1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are ye not my work in the Lord?
2. If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3. My answer to them that examine me is this,
4. Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6. Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?
7. Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8. Do I say these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10. Or saith he this altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12. If others are partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13. Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things live from the things of the temple, and they who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.
15. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done to me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.