1 Corinthians 9:17

For if. do this of mine own will,. have. reward: but if not of mine own will,. have. stewardship intrusted to me.

'For if. do this of mine own will' -'For if. do this voluntarily,. have. reward' (NASV)

'but if not of mine own will' -'but since. serve by compulsion' (Con)

'I have. stewardship intrusted to me' -'Stewards..were slaves, whose masters simply gave certain goods or property into their hands to be administered in trust. The entire decision rested on the decision of the master to whom the slave in question belonged. The master did not ask: "Will you take this stewardship?" He only gave the order: "Take it!" The slave took it--woe to him if he was obstinate and refused. (See the Parable of the Talents- Matthew 25:14) But when. slave, who had nothing to say in the matter, was put in charge of such. trust he had no claim to wages for administering this trust.' (Lenski p. 371)

Paul's point in these verses seem to be: In contrast to others, Paul had not voluntarily begun to preach. Of his own volition he hadn't sought to be an evangelist, rather, God had chosen him, and commanded him, without consulting him first! (Galatians 1:15) And no matter how "willingly and joyfully" Paul would preach the gospel, the bottom line was, he had been commanded to do it, period! While freemen can demand or expect wages, in the area of preaching the gospel, Paul was. slave,. steward with. commission entrusted to him, and stewards don't expect or demand payment.