The Daily Audio Bible

For I Have Chosen To Enslave Myself To All For The Advance of The Gospel

¹⁹ For^[a] while being free from all people, I enslaved myself to all in order that I might gain the more. ²⁰ Indeed I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain Jews; to the ones under the Law, as under the Law— not being myself under the Law— in order that I might gain the ones under the Law; ²¹ to the ones without-the-Law, as without-the-Law— not being without-the-law of God, but within-the-law of Christ— in order that I might gain the ones without-the-Law. ²² I became weak to the weak, in order that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, in order that I might by all means save some. ²³ And I am doing all things for the sake of the good-news, in order that I might become a co-partner of it.

On The Other Hand, I Will Do Everything Needed To Win My Race And Keep My Prize

²⁴ Do^[b] you not know that the ones running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Be running in this manner: that you may take-hold-of the prize. ²⁵ And everyone competing exercises-self-control as to all things. So those do it in order that they might receive a decayable crown, but we an undecayable one. ²⁶ So-indeed I run in this manner, as not aimlessly^[c]. I box in this manner, as not beating the air. ²⁷ But I bruise my body and make it my slave, that having proclaimed to others, I myself should not somehow become disapproved^[d].

For Loss of The Prize Is Possible: Remember What Happened To Israel

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers^[e] were all under the cloud, and all went through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual^[f] food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from a spiritual^[g] rock following them. And the rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not well-pleased with the majority of them, for they were strewn in the wilderness.

Do Not Follow Their Example

⁶ Now these things took place as our examples, so that we might not be desirers of evil things, as those also desired. ⁷ And do not be idolaters, as some of them, as-indeed it has been written [in Ex 32:6], “The people sat-down to eat and drink, and stood up to play”. ⁸ And let us not be committing-sexual-immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty three thousand fell in one day [Num 25:1-9]. ⁹ And let us not be putting Christ to the test, as some of them tested, and were being destroyed by the serpents [Num 21:5-6]. ¹⁰ And do not be grumbling, like some of them grumbled, and perished by the destroyer [Num 16:41-49]. ¹¹ Now these^[h] things were happening to those ones as-an-example. And it was written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come^[i].

So Watch Out That You Do Not Fall

¹² So then let the one thinking that he stands be watching-out that he may not fall. ¹³ A temptation has not seized you except what is common-to-humanity. And God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but also with the temptation will make the way-out, that you may be able to endure.