91 Am I not free? am I not an Apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an Apostle, at least I am one to you: for the fact that you are Christians is the sign that I am an Apostle.
3 My answer to those who are judging me is this. 4 Have we no right to take food and drink? 5 Have we no right to take about with us a Christian wife, like the rest of the Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have we no right to take a rest from work? 7 Who ever goes to war without looking to someone to be responsible for his payment? who puts in vines and does not take the fruit of them? or who takes care of sheep without drinking of their milk? 8 Am I talking as a man? does not the law say the same? 9 For it says in the law of Moses, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. Is it for the oxen that God is giving orders? 10 Or has he us in mind? Yes, it was said for us; because it is right for the ploughman to do his ploughing in hope, and for him who is crushing the grain to do his work hoping for a part in the fruits of it. 11 If we have been planting the things of the Spirit for you, does it seem a great thing for you to give us a part in your things of this world? 12 If others have a part in this right over you, have we not even more? But we did not make use of our right, so that we might put nothing in the way of the good news of Christ. 13 Do you not see that the servants of the holy things get their living from the Temple, and the servants of the altar have their part in the food which is offered on the altar? 14 Even so did the Lord give orders that the preachers of the good news might get their living from the good news.
15 But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect. 16 For if I am a preacher of the good news, I have no cause for pride in this; because I am forced to do so, for a curse is on me if I do not. 17 But if I do it gladly, I have a reward; and if not, I am under orders to do it. 18 What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news.
19 For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation. 20 And to the Jews I was as a Jew, so that I might give the good news to them; to those under the law I was the same, not as being myself under the law, but so that I might give the good news to those under the law. 21 To those without the law I was as one without the law, not as being without law to God, but as under law to Christ, so that I might give the good news to those without the law. 22 To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation. 23 And I do all things for the cause of the good news, so that I may have a part in it.
24 Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward. 25 And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown. 26 So then I am running, not uncertainly; so I am fighting, not as one who gives blows in the air: 27 But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval.
31 And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ. 2 I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able; 3 Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men? 4 For when one says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos; are you not talking like natural men?
5 What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them. 6 I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God gave the increase. 7 So then the planter is nothing, and the waterer is nothing; but God who gives the increase. 8 Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work. 9 For we are workers with God: you are God's planting, God's building. 10 In the measure of the grace given to me, I, as a wise master-builder, have put the base in position, and another goes on building on it. But let every man take care what he puts on it.
11 For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But on the base a man may put gold, silver, stones of great price, wood, dry grass, cut stems; 13 Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work. 14 If any man's work comes through the test, he will have a reward. 15 If the fire puts an end to any man's work, it will be his loss: but he will get salvation himself, though as by fire.
16 Do you not see that you are God's holy house, and that the Spirit of God has his place in you? 17 If anyone makes the house of God unclean, God will put an end to him; for the house of God is holy, and you are his house.
18 Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs: 20 And again, The Lord has knowledge of the reasonings of the wise, that they are nothing.
21 So let no one take pride in men. For all things are yours; 22 Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
