Paulus
Paul defends his rights and his adaptability
Paul argues for his rights as an apostle to receive financial support, but explains that he has voluntarily chosen not to exercise these rights so as not to place obstacles in the way of the gospel. He then describes his strategy of adapting to different groups to win them for Christ, and concludes with an exhortation to self-discipline like a runner striving for an imperishable crown.
1. Korinther 9,1-27
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
Οὐκ εἰμὶ ⸂ἐλεύθερος; οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος⸃; οὐχὶ ⸀Ἰησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἑόρακα; οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ;
2Even if I am not an apostle to others, I certainly am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
εἰ ἄλλοις οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμι, ἡ γὰρ σφραγίς ⸂μου τῆς⸃ ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ.
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.
Ἡ ἐμὴ ἀπολογία τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀνακρίνουσίν ⸂ἐστιν αὕτη⸃.
4Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν φαγεῖν καὶ ⸀πεῖν;
5Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as the other apostles do, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ Κηφᾶς;
6Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have no right to be free from working for a living?
ἢ μόνος ἐγὼ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ⸀μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι;
7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink its milk?
τίς στρατεύεται ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις ποτέ; τίς φυτεύει ἀμπελῶνα καὶ ⸂τὸν καρπὸν⸃ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐσθίει; ⸀τίς ποιμαίνει ποίμνην καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει;
8Am I saying this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing?
Μὴ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ταῦτα λαλῶ ἢ ⸂καὶ ὁ νόμος ταῦτα οὐ⸃ λέγει;
9For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshing." Is God concerned about oxen,
ἐν γὰρ τῷ Μωϋσέως νόμῳ γέγραπται· Οὐ ⸀κημώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα. μὴ τῶν βοῶν μέλει τῷ θεῷ,
10or is he speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for us: the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of a share in the harvest.
ἢ διʼ ἡμᾶς πάντως λέγει; διʼ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγράφη, ὅτι ⸂ὀφείλει ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι⸃ ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν, καὶ ὁ ἀλοῶν ⸂ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τοῦ μετέχειν⸃.
11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much to reap a material harvest from you?
εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐσπείραμεν, μέγα εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῶν τὰ σαρκικὰ θερίσομεν;
12If others have this right over you, do we not have it all the more? Yet we have not made use of this right. Instead, we endure everything so as not to put any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
εἰ ἄλλοι τῆς ⸂ὑμῶν ἐξουσίας⸃ μετέχουσιν, οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς; Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐχρησάμεθα τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀλλὰ πάντα στέγομεν ἵνα μή ⸂τινα ἐγκοπὴν⸃ δῶμεν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
13Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered there?
οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ τὰ ἱερὰ ἐργαζόμενοι ⸀τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐσθίουσιν, οἱ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ⸀παρεδρεύοντες τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ συμμερίζονται;
14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should live from the gospel.
οὕτως καὶ ὁ κύριος διέταξεν τοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον καταγγέλλουσιν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ζῆν.
15But I have not made use of any of these rights. And I am not writing this so that such provision may be made for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.
Ἐγὼ δὲ ⸂οὐ κέχρημαι οὐδενὶ⸃ τούτων. οὐκ ἔγραψα δὲ ταῦτα ἵνα οὕτως γένηται ἐν ἐμοί, καλὸν γάρ μοι μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν ἤ— τὸ καύχημά μου ⸂οὐδεὶς κενώσει⸃.
16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting, since I am under compulsion. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
ἐὰν γὰρ εὐαγγελίζωμαι, οὐκ ἔστιν μοι καύχημα, ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται· οὐαὶ ⸀γάρ μοί ἐστιν ἐὰν μὴ ⸀εὐαγγελίσωμαι.
17If I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I am simply entrusted with a stewardship.
εἰ γὰρ ἑκὼν τοῦτο πράσσω, μισθὸν ἔχω· εἰ δὲ ἄκων, οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι.
18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.
τίς οὖν ⸀μού ἐστιν ὁ μισθός; ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ ⸀εὐαγγέλιον, εἰς τὸ μὴ καταχρήσασθαι τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win as many as possible.
Ἐλεύθερος γὰρ ὢν ἐκ πάντων πᾶσιν ἐμαυτὸν ἐδούλωσα, ἵνα τοὺς πλείονας κερδήσω·
20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law.
καὶ ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα Ἰουδαίους κερδήσω· τοῖς ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον, ⸂μὴ ὢν αὐτὸς ὑπὸ νόμον⸃, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον κερδήσω·
21To those without the law I became like one without the law—though I am not without God's law but am under the law of Christ—to win those without the law.
τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, μὴ ὢν ἄνομος ⸀θεοῦ ἀλλʼ ἔννομος ⸀Χριστοῦ, ἵνα ⸀κερδάνω ⸀τοὺς ἀνόμους·
22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by every possible means I might save some.
ἐγενόμην τοῖς ⸀ἀσθενέσιν ἀσθενής, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσω· τοῖς πᾶσιν ⸀γέγονα πάντα, ἵνα πάντως τινὰς σώσω.
23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
⸀πάντα δὲ ποιῶ διὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἵνα συγκοινωνὸς αὐτοῦ γένωμαι.
24Don't you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to win the prize.
Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ ἐν σταδίῳ τρέχοντες πάντες μὲν τρέχουσιν, εἷς δὲ λαμβάνει τὸ βραβεῖον; οὕτως τρέχετε ἵνα καταλάβητε.
25Every athlete in training exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown; we, one that lasts forever.
πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται, ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν ἵνα φθαρτὸν στέφανον λάβωσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄφθαρτον.
26So I do not run aimlessly, and I do not box as one beating the air.
ἐγὼ τοίνυν οὕτως τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως, οὕτως πυκτεύω ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων·
27No, I discipline my body and bring it into submission, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.
ἀλλὰ ὑπωπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μή πως ἄλλοις κηρύξας αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι.