Paul Surrenders His Rights

1 Am I not free? Am I not an ⁱapostle? ^jHave I not seen Jesus our Lord? ^kAre not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you ^lare the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my ^mdefense to those who would examine me. 4 ⁿDo we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 ^oDo we not have the right to take along a ^pbelieving wife,¹ as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and ^qCephas? 6 Or is it only ^rBarnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^sWho plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

8 Do I say these things ^ton human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^u“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak ^vfor our sake? It was written for our sake, because ^wthe plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 ^xIf we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, ^ywe have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an ^zobstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

13 Do you not know that ^athose who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, ^bthe Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But ^cI have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ^dground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. ^eFor necessity is laid upon me. Woe 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 am still ^fentrusted with a ^gstewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel ^hfree of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a ⁱservant to all, that I might ^jwin more of them. 20 ^kTo the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those ^lunder the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one ^moutside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the ⁿlaw of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the ^oweak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become ^pall things to all people, that by all means I might ^qsave some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the ^rprize? So ^srun that you may obtain it. 25 Every ^tathlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable ^uwreath, but we an ^vimperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,² lest after preaching to others I myself should be ^wdisqualified.

Warning Against Idolatry

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,³ that our fathers were all under the ^xcloud, and ^yall passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and ^zall ate the same spiritual food, 4 and ^aall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for ^bthey were overthrown⁴ in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples ^cfor us, that we might not desire evil ^das they did. 7 Do not be idolaters ^eas some of them were; as it is written, ^f“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality ^gas some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not ^hput Christ⁵ to the test, ⁱas some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 ^jnor ^kgrumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the ^lDestroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore ^mlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 ⁿThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? ^oThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, ^pwe who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel:⁶ are not those who ^qeat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or ^rthat an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^sthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 ^tYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we ^uprovoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 ^v“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 ^wLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 ^xEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For ^y“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the ^zunbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^aeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 ^bBut if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^cfor which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you ^deat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 ^eGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to ^fplease ^geveryone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Great Is the Lord

¹ A Song of Praise. Of David.