1 Corinthians 9:7-14
9:7 Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk?
9:8 Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, 1 or does the law not say this as well?
9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” 2 God is not concerned here about oxen, is he?
9:10 Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest.
9:11 If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you?
9:12 If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
9:13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple 3 eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings?
9:14 In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.
1 tn Or “only according to human authority”; Grk “saying these things according to men.”
2 sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.
3 tn Grk “working the sacred things.”