The apostle did not make use of his power of being maintained at the charges of those to whom he preached, that he might give no hindrance to the gospel. Of running in the race and striving for the mastery.
9:1. Am I not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
9:2. And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
9:3. My defence with them that do examine me is this.
9:4. Have not we power to eat and to drink?
9:5. Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister as well as the rest of the apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas?
A woman, a sister… Some erroneous translators have corrupted this text by rendering it, a sister, a wife: whereas, it is certain, St. Paul had no wife (chap. 7 ver. 7, 8) and that he only speaks of such devout women, as, according to the custom of the Jewish nation, waited upon the preachers of the gospel, and supplied them with necessaries.
9:6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?
9:7. Who serveth as a soldier, at any time, at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth the flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
9:8. Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also say; these things?