4. Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?
5. Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas do?
6. Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves?
7. Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep?
8. Am I merely stating some human rule? Don’t Moses’ Teachings say the same thing?
9. Moses’ Teachings say, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing grain.” God’s concern isn’t for oxen.
10. Isn’t he speaking entirely for our benefit? This was written for our benefit so that the person who plows or threshes should expect to receive a share of the crop.
11. If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods?
12. If others have the right to expect this from you, don’t we deserve even more? But we haven’t used our rights. Instead, we would put up with anything in order not to hinder the Good News of Christ in any way.
13. Don’t you realize that those who work at the temple get their food from the temple? Don’t those who help at the altar get a share of what is on the altar?
14. In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who spread the Good News should earn their living from the Good News.
15. I haven’t used any of these rights, and I haven’t written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words.