The Rights of an Apostle
(Deuteronomy 18:1–8)

1Am I not free?† Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus† our Lord? Are you⁺ not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet indeed I am to you⁺; for you⁺ are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3This is my defense to those examining me: 4Have we no authority to eat and to drink? 5Have we no authority to take along a sister—a wife—† as also the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?† 6Or do only I and Barnabas have no authority to work?†

7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who† shepherds a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?

8Do I not speak these things according to man, or does the law not also say these things? 9For in the law of Moses it has been written: “You shall not muzzle an ox treading out grain.”† Is there care for the oxen with God? 10Or does He speak because of us entirely? For it was written because of us, because in hope the one plowing ought to plow, and the one threshing—in hope to partake.

11If we sowed spiritual things among you⁺, is it too much if we will reap fleshly things from you⁺? 12If others partake of the authority over you⁺, should we not more? But we did not use this authority. But we bear all things, so that we should not give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13Do you⁺ not know that those working in the temple eat the things of the temple, and those attending at the altar partake in the altar? 14So also, the Lord directed those proclaiming the gospel to live from the gospel. 15But I have not used any of these. And neither did I write these things so that it should be thus with me; for it is good for me rather to die than that anyone will make void my boasting.

16For if I preach the gospel, there is no boasting to me, for necessity is laid upon me. But woe be to me if I should not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That preaching the gospel, I should lay down the gospel† free of charge, so as not to use up my authority in the gospel.

Paul the Servant to All

19For being free from all, I myself became a slave to all, so that I might gain the more. 20And I became to the Jews as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews; to those under the law, as under the law (myself not being under the law),† so that I might gain those under the law; 21to those without the law, as without the law (not being without the law of God, but within the law of Christ), so that I might gain those without the law. 22To the weak I became weak,† so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all, so that by all means I might save some.

23Now I do all† because of the gospel, so that I might become a fellow partaker of it.

Run Your Race to Win

24Do you⁺ not know that those running in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? Run thus, so that you⁺ might obtain it. 25Now everyone striving controls himself in all things; these indeed then so that they might receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore I run thus, not as aimlessly; I fight thus, not as beating the air. 27But I batter my body and bring it into servitude, lest somehow, having preached to others, I myself might be disqualified.

Footnotes:

1 BYZ and TR Am I not an apostle? Am I not free?
1 BYZ and TR Jesus Christ
5 Or take along a believing wife
5 That is, Peter
6 Or Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 SBL Who
9 Deuteronomy 25:4
18 BYZ and TR include of Christ.
20 BYZ and TR do not include (myself not being under the law).
22 BYZ and TR To the weak I became as weak
23 BYZ and TR I do this