1 A m I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

Am I not a missionary? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not Christians because of the work I have done for the Lord?

2 I f I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Other people may not think of me as a missionary, but you do. It proves I am a missionary because you are Christians now.

3 M y defense to those who examine me is this:

When people ask questions about me, I say this:

4 D o we have no right to eat and drink?

Do we not have the right to have food and drink when we are working for the Lord?

5 D o we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Do we not have the right to take a Christian wife along with us? The other missionaries do. The Lord’s brothers do and Peter does.

6 O r is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?

Are Barnabas and I the only ones who should keep working for a living so we can preach?

7 W ho ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

Have you ever heard of a soldier who goes to war and pays for what he needs himself? Have you ever heard of a man planting a field of grapes and not eating some of the fruit? Have you ever heard of a farmer who feeds cattle and does not drink some of the milk?

8 D o I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?

These things are not just what men think are right to do. God’s Law speaks about this.

9 F or it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?

God gave Moses the Law. It says, “When the cow is made to walk on the grain to break it open, do not stop it from eating some.” Does God care about the cow?

10 O r does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

Did not God speak about this because of us. For sure, this was written for us. The man who gets the fields ready and the man who gathers in the grain should expect some of the grain.

11 I f we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

We have planted God’s Word among you. Is it too much to expect you to give us what we need to live each day?

12 I f others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

If other people have the right to expect this from you, do we not have more right? But we have not asked this of you. We have suffered many things. We did this so the Good News of Christ would not be held back.

13 D o you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?

You must know that those who work in the house of God get their food there. Those who work at the altar in the house of God get a part of the food that is given there.

14 E ven so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

The Lord has said also that those who preach the Good News should get their living from those who hear it.

15 B ut I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.

I have not used any of these things. I am not writing now to get anything. I would rather die than lose the joy of preaching to you without you paying me.

16 F or if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

I cannot be proud because I preach the Good News. I have been told to do it. It would be bad for me if I do not preach the Good News.

17 F or if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

If I do this because I want to, I will get my reward. If I do not want to do it, I am still expected to do it.

18 W hat is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. Serving All Men

Then what is my reward? It is when I preach the Good News without you paying me. I do not ask you to pay me as I could. Learning to Get Along

19 F or though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;

No man has any hold on me, but I have made myself a workman owned by all. I do this so I might lead more people to Christ.

20 a nd to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;

I became as a Jew to the Jews so I might lead them to Christ. There are some who live by obeying the Jewish Law. I became as one who lives by obeying the Jewish Law so I might lead them to Christ.

21 t o those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ ), that I might win those who are without law;

There are some who live by not obeying the Jewish law. I became as one who lives by not obeying the Jewish law so I might lead them to Christ. This does not mean that I do not obey God’s Law. I obey the teachings of Christ.

22 t o the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Some are weak. I have become weak so I might lead them to Christ. I have become like every person so in every way I might lead some to Christ.

23 N ow this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Striving for a Crown

Everything I do, I do to get the Good News to men. I want to have a part in this work. Live a Life That Pleases Christ

24 D o you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

You know that only one person gets a crown for being in a race even if many people run. You must run so you will win the crown.

25 A nd everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

Everyone who runs in a race does many things so his body will be strong. He does it to get a crown that will soon be worth nothing, but we work for a crown that will last forever.

26 T herefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

In the same way, I run straight for the place at the end of the race. I fight to win. I do not beat the air.

27 B ut I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

I keep working over my body. I make it obey me. I do this because I am afraid that after I have preached the Good News to others, I myself might be put aside.