1 Am I not free? Am I not commissioned?a Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are you not my work connected with the Lord? 2 If to others I’m not commissioned, at least I am to you, for you are the validation of my commission connected with the Lord.
3 This is my responseb to those who scrutinizec me. 4 Don’t we have a right to eat and drink? 5 Don’t we have a right to partner with a woman who is a Sister like the rest of those who are commissioned and the Lord’s brothersd and Cephase also do? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right not to work? 7 Does anyone ever serve in the army at their expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat its fruit? Or, does anyone tend a herdf and not drink its milk? 8 Am I saying these things only based on human practices, or doesn’t Torah also say these things? 9 It is written in the Torah of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshingg the grain.”h Are oxen what God cares about, 10 or is it actually for our sake? You see, it was written for our sake because it is necessary for the one working the plow and the one threshing both to do so in the hope of partaking in it. 11 If we planted seeds of things connected with the Life-breath among you, is it a big deal if we harvest bodily things from you? 12 If others partake in this right from you, why don’t we even more so?
Nevertheless, we have not claimed this right, but instead, we bear everything so that we won’t put up any barriers to the triumphant messagei of Christ. 13 Haven’t you learned that those who work at the temple eat food from the temple and those who serve at the altar take a portion of what’s offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord also arranged for those announcing the triumphant message to be kept alivej because ofk the triumphant message. 15 I have not laid claim to any of these things, and I’m not writing these things so that it will happen this way for me. In fact, it would be more appealing for me to die; no one will nullify my reason for feeling proud. 16 You see, if I spread the triumphant message, I don’t have anything to feel proud of because necessity has compelled me; I’d better watch out if I don’t spread the triumphant message! 17 If I do so of my own initiative,l I receive payment, but if I do it not of my own initiative,m I am entrusted with a stewardship. 18 Therefore, what is my payment? It’s that when I spread the triumphant message, I present the triumphant message for free, resulting in me not fully insisting on my rights connected with the triumphant message.
19 Since I am not bound to anyone,n I enslave myself to everyone so that I may gain even more people. 20 I became Jewish with Jews, so I could gain Jews. With those under Torah, I became as if I were under Torah (though I am not myself under Torah), so I could gain those under Torah. 21 With those without Torah, I became as if I were without Torah (though I’m not without God’s Torah but bound by Christ’s Torah), so I could gain those without Torah. 22 With those who are vulnerable,o I became vulnerable, so I could gain those who are vulnerable. I have become everything to everyone, so by becomingp everything I can liberate some. 23 I do everything because of the triumphant message, so I can become a co-participant in it.
24 Don’t you know that all the runners, in fact, run the race, but only one receives the prize? In the same way, run so that you can claim it. 25 Every contestant is self-disciplined in everything. While they do so to receive a perishable laurel wreath,q we do so for an imperishable one. 26 Therefore, how I run is without hesitation, not boxing as if I were hitting air.r 27 Instead, I train my body relentlesslys and enslave it, so that after announcing to others, I don’t myself become disqualified.t
FOOTNOTES:
a Traditionally, ‘an apostle.’ The word means ‘someone who is sent to carry out a purpose’ and while it became used in a particular way in the church, it was not an inherently religious word in the Greek language.
b Or ‘defense’
c Or ‘question’ or ‘examine’ or ‘investigate’ or ‘interrogate’ or ‘second-guess’
d This refers to the biological brothers of Jesus, sons of Mary and Joseph, who had become leaders of the church especially in Jerusalem. The letters of James and Jude are attributed to Jesus’ brothers James (Jacob) and Judah.
e Cephas is from the Aramaic version of ‘Peter.’ They both are from the Aramaic and Greek words for ‘stone’ or ‘rock.’ See Matthew 16:18.
f Or flock
g The agricultural practice was to lead oxen to walk on the grain to grind it with their hooves and separate the edible part of the grain from the husks and other inedible parts. This practice was called ‘threshing.’
h Quotation of Deuteronomy 25:4
i Traditionally, ‘gospel’ or ‘good news.’ The word ‘gospel’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, which means ‘good story.’ The Greek euangelion literally means ‘good message’ and was used specifically of a message announced publicly, which fits the use of the word ‘news.’ The historical context comes from when rulers and military leaders returned to a city after victory in battle, and a herald would be sent ahead to announce the victory and the ruler’s impending arrival. The writers of the Bible took this word and applied it to Jesus’ victory of a different kind. The use of “triumphant message’ here is intended to communicate the full meaning of the word in context and not the narrow dictionary definition.
j Literally, the Greek says, “to live.” It requires some further interpretation for it to make sense in English, which is why it says in this translation, “to be kept alive” and other says phrases like “get their living”
k The Greek preposition ek can be translated as ‘from,’ ‘because of,’ ‘out of,’ ‘by,’ ‘by means of’ and many other ways. The sense of it here is that the triumphant message itself causes them to have their needs met. If people accept the triumphant message, they are transformed into a way of life that mirrors Christ’s love and generosity, ensuring that no one in the community goes without. This phrase is often misinterpreted to say that church communities should be staffed by professional clergy who receive a salary for that role. While that idea is not opposed to what is written here, it is an extra leap not explicit in the teaching.
l Or ‘voluntarily’
m Or ‘involuntarily’
n Literally ‘free regarding everyone’
o Or ‘sick’ or ‘feeble’ or ‘without resources’ or ‘disempowered’ or ‘weak.’
p The word ‘becoming’ is not explicitly in the Greek here and is added for clarity.
q Winners in athletic games were awarded a laurel wreath to wear on their heads.
r Or ‘not pulling my punches” so to speak.
s Literally ‘beat’ or ‘thrash’ or ‘subdue’
t Literally something is tested and does not prove to meet the standard, including in a courtroom setting.