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Paul's Use of Freedom

¹ Am I not ^(C1)free? Am I not an ^(C2)apostle? Have I not ^(C3)seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not ^(C4)my work in the Lord?² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the ^(C1)seal of my ^(C2)apostleship in the Lord.

³ My defense to those who examine me is this:^4 (F1)(C1)Do we not have a right to eat and drink?^5 (F1)(C1)Do we not have a right to take along a ^(F2)believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the ^(C2)brothers of the Lord, and ^(F3)(C3)Cephas?⁶ Or do only ^(F1)(C1)Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from ^(F2)working?⁷ 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 ^(F1)consume some of the milk of the flock?

⁸ I am not just asserting these things ^(C1)according to human judgment, am I? Or does the Law not say these things as well?⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: "^(C1)YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about ^(C2)oxen, is He?¹⁰ Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written ^(C1)for our sake, because ^(C2)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops.^11 (C1)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?¹² If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we ^(C1)did not use this right, but we endure all things ^(C2)so that we will cause no hindrance to the ^(C3)gospel of Christ.^13 (C1)Do you not know that those who ^(C2)perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share ^(F1)from the altar?¹⁴ So also ^(C1)the Lord directed those who proclaim the ^(C2)gospel to ^(C3)get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have ^(C1)used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make ^(C2)my boast an empty one!¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for ^(C1)I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach ^(C2)the gospel.¹⁷ For if I do this voluntarily, I have a ^(C1)reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a ^(C2)commission nonetheless.¹⁸ What, then, is my ^(C1)reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel ^(C2)without charge, so as ^(C3)not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am ^(C1)free from all people, I have made myself ^(C2)a slave to all, so that I may ^(C3)gain more.^20 (C1)To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though ^(C2)not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law;²¹ to those who are ^(C1)without the Law, I became ^(C2)as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but ^(C3)under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law.²² To the ^(C1)weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become ^(C2)all things to all people, ^(C3)so that I may by all means save some.²³ I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

^24 (C1)Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives ^(C2)the prize? ^(C3)Run in such a way that you may win.²⁵ Everyone who ^(C1)competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable ^(C2)wreath, but we an imperishable.²⁶ Therefore I ^(C1)run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as ^(F1)to avoid ^(C2)hitting air;²⁷ but I strictly discipline ^(C1)my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.