1 Corinthians 9:23
in 1 Corinthians 9I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.
KJV
And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseOnly someone as mature in faith as the apostle Paul could say this. A sinner could never talk in this way.
This site's exposition
I do all this for
Paul's motive for every adaptation is the gospel and a share in its blessings. The sharing he seeks is his own as much as theirs, which looks ahead to the fear of being disqualified in verse 27.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And I do all things for the Gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof." "That is, that I may seem also myself to have added some contribution of mine own, and may partake of the crowns laid up for the faithful. For as he spake of "living of the Gospel," i.e, of the believers; so also here, "that I may be a joint partaker in the Gospel, that I may be able to partake with them that have believed in the Gospel." Do you perceive his humility, how in the recompense of rewards he places himself as one of the many, though he had exceeded all in his labors? whence it is evident that he would in his reward also. Nevertheless, he claims not to enjoy the first prize, but is content if so be he may partake with the others in the crowns laid up for them. But these things he said, not because he did this for any reward, but that hereby at least he might draw them on, and by these hopes might induce them to do all things for their brethren's sake. Seest thou his wisdom! Seest thou the excellency of his perfection? how he wrought beyond the things commanded, not receiving when it was lawful to receive. Seest thou the exceeding greatness of his condescension? how he that was "under law to Christ," and kept that highest law, "to them that were without law," was "as one without law," to the Jews, as a Jew, in either kind showing himself preeminent, and surpassing all.
The Medieval Church1 voice
He calls the believers "the gospel," who are saved through the gospel, as he also said above: "to live of the gospel," that is, from the believers. I act this way, he says, so that together with the believers I might be a partaker in …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): This I do for the gospel's sake, and that I may be partaker thereof with you; that is, for the honour of Christ, whose the gospel is, and for the salvation of souls, for which it was designed, and that he and they might communicate in the privileges of it, or partake together of them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And this I do for the Gospel's sake,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the gospel’s sake - That it may be advanced, and may be successful. That I might be partaker thereof with you - You hope to be saved. You regard yourselves as Christians; and I wish to give evidence also that “I” am a Christian, and that I shall be admitted to heaven to partake of the happiness of the redeemed. This he did, by so denying himself as to give evidence that he was truly actuated by Christian principles.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
partaker thereof--Greek, "fellow partaker": of the Gospel blessings promised at Christ's coming: "with" (not as English Version, "you": but) them, namely, with those thus "gained" by me to the Gospel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And this I do for the Gospel’s sake - Instead of τουτο, this, παντα, all things, (I do all things for the Gospel’s sake), is the reading of ABCDEFG, several others, the Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, Itala, Armenian, and Sahidic; the two latter reading ταυτα παντα, all these things. Several of the fathers have the same reading, and there is much reason to believe it to be genuine. That I might be partaker thereof with you - That I might attain to the reward of eternal life which it sets before me; and this is in all probability the meaning of το ευαγγελιον, which we translate the Gospel, and which should be rendered here prize or reward; this is a frequent meaning of the original word, as may be seen in my preface to St. Matthew: I do all this for the sake of the prize, that I may partake of it with you.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πάντα | panta | All [things] | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ποιῶ | poio | I do | G4160 → | 569 times |
| διὰ | dia | on account of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εὐαγγέλιον | euangelion | gospel | G2098 → | 73 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| συγκοινωνὸς | sugkoinonos | a fellow partaker | G4791 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | with it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| γένωμαι.¶ | genomai | I may become. | G1096 → | 667 times |
πάνταAll [things]
pantaG3956 →1235 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ποιῶI do
poioG4160 →569 times
διὰon account of
diaG1223 →664 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
εὐαγγέλιονgospel
euangelionG2098 →73 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
συγκοινωνὸςa fellow partaker
sugkoinonosG4791 →
αὐτοῦwith it
autouG846 →5565 times
γένωμαι.¶I may become.
genomaiG1096 →667 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 1:3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
- John 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
- John 17:21
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
Through
Mark 8:35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:11–13
This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
- Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
- Matthew 16:25
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- 2 Timothy 1:8
So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
- 2 Timothy 2:11–13
Through
Hebrews 3:14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.
it leads to
- Hebrews 3:6
But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.
- Hebrews 3:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 22; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 3.43.49-50 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.