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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? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defence to those who examine me is this: 4 Don’t we have the right to our food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk from the flock? 8 Do I say these things merely from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain”. Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Or isn’t He altogether saying it for us? Yes, this was written for our sake, because he who ploughs should plough in hope, and he who threshers should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this right of support from you, shouldn’t we even more?
However, we have not made use of this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.
15 But I have not made use of any of these rights, and I am not writing this in the hope it will happen that way for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my reason for boasting! 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, for an obligation is laid on me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if not willingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may make it available free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 For though I am free and belong to no man, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win as many people as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, that I might win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law, I became as one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law, but I am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by all means possible save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that the runners in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes for the prize goes into strict training. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like a man who runs aimlessly, nor do box like a man who beats the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict self-control, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.