1 Corinthians 9:4–18

⁴Have we not a right to eat and to drink? ⁵have we not a right to take round a sister as wife, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶Or I alone and Barnabas, have we not a right not to work? ⁷Who ever carries on war at his own charges? who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who herds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock? ⁸Do I speak these things as a man, or does not the law also say these things? ⁹For in the law of Moses it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn. Is God occupied about the oxen, ¹⁰or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For for our sakes it has been written, that the plougher should plough in hope, and he that treads out corn, in hope of partaking of it. ¹¹If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? ¹²If others partake of this right over you, should not rather we? But we have not used this right, but we bear all things, that we may put no hindrance in the way of the glad tidings of the Christ. ¹³Do ye not know that they who labour at sacred things eat of the offerings offered in the temple; they that attend at the altar partake with the altar? ¹⁴So also the Lord has ordained to those that announce the glad tidings to live of the glad tidings.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for it were good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast. ¹⁶For if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings. ¹⁷For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration. ¹⁸What is the reward then that I have? That in announcing the glad tidings I make the glad tidings costless to others, so as not to have made use, as belonging to me, of my right in announcing the glad tidings.