1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in Lord?
2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you, for ye are the seal of my apostleship in Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this.
4 Have we no, not a right to eat and to drink?
5 Have we no, not a right to lead about a sister wife, as also the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or have only I and Barnabas no right not to be occupied earning a living?
7 Who ever enlists in an army at his own wage? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from the fruit of it? Or who feeds a flock and does not eat from the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things according to man, or does not the law also say these things?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses thou shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain. Is God concerned about oxen,
10 or does he speak altogether for our sake? For our sake, for it was written, He who plows ought to plow with hope, and he who threshes with his hope, with hope to share.
11 If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it a great thing if we will reap your carnal things?
12 If others are partakers of the right from you, are not we more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we cover all things, so that we may not give any hindrance to the good-news of the Christ.
13 Know ye not that those being employed at the sacred things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar are partakers at the altar?
14 And so the Lord commanded those who proclaim the good-news to live from the good-news.
15 But I have used none of these things, and I did not write these things so that it should be done to me this way. For it is good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my boasting empty.
16 For if I preach the good-news, it is not a source of pride for me, for an obligation is laid upon me. And woe is to me if I do not preach the good-news.
17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with a commission.
18 What then is my reward? That, while preaching the good-news, I may make the good-news of the Christ without charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the good-news.
19 For although being free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that I might gain the more.
20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews, to those under law, as under law, so that I might gain those under law,
21 to those without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), so that I might gain men without law.
22 To the weak I became as weak, so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that by all means I might save some.
23 And I do this for sake of the good-news, so that I might become a fellow participant of it.
24 Know ye not that those who run in an arena, indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run that ye may seize it.
25 And every man who strives for mastery exercises self-control in all things. Indeed therefore those men do it so that they might obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.
26 I therefore run this way, not as aimlessly. I fight this way, not as flaying air.
27 But I give my body a black eye and subdue it, lest somehow having preached to others, I myself might become disqualified.
1 Am I not an Apostle? am I not fre? have I not sene Iesus Christ oure lorde?
2 Are not ye my worke in the lorde. Yf I be not an Apostle vnto other yet am I vnto you. For the seale of myne Apostleshippe are ye in the lorde.
3 Myne answer to them that axe me is this.
4 Have we not power to eate and to drynke?
5 Ether have we not power to leade about a sister to wyfe as wel as other Apostles and as the brethren of the lorde and Cephas?
6 Ether only I and Barnabas have not power this to do?
7 who goeth a warfare eny tyme at his awne cost? who planteth a vynearde and eateth not of the frute? Who fedeth a flocke and eateth not of the mylke?
8 Saye I these thinges after the manner of men? Or sayth not the lawe the same also?
9 For it ys written in the lawe of Moses. Thou shall not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne. Doth God take thought for oxen?
10 Ether sayth he it not all to gedder for oure sakes? For oure sakes no doute this is written: that he which eareth shuld eare in hope: and that he which thressheth in hope shuld be parttaker of his hope.
11 Yf we sowe vnto you spirituall thynges: is it a greate thynge yf we reepe youre carnall thynges
12 Yf other be parttakers of this power over you? wherfore are not we rather.Neverthelesse we have not vsed this power: but suffre all thinges lest we shuld hynder the gospell of Christ.
13 Do ye not vnderstoder how that they which minister in the temple have their fyndynge of the temple? And they which wayte at the aulter are partakers with ye aultre?
14 Even so also dyd ye lorde ordayne that they which preache ye gospell shuld live of the gospell.
15 But I have vsed none of these thinges. Nether wrote I these thinges that it shuld be so done vnto me. For it were better for me to dye the yt eny man shnld take this reioysinge from me
16 . In that I preache the gospell I have nothinge to reioyce of. For necessite is put vnto me. Wo is it vnto me yf I preache not the gospell.
17 If I do it with a good will I have a rewarde. But yf I do it agaynst my will an office is committed vnto me.
18 What is my rewarde then? Verely that whe I preache the gospell I make the gospell of Christ fre yt I misvse not myne auctorite in ye gospel
19 For though I be fre from all men yet have I made my silfe servaunt vnto all men that I myght wynne the moo.
20 Vnto the Iewes I became as a Iewe to winne ye Iewes. To the that were vnder the lawe was I made as though I had bene vnder the lawe to wynne the that were vnder the lawe.
21 To them that were without lawe be ca I as though I had bene without lawe (whe I was not without lawe as perteyninge to god but vnder a lawe as concerninge Christ) to wynne the that were without lawe.
22 To the weake became I as weake to wynne the weake. In all thinge I fassioned my silfe to all men to save at ye lest waye some.
23 And this I do for the gospels sake that I might have my parte therof.
24 Perceave ye not how that they which runne in a course runne all yet but one receaveth the rewarde. So runne that ye maye obtayne.
25 Euery man yt proveth masteryes abstaineth from all thinges. And they do it to obtayne a corruptible croune: but we to obtayne an vncorruptible croune:
26 I therfore so runne not as at an vncertayne thinge. So fyght I not as one yt beateth the ayer:
27 but I tame my body and bringe it into subieccio lest after that I have preached to other I my silfe shuld be a castawaye.