1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians · Chapter 9

1 Corinthians 9:14

1Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?2If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.3Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,4Have we not power to eat and to drink?5Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?6Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?7Who 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?8Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?9For 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?10Or 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.11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?12If 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.13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.15But 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.16For 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!17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.18What 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.19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.20And 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;21To 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.22To 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.23And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.25And 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.26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:27But 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
SoοὕτωςhoutōsG3779
thus(-ly)

οὕτως (ohutō, ohutōs) οὕτως, rarely (Bl., §5, 4; WH, App., 146f.) οὕτω, adv. (οὗτος), [in LXX chiefly for כֵּן ;] in this way, so, thus; 1. referring to what precedes: Mat.5:16 6:30, Mrk.10:43 14:59, Luk.1:25 2:48 15:7, Jhn.3:8, Rom.1:15, 1Co.8:12, al.; οὕτως καί, Mat.17:12, Mrk.13:29, al.; pleonastically, resuming a ptcp. (cl.; see Bl., §74, 6), Act.20:11 27:17. 2. Referring to what follows: Mat.1:18 6:9, Luk.19:31, Jhn.21:1, 1Pe.2:15; bef. quotations from OT, Mat.2:5, Act.7:6, 1Co.15:45, Heb.4:4. 3. C. adj. (marking intensity): Heb.12:21, Rev.16:18; similarly with adv., Gal.1:6 (cl.). …

alsoκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

LordκύριοςkuriosG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

has prescribedδιέταξενdietaxenG1299
to direct

διατάσσω (diatassō) δια-τάσσω [in LXX for שׂוּם, שָׁמַר, etc. ;] to charge, give orders to, appoint, arrange, ordain: with dative, Mat.11:1, 1Co.9:14 16:1; before inf., Luk.8:55, Act.18:2. Mid., 1Co.7:17, Act.20:13; with accusative, 1Co.11:34; with dative, Tit.1:5; before inf., Act.7:44 24:23. Pass., τὸ διατεταγμένον, Luk.3:13, Act.23:31; τὰ διαταχθέντα, Luk.17:9-10; διαταγείς, Gal.3:19.† (AS)

gospelεὐαγγέλιονeuangelionG2098
gospel

εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) εὐαγγέλιον, -ου, τό [in LXX for בְּשׂוֹרָה, 2Ki.4:10 18:22 18:25 * ;] 1. in cl., (a) a reward for good tidings (Hom.; pl., LXX, 2Ki.4:10); (b) in pl., εὐ. θύειν, to make a thank-offering for good tidings (Xen., al.). …

proclaimingκαταγγέλλουσινkatangellousinG2605
to proclaim

καταγγέλλω (katangellō) κατ-αγγέλλω [in LXX: Pro.17:5 A, 2Ma.8:36 2Mac 9:17 * ;] 1. to pro­claim, declare: with accusative of thing(s), Act.3:24 16:21 17:23; τ. ἀνάστασιν, Act.4:2; τ. λόγον τοῦ Θ., τ. Κ., Act.13:5 15:36; ὁδὸν σωτηρίας, Act.16:17; φῶς, Act.26:23; τ. μυστήριον τοῦ Θ., 1Co.2:1; τ. εὐαγγέλιον, 1Co.9:14; τ. θάνατον τοῦ Κ., 1Co.11:26; pass., ἄφεσις, Act.13:33; ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θ., Act.17:13; ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν, Rom.1:8; with accusative of person(s), of Christ, ὅν, Act.17:3, Col.1:28; τ. Χριστόν, Php.1:17; pass., Php.1:18. …

fromἐκekG1537
out from

ἐκ (ek) ἐκ (ἐξ), prep. with genitive, from out of, from (see Addendum, p. 492). This entry is included here, but in the print version the entry is found on p. 492. ἐκ, before a vowel ἐξ, prep. with genitive, of motion outwards, separation from (opposite to εἰς; = Lat. e, ex), from out of, from among, from. I. Of Place, …

gospelεὐαγγελίουeuangeliouG2098
gospel

εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) εὐαγγέλιον, -ου, τό [in LXX for בְּשׂוֹרָה, 2Ki.4:10 18:22 18:25 * ;] 1. in cl., (a) a reward for good tidings (Hom.; pl., LXX, 2Ki.4:10); (b) in pl., εὐ. θύειν, to make a thank-offering for good tidings (Xen., al.). …

to live.ζῆν.zēnG2198
to live

ζάω (zaō) ζάω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for חיה (most frequently ptcp., ζῶν, inf., ζῆν, for חַי ;] 1. prop., to live, be alive (see Syn., see word βίος; in cl. usually of animal life, but sometimes of plants, as Arist., Eth. N, i, 7, 12): Act.20:12, Rom.7:1-3, 1Co.7:39, Rev.19:20, al.; ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν, Act.17:28; ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, Php.1:21; διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν (M, Pr., 215, 249), Heb.2:15; ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, Gal.2:20; ζῇ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός, Gal.2:20; (ὁ) ζῶν, of God (אֵל חַי and cognate phrases, Jos.3:10, Hos.2:1 (1:10), Isa.37:4, al.; see DCG, ii, 39a), Mat.16:16, Jhn.6:57, Rom.9:26, 1Th.1:9, Heb.3:12, Re …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.