Chapter 9

1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle—one sent with authority? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work through the Lord?

2Even if others do not recognize me as an apostle, surely I am one to you. By belonging to the Lord, you are the seal that confirms my work as an apostle.

3Here is my defense to those who question my authority:

4Do we not have the right to receive food and drink?

5Do we not have the right to take along a wife who is a fellow believer, as the other apostles do, along with the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

6Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have no right to stop working for our own living?

7What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard but does not eat its fruit? Who cares for a flock but does not receive some of its milk?

8Am I saying this merely on the basis of ordinary human reasoning? Does not the law say the same thing?

9Moses’ law says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain.” Is God concerned here simply with oxen?

10Surely he is speaking for our benefit. This was written for us: the person plowing should plow with the hope of sharing in the harvest, and the person threshing grain should work with the same hope.

11If we planted spiritual benefits among you, is it too much for us to harvest material support from you?

12If others have the right to receive support from you, do we not have an even stronger claim? Yet we have not used this right. Instead, we put up with everything so that we will not place any obstacle in the way of the good news about the Messiah, God’s chosen king.

13Do you not know that those who perform sacred duties in the temple receive their food from the temple? Those who serve at the altar receive a share of the offerings placed on the altar.

14In the same way, the Lord directed that those who announce the good news should make their living from that work.

15But I have not used any of these rights. I am not writing this so that people will begin supporting me in this way. I would rather die than—no one will take away my reason for taking pride in this!

16Simply announcing the good news gives me no reason to boast, because I am under an obligation to do it. I would be in terrible trouble if I did not announce the good news.

17If I were doing this on my own initiative, I could expect a reward. But since it was not my own choice, I am carrying out a responsibility entrusted to me.

18What, then, is my reward? It is this: when I announce the good news, I offer it free of charge. I do not make full use of my right to receive support for that work.

19Although I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself everyone’s servant so that I may win over as many people as possible.

20Among Jews, I lived like a Jew so that I might win over Jews. Among those who live under the Jewish law, I lived as though I were under that law—even though I myself am not under it—so that I might win over those who are.

21Among people outside the Jewish law, I lived like someone outside it so that I might win them over. This does not mean that I live without God’s law; I live under the Messiah’s law.

22Among those whose consciences were weak, I became weak so that I might win them over. I have adapted myself to all kinds of people so that, by every possible means, I might save some.

23I do all this for the sake of the good news, so that I may share in it with others.

24You know that all the runners in a stadium race run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win it.

25Every athlete practices self-control in every part of life. They do it to receive a victory wreath that eventually withers, but we seek one that never fades.

26So I do not run without knowing where I am going. I do not box like someone merely punching the air.

27Instead, I discipline my body like a boxer landing hard blows, and I make it obey me. Otherwise, after announcing the message to others, I myself might be disqualified.