9:1 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 9:2 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.  9:3 My defence to those who examine me in this; 9:4 have we not authority to eat and to drink 9:5 have we not authority a sister--a wife--to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas 9:6 or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority--not to work 9:7 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 9:8 According to man do I speak these things or doth not also the law say these things 9:9 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 9:10 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. 9:11 If we to you the spiritual things did sow--great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap 9:12 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. 9:13 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 9:14 so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.  9:15 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; 9:16 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; 9:17 for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly--with a stewardship I have been entrusted! 9:18 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;  9:19 for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain; 9:20 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; 9:21 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; 9:22 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. 9:23 And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;  9:24 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; 9:25 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; 9:26 I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air; 9:27 but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others--I myself may become disapproved.