1 I am a free man. I am a follower of YAHUSHA MESSIAH and have seen our Master. You people are an example of my work in the Master. 2 Others may not accept me as a follower or teacher, but surely you do. You are proof that I am a follower in the Master.
3 Some people want to judge me. So this is the answer I give them: 4 We have the right to eat and drink, don’t we? 5 We have the right to bring a believing wife with us when we travel, don’t we? The other followers and the Master’s brothers and Peter all do this. 6 And are Barnabas and I the only ones who must work to earn our living? 7 No soldier ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. No one ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes himself. No one takes care of a flock of sheep without drinking some of the milk himself.
8 These aren’t just my own thoughts. YAHUAH’S Divine Law says the same thing. 9 Yes, it’s written in the Law of Moses: “When a work animal is being used to separate grain, don’t keep it from eating the grain.” When YAHUAH said this, was he thinking only about work animals? No. 10 He was really talking about us. Yes, that was written for us. The one who ploughs and the one who separates the grain should both expect to get some of the grain for their work. 11 We planted supernatural seed among you, so we should be able to harvest from you some things for this life. Surely that is not asking too much. 12 Others have this right to get things from you. So surely we have this right too. BUT WE DON’T USE THIS RIGHT! No, we endure and provide everything ourselves so that we will not stop anyone from obeying the Good News of Messiah. 13 Surely you know that those who work at the Temple get their food from the Temple. And those who serve at the Altar get part of what is offered at the Altar. 14 It is the same with those who have the work of spreading the Good News. The Master has commanded that those who spread the Good News should get their living from this work.
15 But I have not used any of these rights, and I am not trying to get anything from you. That is not my purpose for writing this. I would rather die than to have someone take away what (for me) is a great source of pride. 16 It’s not my work of spreading the Good News of Deliverance that gives me any reason to boast. That is my duty—something I must do. If I don’t tell people the Good News, I am in real trouble. 17 If I did it because it was my own choice, I would deserve to be paid. But I have no choice. I must tell the Good News. So I am only doing the duty that was given to me. 18 So what do I get for doing it? My reward is that when I give people the Good News I can offer it to them for free and not use the rights that come with doing this work.
19 I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to everyone. I do this to help deliver as many people as I can. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew so that I could help deliver Jews. I myself am not ruled by their law (ORAL TRADITIONS & LAWS), but to those who are ruled by the law I became like someone who is ruled by the law. I did this to help deliver those who are ruled by the law. 21 To those who are without the law I became like someone who is without the law. I did this to help deliver those who are without the law. But really, I am not without YAHUAH’S DIVINE LAWS—I am ruled by the Instructions and Words of MESSIAH YAHUSHA. 22 To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help deliver them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could deliver people in any way possible. 23 I do all this to make the Good News of deliverance known. I do it so that I can share in the blessings of the Good News.
24 You know that in a race all the athletes run, but only one gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win! 25 All who compete in the games use strict training and must follow the rules. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn’t last. But our prize, our crown is one that will last forever. 26 So I run like someone who has a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something, not just the air. 27 It is my own body I actually fight to make it do what I want and submit to it YAHUSHA’S WORD. I do this so that I won’t miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it.
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