Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right to refrain from working? v. 4-6

The Jesus Years (the Gospels)

The Pentecost Experience (Acts 1-2)

The Apostolic Season (Acts 3-Epistles)

The Church Age

God calls men and women to dedicate their lives for the care of the flock and calls the church to care for the minister’s well-being.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…

So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

A Minister’s Calling v.7

Who at any time serves as soldier at his own expense? v. 7

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

…contend earnestly for the faith…

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? v. 7

I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in My and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing...I appointed you that you would go and bear fruit…

Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? v. 7

…shepherd the flock of God among you...

A Minister’s Concerns v. 12

Nevertheless, we did not use this right… v. 12

If food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

…we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance… v. 12

…the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. v. 14