⁴ Don’t we have the right to food and drink?^{(A) 5} Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife^(B) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers^(C) and Cephas^[a]?^{(D) 6} Or is it only I and Barnabas^(E) who lack the right to not work for a living?

⁷ Who serves as a soldier^(F) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard^(G) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^[b](H) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?^{(I) 10} Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,^(J) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.^{(K) 11} If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?^{(L) 12} If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.^(M) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder^(N) the gospel of Christ.

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?^{(O) 14} In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.^(P)

¹⁵ But I have not used any of these rights.^(Q) And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.^{(R) 16} For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.^(S) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;^(T) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.^{(U) 18} What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,^(V) and so not make full use of my rights^(W) as a preacher of the gospel.

⁷ Was it a sin^(A) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God^(B) to you free of charge?^{(C) 8} I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(D) so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(E) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(F) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(G) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(H) will stop this boasting^(I) of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(J) I do!^(K)

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(A) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(B) but parents for their children.^{(C) 15} So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(D) If I love you more,^(E) will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(F) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(G) Titus^(H) to go to you and I sent our brother^(I) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed^(A)—God is our witness.^{(B) 6} We were not looking for praise from people,^(C) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(D) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^{(E) 7} Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{(F) 8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(G) but our lives as well.^{(H) 9} Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(I) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(J) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(K) and so is God,^(L) of how holy,^(M) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{(N) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(O) of God, who calls^(P) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(Q) because, when you received the word of God,^(R) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(S) of God’s churches in Judea,^(T) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(U) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus^(V) and the prophets^(W) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(X) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(Y) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[b]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(Z) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^{(AA) 18} For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(AB) blocked our way.^{(AC) 19} For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(AD) in which we will glory^(AE) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(AF) Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory^(AG) and joy.