I Corinthians 9-10

I Corinthians 9

¹Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not *ye* my work in [the] Lord?

²If I am not an apostle to others, yet at any rate I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are *ye* in [the] Lord.

³My defence to those who examine me is this:

⁴Have we not a right to eat and to drink?

⁵have we not a right to take round a sister [as] wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶Or *I* alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work?

⁷Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?

⁸Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things?

⁹For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen,

¹⁰or does he say [it] altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of [it].

¹¹If we have sown to you spiritual things, [is it a] great [thing] if *we* shall reap your carnal things?

¹²If others partake of this right over you, should not rather *we*? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ.

¹³Do ye not know that they who labour [at] sacred things eat of the [offerings offered in the] temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar?

¹⁴So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

¹⁵But *I* have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for [it were] good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.

¹⁶For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings.

¹⁷For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration.

¹⁸What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless [to others], so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in [announcing] the glad tidings.

¹⁹For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most [possible].

²⁰And I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain the Jews: to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, in order that I might gain those under law:

²¹to those without law, as without law, (not as without law to God, but as legitimately subject to Christ,) in order that I might gain [those] without law.

²²I became to the weak, [as] weak, in order that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, in order that at all events I might save some.

²³And I do all things for the sake of the glad tidings, that I may be fellow-partaker with them.

²⁴Know ye not that they who run in [the] race-course run all, but one receives the prize? Thus run in order that ye may obtain.

²⁵But every one that contends [for a prize] is temperate in all things: *they* then indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown, but *we* an incorruptible.

²⁶*I* therefore thus run, as not uncertainly; so I combat, as not beating the air.

²⁷But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest [after] having preached to others I should be myself rejected.

I Corinthians 10

¹For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

²and all were baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

³and all ate the same spiritual food,

⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed [them]: (now the rock was the Christ;)

⁵yet God was not pleased with the most of them, for they were strewed in the desert.

⁶But these things happened [as] types of us, that we should not be lusters after evil things, as they also lusted.

⁷Neither be ye idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

⁸Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

⁹Neither let us tempt the Christ, as some of them tempted, and perished by serpents.

¹⁰Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.

¹¹Now all these things happened to them [as] types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

¹²So that let him that thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

¹³No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man's nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able [to bear], but will with the temptation make the issue also, so that [ye] should be able to bear [it].

¹⁴Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

¹⁵I speak as to intelligent [persons]: do *ye* judge what I say.

¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not [the] communion of the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not [the] communion of the body of the Christ?

¹⁷Because we, [being] many, are one loaf, one body; for we all partake of that one loaf.

¹⁸See Israel according to flesh: are not they who eat the sacrifices in communion with the altar?

¹⁹What then do I say? that what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

²⁰But that what [the nations] sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. Now I do not wish you to be in communion with demons.

²¹Ye cannot drink [the] Lord's cup, and [the] cup of demons: ye cannot partake of [the] Lord's table, and of [the] table of demons.

²²Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

²³All things are lawful, but all are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all do not edify.

²⁴Let no one seek his own [advantage], but that of the other.

²⁵Everything sold in the shambles eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake.

²⁶For the earth [is] the Lord's and its fulness.

²⁷But if any one of the unbelievers invite you, and ye are minded to go, all that is set before you eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake.

²⁸But if any one say to you, This is offered to holy purposes, do not eat, for his sake that pointed it out, and conscience sake;

²⁹but conscience, I mean, not thine own, but that of the other: for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

³⁰If *I* partake with thanksgiving, why am I spoken evil of for what *I* give thanks for?

³¹Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all things to God's glory.

³²Give no occasion to stumbling, whether to Jews, or Greeks, or the assembly of God.

³³Even as *I* also please all in all things; not seeking my own profit, but that of the many, that they may be saved.