Rights and Duties of an Apostle
1 Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? And aren't you the result of my work for the Lord? 2 Even if others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do! Because of your life in union with the Lord you yourselves are proof of the fact that I am an apostle.
3 When people criticize me, this is how I defend myself: 4 Don't I have the right to be given food and drink for my work? 5 Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips? 6 Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for our living? 7 What soldiers ever have to pay their own expenses in the army? What farmers do not eat the grapes from their own vineyard? What shepherds do not use the milk from their own sheep?
8 I don't have to limit myself to these everyday examples, because the Law says the same thing. 9 We read in the Law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Now, is God concerned about oxen? 10 Didn't he really mean us when he said that? Of course that was written for us. Anyone who plows and anyone who reaps should do their work in the hope of getting a share of the crop. 11 We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have the right to expect this from you, don't we have an even greater right?
But we haven't made use of this right. Instead, we have endured everything in order not to put any obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ. 13 Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who offer the sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. 14 In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the gospel should get their living from it.
15 But I haven't made use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this now in order to claim such rights for myself. I would rather die first! Nobody is going to turn my rightful boast into empty words! 16 I have no right to boast just because I preach the gospel. After all, I am under orders to do so. And how terrible it would be for me if I did not preach the gospel! 17 If I did my work as a matter of free choice, then I could expect to be paid; but I do it as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted me with this task. 18 What pay do I get, then? It is the privilege of preaching the Good News without charging for it, without claiming my rights in my work for the gospel.
19 I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. 20 While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. 21 In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. 22 Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.
23 All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings. 24 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 25 Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. 26 That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 27 I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
1 Vai es neesmu svabads? Vai es neesmu apustulis? Vai es neesmu Jēzu, mūsu Kungu, redzējis? Vai jūs neesat mans darbs mūsu Kungā? 2 Ja es citiem neesmu apustulis, tad jums gan, jo jūs esat mana apustuļa amata zīmogs mūsu Kungā. 3 Tas ir mans attaisnojums pret maniem apsūdzētājiem. 4 Vai mums nav tiesības ēst un dzert? 5 Vai mums nav tiesības kādu māsu ņemt par sievu un ar to kopā ceļot, kā to dara citi apustuļi, arī Tā Kunga brāļi un Kēfa. 6 Jeb vai tikai man un Barnabam vien nebūtu tiesības nestrādāt? 7 Kas tad iet karā ar savu maizi? Kas dēsta vīnadārzu un neēd tā augļus? Jeb kas gana lopus un nebauda viņu piena? 8 Vai es to runāju tikai pēc cilvēku domām? Jeb vai to nesaka arī pati bauslība? 9 Jo Mozus bauslībā rakstīts: tev nebūs vērsim, kas min labību, purnu aizsiet. - Vai tad Dievs te runā par vēršiem? 10 Vai Viņš to nesaka mūsu dēļ? Jo mūsu dēļ taču ir rakstīts: arājam jāar cerībā, kūlējam jākuļ cerībā, ka tam tiks sava daļa. - 11 Ja mēs esam jums sējuši garīgo sēklu, vai tad tā liela lieta, ka saņemam jūsu laicīgos augļus? 12 Ja citiem ir tiesības uz jūsu mantu, vai tad ne vairāk mums? Bet mēs šās tiesības neesam lietojuši, mēs visu panesam, lai Kristus evaņģēlijam nerastos kavēkļi ceļā. 13 Vai nezināt, ka tie, kas kalpo svētnīcā, pārtiek no svētnīcas, un kas apkalpo altāri, saņem savu daļu no altāra? 14 Tāpat arī Tas Kungs ir noteicis evaņģēlija sludinātājiem pārtikt no evaņģēlija. 15 Bet es to visu neesmu izlietojis. Un es jums to nerakstu, lai to attiecinātu uz mani. Es gribu labāk mirt; to, ar ko es lepojos, man neviens neatņems. 16 Jo, kad es sludinu evaņģēliju, tad man nav ko lepoties; jo man tas jādara. Vai man, ja es nesludinātu evaņģēliju! 17 Jo, ja es to labprātīgi daru, tad man ir alga; bet, ja uz pavēli, tad esmu tikai amata izpildītājs. 18 Kas tad ir mana alga? Ka es sludinu evaņģēliju bez maksas un nelietoju savas tiesības, ko man dod evaņģēlija sludināšana. 19 Jo, nebūdams atkarīgs ne no viena, es brīvprātīgi paliku visiem par kalpu, lai pēc iespējas daudzus mantotu. 20 Jūdiem esmu tapis kā jūds, lai mantotu jūdus; tiem, kas zem bauslības, esmu tapis kā tāds, kas stāv zem bauslības, pats nebūdams zem bauslības, lai mantotu tos, kas stāv zem bauslības. 21 Tiem, kas bez bauslības, esmu tapis kā tāds, kas bez bauslības, kaut patiesībā nebūdams bez Dieva bauslības, bet stāvēdams Kristus bauslībā, lai mantotu tos, kas bez bauslības. 22 Vājajiem esmu tapis kā vājš, lai mantotu vājos; visiem esmu tapis viss, lai katrā gadījumā kādus izglābtu. 23 Bet to visu es daru evaņģēlija dēļ, lai man būtu daļa pie tā. 24 Vai nezināt, ka skrējēji stadionā gan visi skrien, bet tikai viens dabū goda algu. Skrieniet tā, ka jūs to dabūjat. 25 Kas piedalās sacīkstēs, tas ir atturīgs visā, viņi tāpēc, lai dabūtu iznīcīgu vainagu, bet mēs neiznīcīgu. 26 Tātad es skrienu ne kā uz ko nezināmu, es cīnos ne kā gaisu sizdams. 27 Bet es norūdu un kalpinu savu miesu, lai, citiem sludinādams, pats nekļūstu atmetams.
