1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Commentary
Vs. 1-2 1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Having declared our liberty In Christ which must always be governed by love for the well being of others (8:13) the Apostle Paul re-addresses some of his detractors by saying:
"Am I not an apostle?" It is clear that the Apostle Paul was an Apostle called by Christ (Acts 26:12-18), while it is doubtful that any of the Apostle Paul's detractors were themselves apostles, or even called by Christ.
"Am I not free?" Here the Apostle Paul is stating that he himself, like the Corinthians, is also free to govern his own convictions on all non-essential, non-moral matters. While those who are in bondage to doctrines and commandments of men, who were themselves serving as some of his detractors, cannot said to be free, since their consciences are governed by others, not themselves (consider Titus 1:15-16).
"Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" Again only those who were eye witnesses to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ are qualified to be Apostles of Christ, with the Apostle Paul being the last Apostle called by Christ (1 Cor 15:3-8). Thus this question along with the others demands a positive affirmation.
"Are you not my work in the Lord?" Is probably the most personal and undeniable proof of Paul's Apostleship to them, since it was through the preaching of Paul that many of the Corinthians came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and or were being discipled for Christ by his ministry. Thus though the Apostle Paul was not an Apostle to his detractors, yet without a doubt he was to them, for the Corinthians themselves were the seal of his apostleship in the Lord. Now the word translated seal here means to "certify", "validate", "authenticate," something as genuine. Louw Nida renders this passage: ‘you are the certification for my being an apostle’ or ‘you show clearly that I am an apostle’ Louw Nida 73.9
The very act that the Corinthians had themselves experienced new life through faith In the Lord Jesus Christ via the Apostle Paul's preaching the Gospel to them was itself evidence of Paul's Apostleship to them.
Vs. 3-6 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?
The Apostle Paul's three questions here are poignant, because those who were scrutinizing the Apostle Paul were doing so completely unjustly. For the Apostle Paul had to even give a defense for his own eating and drinking, something which Paul's detractors seized upon, just like Jesus' detractors did when He ate and drank with His disciples (consider Matt. 11:16-19). And so the Apostle Paul's question here is directed towards those who were so unjustly calling him to an account. For he says, "Do we have no right to eat and drink?" vs. 4 Meaning himself and Barnabas along with their co-workers who also ministered the Gospel along with them. Or should they themselves starve while the Corinthians feasted. And given the Corinthians own self-indulgent tendencies it seems rather ironic that anyone of them would find fault with Paul who lived a life of self denial for the well being of others. The Apostle Paul's next question to them then is: "Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?" vs. 5
If the other Apostle's brought along their wives on their missionary endeavors for the Lord why then would it be wrong for Paul or Barnabas, or anyone else who ministered the Gospel alongside of them to do so? For as the Apostle Paul says, even the Lord's own brothers and Cephas (i.e. the Apostle Peter) brought along their believing wives. Thus to criticize Paul or Barnabas (both whom were not married, and particularily Paul who chose not to marry for the Gospels sake) or anyone who was married, who ministered the Gospel alongside of them, and brought their wives with them, was only being unjustly critical of him. Now the finial question that the Apostle Paul asks them here is, "Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?" vs. 6
Since the other Apostles were supported by the churches why then would anyone find fault with Paul or Barnabas if they requested this? For though the Apostle Paul and Barnabas had the right to expect this from the Corinthians, they themselves did not burden the church financially. For both Paul and Barnabas willingly worked with their own hands to provide for themselves while they ministered the Gospel, and this should have been a great example to the Corinthians to follow in laboring to support not only themselves (2 Thess 3:10), but also those who are unable to do so (see Acts 20:35). Instead Paul's sacrificial lifestyle became just another tool in his detractors arsenal to try to undermine him. For they observed that the twelve were set apart to the Lord's service in laboring in the Word and Prayer (see Acts 6:1-4), and thus they themselves were not to work. While Paul (to them) was not so set apart. Instead Paul's service to the Lord was to preach the Gospel everywhere, to be the Lord's Evangelist to the Gentiles where Christ had not been preached, and thus to preach the Gospel in regions where it had not been heard (Rom 15:20). Now in order to do that Paul frequently had to labor to support himself, (since there were no established churches where he was taking the Gospel who could support him), instead as the Lord established churches through the Apostle Paul's ministry, these as Paul will make clear had an obligation to support the ministry work he was doing. Yet neither Paul, nor Barnabas, ever made any such demands upon any churches as apostles and or preachers of Christ, even after they were established. And so in defense of the Lord's commandment that those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel, the Apostle Paul will now go on to reason using both everyday examples, as well as Biblical principals to establish this.
Vs. 7 "Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?"
