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 9,5 1Kor 9,5
The {Or, overseer}bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called {Many ancient authorities read you.}us in peace.
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
{Some ancient authorities omit verse 47.}And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.
But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be {Greek: fallen asleep. See Acts 7:60.}dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, {Or, Jacob}James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick of a fever.
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
Thou hast {Or, given me courage}ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;Thou hast {Or, given me courage}ravished my heart with {Or, one look from thine eyes}one of thine eyes,With one chain of thy neck.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of {Or, Jacob}James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended in him.
Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell him of her:
Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!How much better is thy love than wine!And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!
and Matthew and Thomas, and {Or, Jacob}James the son of Alphæus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,
He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of {Greek: Joanes: called in Matthew 16:17, Jonah.}John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, {That is, Rock or Stone.}Peter).
A garden {Hebrew: barred.}shut up is my sister, my bride;A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days.
I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:I have gathered my myrrh with my {Or, balsam}spice;I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;I have drunk my wine with my milk.Eat, O friends;Drink, yea, drink abundantly, {Or, of love}O beloved.
These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, {Or, with certain women}with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
I {Or, sleep, but my heart waketh}was asleep, but my heart waked:It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my {Hebrew: perfect.}undefiled;For my head is filled with dew,My locks with the drops of the night.
But other of the apostles saw I none, {Or, but only}save {Or, Jacob}James the Lord's brother.
I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a {Or, deaconess}servant of the church that is at Cenchreae:
the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.