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Paul's Use of Liberty

¹ Am I not ^(C1)free unrestrained and exempt from any obligation? Am I not an ^(C2)apostle? Have I not ^(F1)(C3)seen Jesus our risen Lord in person? Are you not the result and proof of ^(C4)my work in the Lord?² If I am not considered an apostle to others, at least I am one to you; for you are the ^(C1)seal and the certificate and the living evidence of my ^(C2)apostleship in the Lord confirming and authenticating it.

³ This is my defense to those who would put me on trial and interrogate me concerning my authority as an apostle:^4 (C1)Have we not the right to our food and drink at the expense of the churches?^5 (C1)Have we not the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles and the ^(C2)Lord's brothers and ^(C3)Cephas (Peter)?⁶ Or is it only ^(C1)Barnabas and I who have no right to stop doing manual labor in order to support our ministry?⁷ Consider this: Who at any time serves ^(C1)as a soldier at his own expense? Who ^(C2)plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

⁸ Do I say these things only ^(C1)from a man's perspective? Does the Law not endorse the same principles?⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, "^(C1)YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT IS TREADING OUT THE GRAIN to keep it from eating the grain." Is it only for ^(C2)oxen that God cares? ^(VR1)10 Or does He speak entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written ^(C1)for our sake: ^(C2)The plowman ought to plow ^(F1)in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the harvest.^11 (C1)If we have sown the good seed of spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?¹² If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even more? However, we ^(C1)did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything ^(C2)so that we will not hinder the spread of the ^(C3)good news of Christ.^13 (C1)Do you not know that those who ^(C2)officiate in the sacred services of the temple eat from the temple offerings of meat and bread and those who regularly attend the altar have their share from the offerings brought to the altar? ^(VR1)14 So also on the same principle ^(C1)the Lord directed those who preach the ^(C2)gospel to ^(C3)get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have ^(C1)used none of these privileges, nor am I writing this to suggest that any such provision be made for me now. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone deprive me of ^(C2)my ^(F1)boast in this matter of financial support.¹⁶ For if I merely preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for ^(C1)I am compelled that is, absolutely obligated to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach ^(C2)the good news of salvation!¹⁷ For if I do this work ^(F1)of my own free will, then I have a ^(C1)reward; but if it is not of my will but by God's choosing, I have been entrusted with a sacred ^(C2)stewardship.¹⁸ What then is my ^(C1)reward? Just this: that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel ^(C2)without charge to everyone, so as ^(C3)not to take advantage of my rights as a preacher and apostle in preaching the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am ^(C1)free from all men, I have made myself ^(C2)a slave to everyone, so that I may ^(C3)win more for Christ.^20 (C1)To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews for Christ; to men under the Law, I became as one ^(F1)under the Law, though ^(C2)not being under the Law myself, so that I might win those who are under the Law.²¹ To those who are ^(C1)without (outside) the Law, I became ^(C2)as one without the Law, though I am not without the law of God, but ^(C3)under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.²² To the ^(F1)(C1)weak I became as the weak, to win the weak. I have become ^(C2)all things to all men, ^(C3)so that I may by all means in any and every way save some by leading them to faith in Jesus Christ.²³ And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.

^24 (F1)(C1)Do you not know that in a race all the runners run their very best to win, but only one receives ^(C2)the prize? ^(C3)Run your race in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!²⁵ Now every athlete who goes into training and ^(C1)competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a ^(F1)(C2)crown that withers, but we do it to receive an imperishable crown that cannot wither.²⁶ Therefore I do not ^(C1)run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one ^(C2)beating the air just shadow boxing.²⁷ But like a boxer I strictly discipline ^(C1)my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached the gospel to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified as unfit for service.