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1 Corinthians 9:4-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Corinthians 9:4-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 [a]Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?(A) 7 Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating its produce? Or who shepherds a flock without using some of the milk from the flock?(B) 8 Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things? 9 It is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”(C) Is God concerned about oxen, 10 or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share.(D) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?(E) 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?(F)
Reason for Not Using His Rights. Yet we have not used this right.[b] On the contrary, we endure everything so as not to place an obstacle to the gospel of Christ.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 9:4–12a Apparently some believe that Paul is not equal to the other apostles and therefore does not enjoy equal privileges. His defense on this point (here and in 1 Cor 9:13–14) reinforces the assertion of his apostolic character in 1 Cor 9:2. It consists of a series of analogies from natural equity (7) and religious custom (1 Cor 9:13) designed to establish his equal right to support from the churches (1 Cor 9:4–6, 11–12a); these analogies are confirmed by the authority of the law (1 Cor 9:8–10) and of Jesus himself (1 Cor 9:14).
- 9:12 It appears, too, that suspicion or misunderstanding has been created by Paul’s practice of not living from his preaching. The first reason he asserts in defense of this practice is an entirely apostolic one; it anticipates the developments to follow in 1 Cor 9:19–22. He will give a second reason in 1 Cor 9:15–18.
1 Corinthians 9:4-12
New International Version
1 Corinthians 9:4-12
New International Version
4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink?(A) 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife(B) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers(C) and Cephas[a]?(D) 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas(E) who lack the right to not work for a living?
7 Who serves as a soldier(F) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(G) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b](H) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(I) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(J) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(K) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(L) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right.(M) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(N) the gospel of Christ.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 That is, Peter
- 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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