Read the Bible

¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you 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 my apostleship are you in the Lord.

³ My defense to those that examine me is this.⁴ Do we have no right to eat and to drink?⁵ Do we have no right to lead about a wife that is a sister, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?⁶ Or only I and Barnabas, do we not have a right to forbear working?⁷ What soldier ever serves at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit thereof? Or who feeds a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock?⁸ Do I speak these things after the manner of men or doesn't the law also say the same?⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God cares,¹⁰ or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written: because he that plows ought to plow in hope, and he that threshes, [to thresh] in hope of partaking.¹¹ If we sowed to 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 Don't you know that those that work about sacred things eat [of] the things of the temple, [and] those that wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?¹⁴ Even so the Lord directed that those that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have used none of these things: and I do not write these things that it may be so done in my case; for [it was] good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorifying void.¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid on me; for woe is to me, if I do not preach the gospel.¹⁷ For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward: but if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted 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 became a slave to all, that I might gain the more.²⁰ And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those that are under the law;²¹ to those that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain those that are without law.²² To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I have 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 Don't you know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Even so run; that you may attain.²⁵ And every man that strives in the games exercises 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 I fight, not as beating the air:²⁷ but I buffet my body, and bring it into slavery: lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.