1 Corinthians · Chapter 9

[ edit] Wher I am not fre? Am I not apoſtle? Wher I ſyȝ not Criſt Jheſu, oure Lord? Wher ȝe ben not my work in þe Lord? And þouȝ to oþere I am not apoſtle, but neþelees to ȝou I am; forwhy ȝe ben þe ſygnacle, or litil ſigne, of myn apoſtilhed in þe Lord. My defence to hem þat axen me, is þis. Wher we han not power for to ete and drynke? Wher we han not power for to lede aboute a womman ſiſtir, as and oþere apoſtlis, and briþeren of þe Lord, and Cephas, þat is, Petre? Or I aloone and Barnabas han not power for to worche þes þingis? Who fiȝteþ, or holdiþ knyȝþod, ony tyme wiþ his owne ſoudis? Who plauntiþ a vyneȝerd, and etiþ not of his fruyt?

Who feediþ, or leſuwiþ, a floc, and etiþ not of þe mylk of þe flok? Wher aftir man I ſeye þes þingis? wher and þe lawe ſeiþ not þes þingis? Forſoþ it is writun in þe lawe of Moyſes, Þou ſchalt not bynde þe mouþ of þe oxe þreiſchinge, or trauelynge. Wheþir of oxen is charge to God? Wheþer for vs ſoþli he ſeiþ þes þingis? Forwhi for vs þei ben writun; for he þat eriþ, owiþ to ere in hope, and he þat þreiſchiþ, or traueliþ, in hope for to perſeyue fruitis. Forſoþ yf we ſowen ſpiritual þingis to ȝou, it is not greet, if we repen ȝoure fleiſchly þingis? If oþere ben parceneris of ȝoure power, whi not raþere we?

But we vſen not þis power, but we ſuſteynen, or ſuffren, alle þingis, þat we ȝeuen not lettinge, or ſclaundre, to þe euangelie of Criſt. Witen ȝe not, for þei þat wirchen in þe ſacrarie, þat is, a place where hooly þingis ben kept, eten þo þingis þat ben of þe ſacrarie, and þat þo þat ſeruen to þe auter, taken part wiþ þe auter? So and þe Lord ordeynede to hem þat tellen þe goſpel, for to lyue of þe goſpel. Forſoþ I vſide none of þes þingis; ſoþli I wroot not þes þingis, þat þei be don ſo in me; forſoþ it is good to me more for to deie, þan þat ony man avoyde my glorie. Forwhi if I ſchal preche þe goſpel, glorie is not to me, forſoþ nede liþ to me; forſoþ wo to me, if I ſchal not euangeliſe.

Forſoþ if I willinge do þis þing, I haue mede; ſoþly if aȝens my wil, diſpenſacioun is bitake to me. What þerfore is my hyre, or mede? Þat I preching þe goſpel, putte þe goſpel wiþ oute ſpence takynge, or ſuſtenaunce þerfore, þat I myſuſe not my power in þe goſpel. Forwhi whanne I was fre of alle men, I made me ſeruaunt of alle men, þat I ſchulde wynne mo men.

And to Jewis I am maad as a Jew, þat I ſchulde wynne Jewis; to hem þat ben vndir þe lawe, as I were vndir þe lawe, whanne I was not vndir þe lawe, þat I ſchulde wynne hem þat weren vndir þe lawe; to hem þat weren wiþ oute þe lawe, as I were wiþoute þe lawe, whanne I was not wiþoute þe lawe of God, but I was in þe lawe of Criſt, þat I ſchulde wynne hem þat weren wiþ oute lawe. I am maad ſyk to ſyke men, þat I ſchulde wynne ſyke men; to alle men I am maad alle þingis, þat I ſchulde make alle men ſaaf. Forſoþ I do alle þingis for þe goſpel, þat I be maad parcener of it. Witen ȝe not, þat þei þat rennen in a furlong, alle forſoþ rennen, but oon takiþ þe priys? So renne ȝe, þat ȝe catche.

Ech man þat ſtryueþ in fyȝt, abſteyneþ him fro alle þingis; and þei forſoþ, þat þei take a coruptible crowne, we forſoþe vncorupt. Þerfore I renne ſo, not as into vncerteyn þing; þus I fiȝte, not as betynge þe eyr; but I chaſtiſe my body, and brynge in to ſeruage; leſt perauenture whanne I haue prechid to oþere, I my ſilf be maad reprouable.