1 Corinthians 9 - Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)

For Example, I Have The Right To Be Paid As God’s Workman

9 Am^[a] I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, yet indeed I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord— ³ this^[b] is my defense to the ones examining me! ⁴ We do not fail to have the right to eat^[c] and drink, do we? ⁵ We do not fail to have the right to take along^[d] a sister who is a wife, do we?— as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas. ⁶ Or I alone and Barnabas— do not we have the right not to be working^[e]?

Workers Always Partake of The Fruit of Their Labors

⁷ Who ever serves-as-a-soldier with his own rations? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who shepherds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?

Does Not The Law Say This Very Thing?

⁸ I am not speaking these things according to [mere] human thinking^[f], am I ? Or does not the Law also say these things? ⁹ For in the Law of Moses it has been written [in Deut 25:4], “You shall not muzzle a threshing ox”. God is not concerned about the oxen^[g], is He? ¹⁰ Or is He surely speaking for our sake? Indeed it was written for our sake— because^[h] the one plowing ought to plow on the basis of hope, and the one threshing to thresh on the basis of hope that he might partake.

I Do Have This Right Over You

¹¹ If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we shall reap fleshly^[i] things from you? ¹² If others partake of this right over you, should we not more?

But I Chose Not To Make Use Of This Right So As Not To Hinder The Gospel

Nevertheless, we did not make-use-of ^[j] this right. But we are bearing^[k] all things, in order that we might not give any hindrance to the good-news of Christ.

The Lord Even Commanded That Gospel Workers Live By Their Work

¹³ Do you not know that the ones working the temple-duties eat the things from the temple, that the ones serving at the altar divide-a-share with the altar? ¹⁴ So also the Lord directed^[l] the ones proclaiming the good-news to be living from the good-news.

But My Boast Is That I Do Not Make Use of This Right

¹⁵ But I have not made-use-of any of these things. And I did not write these things in order that it might become so in my case, for it would be better for me to die rather than— no one shall empty my boast^[m]! ¹⁶ For if I am announcing-the-good-news, it is not^[n] a boast for me, for a necessity^[o] is lying-upon^[p] me; for woe is to me if I do not announce-the-good-news. ¹⁷ For if I am practicing this of-my-own-will, I have a reward; but if not-of-my-own-will, I have been entrusted a stewardship^[q]. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That while announcing-the-good-news, I might place the good-news free-of-charge, so as not to make-full-use-of my right in^[r] the good-news.

For I Have Chosen To Enslave Myself To All For The Advance of The Gospel

¹⁹ For^[s] while being free from all people, I enslaved myself to all in order that I might gain the more. ²⁰ Indeed I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain Jews; to the ones under the Law, as under the Law— not being myself under the Law— in order that I might gain the ones under the Law; ²¹ to the ones without-the-Law, as without-the-Law— not being without-the-law of God, but within-the-law of Christ— in order that I might gain the ones without-the-Law. ²² I became weak to the weak, in order that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, in order that I might by all means save some. ²³ And I am doing all things for the sake of the good-news, in order that I might become a co-partner of it.

On The Other Hand, I Will Do Everything Needed To Win My Race And Keep My Prize

²⁴ Do^[t] you not know that the ones running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Be running in this manner: that you may take-hold-of the prize. ²⁵ And everyone competing exercises-self-control as to all things. So those do it in order that they might receive a decayable crown, but we an undecayable one. ²⁶ So-indeed I run in this manner, as not aimlessly^[u]. I box in this manner, as not beating the air. ²⁷ But I bruise my body and make it my slave, that having proclaimed to others, I myself should not somehow become disapproved^[v].

Footnotes

1. 1 Corinthians 9:1 To justify the bold statement just made, Paul uses himself (in foregoing his right to financial support) as an example of choosing not to use one’s rights in order to advance the gospel.
2. 1 Corinthians 9:3 That is, you are the defense of my apostleship to any who would oppose it (making this a parenthetical comment). Or, “Lord. This is my defense (for the bold statement in 8:13) to the ones examining me— we” (making verse 2 parenthetical).
3. 1 Corinthians 9:4 That is, to sustain ourselves through our work among you.
4. 1 Corinthians 9:5 That is, to take a believing wife with us in our ministry to you, at your expense.
5. 1 Corinthians 9:6 That is, not to be working outside of our ministry to you in order to support ourselves.
6. 1 Corinthians 9:8 Or, according to mankind.
7. 1 Corinthians 9:9 No, God is not concerned whether oxen get fed before, during, or after threshing. This was an object-lesson.
8. 1 Corinthians 9:10 Or, [meaning] that.
9. 1 Corinthians 9:11 That is, material.
10. 1 Corinthians 9:12 Paul does not make use of rights from which he is in no way excluded. The Corinthians should also forego rights no one would ever deny are theirs.
11. 1 Corinthians 9:12 Or, enduring.
12. 1 Corinthians 9:14 Or, commanded, ordered. Paul does not make use of rights specifically commanded by the Lord. The Corinthians should also forego rights specifically granted in Scripture, rights based on knowledge.
13. 1 Corinthians 9:15 Paul’s sacrifice of his right to financial support is a personal matter of boasting for which he would die rather than give up.
14. 1 Corinthians 9:16 Paul cannot boast that he is proclaiming the gospel, only in how he does it, sacrificially.
15. 1 Corinthians 9:16 Or, compulsion, constraint.
16. 1 Corinthians 9:16 Or, is pressing upon, is laid upon, is imposed upon. Paul must do it.
17. 1 Corinthians 9:17 That is, a position of management responsibility given him by his Master.
18. 1 Corinthians 9:18 That is, in connection with.
19. 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul now expands his point beyond the financial arena.
20. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul now gives a positive reason. Do these things not only to not hinder the gospel (for the good of others, 8:13-9:23), but to take hold of your own reward (for your own good).
21. 1 Corinthians 9:26 Or, uncertainly, unknowingly.
22. 1 Corinthians 9:27 That is, for the prize, v 24. Or, disqualified. Positively stated, that I might receive my reward and keep it. The Corinthians could seem to win a reward based on knowledge, but lose it due to the impact of their behavior on others.