1 A m 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?

Am I am not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

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

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.

3 W hen people ask questions about me, I say this:

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4 D o we not have the right to have food and drink when we are working for the Lord?

Have we not power to eat and to drink?

5 D o 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.

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?

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

Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

7 H ave 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?

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?

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

Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

9 G od 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?

For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

10 D id 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.

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.

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

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

12 I f 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.

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.

13 Y ou 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.

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?

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

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

15 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.

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.

16 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.

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!

17 I f 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.

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.

18 T hen 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

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.

19 N o 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.

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

20 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.

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;

21 T here 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.

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.

22 S ome 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.

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.

23 E verything 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

And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

24 Y ou 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.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 E veryone 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.

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.

26 I n 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.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 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.

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.