1 Corinthians 9
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
1 Corinthians chapter 9 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
3 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
1 Corinthians 9
1Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος; Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος; Οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἑώρακα; Οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Κυρίῳ;
2If I am not an apostle to others, yet indeed I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.Εἰ ἄλλοις οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμι· ἡ γὰρ σφραγὶς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Κυρίῳ.
3My defense to those who examine me is this:Ἡ ἐμὴ ἀπολογία τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀνακρίνουσιν αὕτη ἐστί.
4Do we not have the right to eat and drink?Μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν;
5Do we not have the right to take along a wife who is a sister, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?Μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ Κηφᾶς;
6Or is it only Barnabas and I who must work for a living?Ἢ μόνος ἐγὼ καὶ Βαρνάβας οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι;
7Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?Τίς στρατεύεται ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις ποτέ; Τίς φυτεύει ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐσθίει; Ἢ τίς ποιμαίνει ποίμνην, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει;
8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say these things also?Μὴ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ταῦτα λαλῶ; Ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὁ νόμος ταῦτα λέγει;
9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it threshes.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?Ἐν γὰρ τῷ Μωσέως νόμῳ γέγραπται, Οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα. Μὴ τῶν βοῶν μέλει τῷ Θεῷ;
10Or does He say this altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, for it is written, that he that plows should plow in hope, and he that threshes, in hope should partake of his hope.Ἢ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς πάντως λέγει; Δι᾽ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγράφη, ὅτι ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι ὀφείλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν, καὶ ὁ ἀλοῶν τῆς ἐλπίδος αὐτοῦ μετέχειν ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι.
11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?Εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐσπείραμεν, μέγα εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῶν τὰ σαρκικὰ θερίσομεν;
12If others partake of this right over you, do not we even more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but bear all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.Εἰ ἄλλοι τῆς ἐξουσίας ὑμῶν μετέχουσιν, οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς; Ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐχρησάμεθα τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀλλὰ πάντα στέγομεν, ἵνα μὴ ἐγκοπήν τινα δῶμεν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
13Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar have a share in the altar?Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ τὰ ἱερὰ ἐργαζόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐσθίουσιν, οἱ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντες τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ συμμερίζονται;
14Thus also the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel.Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος διέταξε τοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον καταγγέλλουσιν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ζῆν.
15But I used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should become thus for me; for it is better for me rather to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδενὶ ἐχρησάμην τούτων· οὐκ ἔγραψα δὲ ταῦτα ἵνα οὕτω γένηται ἐν ἐμοί· καλὸν γάρ μοι μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ.
16For if I preach the gospel, there is nothing for me to boast about, for necessity is pressed upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!Ἐὰν γὰρ εὐαγγελίζωμαι, οὐκ ἔστι μοι καύχημα· ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται· οὐαὶ δὲ μοί ἐστιν, ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίζωμαι.
17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a commission.Εἰ γὰρ ἑκὼν τοῦτο πράσσω, μισθὸν ἔχω· εἰ δὲ ἄκων, οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι.
18What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ free of charge, so as not to exploit my rights in the gospel.Τίς οὖν μοί ἐστιν ὁ μισθός; Ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ καταχρήσασθαι τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
19For being free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, in order that I might win the more;Ἐλεύθερος γὰρ ὢν ἐκ πάντων, πᾶσιν ἐμαυτὸν ἐδούλωσα, ἵνα τοὺς πλείονας κερδήσω.
20and to the Jews I became as a Jew, in order that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, in order that I might win those who are under the law;Καὶ ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα Ἰουδαίους κερδήσω· τοῖς ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον κερδήσω·
21to those outside the law, as one outside the law (not being outside the law toward God, but subject to the law toward Christ), in order that I might win those outside the law;τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεῷ ἀλλ᾽ ἔννομος Χριστῷ, ἵνα κερδήσω ἀνόμους.
22to the weak I became as weak, in order that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.Ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν ὡς ἀσθενής, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσω. Τοῖς πᾶσι γέγονα τὰ πάντα, ἵνα πάντως τινὰς σώσω.
23Now this I do for the sake of the gospel, in order that I may become a partaker of it with you.Τοῦτο δὲ ποιῶ διὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἵνα συγκοινωνὸς αὐτοῦ γένωμαι.
24Do you not know that those running in a stadium all run, but only one receives the prize? So run, in order that you may win.Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ ἐν σταδίῳ τρέχοντες πάντες μὲν τρέχουσιν, εἷς δὲ λαμβάνει τὸ βραβεῖον; Οὕτω τρέχετε, ἵνα καταλάβητε.
25And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Now they compete in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we compete for an imperishable crown.Πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται· ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν ἵνα φθαρτὸν στέφανον λάβωσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄφθαρτον.
26Therefore I run thus: not as without a goal, thus I box: not as one beating the air.Ἐγὼ τοίνυν οὕτω τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως· οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων·
27But I treat my body roughly, and I bring it into subjection, lest, having preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.ἀλλ᾽ ὑποπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μήπως, ἄλλοις κηρύξας, αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι.
The Fathers on 1 Corinthians 9
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On 1 Corinthians 9:1Saint John ChrysostomAm I not an Apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 1 Corinthians 9:13–14Saint John ChrysostomKnow ye not that they which minister about sacred things eat of the temple? and they which wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? Even so did the Lord ordain that they which proclaim the Gospel should live of the Gospel.
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 1 Corinthians 9:24Open 1 Corinthians 9 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John ChrysostomKnow ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →