# 1 Corinthians 9.19-22

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-26 | updated: 2026-06-26 -->

**Book:** [1 Corinthians](/codex/1-corinthians/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> "17. For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted 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 brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21. to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. 22. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am 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. Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain." (1 Corinthians 9:17-24, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> "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 Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News."
>
> **"19. For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; 21. to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. 22. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some."**
>
> "23. Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. 24. Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win." (1 Corinthians 9:17-24, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> "17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel."
>
> **"19. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20. And unto 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 law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."**
>
> "23. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." (1 Corinthians 9:17-24, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> "17. for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly, with a stewardship I have been entrusted! 18. What, then, is my reward?, that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;"
>
> **"19. for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain; 20. and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain; 21. to those without law, as without law, (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ), that I might gain those without law; 22. I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some."**
>
> "23. And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become; 24. have ye not known that those running in a race, all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;" (1 Corinthians 9:17-24, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_


<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

- [Mosaic Law Binding for True Israelites Objection Defeater](/codex/mosaic-law-binding-for-true-israelites-objection-defeater/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->
## Notes

_Your annotations._

---

_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.
