{Have we not a right to forbear working?} (ouk echomen
exousian m(8820)ergazesthai;). By (885c) (or) Paul puts the other side
about Barnabas (the only allusion since the dispute in  Ac
15:39 , but in good spirit) and himself. Perhaps (Hofmann) Paul
has in mind the fact that in the first great mission tour ( Ac
13  14 ), Barnabas and Paul received no help from the church in
Antioch, but were left to work their way along at their own
charges. It was not till the Philippian Church took hold that
Paul had financial aid ( Php 4:15 ). Here both negatives have
their full force. Literally, Do we not have (ouk echomen,
expecting the affirmative reply) the right not (m(885c), negative of
the infinitive ergazesthai) to do manual labour (usual meaning
of ergazomai as in  4:12 )?" There was no more compulsion on
Paul and Barnabas to support themselves than upon the other
workers for Christ. They renounced no rights in being voluntarily
independent.