1. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2. If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3. My answer to those who examine me is this,
4. Do we not have the right to eat and to drink?
5. Do we not have the right to lead around a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and like the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6. Or only I and Barnabas, do we have no right to abstain from working?
7. Who goes to warfare at any time at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
8. Do I say these things as a man? Or does not the law say the same also?
9. For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Is God concerned about oxen?
10. Or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be a have a share of his hope.
11. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your fleshly things?
12. If others share in this right over you, do not we even more? Nevertheless we have not used this authority; but suffer all things, so that we do not hinder the gospel of Christ.
13. Do you not know that those who minister around holy things live from the things of the temple? And those who serve at the altar have a share of the altar?
14. Even so has the Lord appointed that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15. But I have made use of none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done to me: for it would be better for me to die, than that anyone should make my boasting of no effect.
16. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to find glory in: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel!
17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a commission of the gospel is entrusted to me.
18. What is my reward then? Truly that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without expense, so that I do not abuse my power in the gospel.
19. For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more.
20. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;
21. To those who are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain those who are without law.
22. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be a sharer in it with you.
24. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain it.
25. And everyone who strives for the victory is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so I fight, not as one who beats the air:
27. But I keep control of my body, and bring it into subjection: so that, when I have preached to others, I myself should not by any means be lost.
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