1 Corinthians Chapter 9: Soul-Winning Eternal Security


    1: Am I not an apostle Am I not free Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord Are not you my work in the Lord 2: If I be not an apostle to others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord 3: My 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 take [along with us] a sister a wife [a believing 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 goes to war [at] any time at their own expense Who plants a vineyard and eats not of the fruit of it or who feeds a flock and eats 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 treads out the corn Is God concerned only with oxen 10: Or does he  say it altogether for our sakes For our sakes No doubt this is written that they who plow should plow in hope and that they who thresh in hope should be partakers of his hope 11: If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your physical 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 you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple and they which serve at the alter are partakers with the alter 14: Even so has the Lord ordained that they who 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 one should make my glorying void 16: For though I preach the gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon me yes 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 yet have I made myself servant to all that I might gain the more 20: So to 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 that I might by all means save some 23: And this I do for the sake [of the] good news that I might be partaker of it with you 24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receives the prize So run that you may obtain 25: And all who agonize for the mastery are 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 [without purpose] so fight I not as one who beats the air 27: But I keep my body under and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I myself should be a castaway[1]


[1] Controversy surrounds the doctrine of eternal security. Once saved, are we always saved, or can salvation be lost? Some say one thing, some another. Both sides claim scripture as authority for their conclusions. What does it mean to become a spiritual castaway? Is this a verse that supports the claim that salvation can be lost?

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