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 everything ourselves so that we will not stop anyone from obeying the Good News of Christ.
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 telling the Good News. The Lord has commanded that those who tell 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 telling the Good News 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 tell 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 save as many people as I can.
20. To the Jews I became like a Jew so that I could help save Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law, but to those who are ruled by the law I became like someone who is ruled by the law. I did this to help save 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 save those who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ruled by the law of Christ.)
22. To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help save them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could save people in any way possible.
23. I do all this to make the Good News 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 runners run, but only one runner gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!
25. All who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn’t last. But our prize 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 fight to make it do what I want. I do this so that I won’t miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it.