Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return?

我因为白白传神的福音给你们，就自居卑微，叫你们高升，这算是我犯罪吗？

我贬低自己，为了使你们高升，因为我白白地传上帝的福音给你们，难道这算是我犯了错吗？

我贬低自己，为了使你们高升，因为我白白地传神的福音给你们，难道这算是我犯了错吗？

我为了把福音白白地传给你们，甘愿卑微，以擢升你们，我这样做有罪吗？

我贬低自己，使你们高升，把神的福音白白地传给你们，我这样是犯罪吗？

我降卑自己，好使你们被高举，因为我把神的福音无偿地传给你们，难道我这样就犯了罪吗？

我因為白白傳神的福音給你們，就自居卑微，叫你們高升，這算是我犯罪嗎？

我貶低自己，為了使你們高升，因為我白白地傳上帝的福音給你們，難道這算是我犯了錯嗎？

我貶低自己，為了使你們高升，因為我白白地傳神的福音給你們，難道這算是我犯了錯嗎？

我為了把福音白白地傳給你們，甘願卑微，以擢升你們，我這樣做有罪嗎？

我貶低自己，使你們高升，把神的福音白白地傳給你們，我這樣是犯罪嗎？

我卑抑了自己、讓你們升高，將上帝的福音傳給你們，使你們免費就獲得到，是犯了罪麼？

我降卑自己，好使你們被高舉，因為我把神的福音無償地傳給你們，難道我這樣就犯了罪嗎？

我自卑致爾高舉、傳爾上帝福音而無值、乃為罪乎、

我卑以自牧、傳上帝福音、不傷爾財、使爾高舉、是耶否耶、

我傳天主之福音於爾、而不費爾貲、自居卑微、使爾高舉、此為罪乎、

豈因吾之薄於己而厚於爾、乃反獲罪戾乎？

Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?

I preached God’s good news to you free of charge. When I did that, I was putting myself down in order to lift you up. Was this a sin?

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge?

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.

Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.

You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.

Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ— though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.

Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?

In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.

Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.

If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.

We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.