16. But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news!
17. If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty.
18. Then what reward do I get? Here is what it is. I am able to preach the good news free of charge. And I can do it without making use of my rights when I preach it.
19. I am free. I don't belong to anyone. But I make myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ.
20. To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law.
21. To those who don't have the law I became like one who doesn't have the law. I am not free from God's law. I am under Christ's law. Now I can win those who don't have the law.
22. To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that in all possible ways I might save some.
23. I do all of that because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings.
24. In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don't you? So run in a way that will get you the prize.
25. All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26. So I do not run like someone who doesn't run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air.