Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
My defence to them that examine me is this.
Have we no right to eat and to drink?
Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a {Greek: sister.}believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?
What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same?
For it is written in the law of Moses, {Deuteronomy 25:4.}Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth,
or saith he it {Or, altogether}assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking.
If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?
If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel of Christ.
Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?
Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel should live of the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel.
But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
For if I {See marginal note on chapter 1:17.}preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I {See marginal note on chapter 1:17.}preach not the gospel.
For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.
What then is my reward? That, when I {See marginal note on chapter 1:17.}preach the gospel, I may make the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel.
For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
And I do all things for the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.
Know ye not that they that run in a {Greek: race course.}race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.
And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so {Greek: box.}fight I, as not beating the air:
but I {Greek: bruise. Luke 18:5.}buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I {Or, have been a herald}have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
Querverweise zu 1. Korinther 9,1 1Kor 9,1
If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.
I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
My defence to them that examine me is this.
For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven:
I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel.
and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.
And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, {Greek: believed the Lord.}believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
And the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace:
for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have much people in this city.
And he dwelt there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
And the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace:
And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a {Greek: vessel of election.}chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel:
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things {Many ancient authorities read which thou hast seen.}wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
to open their eyes, {Or, to turn them}that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are {Greek: bondservants.}servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you {Or, a way}the way of salvation.
And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.
Paul, a {Greek: bondservant.}servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of God,
through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience {Or, to the faith}of faith among all the {Or, Gentiles}nations, for his name's sake;
But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;
For I reckon that I am not a whit behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles.
I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all {Or, stedfastness}patience, by signs and wonders and {Greek: powers.}mighty works.
Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through {Or, a man}man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace,
to reveal his Son in me, that I might {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood:
neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.
but contrariwise, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel of the circumcision
(for he that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision wrought for me also unto the Gentiles);
whereunto I was appointed a {Greek: herald.}preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
whereunto I was appointed a {Greek: herald.}preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher.
Paul, a {Greek: bondservant.}servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised {Or, long ages ago}before times eternal;
but in {Or, its}his own seasons manifested his word in the {Or, proclamation}message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;