1 Corinthians 9:4–18

⁴Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? ⁵Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas^ado? ⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves? 

⁷Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep? ⁸Am I merely stating some human rule? Don’t Moses’ Teachings say the same thing? ⁹Moses’ Teachings say, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing^bgrain.” God’s concern isn’t for oxen. ¹⁰Isn’t he speaking entirely for our benefit? This was written for our benefit so that the person who plows or threshes should expect to receive a share of the crop. ¹¹If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods? ¹²If others have the right to expect this from you, don’t we deserve even more? But we haven’t used our rights. Instead, we would put up with anything in order not to hinder the Good News of Christ in any way. 

¹³Don’t you realize that those who work at the temple get their food from the temple? Don’t those who help at the altar get a share of what is on the altar? ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who spread the Good News should earn their living from the Good News. 

¹⁵I haven’t used any of these rights, and I haven’t written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words. ¹⁶If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News! ¹⁷If I spread the Good News willingly, I’ll have a reward. But if I spread the Good News unwillingly, I’m ⸤only⸥ doing what I’ve been entrusted to do. 

¹⁸So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won’t use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News.