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What the Fathers say

1 Corinthians 9:13

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

He takes great care to show that the receiving was not forbidden. Whereupon having said so much before, he was not content but proceeds also to the Law, furnishing an example closer to the point than the former. For it was not the same thing to bring forward the oxen and to adduce the law expressly given concerning priests. But consider, I pray, in this also the wisdom of Paul, how he mentions the matter in a way to give it dignity. …

Homily on 1 Corinthians 22 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Not satisfied with the above example, he brings another passage from the Law to prove that he had the right to receive from his disciples. Since the commandment about oxen had been explained by him in a figurative sense, he says that the Law literally commands that those who perform sacred rites should be fed from the sanctuary, that is, the Levites, who are lower in rank than the priests. …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Western Saints

Bonaventure

First Corinthians nine: Do you not know that those who work in the sanctuary eat what belongs to the sanctuary, and those who serve at the altar share with the altar? The Gloss: "Natural reason dictates that one should live from where he labors." If therefore the faithful person who is intent upon spiritual occupations is worthy of being sustained, and such a person is not idle: therefore neither for the sake of avoiding idleness nor even for acquiring sustenance is he bound to work manually.

Disputed Questions on Evangelical Perfection, Question 2 ↗