1Corinthians:9

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* Am I not an Apostle ? Am I not a freeman ? Have I not seen Jesus Christ , our Lord ? Are you not my work in the Lord ? * If to others I am not an Apostle , yet , to you , at least , I am ; for the seal of my apostleship , are you , in the Lord . * My answer to them who condemn me , is this : * Have we not liberty to eat , and to drink ? * Have we not liberty to lead about a sister wife , as the other Apostles , and the brethren of the Lord , and Cephas ? * Or , have I , only , and Barnabas , not liberty to forbear working ? * Who , at any time , serves in the wars , on his own charges ? Who plants a vineyard , and does not eat the fruit of it ? Or who feeds a flock , and does not eat of the milk of the flock ? * Do I speak these things as a man ? Or does not the law also say these things ? * «For , in the law of Moses it is written ,» 'You shall not muzzle the ox treading out the corn .' 'Does God take care of the oxen ?' * Or , does he command this chiefly for our sakes ? For our sakes , certainly , it is written : because , he who plows , ought to plough in hope ; and he who threshes in hope , ought to partake of his own hope . * If we have sown for you spiritual things , is it a great matter , if we shall reap your carnal things ? * If others partake of this authority over you , ought not we , rather ? Nevertheless , we have not used this power ; but we bear all things , that we may not give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ . * Do you not know that they who perform sacred offices , eat from the temple ? Do not they who wait at the altar share with the altar ? * So also , the Lord has appointed them who announce the gospel , to live by the gospel . * But I have used none of these privileges ; neither have I written these things that it should be done to me : for it were good for me rather to die , than that any one should make my boasting void . * For when I declared the gospel , I have nothing to boast of ; because necessity is laud upon me : yes , woe awaits me if I declare not the gospel . * Now , if I do this willingly , I have a reward ; but , if against my will , still I am entrusted with the stewardship . * What , then , is my reward ? that , when declaring the gospel , I shall exhibit the gospel of Christ without charge , in order that I may not abuse my power in the gospel . * For , though I be a freeman , with respect to all ; I have made myself a servant to all , that I might gain the more . * So , to the Jews , I became as a Jew , that I might gain the Jews : to those under the law , (though not under the law ) as under the law , that I might gain those under the law : * to those without law , as without law , (not being without law to God , but under law to Christ ,) that I might gain those that are without law . * To the weak , I became as weak , that I might gain the weak . To all , I have become all things , that , by all means , I might same some . * Now , this I do for the sake of the gospel , and that I may become a joint partaker of its rewards . * Do you not know that they who run a race , all run , but one only receives the prize ? So run , that you may lay hold of the prize ? * Now , every one who contends is temperate in all things : they , indeed , that they may receive a fading crown ; but we , one that does not fade . * I , therefore , so run , as not out of view . So I fight , not as beating the air : * but , I mortify my body , and keep it in subjection ; lest , perhaps , having proclaimed to others , I myself should not be accepted .

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