Paul by no means denies the right of a minister of the Church to material support from the community in which he carries out his ministry. And yet the apostle himself never used such a right. Not because he considered his ministry unworthy of compensation. He was simply convinced that his apostleship had to be absolutely free from any external, social attachments. Paul earned his living in other ways, without resorting to help from the church communities where he had to spend time and carry out his ministry. The apostle himself speaks of this refusal as his personal choice, not considering it a universal norm for ministers of the Church.

With regard to himself, Paul believes that refusing any compensation or material support from church communities gives him a spiritual freedom and integrity that he would not otherwise have. What does he mean? No genuine ministry is ever merely outward activity, action, or work. It is always derived from a person's inner state, an outward manifestation of his spiritual life.

But from the point of view of society, even if that society is a church community, the matter is precisely work that can be weighed, evaluated, and paid for. Of course, here we are not speaking of ministry as such, but of its outward manifestations; only they are ever weighed, evaluated, and paid for. It is these, unlike the ministry itself, that can be weighed and evaluated and paid for.

As the poet very rightly observed, "inspiration is not for sale, but a manuscript can be sold." Something similar can be said about the payment of a Church minister's labor: it is impossible to sell the ministry itself on the labor market, but some of its fruits can fully become a commodity there. In that case, however, the minister himself will be forced constantly to keep that same market in mind.

Of course, under normal circumstances it will not determine the ministry, but there is no doubt that, for the minister, taking account of the situation there will become an additional attachment to society. This is exactly what Paul wants to avoid. He does not consider it possible for himself to depend materially on his ministry even to the slightest degree. The apostle understands perfectly well that this is his personal choice, which cannot be recommended to everyone as the only possible one, but he himself sees his ministry only in this way, as he says directly and openly.

Continuing the discussion of his apostolic ministry, Paul once again draws his readers' attention to the fact that he never intended to use the opportunities for support from the churches where his ministry took place, even though in his own opinion he had every right to them (v. 15). He did this not because he considered himself worse than others, but because he did not want to lose what the apostle calls his "boast" (the corresponding Greek word could also be translated as "glory" or "glorifying," v. 16). This thought of Paul's is close to the Savior's call to the apostles to consider themselves unworthy servants even when they have, as it were, done everything required of them and done it well. The point, of course, is not that the labor of witnesses to the Kingdom is worth nothing, but rather how such a witness relates to his ministry.

One can relate to it merely as work, necessary and even joyful work, but still only work, fulfilling the duties God has laid on the minister. Or one can serve God in such a way that ministry becomes an inseparable part of the minister's life; then the question of payment no longer arises, though a reward is possible (vv. 16-17).

The difference is that payment is always proportional to the work done, while a reward is not always so. Paul understands perfectly that in the Kingdom there is no payment for work, but there is reward for servants. In order to receive it, one must from the very beginning forget every calculation, giving oneself to ministry completely and without reserve, becoming, in the apostle's words, "all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (vv. 18-23). The apostle speaks of just such ministry, comparing it with athletic contests in which one can win only by investing one's whole self in the victory, without reserve (vv. 24-27). In the Kingdom, one can live only a full life. It is entirely permeated by the breath of God, and every citizen of the Kingdom can receive that breath in all its fullness. But only on one condition: that he not calculate how much each movement and each breath costs.

“I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.” This is probably one of the apostle Paul's best-known sayings. Because it is so familiar, it does not jar the ear and is quite calmly allowed to pass us by. But if we stop and think, what does it mean to become all things to all people? What is Paul talking about? Is this a kind of chameleon-like mimicry? Is it an attempt to adapt oneself to a person in order to manipulate him? Or is it something else after all? There is probably no aim to manipulate. There is, however, an aim: to understand. To enter inwardly into another person's situation, to speak with him in his own language not in order to win his favor, but because that person's language matters to you. It is then that Paul becomes all things to all people—when he tries to understand each person and to feel as the other feels. Then he can speak “from heart to heart.” For we can hope to be understood only if we ourselves understand the person with whom we are speaking.