First Corinthians 9:6 asks whether Paul and Barnabas were the only apostles who had no right to stop working for income and rely on the support of the church. The verse is a rhetorical question: Paul expects his readers to answer that they, too, have that right. It is written by the apostle Paul to the believers in Corinth, a congregation he had founded and was personally involved with.
Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?
1 Corinthians 9:6 (WEB)
What 1 Corinthians 9:6 Means
The phrase “Or have only Barnabas and I” points to a specific pair. Barnabas was Paul’s companion in ministry during his early missionary journeys, and in this letter Paul singles out the two of them as the ones who had chosen to support themselves by their own labor. The “or” links this question to the previous one, where Paul lists the privileges that other apostles enjoy, including the right to be supported by the churches. Paul is pointing out an apparent exception and asking why he and Barnabas should be the ones to forgo that support.
The phrase “no right to not work” is where the verse’s force lies. Paul is not saying that he had no right to work. He is asking whether he and Barnabas lacked the right to set work aside and be provided for, the same right enjoyed by others in the ministry. The verse therefore does not promise that every believer will be financially cared for, nor does it condemn anyone for earning a living. It defends the legitimate claim of ministers to be supported while leaving room for Paul’s own chosen practice of working with his hands, which he explains elsewhere in the same chapter.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 9:6
First Corinthians is a letter Paul wrote to a church that had become divided over leadership, moral failures, spiritual gifts, and questions about how believers should live in a pagan city. Paul writes in chapter 9 to answer critics who questioned his apostolic authority, partly because he had not taken payment from the Corinthians for his teaching. His defense in verses 3 through 9 argues that he has the same rights as the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Peter, while showing that he has chosen not to exercise those rights for the sake of the gospel.
Read in that setting, verse 6 is less a statement about laziness or wages and more a step in Paul’s argument about freedom and self-denial. The verses that follow, including his comparison to soldiers, farmers, and shepherds who are supported by their work, show that the question is asked to make a point. It shows that Paul has a legitimate claim, even though he has chosen to set it aside, which in turn makes his choice a free act of love and service.
Key Phrases in 1 Corinthians 9:6
1 Corinthians 9:14
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
(WEB)
In the same chapter, Paul states the general principle that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel. Reading it alongside verse 6 shows that Paul’s rights are real, and that his later choice to work with his own hands was an intentional sacrifice for the sake of the gospel rather than a rejection of the principle itself.
1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
(WEB)
Paul’s later letter to Timothy quotes the same kind of principle about caring for those who labor in teaching and leadership. Reading it with verse 6 helps you see that the call to support ministry workers remained part of Paul’s teaching across his letters, even as he personally chose a different path in Corinth.
A Short Prayer From 1 Corinthians 9:6
Lord, you see the many ways people give of themselves to serve others, some with paid work and some without any pay at all. Thank you that you value faithful labor and that you care for those who serve you. Help me to rest in your provision when I need it, and to give freely when I am able, without measuring my worth by what I receive or keep. Give me a heart that is generous and honest, and let my choices come from love rather than fear or pride. Keep me faithful in whatever you have called me to do. Amen.
