1 Corinthians 9:1-18

1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? ² Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Paul was not only free, he was Roman by birth and that gave him even more rights.  Paul was an apostle called of God and he had seen Jesus when he was taken to "the third heaven" for his training.  Paul knew who he was and those that followed Christ because of his teaching were all the proof he needed.
 
³ This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to food and drink? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?

All expenses of the other Apostles and their families were taken care of by the church.

⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. ¹¹ If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? ¹² If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
  
Paul uses a series of questions to get his readers to think and understand what his entitlements are or what expectations he could have from them if he desired.

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

He chose not to ensure the gospel went forward without hindrance.  

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Churches need to care for their pastors.  They should not have to work to eat and live and then still preach and teach.

¹⁵ But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. ¹⁶ For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

Paul did not want to be paid, that was not the purpose of this letter.  He wanted people to know that he preached the word voluntarily and did not want anything in return.   He gave up his rights for the benefit of those under his teaching.

So what is my motive when I do for others in the church?  Yours?

God Bless.