<p>9:18 <i>What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel without charge- </i>This was the question the cynical Corinthians wanted answering. Why was Paul preaching, if indeed it was not for money or personal gain?Paul&rsquo;s decision not to take money from Corinth was due to his deep, deep meditation on the principle contained in Mt. 10:8 &quot;freely you have received, freely give&quot;; although there were other passages in the Gospels, even two verses later in Matthew 10, which he knew implied that it was Christ's will that the missionary should be paid (1 Cor. 9:14 = Mt. 10:10). This issue of payment shows how Paul based his life decisions on his understanding of the principles of the Gospels. He did far more than learn those Gospels parrot-fashion. They were in his heart, and influenced the direction of his life.</p><p><i>So as not to use to the full my right in the gospel- </i>Paul could have taken wages from the Corinthians for his service. But on that occasion he chose &ldquo;not to use to the full my right in the gospel&rdquo;; and he uses the same word in 1 Cor. 7:31, in teaching that although we have to &lsquo;use this world&rsquo; we are to &lsquo;use it to the full&rsquo; (RVmg.). As God operates with us on different levels, accepting non-ideal situations, so we are to deal with each other. Paul could have used his power in the Gospel more sharply than he actually did with the Corinthians (2 Cor. 13:10)- and note how he earlier uses those two words &quot;power&quot; and &quot;use&quot; in saying that he could have demanded financial support from them, but he chose not to use that power / authority which he had (1 Cor. 9:12).</p>