The Rights of an Apostle

1Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? and are not ye my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for ye are in the Lord the seal of my apostleship.

3And this is my answer to them that call me to account: have we not power to eat and to drink? 4have 5we not power to lead about with us a sister a wife as well as other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or is it I only and Barnabas, that have not power to forbear working? 7Who ever goes a warfare at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and doth not eat of the fruit of it? or who feedeth a flock, and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?

8Do I speak these things as a man only? 9or saith not the law the same also? for it is written in the law of Moses, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now doth God take care for oxen, 10or doth He say this indeed for our sakes? For it is certainly written for our sakes, that he, who ploweth, might plow in hope; and that he, who thresheth in hope, should partake of his hope. 11If we then have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things? 12If others partake of this power over you, may not we rather? though we have not used this power; but we bear all things, least we should cause any hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13Do ye not know, that they who are employed about the sacrifices have their food from the temple? and they, who attend at the altar, are partakers with the altar? 14So also the Lord hath ordained, that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.

15But I have availed myself of none of these things. Nor have I written these things, that it might be so done as to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any one should make this my glorying void. 16For if I preach the gospel, yet I have no ground for boasting; because I am under necessity to do it: and wo is me if I do not preach the Gospel. 17Now if I do this willingly, I have a reward; and if unwillingly, yet I am intrusted with the commission, and I must execute it. 18What is my reward then but this? that when I preach I may make the gospel of Christ not expensive, that so I may not abuse my power in the gospel.

Paul the Servant to All

19For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more. 20And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; that is, to those, who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law: 21and to those without the law as without the law, (not being without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the law. 22To the weak I became as the weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that I might by every means save some. 23And this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may be a fellow partaker of it.

Run Your Race to Win

24Know ye not, that those, who run in a race, do all indeed run, but one only receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. 25And every one that enters the lists is temperate in all things: they indeed do it that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. 26I therefore so run, not as unobserved: I so fight, not as one that beateth the air: 27but I mortify my body and bring it into subjection, least after having preached to others, I myself should be rejected.