1 Corinthians 9-11

American Standard Version

9 Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. ³ My defence to them that examine me is this. ⁴ Have we no right to eat and to drink? ⁵ Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a ^[a]believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working? ⁷ What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? ⁸ Do I speak these things after the manner of men? or saith not the law also the same? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, ^[b]Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth, ¹⁰ or saith he it ^[c]assuredly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was written: because he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaking. ¹¹ If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things? ¹² If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the ^[d]gospel of Christ. ¹³ Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar? ¹⁴ Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the ^[e]gospel should live of the ^[f]gospel. ¹⁵ But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. ¹⁶ For if I ^[g]preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I ^[h]preach not the gospel. ¹⁷ For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That, when I ^[i]preach the gospel, I may make the ^[j]gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the ^[k]gospel. ¹⁹ For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. ²⁰ And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; ²¹ to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. ²² To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. ²³ And I do all things for the ^[l]gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. ²⁴ Know ye not that they that run in a ^[m]race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. ²⁵ And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. ²⁶ I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so ^[n]fight I, as not beating the air: ²⁷ but I ^[o]buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I ^[p]have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

10 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ² and were all baptized ^[q]unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and did all eat the same spiritual food; ⁴ and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was ^[r]Christ. ⁵ Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶ Now ^[s]these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. ⁷ Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ^[t]The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. ⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. ⁹ Neither let us make trial of the ^[u]Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. ¹⁰ Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened unto them ^[v]by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. ¹² Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. ¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a ^[w]communion of the blood of Christ? The ^[x]bread which we break, is it not a ^[y]communion of the body of Christ? ^17 [z]seeing that we, who are many, are one ^[aa]bread, one body: for we all partake ^[ab]of the one ^[ac]bread. ¹⁸ Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar? ¹⁹ What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. ²¹ Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. ²² Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

²³ All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful; but not all things ^[ad]edify. ²⁴ Let no man seek his own, but each ^[ae]his neighbor’s good. ²⁵ Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, eat, asking no question for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. ²⁷ If one of them that believe not biddeth you to a feast, and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if any man say unto you, This hath been offered in sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience’ sake: ²⁹ conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other’s; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience? ^30 [af]If I partake with thankfulness, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? ³¹ Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. ³² Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God: ³³ even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. 11 ¹ Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

² Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. ³ But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. ⁵ But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven. ⁶ For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled. ⁷ For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. ⁸ For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: ⁹ for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: ¹⁰ for this cause ought the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord. ¹² For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God. ¹³ Judge ye ^[ag]in yourselves: is it seemly that a woman pray unto God unveiled? ¹⁴ Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵ But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

¹⁷ But in giving you this charge, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first of all, when ye come together ^[ah]in the church, I hear that ^[ai]divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there must be also ^[aj]factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you. ²⁰ When therefore ye assemble yourselves together, it is not possible to eat the Lord’s supper: ²¹ for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken. ²² What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the ^[ak]church of God, and put them to shame that ^[al]have not? What shall I say to you? ^[am]shall I praise you? In this I praise you not. ²³ For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was ^[an]betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which ^[ao]is for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵ In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord’s death till he come. ²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he ^[ap]discern not the body. ³⁰ For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. ³¹ But if we ^[aq]discerned ourselves, we should not be judged. ³² But ^[ar]when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. ³³ Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another. ³⁴ If any man is hungry, let him eat at home; that your coming together be not unto judgment. And the rest will I set in order whensoever I come.