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¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?² Are not ye my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet I am to you; for ye are the seal of my apostleship.

³ My answer to them who examine me is this.⁴ Have we not power to eat and to drink?⁵ Have we not power to lead about with us a sister, a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Peter?⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?⁷ Who ever warreth at his own charge? Who planteth a vineyard, and doth not eat of its fruit? Or who feedeth a flock, and doth not eat of the milk of the flock?⁸ Do I speak these things as a man? Doth not the law also speak the same?⁹ For it is written, in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn? Doth God take care for oxen?¹⁰ Or speaketh he chiefly for our sakes? surely for our sakes it was written: for he who ploweth, ought to plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope, ought to be a partaker of his hope.¹¹ If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter, if we shall reap your carnal things?¹² If others partake of this power over you, do not we rather? Yet we have not used this power: but we suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.¹³ Know ye not, that they who are employed about holy things, are fed out of the temple? And they who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar.¹⁴ So also hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live of the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have used none of these things; nor have I written thus, that it might be done so unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make this my glorying void.¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for a necessity lieth upon me, and wo is me, if I preach not the gospel.¹⁷ If indeed I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, yet a dispensation is intrusted to me.¹⁸ What then is my reward? that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.²⁰ To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law:²¹ To them that are without the law, as without the law, (being not without the law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without the law.²² To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that by all means I might save some.²³ And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴ Know ye not, that they who run in the race, all run, but one receiveth the prize? so run that ye may obtain.²⁵ And every one that contendeth, is temperate in all things: and they indeed, to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.²⁶ I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; I so fight, not as one that beateth the air.²⁷ But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, after having preached to others, I myself should become a reprobate.