1 Corinthians 9:6

My Notes

What Does 1 Corinthians 9:6 Mean?

"Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?" Paul asks: don't Barnabas and I have the right to stop working manual labor and be supported by the church? The rhetorical question expects: of course you do. Every other apostle exercises this right (v. 4-5). Peter takes his wife on missionary trips at church expense. Other apostles receive financial support. Paul and Barnabas are the outliers: they support themselves through manual labor. And Paul asks: we have the right too — right?

The argument establishes Paul's right to financial support (which he will decline) before explaining why he declines it (v. 12, 15-18: to remove any financial obstacle to the gospel). The right exists. Paul chooses not to use it. And the choice is the point.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What legitimate right are you exercising that might need to be declined for the gospel's sake?
• 2.How does Paul's voluntary self-support model the relationship between rights and mission?
• 3.When has declining what you were owed produced more credibility than claiming it?
• 4.What would it cost you to absorb what you're legitimately owed — and would the gospel benefit?

Devotional

Don't we have the right to stop working? Paul asks the obvious question about an obvious right he's been refusing to exercise. Every other apostle gets paid. Peter gets travel expenses for his wife. And Paul and Barnabas — the most productive missionaries in the movement — make their own tents.

Have not we power? Exousia — right, authority, legitimate claim. Paul isn't asking whether financial support for ministers is permissible. It is. He's asked the question five ways (v. 4-6): don't we have the right to eat and drink? To bring a wife? To stop working? Every question expects: yes. The right is established beyond argument. Other apostles exercise it freely. And Paul — who established more churches than any of them — hasn't collected a dime.

Or I only and Barnabas. The 'or' carries the exasperation: is it ONLY us who have to pay our own way? Are we the only apostles who work with our hands while everyone else is supported by the churches? The singling out is the setup: yes, we have the right. No, we don't use it. And here's why.

The why (v. 12): we endure all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Paul declines his right because exercising it might create an obstacle. The financial support that's legitimate and deserved could be perceived as greedy, self-serving, or mercenary. And the perception — even if wrong — could hinder the gospel. So Paul absorbs the cost of self-support to prevent anyone from discrediting his message on financial grounds.

The principle: a right not exercised for the gospel's sake is more powerful than a right exercised for personal benefit. Paul proves his apostolic authority (chapters 1-4) and then demonstrates the ultimate use of that authority: declining what he's owed so that nothing gets in the way of what matters most.

The right you don't exercise speaks louder than the right you claim.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

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