To make his point, the Apostle Paul now uses analogies that would be easily understood by the Corinthians. For the solider would not go to war at his own expense, his sustenance and wages would be provided for him, as well he would very likely share in the proceeds from the battle. While the man who plants a vineyard, (whether the land was leased or not) would also freely eat of the fruit of his labors. Just as the hired hand who tends a flock would also freely partake of the milk the flock produced. No one would question them in any of these things. Why then did they feel the need to criticize the Apostle Paul?
Vs. 8-10 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
The Apostle Paul now moves from natural analogies to spiritual ones to establish this fact. Now Pauls' use here of Deut. 25:4 is interesting since as Paul says it is not oxen God is concerned about, rather it is His people, that we do justly and live justly towards each other. And thus the passage serves to teach us all about just remuneration. For to muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain is only unmitigated cruelty, and ultimately will cause it to cease from it labors. And God does not want any of His people to be cruel towards anyone or anything (consider Prov. 12:10; 29:7), nor for their work in the Gospel to be impaired by lack of resources. And that is the point the Apostle Paul is making by his use of that principal from the Law and then justly applying it to the labors which he himself and others have done, and are doing for the Gospel's sake, as he states in verse 10. For the principal given in the Law was not just for the Old Covenant Israelites, rather as Paul says, it was written for our sakes, so that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. And so just as one first plows the ground in hope of seeing a crop, so also another in hope harvests the crop, sharing in the same hope of one day seeing fruit from their laborers. Thus both are laborers in the same field, and both in hope laborer in it, and ultimately are provided for from it. Which spiritually means that both Gospel workers in hope labor in God's field, so that they may be apart of bringing people to life by faith In Jesus Christ, which leads us then to verse eleven.
Vs. 11-12 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
Having used an agrarian metaphor from the Scriptures to describe his own laborers in the Gospel the Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians, having sown spiritual things for them is it a great thing if we reap your material things (vs. 11). Indeed if the Corinthians felt others had this right over them how much more the Apostle Paul and Barnabas who had put so much of their lives and energies into both evangelizing, as well as disciplining, the Corinthians (vs. 12). And so having neither wife or children to support the Apostle Paul was in the enviable position of not having to ask anything from anyone, as he said, "we endure all things lest we hinder the Gospel of Christ."
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Edited by Arthur Farstad. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 674–675). New York: United Bible Societies.
Word Studies
seal, σφραγίςe, Str 4973; GK 5382; TDNT 7.939; TDNTA 1127; LN 73.9
"Am I not an apostle?" It is clear that the Apostle Paul was an Apostle called by Christ (Acts 26:12-18), while it is doubtful that any of the Apostle Paul's detractors were themselves apostles, or even called by Christ.
"Am I not free?" Here the Apostle Paul is stating that he himself, like the Corinthians, is also free to govern his own convictions on all non-essential, non-moral matters. While those who are in bondage to doctrines and commandments of men, who were themselves serving as some of his detractors, cannot said to be free, since their consciences are governed by others, not themselves (consider Titus 1:15-16).
"Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" Again only those who were eye witnesses to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ are qualified to be Apostles of Christ, with the Apostle Paul being the last Apostle called by Christ (1 Cor 15:3-8). Thus this question along with the others demands a positive affirmation.
"Are you not my work in the Lord?" Is probably the most personal and undeniable proof of Paul's Apostleship to them, since it was through the preaching of Paul that many of the Corinthians came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and or were being discipled for Christ by his ministry. Thus though the Apostle Paul was not an Apostle to his detractors, yet without a doubt he was to them, for the Corinthians themselves were the seal of his apostleship in the Lord. Now the word translated seal here means to "certify", "validate", "authenticate," something as genuine. Louw Nida renders this passage: ‘you are the certification for my being an apostle’ or ‘you show clearly that I am an apostle’ Louw Nida 73.9
The very act that the Corinthians had themselves experienced new life through faith In the Lord Jesus Christ via the Apostle Paul's preaching the Gospel to them was itself evidence of Paul's Apostleship to them.
Vs. 3-6 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?
