Rights and Duties of an Apostle
1 Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? And aren't you the result of my work for the Lord? 2 Even if others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do! Because of your life in union with the Lord you yourselves are proof of the fact that I am an apostle.
3 When people criticize me, this is how I defend myself: 4 Don't I have the right to be given food and drink for my work? 5 Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips? 6 Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for our living? 7 What soldiers ever have to pay their own expenses in the army? What farmers do not eat the grapes from their own vineyard? What shepherds do not use the milk from their own sheep?
8 I don't have to limit myself to these everyday examples, because the Law says the same thing. 9 We read in the Law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Now, is God concerned about oxen? 10 Didn't he really mean us when he said that? Of course that was written for us. Anyone who plows and anyone who reaps should do their work in the hope of getting a share of the crop. 11 We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have the right to expect this from you, don't we have an even greater right?
But we haven't made use of this right. Instead, we have endured everything in order not to put any obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ. 13 Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who offer the sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. 14 In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the gospel should get their living from it.
15 But I haven't made use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this now in order to claim such rights for myself. I would rather die first! Nobody is going to turn my rightful boast into empty words! 16 I have no right to boast just because I preach the gospel. After all, I am under orders to do so. And how terrible it would be for me if I did not preach the gospel! 17 If I did my work as a matter of free choice, then I could expect to be paid; but I do it as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted me with this task. 18 What pay do I get, then? It is the privilege of preaching the Good News without charging for it, without claiming my rights in my work for the gospel.
19 I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. 20 While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. 21 In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. 22 Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.
23 All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings. 24 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 25 Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. 26 That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 27 I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
Omausemba noviungura vyomuapostele
1 Kawami omukutuke are? Kawami omuapostele are? Hi mwine Jesus oMuhona wetu are? Nu kaweṋe mbu mu ri ovihape vyotjiungura tjandje mu Muhona are? 2 Nandi mbi he ri omuapostele kovandu varwe, ku eṋe owami omuapostele. Orondu eṋe mbu mu ri ova Muhona oweṋe otjihako tjouapostele wandje.
3 Omaziriro wandje kovandu mba mbe ndji pangura, owo nga: 4 Indu ami hi nousemba okupewa ovikurya nomanuwa mena roviungura vyandje are? 5 Ami hi nousemba okuryanga nomukazendu omukambure mouyenda wandje otja imba ovaapostele ovakwetu novangu va Muhona na Petrus tjaave tjiti are? 6 Poo ami na Barnabas porwetu ombu tu sokuungurira ombaruriro yetu are? 7 Omurwe wovita ouṋe ngu rikora omuini ngunda e ri motjiungura tjovita? Nouṋe ngu kuna otjikunino tjomivite na ha ri ovikurya vyatjo? Nouṋe ngu risa ozonyanda na ha nu omaihi wazo?
8 Ami hi nokuhungira otja ovandu tji ve hungira uriri, orondu Omatwako ye hungira otjiṋa tjingetjo. 9 MOmatwako wa Moses mwa tjangwa nai: “Onduwombe, ndji mai yata ovikokotwa ko nakuikuta ko kotjinyo.” Indu Ndjambi u ninga ko na tja nozonduwombe are? 10 Poo eye ka heere eṱe, indu tja tja nao? Ii, omambo nga ya tjangerwa eṱe. Ingwi ngu ma taura ehi, na ingwi ngu ma tondo ovikokotwa, auhe u ungura nomaundjiro wokutja ma munu orupa rwe rwomakondero. 11 Eṱe twa kuna ovyOmbepo mokati keṋu, indu ma rire otjiṋa otjinene tji matu mu ningire imbi vyombaruriro yorutu are? 12 Tji mamu yandja ousemba mbwi kovandu varwe, indu eṱe katu nousemba mbwi tjinene komeho are?
