Passage

1 Corinthians 9

Book: 1 Corinthians · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not ye 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 mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3. My defence to them that examine me is this. 4. Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5. Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6. Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? 7. What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8. Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? 9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth, 10. or saith he it assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking. 11. If we sowed unto 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. Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? 14. Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel. 15. But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were 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 upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. 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. 25. And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth 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 fight I, as not beating the air: 27. but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." (1 Corinthians 9:1-27, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2. If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3. My defense to those who examine me is this. 4. Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5. Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6. Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work? 7. What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk? 8. Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9. For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares, 10. or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 11. If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things? 12. If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ. 13. Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? 14. Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News. 15. But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16. For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don’t preach the Good News. 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. 25. Every man who 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 run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, 27. but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." (1 Corinthians 9:1-27, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2. If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4. Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ^{wife: or, woman} 6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10. Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? ^{live: or, feed} 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 15. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 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. 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:1-27, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord? 2. if to others I am not an apostle, yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3. My defence to those who examine me in this; 4. have we not authority to eat and to drink? 5. have we not authority a sister, a wife, to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6. or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority, not to work? 7. who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat? 8. According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things? 9. for in the law of Moses it hath been written, 'thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;' for the oxen doth God care? 10. or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope. 11. If we to you the spiritual things did sow, great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap? 12. if others do partake of the authority over you, not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ. 13. Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple, of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar, with the altar are partakers? 14. so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live. 15. And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void; 16. for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news; 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; 25. and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible; 26. I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air; 27. but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others, I myself may become disapproved." (1 Corinthians 9:1-27, 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; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Quoted in

G2673 - katargeo

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 (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
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 for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.