Paul’s 27-verse defense of apostolic rights - and his deliberate choice to waive them so the Gospel goes out without charge - is one of the most concentrated arguments for sacrificial ministry in the New Testament.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

Am I not free Am I not an apostle Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ our Lord Aren’t you my work in the Lord If to others I am not an apostle yet 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 Have we no right to eat and to drink Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer Even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work

What soldier ever serves at his own expense Who plants a vineyard and doesn’t eat of its fruit Or who feeds a flock and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk Do I speak these things according to the ways of men Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing

For it is written in the law of Moses You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain Is it for the oxen that God cares or does he say it assuredly for our sake Yes it was written for our sake Because he who ploughs ought to plough in hope And he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope

If we sowed to you spiritual things is it a great thing If we reap your fleshly things If others partake of this right over you don’t we yet more Nevertheless we didn’t use this right But we bear all things that we may cause no hindrance To the Good News of Christ

Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things Eat from the things of the temple and those who wait on the altar Have their portion with the altar Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News Should live from the Good News But I have used none of these things

And I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case For I would rather die than that anyone should make my boasting void For if I preach the Good News I have nothing to boast about For necessity is laid on me but woe is to me if I don’t preach The Good News

For if I do this of my own will I have a reward But if not of my own will I have a stewardship entrusted to me What then is my reward That when I preach the Good News I may present the Good News of Christ without charge So as not to abuse my authority in the Good News

For though I was free from all I brought myself under bondage to all That I might gain the more To the Jews I became as a Jew That I might gain Jews To those who are under the law As under the law that I might gain those who are under the law To those who are without law as without law not being without law Towards God but under law towards Christ that I might win those

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1 Corinthians 9 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press