(A)Do we have no [a]right to eat and drink?

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:4 authority

Don’t we have the right to food and drink?(A)

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Or is it only Barnabas and I (A)who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever (B)goes to war at his own expense? Who (C)plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who (D)tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, (E)“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 (F)he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 (G)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?

(H)Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things (I)lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 (J)Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the (K)temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so (L)the Lord has commanded (M)that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

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Or is it only I and Barnabas(A) who lack the right to not work for a living?

Who serves as a soldier(B) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(C) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[a](D) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?(E) 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,(F) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.(G) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?(H) 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.(I) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder(J) the gospel of Christ.

13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?(K) 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:9 Deut. 25:4