18. What is my reward then? (Verily) that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
To do what he was commanded was no ground of re- ward ; but to preach the gospel without charge was something of which he could boast, i. e. make a ground of confidence. W7iat then is my reioardf i. e. what constitutes my reward? in the sense explained ; what gives me a ground of boasting ? The answer follows, (tva being used instead of the exegetical infinitive ; comp. John 15, 8. 1 John 4, IV.) that preaching I should make the gospel free of charge. In other words, that I should not use my right in the gospel. In other words, Paul's reward was to sacrifice himself for others. He speaks of his being permitted to serve others gratuitously as a re- ward. And so it was, not only because it was an honour and happiness to be allowed to serve Christ in thus serving his people ; but also because it secured him the confidence of those among whom he laboured by proving his disinterested- ness. The common version, that I abuse not., although agree- able to the common meaning of KaraxpaofjiaL, is not consistent with the context, and is not demanded by the usage of the word; see 7, 31. It was not the abuse, but the use of his right to be supported, that the apostle had renounced.
19. Tor though I be free from all (men), yet have I made myself servant unto aU, that I might gain the more.
The apostle's self-denial and accommodation of himself to the weakness and prejudices of others, was not confined to the point of which he had been speaking. He constantly acted upon the principle of abstaining in things indifierent, from in- sisting on his rights. Though free from all, i. e. independent of all men, and under no obligation to conform my conduct to their opinions, I subjected myself to all. In what way he did this, and to what extent, is explained by what follows. His motive in thus accommodating himself to others, was, that he might gain the more, or the greater number, the majority ; comp. 10, 5. No one was more yielding in matters of indiflTer- ence, no one was more unyielding in matters of principle than