet surely I am to you: for your are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 ¶ My defence to those that examine me is this:
4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right to cease from other work?
7 ¶ Who at anytime has served as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of his own fruit? Or who sheppards a flock, and does not drink the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as a man? or does not the law also say the same?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses: You shall not muzzle an ox that treads out the grain. Is God concerned about oxen?
10 Or does He say it indeed for our sakes? For our sakes, for it is written: that he that plows, ought to plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope, should share in his hope of the harvest.
11 ¶ If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it too great if we reap carnal things from you?
12 If others share in this right over you, should not we even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right; rather we forbear all things, in order that nothing should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that, those which do the holy work eat in the temple? and those which attend to the altar share in the sacrifices of the altar?
14 And so the Lord has commanded that those which proclaim the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 ¶ But I have made use of none of these things; neither have I written these things that they should be done to me: for it is much better for me to die, than that any man should make void my right to boast.
16 For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: because this obligation is pressed upon me; but, woe is to me, if I do not proclaim the gospel!
17 For if I carry this out willingly, I have wages: but if against my will, stewardship of the gospel is entrusted to me.
18 What are my wages then? That, when I proclaim the gospel, I explain the gospel of Christ without charge, that I do not use my right in the gospel.
The Incorruptible Crown
19 ¶ For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself bond-servant to all, that I might make even more spiritual profit.
20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might earn the Jews; to those that are under the law, as under the law, that I might earn those that are under the law;
21 To those that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, rather under the law to Christ,) that I might earn those that are without law.
22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might earn 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 ¶ Do you not know, that those which run in a stadium, all run but only one receives the prize? In this way run, in order that you may obtain.
25 And every man that completes, exercises self control in all things. Now they do so to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 Therefore I run in this way, not without purpose; I fight in this way, not as one punching the air:
27 Rather, I keep my body under control, and bring it into subjection: lest that when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.