1 Corinthians 9:4

Power. Gr. exousia, “right,” “authority.” Paul claims all the rights and privileges that any other apostle had.

To eat and to drink. It might be inferred from what has been written in ch. 8 that Paul was referring to his right to eat food offered to idols if he so desired, but the context does not support this view (see vs. 2, 3, 6, 7). He is dealing with the question of his right, as an apostle, to receive his support from the churches to which he ministered. Paul’s claim that he, in common with all other gospel workers who give their lives to the ministry of the Word of God, has the right to be maintained by the churches, is based on very reasonable foundations as he proceeds to show (vs. 7-14).

The argument that Paul appears to be answering is this: Paul and his associate, Barnabas, worked with their hands to provide for themselves (Acts 18:3, 6). Other religious preachers and teachers claimed their maintenance from those to whom they ministered. This being so, it might look as though Paul realized that he and Barnabas had no claim to support by the church members because they knew that they were not apostles! To this reasoning Paul replied that although he admittedly worked with his hands, the inference made from this fact was wrong. It was not because he had no right to be supported, and not because he had no such claim, but because he knew that it would be for the spiritual good of the church for him not to enforce this claim.