Nungwari eṱe katu ungurisire ousemba mbwi. Moruveze rwanao eṱe twa zara oviṋa avihe mbi, kokutja atu ha twa mo otjipwite mondjira yOmbuze Ombwa ya Kristus. 13 Kamu nokutjiwa are kutja imba mbe ungura motjouyapuke ve pewa ovikurya vyawo motjouyapuke nokutja imba mbe karera potjipunguhiro, owo ve pewa orupa rwawo moviyambo vyotjipunguhiro? 14 Momuhingo tjingewo Muhona wa rakiza kutja imba mbe zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa ngave parurwe momazuvarisiro wOmbuze Ombwa.
15 Nungwari ami hi ungurisire ousemba auhe mbwi. Nu wina ami hi nokutjangera kutja mbi mune ousemba mbwi. Ku ami atja rira kokuwa tjinene okuṱa! Ohiviro ndji kape nomundu ngu me ndji yeka. 16 Tji me zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa, kahepero ami okurihiva. Mbi zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa tjinga e ri otjiungura tji mbi sokutjita. Nu owee ku ami tji mbi hi nokuzuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa! 17 Andakuzu me zuvarisa nombango yandje omuini, etje yenena okuundja okupewa ondjambi; Nungwari ami hi nokuzuvarisa nombango yandje omuini: Otjo otjiungura tji mba rakiziwa i Ndjambi. 18 Nu nambano ondjambi yandje ongendjambi? Oyo okongwi okutja otja ngu mbi ri omuzuvarise ami mbi zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa nokuhina ondjambi, nokutja komuhingo mbwi otji mba za ko kousemba wandje mbwa kutwa kumwe nokuzuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa.
19 Owami omukutuke nu himukarere womundu; nungwari ami omuini mbe ritwa moukarere waavehe, kokutja mbi toṋene po Kristus ovengi otja tji mape sorwa. 20 Mokati kOvajuda mbi ritjinda otja Omujuda, kokutja mbi munine po Ovajuda, nu nangarire kutja ami hi ri kehi yOmatwako wa Moses, ku imba mbe ri kehi yOmatwako, ami mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri kehi yOmatwako, kokutja mbi munine po ovandu mba mbe ri kehi yOmatwako nga. 21 Momuhingo tjingewo, tji me ungura mokati kaimba mbe he ri Ovajuda, mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri owopendje yOmatwako wOvajuda, kokutja mbi munine po imba mbe he ri Ovajuda. Nu kape nokuheya kutja ami hi nonḓuviro komatwako wa Ndjambi; ami, tjiri, mbi ri kehi youvara womatwako wa Kristus. 22 Tji me ungura mokati kaimba mbe ri ovingundi mongamburiro, mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri otjingundi otja wo, kokutja mbi munine po imba ovingundi. Ku avehe ami mba rira oviṋa avihe, kokutja mbi yame nangarire tjiva. 23 Nu avihe mbi mbi tjitira Ombuze Ombwa, kokutja mbi kare norupa mozondaya zayo.
24 Eṋe, tjiri, mamu tjiwa nawa kutja motjirarakaneno mu tupuka ovararakane ovengi. Nungwari ingwi ngu toṋa ihi otjihuze, eye u rira umwe uriri. Nu komuhingo mbwi tupukeye kokutja mu toṋe ihi otjihuze! 25 Omurarakane ngamwa auhe u ritjaera koviṋa ngamwa avihe. Eye nao u tjitira kutja a kamune oruzenga rwondoṋeno ndu ha karerere, nungwari eṱe tu rarakanena oruzenga ndu karerera. 26 Ami opu me zu okutupuka otja omundu ngu ma tupuka okuvaza omukoka womaandero wotjikara; nami hi ri otja omutone wozongomi ngu ma tono mombepo uriri. 27 Ami mbi tona orutu rwandje ru tindire, nu mbi ru ete kehi youkarere wandje, kokutja tji mba zu nokuisanena varwe kotjirarakaneno, ami omuini e ha isiwa mo.
