1 Corinthians 9:4
Have we not power to eat and to drink?
Original Language Analysis
μὴ
G3361
μὴ
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
1 of 7
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
οὐκ
G3756
ἔχομεν
Have we
G2192
ἔχομεν
Have we
Strong's:
G2192
Word #:
3 of 7
to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or conditio
ἐξουσίαν
power
G1849
ἐξουσίαν
power
Strong's:
G1849
Word #:
4 of 7
privilege, i.e., (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token o
Cross References
Historical Context
Itinerant philosophers and religious teachers in the Greco-Roman world typically received financial support from patrons or students. Sophists charged fees; Cynics begged; Stoics accepted hospitality. Jewish rabbis, however, often practiced a trade to avoid burdening the community—a model Paul followed (Acts 18:3). His tent-making was controversial because it deviated from Greek cultural expectations for teachers.
Questions for Reflection
- Why does Paul assert his right to financial support before dramatically renouncing it?
- How does 1 Timothy 5:17-18 apply Paul's principle that gospel ministers deserve material support?
- What is the difference between claiming a right and insisting on exercising it?
Analysis & Commentary
Have we not power to eat and to drink? Paul begins his defense by asserting apostolic exousia (ἐξουσία, "authority, right, power")—the same term used in 8:9 for the "strong's" liberty to eat idol-meat. The parallelism is intentional: just as the knowledgeable have freedom regarding food, apostles have the right to receive material support from those they serve spiritually.
"Eat and drink" is not about diet but about financial support for sustenance. Paul argues from lesser to greater: if soldiers, farmers, and shepherds receive compensation (v. 7), and if Old Testament priests lived from temple offerings (v. 13), how much more should gospel ministers be supported? Yet Paul will dramatically refuse this right (v. 12, 15-18), modeling the self-denial he urged in chapter 8. The one who insisted the "strong" limit their freedom for the "weak" now demonstrates his own willingness to surrender legitimate apostolic privileges.