The Rights of an Apostle (Deuteronomy 18:1–8)
1 TNT Am I not an Apostle? am I not fre? have I not sene Iesus Christ oure lorde? Are not ye my worke in the lorde. BSB BSB: Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2 TNT Yf I be not an Apostle vnto other yet am I vnto you. For the seale of myne Apostleshippe are ye in the lorde. BSB BSB: Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 TNT Myne answer to them that axe me is this. BSB BSB: This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4 TNT Have we not power to eate and to drynke? BSB BSB: Have we no right to food and to drink?
6 TNT Ether only I and Barnabas have not power this to do? BSB BSB: Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 TNT who goeth a warfare eny tyme at his awne cost? who planteth a vynearde and eateth not of the frute? Who fedeth a flocke and eateth not of the mylke? BSB BSB: Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8 TNT Saye I these thinges after the manner of men? Or sayth not the lawe the same also? BSB BSB: Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 TNT For it ys written in the lawe of Moses. Thou shall not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne. Doth God take thought for oxen? BSB BSB: For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10 TNT Ether sayth he it not all to gedder for oure sakes? For oure sakes no doute this is written: that he which eareth shuld eare in hope: and that he which thressheth in hope shuld be parttaker of his hope. BSB BSB: Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11 TNT Yf we sowe vnto you spirituall thynges: is it a greate thynge yf we reepe youre carnall thynges BSB BSB: If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12 TNT Yf other be parttakers of this power over you? wherfore are not we rather. Neverthelesse we have not vsed this power: but suffre all thinges lest we shuld hynder the gospell of Christ. BSB BSB: If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 TNT Do ye not vnderstoder how that they which minister in the temple have their fyndynge of the temple? And they which wayte at the aulter are partakers with the aultre? BSB BSB: Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14 TNT Even so also dyd the lorde ordayne that they which preache the gospell shuld live of the gospell. BSB BSB: In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 TNT But I have vsed none of these thinges. Nether wrote I these thinges that it shuld be so done vnto me. For it were better for me to dye the that eny man should take this reioysinge from me. BSB BSB: But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16 TNT In that I preache the gospell I have nothinge to reioyce of. For necessite is put vnto me. Wo is it vnto me yf I preache not the gospell. BSB BSB: Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 TNT If I do it with a good will I have a rewarde. But yf I do it agaynst my will an office is committed vnto me. BSB BSB: If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18 TNT What is my rewarde then? Verely that when I preache the gospell I make the gospell of Christ fre that I misvse not myne auctorite in the gospel BSB BSB: What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
Paul the Servant to All 19 TNT For though I be fre from all men yet have I made my silfe servaunt vnto all men that I myght wynne the moo. BSB BSB: Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 TNT Vnto the Iewes I became as a Iewe to winne the Iewes. To the that were vnder the lawe was I made as though I had bene vnder the lawe to wynne the that were vnder the lawe. BSB BSB: To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21 TNT To them that were without lawe became I as though I had bene without lawe (when I was not without lawe as perteyninge to god but vnder a lawe as concerninge Christ) to wynne the that were without lawe. BSB BSB: To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22 TNT To the weake became I as weake to wynne the weake. In all thinge I fassioned my silfe to all men to save at the lest waye some. BSB BSB: To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 TNT And this I do for the gospels sake that I might have my parte therof. BSB BSB: I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Run Your Race to Win 24 TNT Perceave ye not how that they which runne in a course runne all yet but one receaveth the rewarde. So runne that ye maye obtayne. BSB BSB: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25 TNT Euery man that proveth masteryes abstaineth from all thinges. And they do it to obtayne a corruptible croune: but we to obtayne an vncorruptible croune: BSB BSB: Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26 TNT I therfore so runne not as at an vncertayne thinge. So fyght I not as one that beateth the ayer: BSB BSB: Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27 TNT but I tame my body and bringe it into subieccion lest after that I have preached to other I my silfe shuld be a castawaye. BSB BSB: No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.