1 Corinthians_Chapter 9

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

If I am not an apostle among others, I am always an apostle among you. Because you are the seal of my apostles in the Lord.

That’s how I filed a lawsuit against the person who questioned me.

Do we not have the authority to eat and drink through the gospel?

Do we not have the authority to marry sisters who believe in the Lord and travel with them, just like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?

Does Barnabas and I have no authority not to work?

Who joins the army and provides their own food and salaries? Who plants a vineyard and doesn’t eat the fruits in it? Who raises cows and sheep and doesn’t eat their milk?

I said this according to people’s opinions. Isn’t the law also saying this?

Just as the law of Moses states, “When an ox treads the grain on the field, it shall not trap its mouth.”. Is it the ox that God is concerned about?

Isn’t it all for us? It is clearly for us. Because those who cultivate should have hope to cultivate. Those who fight should also rely on those who have enough food to fight.

If we sow spiritual seeds among you, is it still a great thing to harvest and nourish the flesh from you?

If others have this authority over you, let alone us? However, we have not used this authority, but we endure everything so that the gospel of Christ may not be blocked.

Do you not know that those who labor for holy things eat the things in the temple? Do those who serve the altar receive what is on the altar?

The Lord also decreed that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.

But I have never used any of this authority. I am not writing this to expect you to treat me like this. Because I would rather die than let anyone make my boasting come to naught.

I have nothing to praise for preaching the gospel. Because I had no choice but to. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

If I am willing to do this, there will be a reward. If unwilling, the responsibility has already been entrusted to me.

So, what is my reward? It is when I preach the gospel that people receive it without spending money, so as not to exhaust my power to preach the gospel.

Although I am free and have no one to rule over me, I am willing to be a servant to everyone, in order to increase the number of people.

To the Jews, I became a Jew in order to obtain them. To those who are under the law, even though I am not under the law, I am still under the law to obtain them.

To those who have no law, I will become lawless in order to obtain them. In fact, I am not without the law before God, but under the law before Christ.

To those who are weak, I will be a weak person, to gain them. I will be the kind of person I want to be. Anyway, we must save some people.

Everything I do is for the sake of the gospel, to share the benefits of this gospel with others.

Do you know that all the runners on the field are running, but only one person is rewarded. You should also run like this so that you can receive rewards.

Those who strive for victory have moderation in all things. They just want a crown that can break. We want an unbreakable crown.

So I run, unlike aimless. I fight, not like someone who fights in the air.

I am conquering my own body and subduing it. I’m afraid if I preach the gospel to others, I will be rejected myself.