1 Corinthians 9 Am I not free (Do I not exist being a free man)? Am I not one sent forth with a mission (a representative; an emissary; a commissioned agent)? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord (Owner; Master)? Are you folks not my work within the Lord (or: = in union with Christ or Yahweh)?

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Am I not free (Do I not exist being a free man)? Am I not one sent forth with a mission (a representative; an emissary; a commissioned agent)? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord (Owner; Master)? Are you folks not my work within the Lord (or: = in union with Christ or Yahweh)? ² If I am not one sent off with a mission to or for other folks, nevertheless I surely am to and for you people – for you, yourselves, are my seal of the expedition (the mission for which I was sent off), within, and in union with, the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh]. ³ – this is my defense (my verbal reply) to or for those continuously examining me and sifting the evidence about me – ⁴ Are we not in any way continuing to have [the] right (privilege from out of being; authority) to eat and to drink? ⁵ Are we not in any way continuing to have [the] right (authority; privilege from existence) to be habitually leading around a sister [as] a wife – as also the rest of those sent out on a mission and the Lord's brothers, and Cephas? ⁶ Or, are only Barnabas and I continuing to have no right (privilege; authority) not to be habitually active in a trade (not to be constantly working)? ⁷ Who is at any time habitually performing military service (serving as a soldier) at his own expense (by his private rations)? Who makes a habit of planting a vineyard and then is not eating its fruit? Or who habitually tends (or: shepherds) a flock and then is not eating from out of the flock's milk? ⁸ Am I not speaking these things to accord with [what is] human (or: in line with and in the sphere of humanity)? Or is not the Law also saying these things? ⁹ For within the Law of Moses it has been written: "You will not continue muzzling an ox (bull; cow) [that] is progressively treading in threshing." [Deut. 25:4] Is the attention and concern to (or: by) God [here perhaps] not about the oxen? (or: It is not a care with God that has reference to bulls!) ¹⁰ Or, is He saying [this] entirely because of us? Because of us! For it was written that the one progressively plowing ought normally (or: is constantly obliged) to be habitually plowing upon [the basis of] an expectation (or: expectant hope), and the person habitually threshing [to do so] on an expectation of the [result]: to continue participating in his share [of the produce]. ¹¹ Since, upon [the ground of] an expectation, we ourselves sowed the spiritual things in (to; for) you folks, [is it] a great thing if we ourselves shall reap a harvest of your fleshly things (= natural or material goods)? ¹² Since, or if, others are continually sharing and participating in your privilege (right; authority), [why] not rather (or: all the more) we? But to the contrary, we do not (or: did not) make use of this right (privilege from being; authority), but rather we are habitually putting a roof over, and thus covering (perhaps: = putting up with) all people, and all things [or: situations], so that we should not give any hindrance to the progress of Christ's good news (or: would not offer any incision which blocks the way for the message of abundant goodness, wellness and fortunate ease which pertains to and has its origin in the Anointing, and which is the Anointed One). ¹³ Have you folks not seen so as to know that those habitually working at (performing the duties of; engaged in the business pertaining to) the sacred things of the temple are habitually eating from out of the things of the temple (the holy place of the sanctuary)? Those constantly sitting beside and attending to the altar are habitually sharing jointly in a portion of the altar (= the offerings sacrificed there). ¹⁴ Thus also, the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] thoroughly arranged for those habitually bringing down the announcement of the message of goodness (of the abundant wellness, good fortune and ease) to be continuously living from out of the message of goodness (= the announcement of ease, wellness and good fortune being the source of their living). ¹⁵ Yet I myself have not made use of nor do I now employ even one of these things – and I do not write these things so that it should come to be thus in me (or: = in my case): for to me [it would be] fine (beautiful; ideal; good form), rather, to die than that anyone should [other MSS: shall proceed to] make the result of my boast empty and void, ¹⁶ for it is not the result of a boast for [other MSS: for is it not grace to...?] me if I should habitually announce good news, for a compressed necessity (a compulsion) is continuously lying upon me. For it is a woe (a condition or situation at which I would say, "Alas!") to and for me, if ever I should not constantly announce the message of goodness. ¹⁷ For since (or: if) I am willingly or voluntarily performing this (executing this action) as a habit, I continually have compensation (pay; a wage). Yet if unwillingly or involuntarily, [still], I have been given faith [for] (or: entrusted [with]) the management of a Household. ¹⁸ What then is my compensation (pay; wage)? That while repeatedly announcing the message of goodness, I will continually (or: can) deposit (put; set; place) the good news (the message of abundant wellness and fortunate ease) without cost (or: expense; or: = free of charge), [leading] into the [situation so as] not to make downright use of my right or privilege within the good news (or: not to fully employ or abuse my authority from being in union with the message of goodness). ¹⁹ You see, continually being free from out of the midst of all things and from all people (or: from everything), I enslave myself to all people (or: everything and everyone), to the end that I can (may; would) gain [all] the more folks. ²⁰ So I come to be (or: became) as a Jew for (or: to; with) the Jews, to the end that I can (would; may) gain Jews; as under Law for (or: to; with) those under Law, to the end that I can (or: would; should; may) gain those under Law; ²¹ as without law (or: as lawless) – [though] not continually being without a law pertaining to God, but to the contrary, within a principle which is Christ (or: Christ's law; the custom which has the character and quality of Christ; or: [the] law which is [the] Anointing) – to those without law (for and with the lawless ones), to the end that I will progressively [other MSS: can; may; would] gain the folks without law (the lawless ones). ²² To (For; Among) those without strength (the weak ones), I become (or: came to be) as without strength (weak), to the end that I would (can; may) gain those without strength (the weak ones). I have become and continue to be all things for (to; among) all folks (or: peoples), to the end that I can (would; may) by every means (in every way; under all circumstances) save (rescue; deliver; restore to health, wholeness and their original condition) anybody! ²³ Now I habitually do all things (or: everything) because of the message of abundant wellness (the good news; the message of prosperous and ideal ease, and goodness), to the end that I would (could; can) for myself come to be its (or: His) joint participant (co-partner; sharer-in-common, along with others; equal fellow in communion and common Being). ²⁴ Have you folks not seen, so as to know, that those progressively running, on the race-course within a stadium, are indeed all progressively running (or: constantly and repeatedly racing), yet one normally (= each time) grasps (takes; receives) the contest prize (victor's award)? Be habitually running (progressively racing) so that you folks can (may; would) seize and take [it] down in your hands! ²⁵ Now every person habitually engaging in a contest (participating in the violent struggle of the public athletic games) constantly exercises inner strength and self-control in all things, and among all folks: those, of course, therefore [do it] so that they may (can) grasp (take; receive) a corruptible wreath that will soon wither, yet we an incorruptible (un-withering) one. ²⁶ So now, I myself am constantly running (racing) in this manner – not as without clear visibility of the goal (not in an uncertain or aimless manner which lacks clear purpose); thus I am habitually boxing – not as repeatedly flaying (= punching) air. ²⁷ To the contrary, I am repeatedly "striking my face below my eyes and beating my body black and blue" (= treating my body severely by discipline and hardship) and continually leading [it] as a slave (or: causing it to lead the life of a slave), lest somehow, while proclaiming (heralding; preaching; [note: at the games it means to announce the rules of the game and call out the competitors]) to (or: for) others, I myself should (can; may; would) come to be one that does not stand the test (or: unproved; or: without the approval which comes from testing; or: disapproved and disqualified).