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, ari tā Kunga brāļi un Kēfa.
6 Jeb vai tikai man un Barnabam vien nebūtu tiesības roku darbu nestrādāt?
7 Kas tad iet kapā ar savu maizi? Kas dēsta vīna kalnu 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 ari pati bauslība?
9 Jo Mozus bauslībā rakstīts: „Tev nebūs vērsim, kas min labību, purnu aizsiet.“ Vai tad Dievs te runā par vēršiem?
10 Vai tas viss nav zīmēts uz mums? Jo mūsu dēļ taču ir rakstīts: arājam jāap 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 lietājuši, 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 izlietājis. 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 nelietāju 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 visādi atturīgs, —viņi tāpēc, lai dabūtu iznīcīgu vainagu, bet mēs neiznīcīgu.
26 Tā tad es skrienu ne kā uz ko nezināmu, es cīnos, ne kā gaisu sizdams.
27 Bet es norūdu un kalpmu savu miesu, lai, citiem sludinādams, pats nekļūstu atmetams.
The Rights of an Apostle
1 I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him. 2 Others may think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.
3 When people question me, I tell them 4 that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink. 5 We each have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter do. 6 Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at another job? 7 Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow? Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats?
8-9 I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox? 10 No, he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.
11 When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept material things as our harvest from you. 12 If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right. But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for the message about Christ.
13 Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? 14 In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.
15 But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this. 16 I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed. 17 If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God has sent me to do. 18 What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.
19 I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. 20 When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. 21 And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. 22 When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. 23 I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.
A Race and a Fight
24 You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25 Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. 26 I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. 27 I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.