The Apostle Paul's three questions here are poignant, because those who were scrutinizing the Apostle Paul were doing so completely unjustly. For the Apostle Paul had to even give a defense for his own eating and drinking, something which Paul's detractors seized upon, just like Jesus' detractors did when He ate and drank with His disciples (consider Matt. 11:16-19). And so the Apostle Paul's question here is directed towards those who were so unjustly calling him to an account. For he says, "Do we have no right to eat and drink?" vs. 4 Meaning himself and Barnabas along with their co-workers who also ministered the Gospel along with them. Or should they themselves starve while the Corinthians feasted. And given the Corinthians own self-indulgent tendencies it seems rather ironic that anyone of them would find fault with Paul who lived a life of self denial for the well being of others. The Apostle Paul's next question to them then is: "Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?" vs. 5
If the other Apostle's brought along their wives on their missionary endeavors for the Lord why then would it be wrong for Paul or Barnabas, or anyone else who ministered the Gospel alongside of them to do so? For as the Apostle Paul says, even the Lord's own brothers and Cephas (i.e. the Apostle Peter) brought along their believing wives. Thus to criticize Paul or Barnabas (both whom were not married, and particularily Paul who chose not to marry for the Gospels sake) or anyone who was married, who ministered the Gospel alongside of them, and brought their wives with them, was only being unjustly critical of him. Now the finial question that the Apostle Paul asks them here is, "Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?" vs. 6
Since the other Apostles were supported by the churches why then would anyone find fault with Paul or Barnabas if they requested this? For though the Apostle Paul and Barnabas had the right to expect this from the Corinthians, they themselves did not burden the church financially. For both Paul and Barnabas willingly worked with their own hands to provide for themselves while they ministered the Gospel, and this should have been a great example to the Corinthians to follow in laboring to support not only themselves (2 Thess 3:10), but also those who are unable to do so (see Acts 20:35). Instead Paul's sacrificial lifestyle became just another tool in his detractors arsenal to try to undermine him. For they observed that the twelve were set apart to the Lord's service in laboring in the Word and Prayer (see Acts 6:1-4), and thus they themselves were not to work. While Paul (to them) was not so set apart. Instead Paul's service to the Lord was to preach the Gospel everywhere, to be the Lord's Evangelist to the Gentiles where Christ had not been preached, and thus to preach the Gospel in regions where it had not been heard (Rom 15:20). Now in order to do that Paul frequently had to labor to support himself, (since there were no established churches where he was taking the Gospel who could support him), instead as the Lord established churches through the Apostle Paul's ministry, these as Paul will make clear had an obligation to support the ministry work he was doing. Yet neither Paul, nor Barnabas, ever made any such demands upon any churches as apostles and or preachers of Christ, even after they were established. And so in defense of the Lord's commandment that those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel, the Apostle Paul will now go on to reason using both everyday examples, as well as Biblical principals to establish this.
Vs. 7 "Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?"
To make his point, the Apostle Paul now uses analogies that would be easily understood by the Corinthians. For the solider would not go to war at his own expense, his sustenance and wages would be provided for him, as well he would very likely share in the proceeds from the battle. While the man who plants a vineyard, (whether the land was leased or not) would also freely eat of the fruit of his labors. Just as the hired hand who tends a flock would also freely partake of the milk the flock produced. No one would question them in any of these things. Why then did they feel the need to criticize the Apostle Paul?
Vs. 8-10 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
The Apostle Paul now moves from natural analogies to spiritual ones to establish this fact. Now Pauls' use here of Deut. 25:4 is interesting since as Paul says it is not oxen God is concerned about, rather it is His people, that we do justly and live justly towards each other. And thus the passage serves to teach us all about just remuneration. For to muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain is only unmitigated cruelty, and ultimately will cause it to cease from it labors. And God does not want any of His people to be cruel towards anyone or anything (consider Prov. 12:10; 29:7), nor for their work in the Gospel to be impaired by lack of resources. And that is the point the Apostle Paul is making by his use of that principal from the Law and then justly applying it to the labors which he himself and others have done, and are doing for the Gospel's sake, as he states in verse 10. For the principal given in the Law was not just for the Old Covenant Israelites, rather as Paul says, it was written for our sakes, so that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. And so just as one first plows the ground in hope of seeing a crop, so also another in hope harvests the crop, sharing in the same hope of one day seeing fruit from their laborers. Thus both are laborers in the same field, and both in hope laborer in it, and ultimately are provided for from it. Which spiritually means that both Gospel workers in hope labor in God's field, so that they may be apart of bringing people to life by faith In Jesus Christ, which leads us then to verse eleven.
Vs. 11-12 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
Having used an agrarian metaphor from the Scriptures to describe his own laborers in the Gospel the Apostle Paul now asks the Corinthians, having sown spiritual things for them is it a great thing if we reap your material things (vs. 11). Indeed if the Corinthians felt others had this right over them how much more the Apostle Paul and Barnabas who had put so much of their lives and energies into both evangelizing, as well as disciplining, the Corinthians (vs. 12). And so having neither wife or children to support the Apostle Paul was in the enviable position of not having to ask anything from anyone, as he said, "we endure all things lest we hinder the Gospel of Christ."
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Edited by Arthur Farstad. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 674–675). New York: United Bible Societies.
Word Studies
seal, σφραγίςe, Str 4973; GK 5382; TDNT 7.939; TDNTA 1127; LN 73.9
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