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? |
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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. |
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3:
Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, |
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4: Have we not power to eat and to drink? |
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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? |
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6: Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
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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? |
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8: Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same
also? |
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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? |
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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. |
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11: If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great
thing if we shall reap your carnal things? |
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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. |
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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 alter are
partakers with the alter? |
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14: Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the
gospel should live of the gospel. |
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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. |
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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! |
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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.
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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. |
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19: For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself
servant unto all, that I might gain the more. |
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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; |
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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. |
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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.
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23: And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with you. |
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24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one
receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. |
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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. |
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26: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as
one that beateth the air: |
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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. |