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 9,21 1Kor 9,21
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.
Wast thou called being a bondservant? care not for it: {Or, but if}nay, even if thou canst become free, use it rather.
For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the Lord's freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's bondservant.
And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem.
I will run the way of thy commandments,When thou shalt enlarge my heart.
But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we {Or, enjoined Many ancient authorities read sent.}wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
For as many as {Greek: sinned.}have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as {Greek: sinned.}have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;
For I delight {Greek: with.}in the law of God after the inward man:
(for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;
{Many ancient authorities read But thanks be to God. Compare chapter 6:17.}I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
that the {Or, requirement}ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{Or, but it was because of}and that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth {Greek: the other. Compare 1 Corinthians 6:1; 10:24; Galatians 6:4.}his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
For this, {Exodus 20:13 ff; Deuteronomy 5:17 ff.}Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.
For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.
And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel, I said unto Cephas before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the {Or, message}hearing of faith?
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: {Leviticus 19:18.}Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
{Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16.}Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise),
that it may be well with thee, and thou {Or, shalt}mayest live long on the {Or, land}earth.
Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,— that ye abound more and more.
For ye know what {Greek: charges.}charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, {Greek: healthy.}sound in faith, in love, in {Or, stedfastness}patience:
that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded:
in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
Exhort {Greek: bondservants.}servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;
not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
For the grace of God {Or, hath appeared to all men, bringing salvation}hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present {Or, age}world;
For this is the covenant that {Greek: I will covenant.}I will make with the house of IsraelAfter those days, saith the Lord;I will put my laws into their mind,And on their heart also will I write them:And I will be to them a God,And they shall be to me a people: