1 Corinthians 9: Run to Win

Paul explains that as an apostle he has rights, including the right to be supported by those he serves, just as soldiers, farmers, and temple workers are supported. Yet he chose not to use those rights so that nothing would hinder the Good News. Though free, he made himself a servant to all to win as many as possible, becoming all things to all people so that he might save some. Paul compares the Christian life to a race and calls believers to run with self-control to win an imperishable crown.

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Read 1 Corinthians 9

World English Bible · 27 verses

¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ My defense to those who examine me is this:This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ Have we no right to eat and to drink?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁴ Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁵ But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁶ For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁷ For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁸ What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁹ For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁰ To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²² To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²³ Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁴ Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁵ Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁶ I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁷ but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

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Open Preschool on its own page

1 Corinthians 9 · Preschool

Run the Race

Name Date

Color the runner. Run for Jesus!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win.”

1 Corinthians 9:24 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Let the children run in place. Say: Runners keep going. We can keep following Jesus every day.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

1 Corinthians 9 · Grade 4

An Imperishable Crown

Name Date

Read and Think

Some in Corinth questioned whether Paul was a real apostle. Paul answers that he has seen the Lord and that the Corinthians themselves are the proof of his work. Like soldiers, farmers, and temple workers, he had a right to be supported. Even the law says not to muzzle an ox while it treads the grain.

Yet Paul did not use this right. He preached for free so that nothing would hinder the Good News. Though free from all, he made himself a servant to all. To Jews he became like a Jew, and to the weak he became weak. He became all things to all people so that he might save some.

Paul ends with a picture of runners in a race. Runners in a race all run, but only one wins. Athletes train with strict self-control to win a crown of leaves that soon withers. Believers should run with purpose and self-control, because their crown will never perish.

Show What You Know

What did Paul offer as proof of his work?
Why did Paul preach for free?
Why did Paul become all things to all people?
What kind of crown did ancient athletes win?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

apostleweakfreework

Some in Corinth questioned whether Paul was a real .
Paul answers that he has seen the Lord and that the Corinthians themselves are the proof of his .
He preached for so that nothing would hinder the Good News.
To Jews he became like a Jew, and to the he became weak.

Think About It

Paul gave up his rights so others could hear about Jesus. What is something you could give up to help someone else know God's love?
Athletes train with self-control. What habits help you run the race of following Jesus well?

Memory Verse

“To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.”

1 Corinthians 9:22 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for helping me run my race. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

What could you give up to help someone?
What habits help you follow Jesus?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

1 Corinthians 9 · Grade 5

A Servant to All

Name Date

Read and Think

Chapter 9 illustrates the principle of chapter 8: love may set aside its rights for others. Paul first establishes that he has rights. He is an apostle who has seen the risen Lord, and the Corinthian church is the seal of his apostleship. Soldiers do not serve at their own expense, farmers eat from their vineyards, and priests share in the altar's offerings. The Lord himself ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from it.

Nevertheless, Paul refused to use this right among them. He would rather die than lose his boast of preaching without charge. For him, preaching is not optional; necessity is laid on him. His reward is to offer the Good News free of charge. Though free from all, he made himself a slave to all. He adapted himself to Jews and Gentiles, to those under the law and those outside it, and to the weak, becoming all things to all people that by all means he might save some.

Paul ends with a picture of runners in a race and a boxer (9:24-27). Athletes exercised rigorous self-control for a perishable wreath. Believers pursue an incorruptible one. Paul does not run aimlessly or box at the air. He disciplines himself so that, after preaching to others, he himself will not be disqualified. Flexibility in method is joined to firmness in devotion.

Show What You Know

How does chapter 9 connect to chapter 8?
What did Paul consider his reward?
What does becoming all things to all people mean for Paul?
What kind of crown do believers run for?

Crossword

Across

For if I ____ the Good News
That I might gain the ____

Down

If to ____ I am not an apostle
For though I was ____ from all
Am I not an ____

Think About It

Paul adapted his methods to reach different people without changing his message. How can you relate well to people who are different from you while staying faithful to Christ?
Paul disciplined himself so he would not be disqualified. What does spiritual self-control look like in your daily life?

Memory Verse

“To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.”

1 Corinthians 9:22 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for helping me run my race. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can you relate to different people without changing the message?
What does spiritual self-control look like?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

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1 Corinthians 9: Run to Win

Read 1 Corinthians 9

Worksheets

Run the Race

Prayer

Take It Home

Run for Jesus

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

Run to Win

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Prayer

Take It Home

Run the Race

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

All Things to All People

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

Run to Win

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

An Imperishable Crown

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

A Servant to All

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options