1 Corinthians 9:18

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

Then what is my reward? It is being able to preach the good news without receiving financial support [for it], so as not to claim my full rights in [the work of preaching] the good news.

Cross References

John 4:36

Already the person who is harvesting [the crop] is being paid for his work, and is gathering a crop for never ending life, so that the one planting and the one harvesting [the crop] may rejoice together.

Acts 18:3

and, because they followed the same trade of tent making, he stayed with them and went to work [for them].

Romans 14:15

For if your brother is hurt [spiritually] by [your eating certain] food, you are no longer acting lovingly [toward him]. Do not destroy [spiritually] the person Christ died for by what you eat.

1 Corinthians 10:33

For even I myself [try] to please everyone in every way, and not to look out [just] for my own good, but [also] for the good of many people, so that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 3:8

Now the person who plants and the person who waters have the same [purpose], and each one will receive his own wages, according to the work each one does.

1 Corinthians 7:31

And those who make use of the things of the world [should live] as though they were not [really] involved with them. For the world as we know it is passing away. [Note: The five “as though’s” of verses 29-31 are intended to emphasize that Christians should live with eternity in mind and not to become preoccupied with even legitimate earthly circumstances].

1 Corinthians 8:9

But pay attention[to this], so that somehow this liberty of yours [i.e., to eat whatever you want to] does not become an occasion over which weak people could fall [away from God].

1 Corinthians 9:12

If other people have the right to receive a share of what you have, should we not have even more [right to it]? Yet we did not make use of this right, but instead we put up with whatever we had to so we would not become a hindrance to [the spread of] the good news [about Christ].

1 Corinthians 9:15

But I have not availed myself of any of these rights. And I am not writing this so that it would be done in my case, for I would rather die than have anyone make my boast [i.e., of preaching without financial support] an empty one.

1 Corinthians 9:17

For if I preached because [I personally decided] I wanted to, I could claim a reward. But if I did not preach from a personal decision to do so, then it would be because I was entrusted with the task [by God]

2 Corinthians 4:5

For we do not preach ourselves, but [we preach] Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

1 Thessalonians 2:6

[And] we were not looking for honor from people, either from you or from anyone else, even though, as apostles of Christ, we could have become a burden [to you]. [Note: The idea seems to be that the apostles could have claimed financial support, but chose not to].