Read the Bible

¹ Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? haue I not seene Iesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my worke in the Lord? ² If I bee not an Apostle vnto others, yet doubtlesse I am to you: for the seale of mine Apostleship are yee in the Lord.

³ Mine answere to them that doe examine me, is this: ⁴ Haue wee not power to eate and to drinke? ⁵ Haue we not power to lead about a sister a wife aswel as other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶ Or I onely and Barnabas, haue not we power to forbeare working? ⁷ Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruite thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke? ⁸ Say I these things as a man? or saith not the Law the same also? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moyses, Thou shalt not muzzell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doth God take care for oxen? ¹⁰ Or saith hee it altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that hee that ploweth, should plow in hope: and that hee that thresheth in hope, should bee partaker of his hope. ¹¹ If we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things, is it a great thing if wee shall reape your carnall things? ¹² If others bee partakers of this power ouer you, are not we rather? Neuerthelesse, we haue not vsed this power: but suffer all things, lest wee should hinder the Gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things, liue of the things of the Temple? and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar? ¹⁴ Euen so hath the Lord ordeined, that they which preach the Gospel, should liue of the Gospel.

¹⁵ But I haue vsed none of these things. Neither haue I written these things, that it should bee so done vnto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man should make my glorying voyd. ¹⁶ For though I preach the Gospel, I haue nothing to glorie of: for necessitie is laid vpon mee, yea, woe is vnto me, if I preach not the Gospel. ¹⁷ For if I doe this thing willingly, I haue a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed vnto me. ¹⁸ What 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.

¹⁹ For though I bee free from all men, yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all, that I might gaine the more. ²⁰ And vnto the Iewes, I became as a Iew, that I might gaine the Iewes: to them that are vnder the Law, as vnder the Law, that I might gaine them that are vnder the Law: ²¹ To them that are without Law, as without Law (being not without Law to God, but vnder the Law to Christ,) that I might gaine them that are without Law. ²² To the weake became I as weake, that I might gaine the weake: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some. ²³ And this I doe for the Gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴ Know yee not that they which runne in a race, runne all, but one receiueth the price? So runne, that yee may obtaine. ²⁵ And euery man that striueth for the masterie, is temperate in all things: Now they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crowne, but we an incorruptible. ²⁶ I therefore so runne, not as vncertainely: so fight I, not as one that beateth the ayre: ²⁷ But I keepe vnder my body, and bring it into subiection: lest that by any meanes when I haue preached to others, I my selfe should be a castaway.