1 Corinthians 9
The Rights of Those
Who Preach the Gospel |
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?
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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.
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3 |
Mine answer to them that do examine me
is this:
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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?
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6 |
Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power
to forbear working?
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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?
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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,
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Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox |
that treadeth out the corn. Deut.
25.4 |
Doth God take care for
oxen? |
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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.
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11 |
If we have sown unto you spiritual
things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal
things? Rom. 15.27
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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 Deut. 18.1 ?
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14 |
Even so hath the Lord ordained that they
which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. Mt. 10.10 · Lk. 10.7
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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21 |
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.
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23 |
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that
I might be partaker thereof with you.
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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.
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26 |
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly;
so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
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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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