Ambrosiaster : Paul refused payment for two reasons. He would not resemble the false apostles who were preaching for their own advantage and not for the glory of God, nor would he allow the vigor of his message to become sluggish. For the person who accepts payment from sinners loses the authority to censor them. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES John Chrysostom : "Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted?" What he says is this; "I lived in straitness;" for this is the force of "abasing myself." "Can you then lay this to my charge? and do ye therefore lift up yourselves against me, because I abased myself by begging, by enduring straits, by suffering, by hungering, that ye might be exalted?" And how were they exalted by his being in straits? They were more edified and were not offended; which also might [well] be a very great accusation of them and a reproach of their weakness; that it was not possible in any other way to lead them on than by first abasing himself. "Do ye then lay it to my charge that I abased myself? But thereby ye were exalted." For since he said even above that they accused him, for that when present he was lowly, and when absent bold, in defending himself he here strikes them again, saying, "this too was for your sakes." — Homily 23 on 2 Corinthians