The Rights of Those Who Preach the Gospel

91 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in [the] Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in [the] Lord.

3 My defence to those who examine me is this: 4 Have we not a right to eat and to drink? 5 have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work? 7 Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things? 9 For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen, 10 or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it]. 11 If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others partake of this right over you, should not rather we? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar? 14 So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

15 But I have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast. 16 For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration. 18 What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.

19 For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible]. 20 And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law: 21 to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain [those] without law. 22 I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some. 23 And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.

24 Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain. 25 But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: they then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air. 27 But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.

Warning against Idolatry

101 For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed [them]: (now the rock was the Christ;) 5 yet God was not pleased with the most of them, for they were strewed in the desert.

6 But these things happened [as] types of us, that we should not be lusters after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt the Christ, as some of them tempted, and perished by serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them [as] types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. 12 So that let him that thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man's nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able [to bear], but will with the temptation make the issue also, so that [ye] should be able to bear [it]. 14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

15 I speak as to intelligent [persons]: do ye judge what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not [the] communion of the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not [the] communion of the body of the Christ? 17 Because we, [being] many, are one loaf, one body; for we all partake of that one loaf. 18 See Israel according to flesh: are not they who eat the sacrifices in communion with the altar? 19 What then do I say? that what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 But that what [the nations] sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. Now I do not wish you to be in communion with demons. 21 Ye cannot drink [the] Lord's cup, and [the] cup of demons: ye cannot partake of [the] Lord's table, and of [the] table of demons. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 All things are lawful, but all are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all do not edify. 24 Let no one seek his own [advantage], but that of the other. 25 Everything sold in the shambles eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake. 26 For the earth [is] the Lord's and its fulness. 27 But if any one of the unbelievers invite you, and ye are minded to go, all that is set before you eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake. 28 But if any one say to you, This is offered to holy purposes, do not eat, for his sake that pointed it out, and conscience sake; 29 but conscience, I mean, not thine own, but that of the other: for why is my liberty judged by another conscience? 30 If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I spoken evil of for what I give thanks for? 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all things to God's glory. 32 Give no occasion to stumbling, whether to Jews, or Greeks, or the assembly of God. 33 Even as I also please all in all things; not seeking my own profit, but that of the many, that they may be saved.

111 Be my imitators, even as I also [am] of Christ.

The Covering of Women's Heads

2 Now I praise you, that in all things ye are mindful of me; and that as I have directed you, ye keep the directions. 3 But I wish you to know that the Christ is the head of every man, but woman's head [is] the man, and the Christ's head God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having [anything] on his head, puts his head to shame. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her own head to shame; for it is one and the same as a shaved [woman]. 6 For if a woman be not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if [it be] shameful to a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, let her be covered. 7 For man indeed ought not to have his head covered, being God's image and glory; but woman is man's glory. 8 For man is not of woman, but woman of man. 9 For also man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man. 10 Therefore ought the woman to have authority on her head, on account of the angels. 11 However, neither [is] woman without man, nor man without woman, in [the] Lord. 12 For as the woman [is] of the man, so also [is] the man by the woman, but all things of God. 13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman should pray to God uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you, that man, if he have long hair, it is a dishonour to him? 15 But woman, if she have long hair, [it is] glory to her; for the long hair is given [to her] in lieu of a veil. 16 But if any one think to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the assemblies of God.

Disorder at the Lord's Supper

17 But [in] prescribing [to you on] this [which I now enter on], I do not praise, [namely,] that ye come together, not for the better, but for the worse. 18 For first, when ye come together in assembly, I hear there exist divisions among you, and I partly give credit [to it]. 19 For there must also be sects among you, that the approved may become manifest among you. 20 When ye come therefore together into one place, it is not to eat [the] Lord's supper. 21 For each one in eating takes his own supper before [others], and one is hungry and another drinks to excess. 22 Have ye not then houses for eating and drinking? or do ye despise the assembly of God, and put to shame them who have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you? In this [point] I do not praise.

The Institution of the Lord's Supper

23 For I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was delivered up, took bread, 24 and having given thanks broke [it], and said, This is my body, which [is] for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 In like manner also the cup, after having supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye shall drink [it], in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death of the Lord, until he come.

Partaking of the Supper Unworthily

27 So that whosoever shall eat the bread, or drink the cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty in respect of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man prove himself, and thus eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29 For [the] eater and drinker eats and drinks judgment to himself, not distinguishing the body. 30 On this account many among you [are] weak and infirm, and a good many are fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, so were we not judged. 32 But being judged, we are disciplined of [the] Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 So that, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If any one be hungry, let him eat at home, that ye may not come together for judgment. But the other things, whenever I come, I will set in order.