1Corinthians:9

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Seeker Overlay ON

* Am not I free ? Am not I an apostle ? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord ? Are not you my work in the Lord ? * And if unto others I be not an apostle , but yet to you I am . For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord . * My defence with them that do examine me is this . * Have not we power to eat and to drink ? * Have we not power to carry about a woman , a sister , as well as the rest of the apostles , and the brethren of the Lord , and Cephas ? * Or I only and Barnabas , have not we power to do this ? * Who serveth as a soldier at any time , at his own charges ? Who planteth a vineyard , and eateth not of the fruit thereof ? Who feedeth the flock , and eateth not of the milk of the flock ? * Speak I these things according to man ? Or doth not the law also say these things ? * 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 ? * Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes ? For these things are written for our sakes : that he that plougheth , should plough in hope ; and he that thrasheth , in hope to receive fruit . * If we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things ? * If others be partakers of this power over you , why not we rather ? Nevertheless , we have not used this power : but we bear all things , lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ . * Know you not , that they who work in the holy place , eat the things that are of the holy place ; and they that serve the altar , partake with the altar ? * So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel , should live by the gospel . * But I have used none of these things . Neither have I written these things , that they should be so done unto me : for it is good for me to die , rather than that any man should make my glory void . * For if I preach the gospel , it is no glory to me , for a necessity lieth upon me : for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel . * For if I do this thing willingly , I have a reward : but if against my will , a dispensation is committed to me : * What is my reward then ? That preaching the gospel , I may deliver the gospel without charge , that I abuse not my power in the gospel . * For whereas I was free as to all , I made myself the servant of all , that I might gain the more . * And I became to the Jews , a Jew , that I might gain the Jews : * To them that are under the law , as if I were under the law , (whereas myself was not under the law ,) that I might gain them that were under the law . To them that were without the law , as if I were without the law , (whereas I was not without the law of God , but was in the law of Christ ,) that I might gain them that were without the law . * To the weak I became weak , that I might gain the weak . I became all things to all men , that I might save all . * And I do all things for the gospel 's sake : that I may be made partaker thereof . * Know you not that they that run in the race , all run indeed , but one receiveth the prize ? So run that you may obtain . * And every one that striveth for the mastery , refraineth himself from all things : and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown ; but we an incorruptible one . * I therefore so run , not as at an uncertainty : I so fight , not as one beating the air : * But I chastise my body , and bring it into subjection : lest perhaps , when I have preached to others , I myself should become a castaway .

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