1 Corinthians 9:17

εἰ γὰρ ἑκών. Whether St Paul did his work willingly or unwillingly, he could not escape his responsibility. He had been chosen (Acts 9:15; Acts 13:2; Romans 1:5; Romans 15:16; Galatians 1:15-16; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11, also ch. 1 Corinthians 1:1) to bear the good tidings to the Gentiles, and no man can disobey God and be guiltless. If he willingly obeyed God, he had a reward in the consciousness of having done his duty (1 Corinthians 9:18); if not, he still had been entrusted with the task. Cf. Luke 17:10.

μισθόν. Wages. Cf. John 4:36; Matthew 20:8, and Luke 10:7, where the same word is used.

οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι. I have been entrusted with a stewardship. See note on 1 Corinthians 4:1. οἰκονομία came to be used in the sense of any work of practical utility. See Marcus Aurelius, Meditations IV. 19 τί ὁ ἔπαινος πλὴν ἄρα δι' οἰκονομίαν τινά; and cf. our translation dispensation, which means a giving forth to others. For this use of the accusative, cf. Romans 3:2; Galatians 2:7; 1 Timothy 1:11. See Winer Gr. Gram. § 32.