1 Corinthians 9:4–18

⁴Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? ^a5Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife ^blike the other apostles, ^cthe Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? ^d6Or do Barnabas ^eand I alone have no right to refrain from working? ⁷Who ever goes to war at his own expense? ^fWho plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? ⁸Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox ^gwhile it treads out grain. ^hiIs God really concerned with oxen? ¹⁰Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, ^jbecause he who plows ought to plow in hope, ^kand he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop. ^l11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹²If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything ^mso that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar ⁿshare in the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. ^o

¹⁵But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted ^pwith a stewardship. ¹⁸What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel. ^q