AM I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? (2)If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord. (3)This is my answer to those who examine me. (4)Have we not power to eat and to drink? (5)Have we not power to lead about a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? (6)Or have only I and Barnabas not power to forbear working? (7)Who ever goes to war at his own charges? Who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit thereof? Or who tends a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock? (8)Say I these things as a man? Or does not the law also say these things? (9)For it is written in the law of Moses: Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out the grain. Is it for the oxen that God cares? (10)Or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For, for our sakes it was written; that he who plows ought to plow in hope; and he who threshes, in hope of partaking. (11)If we sowed for you, the things that are spiritual, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? (12)If others partake of this power over you, do not we still more? But we used not this power; but we bear all things, that we may not cause any hindrance to the gospel of Christ. (13)Do ye not know that they who minister about the holy things eat of the temple, and they who wait at the altar partake with the altar? (14)So also did the Lord appoint to those who preach the gospel, to live by the gospel. (15)But I have used none of these things; and I wrote not these things, that it should be so done to me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should make my glorying void. (16)For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel! (17)For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I have a stewardship intrusted to me. (18)What then is my reward? That, in preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, that I use not to the full my power in the gospel. (19)For being free from all men, I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more. (20)And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those under law, as under law, not being myself under law, that I might gain those under law; (21)to those without law, as without law (not being without law to God, but under law to Christ), that I might gain those without law. (22)To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all, that I may by all means save some. (23)And all things I do for the gospel's sake, that I may become a partaker thereof with others[9:23].