The Rights of an Apostle (Deuteronomy 18:1–8)
1 WBS Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my work in the Lord? 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 WBS If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 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 WBS My answer to them that examine me is this, BSB BSB: This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4 WBS Have we not power to eat and to drink? BSB BSB: Have we no right to food and to drink?
6 WBS Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working? BSB BSB: Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7 WBS Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 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 WBS Do I say these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? BSB BSB: Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9 WBS For 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? 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 WBS Or saith he this 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. 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 WBS If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? BSB BSB: If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12 WBS If others are 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. 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 WBS Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things live from the things of the temple, and they who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 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 WBS Even so hath the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. BSB BSB: In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 WBS But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 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 WBS For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; and woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel! 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 WBS For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed to 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 WBS What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my power 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 WBS For though I am free from all men , yet I have made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more. BSB BSB: Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 WBS And to 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; 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 WBS To 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. 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 WBS To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I have become all things to all men , that I might by all means save 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 WBS And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you . 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 WBS Know ye not, that they who run in a race, all run, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 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 WBS And 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. 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 WBS I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so I fight, not as one that beateth the air: BSB BSB: Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27 WBS But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away. 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.