1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? 2Are not ye my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet I am to you; for ye are the seal of my apostleship. 3My answer to them who examine me is this. 4Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5Have we not power to lead about with us a sister, a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Peter? 6Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working? 7Who ever warreth at his own charge? Who planteth a vineyard, and doth not eat of its fruit? Or who feedeth a flock, and doth not eat of the milk of the flock? 8Do I speak these things as a man? Doth not the law also speak the same? 9For it is written, in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn? Doth God take care for oxen? 10Or speaketh he chiefly for our sakes? surely for our sakes it was written: for he who ploweth, ought to plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope, ought to be a partaker of his hope. 11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter, if we shall reap your carnal things? 12If others partake of this power over you, do not we rather? Yet we have not used this power: but we suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13Know ye not, that they who are employed about holy things, are fed out of the temple? And they who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar. 14So also hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live of the gospel. 15But I have used none of these things; nor have I written thus, that it might be done so unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make this my glorying void. 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for a necessity lieth upon me, and wo is me, if I preach not the gospel. 17If indeed I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, yet a dispensation is intrusted to me. 18What then is my reward? that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 19For though I am free from all men, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more. 20To 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: 21To them that are without the law, as without the law, (being not without the law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without the law. 22To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that by all means I might save some. 23And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker thereof with you. 24Know ye not, that they who run in the race, all run, but one receiveth the prize? so run that ye may obtain. 25And every one that contendeth, is temperate in all things: and they indeed, to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; I so fight, not as one that beateth the air. 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, after having preached to others, I myself should become a reprobate.