13THEREFORE IF FOOD SNARES THE BROTHER OF MINE, CERTAINLY NOT SHALL I EAT MEAT TO THE AGE SO THAT NOT THE BROTHER OF MINE I MAY SNARE. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.
1SURELY I AM FREE? SURELY I AM AN APOSTLE SURELY JESUS CHRIST THE LORD OF US HAVE I SEEN? SURELY THE WORK OF MINE YOU YOURSELVES ARE IN [THE] LORD? 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 yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2IF TO OTHERS NOT I AM AN APOSTLE, YET AT LEAST TO YOU I AM; THE FOR SEAL OF MY <THE> APOSTLESHIP YOU YOURSELVES ARE IN [THE] LORD. 2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3<THE> MY DEFENSE TO THOSE ME MYSELF EXAMINING IS THIS: 3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
5CERTAINLY SURELY WE HAVE AUTHORITY A SISTER A WIFE TO TAKE ABOUT AS ALSO THE OTHER APOSTLES AND THE BROTHERS OF THE LORD AND CEPHAS? 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife,*NoteCloseLiterally take along a sister—a wife— as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?*NoteCloseThat is, Peter
6OR ONLY I MYSELF AND BARNABAS NOT HAVE PERMISSION <THE> NOT TO WORK? 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?*NoteCloseLiterally Or is it only Barnabas and I who do not have authority not to work?
7WHO SERVES AS A SOLDIER AT [HIS] OWN EXPENSE AT ANY TIME? WHO PLANTS A VINEYARD AND FROM THE FRUIT OF IT NOT DOES EAT? OR WHO SHEPHERDS A FLOCK AND FROM THE MILK OF THE FLOCK NOT DOES DRINK? 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8NOT ACCORDING TO MAN THESE THINGS DO I SPEAK? OR ALSO THE LAW THESE THINGS NOT SAYS? 8Do I say this from a human perspective Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9IN FOR THE OF MOSES LAW IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN: NOT YOU WILL MUZZLE AN OX TREADING OUT GRAIN. SURELY NOT FOR THE OXEN IS THERE CARE <THE> WITH GOD? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”*NoteCloseDeuteronomy 25:4 Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10OR BECAUSE OF US ENTIRELY IS HE SPEAKING? FOR SAKE OF US FOR IT WAS WRITTEN BECAUSE OUGHT IN HOPE THE [ONE] PLOWING TO PLOW, AND THE [ONE] THRESHING OF THE HOPE OF HIM IN HOPE [THAT HE] IS TO PARTAKE. 10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11IF WE OURSELVES AMONG YOU <THE> SPIRITUAL THINGS SOWED, [IS IT] A GREAT THING IF WE OURSELVES FROM YOU <THE> MATERIAL THINGS WILL REAP? 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12IF OTHERS OF THE OVER YOU AUTHORITY PARTAKE, SURELY MORE WE OURSELVES? BUT NOT WE DID USE <THE> RIGHT THIS, INSTEAD ALL THINGS WE BEAR SO THAT NOT ANY HINDRANCE WE MAY PLACE TO THE GOSPEL <THE> OF CHRIST. 12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13SURELY YOU KNOW THAT THOSE IN THE SACRED [THINGS] WORKING THE [THINGS] OF THE TEMPLE EAT? THOSE AT THE ALTAR ATTENDING AT THE ALTAR PARTAKE? 13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14SO ALSO THE LORD HAS PRESCRIBED TO THOSE THE GOSPEL PROCLAIMING FROM THE GOSPEL TO LIVE. 14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15I MYSELF HOWEVER NOT HAVE USED NOT ANY OF THESE; NEITHER HAVE I WRITTEN NOW THESE THINGS THAT THUS IT MAY BECOME WITH ME MYSELF; GOOD FOR ME RATHER TO DIE THAN THE BOASTING OF MINE SO THAT NO [ONE] WILL MAKE VOID. 15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16IF FOR I SHALL EVANGELISE, NOTHING THERE IS TO ME BOASTING; NECESSITY FOR ME IS LAID UPON; WOE HOWEVER TO ME BE IF NOT I SHALL EVANGELISE. 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17IF FOR WILLINGLY THIS I DO, A REWARD I HAVE; IF HOWEVER UNWILLINGLY, A STEWARDSHIP I HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH. 17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18WHAT THEN OF ME IS THE REWARD? THAT IN EVANGELISING FREE OF CHARGE I MAY OFFER THE GOSPEL OF THE CHRIST SO AS <THE> NOT TO USE UP THE RIGHT OF ME IN THE GOSPEL. 18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19FREE FOR BEING FROM ALL TO ALL MYSELF I BECAME SERVANT SO THAT THE MORE I MAY GAIN; Paul the Servant to All 19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20AND I BECAME TO THE JEWS LIKE A JEW SO THAT JEWS I MAY WIN; TO THOSE UNDER [THE] LAW AS UNDER [THE] LAW NOT BEING MYSELF UNDER [THE] LAW SO THAT THOSE UNDER [THE] LAW I MAY WIN; 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21TO THOSE OUTSIDE [THE] LAW LIKE OUTSIDE [THE] LAW — NOT BEING OUTSIDE [THE] LAW OF GOD BUT UNDER [THE] LAW OF CHRIST — SO THAT I MAY WIN THOSE OUTSIDE [THE] LAW. 21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22I BECAME TO THE WEAK AS WEAK THAT THE WEAK I MAY WIN; THE [THINGS] TO ALL I HAVE BECOME <THE> ALL SO THAT BY ALL MEANS SOME I MAY SAVE. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23ALL [THINGS] NOW I DO ON ACCOUNT OF THE GOSPEL THAT A FELLOW PARTAKER WITH IT I MAY BECOME. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24SURELY YOU KNOW THAT THOSE IN A RACE COURSE RUNNING ALL INDEED RUN, ONE HOWEVER RECEIVES THE PRIZE? THUS DO RUN THAT YOU MAY GRASP [IT]. Run Your Race to Win 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25EVERYONE NOW WHO IS STRIVING IN ALL THINGS CONTROLS HIMSELF; THEY INDEED THEN THAT A PERISHABLE CROWN THEY MAY RECEIVE, WE OURSELVES HOWEVER AN IMPERISHABLE. 25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26I MYSELF THEREFORE THUS RUN AS NOT UNCERTAINLY, SO I FIGHT AS NOT [THE] AIR BEATING; 26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27BUT I BATTER MY <THE> BODY AND BRING [IT] INTO SERVITUDE, LEST PERHAPS TO OTHERS HAVING PREACHED MYSELF DISQUALIFIED I MAY BE. 27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.