1 Corinthians 9:1

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? [See Acts 9:17; I Cor. 15:8]. Are you people not [the result of] my work in [the service of] the Lord?

Cross References

Acts 9:17

So, Ananias left and went to Judas’ house and placed his hands on Saul saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you as you were traveling on the road [to Damascus] sent me so you could receive your sight [back] and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

1 Timothy 2:7

I was appointed to be a preacher [of this testimony] and an apostle and teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. (I am telling the truth and not lying).

1 Corinthians 3:6

I [Paul] planted [i.e., preached God’s word], Apollos watered [it], but God made it grow.

Acts 23:11

The next night the Lord stood beside Paul [in a supernatural dream] and said, “Take courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also be my witness in Rome.”

Acts 9:3

And when he got close to Damascus, suddenly a [bright, See 22:6] light from the sky shone all around him.

1 Corinthians 9:19

For although I am free from [being accountable to] all people, I placed myself under obligation to them [as a slave], so as to win as many as possible [to Christ].

2 Timothy 1:11

of which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

Galatians 5:1

Christ set us free [from condemnation under the Law of Moses], so we could stay free! Remain where you are then, and do not get tangled up again in the enslaving harness [of the Law of Moses].

2 Corinthians 6:1

As workers together with God we urge you also, who have received God’s unearned favor, do not allow it to be for nothing,

Romans 1:1

[This letter is from] Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, [who was] called to be an apostle, [and] set apart for [preaching] the Gospel of God.

Galatians 1:1

[This letter is from] Paul, an apostle, (not from [the authority of] men, or through the [agency] of a man, but by [a direct commission from] Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead).

1 Thessalonians 2:6

[And] we were not looking for honor from people, either from you or from anyone else, even though, as apostles of Christ, we could have become a burden [to you]. [Note: The idea seems to be that the apostles could have claimed financial support, but chose not to].

2 Corinthians 11:5

For I consider myself not to be one bit inferior to those “super apostles.” [Note: Paul is referring to his opponents there in Corinth who claimed apostolic authority].

1 Corinthians 1:1

[This letter is from] Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and [from] our brother Sosthenes;

Romans 11:13

Now I am talking to you Gentiles, [and] since I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will make the most of my ministry [to you],

Romans 1:5

It was through Jesus, and for His name’s sake, that we [i.e., I] received God’s favor to become an apostle, in order to bring about obedience based on faith from among people of all nations.

Acts 14:14

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about what they were trying to do [to them], they tore their clothes [i.e., as an expression of frustration] and rushed over to the crowd and shouted,

Acts 14:4

But the large crowd in the city [who heard them] became divided [over how to respond to it]; some sided with the [unbelieving] Jews and some with the apostles.

Acts 13:2

As these men were ministering to the Lord [i.e., this probably means worshiping] and fasting, the Holy Spirit said [to one of them by way of inspiration]: “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me, [commissioning them] to do the work for which I have called them.”

Acts 9:15

But the Lord replied to him, “Go on your way, for Saul is someone I have especially chosen to carry my name to the [unconverted] Gentiles, kings and the Israelites.

Acts 9:5

Saul replied, “Who are you, sir?” And the voice said, “It is I, Jesus, whom you are persecuting,

1 Corinthians 10:29

that is, for the sake of the other person’s conscience, not your own. For why should my freedom [to eat what I want] be judged [as wrong] by another person’s conscience? [Note: The questions in this and the following verse may mean, “It is not worth eating questionable things, if doing so would bring criticism from a weak brother”].

1 Corinthians 10:30

If I thank God for what I eat, why should I be criticized for eating something I have [already] thanked Him for?

1 Corinthians 11:16

But if anyone is inclined to argue [about this matter], neither we [apostles] nor the churches of God have any [other] custom than this.

2 Corinthians 10:7

You people are looking [merely] at the appearance of things [or, “You should look at what is obvious!” In either case, it suggests they were misjudging Paul’s ministry]. If any person is confident within himself that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: We are just as much Christ’s [servants] as he is.