1 Não sou eu, porventura, livre? Não sou apóstolo? Não vi Jesus, nosso Senhor? Acaso, não sois fruto do meu trabalho no Senhor? 2 Se não sou apóstolo para outrem, certamente, o sou para vós outros; porque vós sois o selo do meu apostolado no Senhor. 3 A minha defesa perante os que me interpelam é esta: 4 não temos nós o direito de comer e beber? 5 E também o de fazer-nos acompanhar de uma mulher irmã, como fazem os demais apóstolos, e os irmãos do Senhor, e Cefas? 6 Ou somente eu e Barnabé não temos direito de deixar de trabalhar? 7 Quem jamais vai à guerra à sua própria custa? Quem planta a vinha e não come do seu fruto? Ou quem apascenta um rebanho e não se alimenta do leite do rebanho?

8 Porventura, falo isto como homem ou não o diz também a lei? 9 Porque na lei de Moisés está escrito:

Não atarás a boca ao boi, quando pisa o trigo.

Acaso, é com bois que Deus se preocupa? 10 Ou é, seguramente, por nós que ele o diz? Certo que é por nós que está escrito; pois o que lavra cumpre fazê-lo com esperança; o que pisa o trigo faça-o na esperança de receber a parte que lhe é devida. 11 Se nós vos semeamos as coisas espirituais, será muito recolhermos de vós bens materiais? 12 Se outros participam desse direito sobre vós, não o temos nós em maior medida?

Entretanto, não usamos desse direito; antes, suportamos tudo, para não criarmos qualquer obstáculo ao evangelho de Cristo. 13 Não sabeis vós que os que prestam serviços sagrados do próprio templo se alimentam? E quem serve ao altar do altar tira o seu sustento? 14 Assim ordenou também o Senhor aos que pregam o evangelho que vivam do evangelho; 15 eu, porém, não me tenho servido de nenhuma destas coisas e não escrevo isto para que assim se faça comigo; porque melhor me fora morrer, antes que alguém me anule esta glória. 16 Se anuncio o evangelho, não tenho de que me gloriar, pois sobre mim pesa essa obrigação; porque ai de mim se não pregar o evangelho! 17 Se o faço de livre vontade, tenho galardão; mas, se constrangido, é, então, a responsabilidade de despenseiro que me está confiada. 18 Nesse caso, qual é o meu galardão? É que, evangelizando, proponha, de graça, o evangelho, para não me valer do direito que ele me dá.

19 Porque, sendo livre de todos, fiz-me escravo de todos, a fim de ganhar o maior número possível. 20 Procedi, para com os judeus, como judeu, a fim de ganhar os judeus; para os que vivem sob o regime da lei, como se eu mesmo assim vivesse, para ganhar os que vivem debaixo da lei, embora não esteja eu debaixo da lei. 21 Aos sem lei, como se eu mesmo o fosse, não estando sem lei para com Deus, mas debaixo da lei de Cristo, para ganhar os que vivem fora do regime da lei. 22 Fiz-me fraco para com os fracos, com o fim de ganhar os fracos. Fiz-me tudo para com todos, com o fim de, por todos os modos, salvar alguns. 23 Tudo faço por causa do evangelho, com o fim de me tornar cooperador com ele. 24 Não sabeis vós que os que correm no estádio, todos, na verdade, correm, mas um só leva o prêmio? Correi de tal maneira que o alcanceis.

25 Todo atleta em tudo se domina; aqueles, para alcançar uma coroa corruptível; nós, porém, a incorruptível. 26 Assim corro também eu, não sem meta; assim luto, não como desferindo golpes no ar. 27 Mas esmurro o meu corpo e o reduzo à escravidão, para que, tendo pregado a outros, não venha eu mesmo a ser desqualificado.

1 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 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. 3 My defence to them that examine me is this. 4 Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5 Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? 7 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? 8 Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth, 10 or saith he it 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. 11 If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 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 gospel of Christ. 13 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? 14 Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel. 15 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. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. 17 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. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel. 19 For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20 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; 21 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. 22 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. 23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. 24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. 25 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. 26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: 27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.

4 Don't we have the right to food and drink?

5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas "?

6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?

8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn't the Law say the same thing?

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." "Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

10 Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

13 Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.

16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.

18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.