Parallel Bible results for "1 corinthians 9"

1 Corinthians 9

Common English Bible CEB

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you my work in the Lord?

2 If I'm not an apostle to others, at least I am to you! You are the seal that shows I'm an apostle.

3 This is my defense against those who criticize me.

4 Don't we have the right to eat and drink?

5 Don't we have the right to travel with a wife who believes like the rest of the apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas?

6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who don't have the right to not work for our living?

7 Who joins the army and pays their own way? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't eat its fruit? Who shepherds a flock and doesn't drink its milk?

8 I'm not saying these things just based on common sense, am I? Doesn't the Law itself say these things?

9 In Moses' Law it's written: You will not muzzle the ox when it is threshing. Is God worried about oxen,

10 or did he say this entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake because the one who plows and the one who threshes should each do so with the hope of sharing the produce.

11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it so much to ask to harvest some material things from you?

12 If others have these rights over you, don't we deserve them all the more? However, we haven't made use of this right, but we put up with everything so we don't put any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

13 Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get to eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share part of what is sacrificed on the altar?

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel.

15 But I haven't taken advantage of this. And I'm not writing this so that it will be done for me. It's better for me to die than to lose my right to brag about this!

16 If I preach the gospel, I have no reason to brag, since I'm obligated to do it. I'm in trouble if I don't preach the gospel.

17 If I do this voluntarily, I get rewarded for it. But if I'm forced to do it, then I've been charged with a responsibility.

18 What reward do I get? That when I preach, I offer the good news free of charge. That's why I don't use the rights to which I'm entitled through the gospel.

19 Although I'm free from all people, I make myself a slave to all people, to recruit more of them.

20 I act like a Jew to the Jews, so I can recruit Jews. I act like I'm under the Law to those under the Law, so I can recruit those who are under the Law (though I myself am not under the Law).

21 I act like I'm outside the Law to those who are outside the Law, so I can recruit those outside the Law (though I'm not outside the law of God but rather under the law of Christ).

22 I act weak to the weak, so I can recruit the weak. I have become all things to all people, so I could save some by all possible means.

23 All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel, so I can be a partner with it.

24 Don't you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win.

25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies.

26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing.

27 Rather, I'm landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won't be disqualified after preaching to others.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Don't you agree that I'm a free man? Don't you agree that I'm an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the result of my work for the Lord?

2 If I'm not an apostle to other people, at least I'm an apostle to you. You are the seal which proves that I am the Lord's apostle.

3 This is how I defend myself to those who cross-examine me.

4 Don't we have the right to eat and drink?

5 Don't we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas do?

6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who don't have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves?

7 Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep?

8 Am I merely stating some human rule? Don't Moses' Teachings say the same thing?

9 Moses' Teachings say, "Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing grain." God's concern isn't for oxen.

10 Isn't he speaking entirely for our benefit? This was written for our benefit so that the person who plows or threshes should expect to receive a share of the crop.

11 If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods?

12 If others have the right to expect this from you, don't we deserve even more? But we haven't used our rights. Instead, we would put up with anything in order not to hinder the Good News of Christ in any way.

13 Don't you realize that those who work at the temple get their food from the temple? Don't those who help at the altar get a share of what is on the altar?

14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who spread the Good News should earn their living from the Good News.

15 I haven't used any of these rights, and I haven't written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words.

16 If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don't spread the Good News!

17 If I spread the Good News willingly, I'll have a reward. But if I spread the Good News unwillingly, I'm [only] doing what I've been entrusted to do.

18 So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won't use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News.

19 Although I'm free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them.

20 I became Jewish for Jewish people. I became subject to Moses' Teachings for those who are subject to those laws. I did this to win them even though I'm not subject to Moses' Teachings.

21 I became like a person who does not have Moses' Teachings for those who don't have those teachings. I did this to win them even though I have God's teachings. I'm really subject to Christ's teachings.

22 I became like a person weak in faith to win those who are weak in faith. I have become everything to everyone in order to save at least some of them.

23 I do all this for the sake of the Good News in order to share what it offers.

24 Don't you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win.

25 Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent.

26 So I run--but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box--but not as if I were just shadow boxing.

27 Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.