1 Corinthians 9 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 53-55
Location
Letter written from Ephesus to the church in Corinth, Greece
Audience
The Christian church in Corinth, composed of both Jewish and Gentile converts in a major commercial port city
Situation
Paul defends his apostolic authority and explains why he refuses financial support from the Corinthian church, despite having the right to it. Some in Corinth apparently questioned his legitimacy as an apostle, possibly because he worked as a tentmaker rather than accepting patronage.
Key Background
In Greco-Roman culture, teachers and philosophers typically received financial support from wealthy patrons. Paul's refusal of such support was countercultural and may have been misinterpreted as a sign of inferior status. Additionally, traveling philosophers who worked for pay were often viewed suspiciously, so Paul had to carefully navigate these cultural expectations while maintaining his independence to preach the gospel freely without obligation to human sponsors.
Am I not Am I not an Haven't I seen Jesus our with my own eyes? Aren't you yourselves the proof of my work for the
Even if others don't recognize me as an apostle, you certainly should! You are the living proof — the of my apostleship in the Master.
This is my to anyone who questions my credentials:
Don't we have the to eat and drink at the community's expense?
Don't we have the right to bring along a like the other apostles do, and the Master's brothers, and
Or is it just and I who have to work for a living to support ourselves?
What serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't eat the grapes? Who takes care of a flock and doesn't drink the milk?
Am I just making a human argument here? Doesn't the itself say the same thing?
It's written in the of "Don't an ox while it's treading out the grain." Is God really concerned about oxen here?
Or was he actually speaking for our benefit? Yes — it was written for us. Because anyone who and anyone who should work with the expectation of getting a share of the harvest.
If we planted among you, is it really too much to ask that we harvest some from you?
If others have the right to your support, don't we have an even stronger claim? But we never used this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than create an to the about The
Don't you know that those who work in the eat the food, and those who serve at the share in what's offered on the
In the same way, the Master that those who spread the good news should earn their living from the good news.
But I haven't used any of these rights. And I'm not writing this to start collecting now. I'd rather die than let anyone take away this thing I'm of.
When I share the good news, I can't take credit for it — I have no choice in the matter. It would be for me if I didn't share it!
If I do this willingly, I get a But even if I do it unwillingly, I've still been with a
So what's my reward then? Just this: that when I share the good news, I offer it of without taking advantage of my right as a messenger of the good news.
Even though I'm free and don't answer to anyone, I've made myself a to everyone, so that I might reach as many people as possible.
To Jewish people, I became like a Jewish person, to reach Jewish people. To those the I became like someone the — even though I'm not it myself — to reach those the
To those the I became like someone the — though I'm not outside God's but under The — to reach those the
To those who are I became to reach those who are I've become everything to everyone so that by every possible means I might some.
I do all of this for the sake of the good news, so that I can in its too.
Don't you know that in a all the runners compete, but only one gets the Run in a way that wins it.
Every athlete with They do it for a that and but we do it for one that
So that's how I — not aimlessly. That's how I — not at the
No — I my and it do what I Otherwise, after to the I myself might be