- 1
- Am I not an Apostle?
am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my worke in the Lord?
- 2
- If I bee not an Apostle vnto others, yet doubtlesse I am to you: for the seale of mine Apostleship are yee in the Lord.
- 3
- Mine answere to them that doe examine me, is this:
- 4
- Haue wee not power to eate and to drinke?
- 5
- Haue we not power to lead about a sister a wife aswel as other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
- 6
- Or I onely and Barnabas, haue not we power to forbeare working?
- 7
- Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne charges?
who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruite thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke?
- 8
- Say I these things as a man?
or saith not the Law the same also?
- 9
- For it is written in the Law of Moyses, Thou shalt not muzzell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doth God take care for oxen?
- 10
- Or saith hee it altogether for our sakes?
for our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that hee that ploweth, should plow in hope: and that hee that thresheth in hope, should bee partaker of his hope.
- 11
- If we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things, is it a great thing if wee shall reape your carnall things?
- 12
- If others bee partakers of this power ouer you, are not we rather?
Neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, lest wee should hinder the Gospel of Christ.
- 13
- Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things, liue of the things of the Temple?
and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar?
- 14
- Euen so hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach the Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.
- 15
- But I haue vsed none of these things.
Neither haue I written these things, that it should bee so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my glorying voyd.
- 16
- For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to glorie of: for necessitie is laid vpon mee, yea, woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel.
- 17
- For if I doe this thing willingly, I haue a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed vnto me.
- 18
- What is my reward then?
verily that when I preach the Gospel, I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the Gospel.
- 19
- For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all, that I might gaine the more.
- 20
- And vnto the Iewes, I became as a Iew, that I might gaine the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Law, as vnder the Law, that I might gaine them that are vnder the Law:
- 21
- To them that are without Law, as without Law (being not without Law to God, but vnder the Law to Christ,) that I might gaine them that are without Law.
- 22
- To the weake became I as weake, that I might gaine the weake: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.
- 23
- And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
- 24
- Know yee not that they which runne in a race, runne all, but one receiueth the price?
So runne, that yee may obtaine.
- 25
- And euery man that striueth for the masterie, is temperate in all things: Now they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crowne, but we an incorruptible.
- 26
- I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre:
- 27
- But I keepe vnder my body, and bring it into subiection: lest that by any meanes when I haue preached to others, I my selfe should be a castaway.
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