| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? | 1Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? |
| 2If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign of my apostleship in the Lord. | 2Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle. |
| 3This is my defense to those who examine me. | 3This is my answer to those who question my authority. |
| 4Do we not have the right to financial support? | 4Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? |
| 5Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? | 5Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? |
| 6Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? | 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? |
| 7Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? | 7What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? |
| 8Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? | 8Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? |
| 9For it is written in the law of Moses, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? | 9For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? |
| 10Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. | 10Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest. |
| 11If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? | 11Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? |
| 12If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ. | 12If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. |
| 13Don't you know that those who serve in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? | 13Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. |
| 14In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. | 14In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. |
| 15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be better for me to die than--no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! | 15Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. |
| 16For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! | 16Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! |
| 17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. | 17If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. |
| 18What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel. | 18What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. |
| 19For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. | 19Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. |
| 20To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law. | 20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. |
| 21To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God's law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. | 21When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. |
| 22To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some. | 22When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. |
| 23I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it. | 23I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. |
| 24Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. | 24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! |
| 25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. | 25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. |
| 26So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. | 26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. |
| 27Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified. | 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. |
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