1 Corinthians 9:19

Amplified Bible

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people.

King James Version (1611)
For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all, that I might gaine the more.

King James Version
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

English Standard Version
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

New American Standard Bible
For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more.

New Century Version
I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

Legacy Standard Bible
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

Berean Standard Bible
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Contemporary English Version
I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as possible.

Complete Jewish Bible
For although I am a free man, not bound to do anyone's bidding, I have made myself a slave to all in order to win as many people as possible.

Darby Translation
For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].

Easy-to-Read Version
I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to everyone. I do this to help save as many people as I can.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men, that I might winne the moe.

George Lamsa Translation
Because I am free from all these things, I have served all men that I may gain many.

Good News Translation
I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible.

Lexham English Bible
For although I am free from all people, I have enslaved myself to all, in order that I may gain more.

Literal Translation
For being free of all, I enslaved myself to all, that I might gain the more.

American Standard Version
For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

Bible in Basic English
For though I was free from all men, I made myself a servant to all, so that more might have salvation.

Hebrew Names Version
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

International Standard Version
Although I am free from all people, I made myself a slave to all of them to win more of them.Matthew 18:15; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 3:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For while free of all men, to all men I subject myself, that the many I may gain.

Murdock Translation
Being free from them all, I have made myself servant to every man; that I might gain many:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For though I be free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruaunt vnto all men, that I might win the mo.

English Revised Version
For though I was free from all [men], I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

World English Bible
For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For though I am free from all men, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

Weymouth's New Testament
Though free from all human control, I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts as possible.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forwhi whanne Y was fre of alle men, Y made me seruaunt of alle men, to wynne the mo men.

Update Bible Version
For though I was free from all [men,] I became a slave to all, that I might gain the more.

Webster's Bible Translation
For though I am free from all [men], yet I have made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more.

New English Translation
For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.

New King James Version
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;

New Living Translation
Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.

New Life Bible
No man has any hold on me, but I have made myself a workman owned by all. I do this so I might lead more people to Christ.

New Revised Standard
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, though free from all, unto all, myself, I enslaved, - that, the larger number, I might win:

Douay-Rheims Bible
For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

Revised Standard Version
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For though I be fre from all men yet have I made my silfe servaunt vnto all men that I myght wynne the moo.

Young's Literal Translation
for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For though I am fre from all men, yet haue I made my selfe euery mans seruaunt, yt I mighte wynne ye moo.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for tho' I am independent of all men, yet have I subjected myself to all, that I might gain the more.

THE MESSAGE
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

Simplified Cowboy Version
Even though I don't owe any man anything, I have made myself a slave to all men in hopes to bring them to Christ.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews [for Christ]; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might win those who are under the Law. ²¹To those who are without (outside) the Law, [I became] as one without the Law, though [I am] not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. ²²To the weak I became [as the] weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means [in any and every way] save some [by leading them to faith in Jesus Christ]. ²³And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I be: 1 Corinthians 9:1, Galatians 5:1

I made: 1 Corinthians 10:33, Matthew 20:26-28, John 13:14, John 13:15, Romans 1:14, Romans 15:2, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Galatians 5:13

that: 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, 1 Corinthians 7:16, Proverbs 11:30, Matthew 18:15, Romans 11:14, 1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 2:10, James 5:19, James 5:20, 1 Peter 3:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:14 - be able Exodus 26:26 - bars of shittim wood Leviticus 25:55 - my servants Matthew 11:17 - We Matthew 17:27 - lest Matthew 20:27 - whosoever Matthew 23:11 - General Mark 8:34 - Whosoever Mark 10:43 - whosoever Luke 11:37 - General Luke 14:1 - as Luke 14:23 - compel John 4:36 - he that reapeth receiveth Acts 15:2 - should Acts 21:21 - that thou 1 Corinthians 3:22 - Paul 1 Corinthians 7:22 - is Christ's 1 Corinthians 8:13 - if meat 1 Corinthians 9:22 - that I might by 1 Corinthians 10:24 - seek 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - for Titus 3:2 - all men

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
After Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 8:17
"Bring out with you every living thing from all flesh—birds and animals and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

Genesis 9:2
"The fear and the terror of you shall be [instinctive] in every animal of the land and in every bird of the air; and together with everything that moves on the ground, and with all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hand.

