1 Corinthians 9:6
in 1 Corinthians 9Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?
KJV
Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 9
Commentary
12 notes on this verseOr I only and Barnabas - Have we alone of all the apostles no right to be supported by our converts? It appears from this, 1. That the apostles did not generally support themselves by their own labor. 2. That Paul and Barnabas did thus support themselves. Some of the others probably had not a business at which they could conveniently work; but Paul and Barnabas had a trade at which they could conveniently labor wherever they came.
This site's exposition
power to lead about a sister, a wife
on 1 Corinthians 9:5-6
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?: Peter, the Lord's brothers, and the other apostles traveled with believing wives supported by the churches, so the right Paul discusses is not hypothetical but the settled custom of his fellow workers. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?: Barnabas independently chose the same tentmaking path Acts 18:3 records of Paul, so the renunciation is a joint apostolic choice rather than a personal deficiency in Paul's standing. The bench reads the naming of Cephas by name as evidence the Corinthians already knew and respected Peter's practice, sharpening the contrast with their treatment of Paul.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
For there is extant withal an Epistle to the Hebrews under the name of Barnabas-a man sufficiently accredited by God, as being one whom Paul has stationed next to himself in the uninterrupted observance of abstinence: "Or else, I alone and Barnabas, have not we the power of working? " And, of course, the Epistle of Barnabas is more generally received among the Churches than that apocryphal "Shepherd" of adulterers.
Paul means by this that he and Barnabas do have this right, but they do not want to exercise it.
"Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?" Lo, he hath taken away all doubt even from the slowest hearts, that they may understand of what working he speaks. For to what end saith he, "Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?" but for that all evangelists and ministers of God's word had power received of the Lord, not to work with their hands, but to live by the Gospel, working only spiritual works in preaching of the kingdom of heaven and edifying of the peace of the Church? For no man can say that it is of that very spiritual working that the Apostle said, "Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?" For this power to forbear working all those had: let him say then, who essays to deprave and pervert precepts Apostolical; let him say, if he dares that all evangelists received of the Lord power to forbear preaching the Gospel. But if this is most absurd and mad to say, why will they not understand what is plain to all, that they did indeed receive power not to work, but works bodily, whereby to get a living, because "the workman is worthy of his hire," as the Gospel speaks.
"Or I only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear working?" See his humility of mind and his soul pure from envy, how he takes care not to conceal him whom he knew to be a partaker with himself in this perfection. For if the other things be common, how is not this common? Both they and we are apostles and are free, and have seen Christ, and have exhibited the works of Apostles. Therefore we likewise have a right both to live without working and to be supported by our disciples.
The Medieval Church1 voice
That is, do we really not have the authority to live without working and to be supported at the expense of our disciples, without laboring? He did not fail to mention Barnabas either, who, as he knew, was also scrupulous in this regard; for he …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
. " My answer to those that do examine me (that is, enquire into my authority, or the reasons of my conduct, if I am an apostle) is this: Have we not power to eat and drink (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Or I only and Barnabas,....
Soldiers expect to be paid for their service. Husbandmen and shepherds expect to get a livelihood out of their labours. If they plant vineyards, and dress and cultivate them, it is with expectation of fruit; if they feed a flock, it is with the expectation of being fed and clothed by it!
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Barnabas--long the associate of Paul, and, like him, in the habit of self-denyingly forbearing to claim the maintenance which is a minister's right. So Paul supported himself by tent-making (Ac 18:3;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Or I only and Barnabas - Paul and Barnabas had worked together as tent-makers at Corinth; Act 18:3. From this fact it had been inferred that they “knew” that they had no claim to a support. Power to forbear working - To abstain from labor, and to receive support as others do. The question implies a strong affirmation that they had such power. The sense is, ‘Why should I and Barnabas be regarded as having no right to support? Have we been less faithful than others? Have we done less? Have we given fewer evidences that we are sent by the Lord, or that God approves us in our work? Have we been less successful? Why then should we be singled out; and why should it be supposed that we are obliged to labor for our support? “Is there no other conceivable reason” why we should support ourselves than a consciousness that we have no right to support from the people with whom we labor?” It is evident from 1Co 9:12, that Barnabas as well as Paul relinquished his right to a support, and labored to maintain himself. And it is manifest from the whole passage, that there was some special “spleen” (“Doddridge”) against these two ministers of the gospel. What it was we know not. It might have arisen from the enmity and opposition of Judaizing teachers, who were offended at their zeal and success among the Gentiles, and who could find no other cause of complaint against them than that they chose to support themselves, and not live in idleness, or to tax the church for their support. That must have been a bad cause which was sustained by such an argument.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἢ | e | Or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| μόνος | monos | only | G3441 → | 110 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Βαρναβᾶς | barnabas | Barnabas | G921 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔχομεν | echomen | have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | permission | G1849 → | 102 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐργάζεσθαι; | ergazesthai | to work? | G2038 → | 41 times |
ἢOr
eG2228 →342 times
μόνοςonly
monosG3441 →110 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ΒαρναβᾶςBarnabas
barnabasG921 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔχομενhave
echomenG2192 →707 times
ἐξουσίανpermission
exousianG1849 →102 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐργάζεσθαι;to work?
ergazesthaiG2038 →41 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:9Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,
- Acts 18:3
and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
Through
Acts 18:3and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12
We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8–9
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- 2 Corinthians 11:7
Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Through
Acts 4:36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),
it leads to
- Galatians 2:9
And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and…
- Galatians 2:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, OF THE WORK OF MONKS 8; Frederic Godet, Commentary on First Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 21; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Modesty and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.