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?

9:9. 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?

9:10. Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are
written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope and
he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.

9:11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if
we reap your carnal things?

9:12. If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather?
Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest
we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

9:13. Know you not that they who work in the holy place eat the things
that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar partake with
the altar?

9:14. So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should
live by the gospel.

9:15. But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written these
things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for me to
die rather than that any man should make my glory void.

9:16. For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me: for a necessity
lieth upon me. For woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.

It is no glory... That is, I have nothing to glory of.

9:17. For if I do this