--- title: "1 Corinthians 9 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible" description: "Read 1 Corinthians 9 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet dou" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9" --- [ Read](/kjv/1-corinthians/9)[ Commentary](/study/1-corinthians/9)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/1-corinthians/9) Audio 1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and *as* the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10 Or saith he *it* altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, *this* is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, *is it* a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of *this* power over you, *are* not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live *of the things* of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for *it were* better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation *of the gospel* is committed unto me. 18 What is my reward then? *Verily* that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 19 For though I be free from all *men*, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all *men*, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with *you*. 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they *do it* to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring *it* into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. [1 Corinthians 8](/study/1-corinthians/8) [1 Corinthians 10](/study/1-corinthians/10) ## Commentary To verse 1 ***[1 Corinthians 9:1](/kjv/1-corinthians/9/1)*****.—** St. Paul had preached the Gospel at Corinth about two years, in all which time he had taken nothing of them, [2 Corinthians 11:7-9](/kjv/2-corinthians/11/7-9). This, by some of the opposite faction, and particularly, as we may suppose, by their leader, was made use of to call in question his apostleship. For why, if he were an Apostle, should he not use the power of an Apostle, to demand maintenance where he preached? In this chapter St. Paul vindicates his apostleship; and in answer to theseinquiries gives the reason why, though he had a right to maintenance, yet he preached *gratis*to the Corinthians. "My answer, says he, to these inquisitors, is, that though, as being an Apostle, I know that I have a right to maintenance, as well as Peter, or any other of the Apostles, who all have a right, as is evident from reason and from Scripture;—yet I neither have used, nor shall make use of my privilege among you, for fear lest, if it cost you any thing, that should hinder the effect of my preaching. I would neglect nothing that might promote the Gospel. I do not content myself with doing barely what is my duty, for by my extraordinary call and commission it is now incumbent on me to preach the Gospel; but I endeavour to excel in my ministry, and not to execute my commission in a manner just enough to serve the turn. For if those who are in the Agonistic games, aiming at victory to obtain only a corruptible crown, deny themselves in eating and drinking, and other pleasures; how much more does the eternal crown of glory deserve that we should do our utmost to obtain it? To be as careful in not indulging our bodies, in denying our pleasures, in doing every thing that we can in order to get it, as if there were but one that should have it? Wonder not therefore, if I, having this in view, neglect my body, and those outward conveniences which, as an Apostle sent to preach the Gospel, I might claim, and make use of: wonder not that I prefer the propagating of the Gospel, and making of converts, to all care and regard of myself." This seems the design of the Apostle, and will throw light on the following chapter. See Locke. ***Am I not free?*****—** "Am I not at liberty, as much as any other of the Apostles, to make use of the privileges due to that office?"—"Am I not an Apostle?" It was necessary, in order to St. Paul's being an Apostle, and a witness of the resurrection, that he should have seen Jesus Christ. See [Acts 22:14-15](/kjv/acts/22/14-15); [Acts 26:16](/kjv/acts/26/16). [1 Corinthians 15:8](/kjv/1-corinthians/15/8). ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9","name":"1 Corinthians 9 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read 1 Corinthians 9 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet dou","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","name":"cokes commentary on the holy bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians","name":"1 Corinthians"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/1-corinthians/9","name":"9"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```