Paul gives a number of reasons why he has a right to be supported in his missionary work.
First of all, in verse 7 he deals with what I would call a universal principle, which is simply that the laborer is worthy of his reward. He illustrates it in different ways. He talks about a soldier who is serving and therefore has a right to be paid. Next, he talks about a man who keeps a vineyard, and who therefore has a right to eat of its grapes when the harvest comes. Finally, he talks about a shepherd, who has a right to some of the milk of the flock. If an individual is working for a company, that individual has the right to the wages that are commensurate with that job. It is the same in Christian ministry.
Secondly, in verses 8-10 he says that the Old Testament teaches the same thing. Paul has moved beyond the general principle and is now appealing to Scripture. In verse 9 he quotes from Deuteronomy 25:4, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Why did God write that? Is it only for the sake of oxen? Did God have a special concern for oxen that He does not have for other animals or people? Of course not! Paul says that God wrote that for our benefit. It is the principle that if a person labors in a certain endeavor, he has a right to a fair portion of that reward. That is not merely a secular view of compensation; more importantly, it is what the Word of God teaches.
In verse 11 he uses another argument. The one who gives a lot has a right to share in that which is less. As Paul describes it, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” What Paul is saying is that if you are going to weigh material things over against spiritual things, spiritual things are of greater value. Because Paul is giving them spiritual things, it is right to receive something of lesser value, in this case, material compensation, in return.
He brings in a fourth argument in verse 12. The Corinthians themselves recognized this principle that he is trying to establish because the Corinthians were giving of their means to support other teachers. The Corinthians may disagree with Paul’s argument from common human experience. They may disagree with his interpretation of Deuteronomy 25:4. They may disagree with this matter of spiritual and material things. But certainly they cannot argue against what they themselves are already doing for others.
His fifth point has to do with temple worship, as he writes in verse 13, “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?” As we saw from our study of 1 Corinthians 8, not only did the priest receive a portion of the meat that was sacrificed, but they also received some of the money that was brought in from the portion that was sold in the marketplace.
This leads to the conclusion he draws in verse 14: “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” That is a fairly detailed argument, and Paul obviously thought this was important enough to elaborate at length. It seems that Paul knew there were people asserting that Paul did not have any rights. Perhaps they were accusing Paul of trying to push something over on people because he wanted to get money or some other benefit.
