1 Corinthians 9:5

1 Corinthians 9:5

3 My defense to those who examine me is this:

4 ^aDo we have no¹ right to eat and drink?

5 Do we have no right to take along¹ a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, ^athe brothers of the Lord, and ^bCephas?

6 Or is it only Barnabas and I ^awho have no right to refrain from working?

7 Who ever ^agoes to war at his own expense? Who ^bplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ^ctends 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, ^a“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 ^ahe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11 ^aIf 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? ^aNevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things ^blest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

13 ^aDo you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the ^btemple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?

14 Even so ^athe Lord has commanded ^bthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

15 But ^aI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for ^bit 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 ^anecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Have we no right? (Mh ouk exomen ecousian). Same idiom.

To lead about a wife that is a believer? (adelfhn gunaika periagein). Old verb periagw, intransitive in Acts 13:11. Two substantives in apposition, a sister a wife, a common Greek idiom. This is a plea for the support of the preacher's wife and children. Plainly Paul has no wife at this time.

And Cephas (kai Khfav). Why is he singled out by name? Perhaps because of his prominence and because of the use of his name in the divisions in Corinth (I Corinthians 1:12). It was well known that Peter was married (Matthew 8:14). Paul mentions James by name in Galatians 1:19 as one of the Lord's brothers. All the other apostles were either married or had the right to be.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 Corinthians 9:5:**

Mark 1:29
Luke 4:38
Acts 12:17
Romans 10:18
1 Corinthians 1:12
1 Corinthians 7:7
1 Peter 5:13

<< 1 Corinthians 9:4

1 Corinthians 9:6 >>

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