1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians · Chapter 9

1 Corinthians 9:23

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
23And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

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
All [things]πάνταpantaG3956
all

πᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. …

nowδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

I doποιῶpoiōG4160G
to do/make: do

ποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w …

on account ofδιὰdiaG1223
through/because of

διά (dia) διά (before a vowel δ᾽, exc. Rom.8:10, 2Co.5:7, and in (Proper name)s; Tdf., Pr., 94), prep. with genitive, accusative, as in cl.; 1. with genitive, through; (i) of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Mat.2:12 12:43, Mrk.2:23, Luk.4:30, Jhn.4:4, 2Co.11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, 1Co.3:15, 1Pe.3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, 1Co.13:12; metaphorically, of a state or condition: Rom.14:20, 2Co.2:4 5:7, 10; δ. γράμματος, ἀκροβυστίας (Lft., Notes, 263, 279), Rom.2:27 4:11; δι ̓ὑπομενῆς, Rom.8:25. (ii) Of Time; …

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.). …

thatἵναinaG2443
in order that/to

ἵνα (hina) ἵνα, I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), 1. of place, where, whither. 2. of circumstance, when. II. Conjunction, 1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); (a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); …

a fellow partakerσυγκοινωνὸςsugkoinōnosG4791
sharer

συγκοινωνός (sugkoinōnos) συν-κοινωνός (Rec. συγκ-), όν, partaking jointly of: with genitive of thing(s), Rom.11:17, 1Co.9:23; id. with genitive of person(s), Php.1:7; before ἐν, Rev.1:9.† (AS)

with itαὐτοῦautouG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

I may become.γένωμαι.¶genōmaiG1096
to be

γίνομαι (ginomai) γίνομαι, Ion. and κοινή for Att. γίγν- (M. Pr., 47; Bl., §6, 8 Mayser, 166 f.), [in LXX chiefly for היה ;] 1. of persons, things occurrences, to come into being, be born, arise, come on: Jhn.1:15 8:58, 1Co.15:37; a first appearance in public, Mrk.1:4, Jhn.1:6, al.; before ἐκ (of birth), Rom.1:3, Gal.4:4; διά, Jhn.1:3; βροντή, Jhn.12:29; σεισμός, Rev.6:12; γογγυσμός, Act.6:1; χαρά, Act.8:8, many other similar exx.; ἡμέρα, Luk.22:66, al.; ὀψέ, Mrk.11:19; πρωΐα, Mat.27:1; νύξ, Act.27:27. …

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