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 9,6 1Kor 9,6
And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of {Or, consolation See Luke 2:25; chapter 9:31; 15:31; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, in the Greek.}exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;
And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch:
and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they wrought; for by their trade they were tentmakers.
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.
Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.
In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
And they called Barnabas, {Greek: Zeus.}Jupiter; and Paul, {Greek: Hermes.}Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.
For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of God.
And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare.
For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should imitate us.
And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.