1 A m not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye 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 to others I am not an apostle -- yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye 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 defence to those who examine me in this;

When people ask questions about me, I say this:

4 h ave we not authority to eat and to drink?

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

5 h ave we not authority a sister -- a wife -- to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren 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 only I and Barnabas, have we not authority -- not to work?

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

7 w ho doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?

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 A ccording to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?

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

9 f or in the law of Moses it hath been written, `thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care?

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 because of us by all means doth He say ? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading of his hope to partake in 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 to you the spiritual things did sow -- great if we your fleshly things do reap?

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 do partake of the authority over you -- not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the 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 H ave ye not known that those working about the things of the temple -- of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar -- with the altar are partakers?

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 s o also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.

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

15 A nd I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying 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 may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

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 willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly -- with a stewardship I have been entrusted!

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, then, is my reward? -- that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

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 being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

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 I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;

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 without law, as without law -- (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) -- that I might gain those 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 I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may 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 A nd this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;

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 h ave ye not known that those running in a race -- all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

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 every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

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 I , therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating 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 chastise my body, and bring into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others -- I myself may become disapproved.

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.