Genesis 9:4
"But you shall not eat meat along with its life, that is, its blood.

Genesis 9:28
Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For though I be free from all men,.... As an apostle, being in the highest office in the church, he had none superior to him, that could exercise any power and authority over him, and was also independent of men for his maintenance, which he got by his own hand labour: though it may be observed, that the word "men" is not in the original text, and the word "all" may as well have respect to things as men; and the sense be, that he was free, as from the curse of the moral law, so from the yoke of the ceremonial law, and all the rituals of it, and might, if he would, make use of his Christian liberty; the following verses seem to incline to this sense, as the preceding ones do to the former:

yet have I made myself servant unto all; in faithfully and indefatigably preaching the Gospel to them; undergoing all manner of affliction and persecution for the sake of that and them; behaving towards them with all meekness and humility; condescending to their weakness, and accommodating himself to their capacities and customs:

that I might gain the more; than other apostles have done, or than it could be reasonably thought he should, had he behaved in a more lordly and domineering manner: his end was not to amass wealth, to gain riches and treasures of good things to himself, but many souls to Christ, who otherwise must have been lost; but being brought to the knowledge of Christ, and salvation by him through his ministry, it was profit to them, and gain to Christ: the metaphor is taken from merchants, who spare no pains, but take every method to acquire gain and profit; the ministers of the word are spiritual merchants, their traffic lies in the souls of men, whom they are studiously and anxiously careful to bring to Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For though I be free - I am a freeman. I am under obligation to none. I am not bound to. give them my labors, and at the same time to toil for my own support. I have claims like others, and could urge them; and no man could demand that I should give myself to a life of servitude, and comply with their prejudices and wishes, as if I were a “slave,” in order to their conversion; compare 1 Corinthians 9:1; see the notes at 1 Corinthians 6:12.

From all men - (ἐκ πάντων ek pantōn). This may either refer to all “persons” or to all “things.” The word “men” is not in the original. The connection, however, seems to fix the signification to “persons.” “I am a freeman. And although I have conducted like a slave, yet it has been done voluntarily.”

I have made myself the servant of all - Greek, “I have ‘enslaved myself’ (ἐμαυτὸν ἐδούλωσα emauton edoulōsa) unto all.” That is:

(1) I labor for them, or in their service, and to promote their welfare.

(2) I do it, as the slave does, without reward or hire. I am not paid for it, but submit to the toil, and do it without receiving pay.

(3) Like the slave who wishes to gratify his master, or who is compelled from the necessity of the case, I comply with the prejudices, habits, customs, and opinions of others as far as I can with a good conscience. The “slave” is subject to the master’s will. That will must be obeyed. The whims, prejudices, caprices of the master must be submitted to, even if they are “mere” caprice, and wholly unreasonable. So Paul says that he had voluntarily put himself into this condition, a condition making it necessary for him to suit himself to the opinions, prejudices, caprices, and feelings of all people, so far as he could do it with a good conscience, in order that he might save them. We are not to understand here that Paul embraced any opinions which were false in order to do this, or that he submitted to anything which is morally wrong. But he complied with their customs, and habits, and feelings, as far as it could lawfully be done. He did not needlessly offend them, or run counter to their prejudices.

That I might gain the more - That I might gain more to Christ; that I might be the means of saving more souls. What a noble instance of self-denial and true greatness is here! How worthy of religion! How elevated the conduct! How magnanimous, and how benevolent! No man would do this who had not a greatness of intellect that would rise above narrow prejudices; and who had not a nobleness of heart that would seek at personal sacrifice the happiness of all people. It is said that not a few early Christians, in illustration of this principle of conduct, actually sold themselves into slavery in order that they might have access to and benefit slaves, an act to which nothing would prompt a man but the religion of the cross; compare the note at Romans 1:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. For though I be free — Although I am under no obligation to any man, yet I act as if every individual had a particular property in me, and as if I were the slave of the public.