ACC ~ 1 Corinthians 9 v5

ACCOMPANIED BY A WIFE. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: The apostles concentrated on undistracted preaching and took their wives around as Christian sisters rather than as spouses, to be their fellow ministers to the women of the household, so that the gospel would reach them without causing scandal. STROMATEIS 3.53.3.

THE MINISTRY OF SISTER WOMEN. AUGUSTINE: When his identity has been established, he shows that the privileges granted to the other apostles are his also, namely, exemption from manual labor and livelihood in recompense for his preaching as the Lord appointed. This is stated most clearly according to the verses where St. Paul argues explicitly that faithful women, possessing the goods of this world, went along with the apostles and ministered to them from their own supplies that the servants of God might lack none of those commodities which constitute the necessities of life. … Certain persons, not understanding this passage, have interpreted it as “wife.” The obscurity of the Greek word deceived them, since, in Greek, the same word is used for wife and woman. Yet the apostle has placed the words in such a way that people should not be deceived, since he says not merely “a woman” but “a sister woman,” and not “to take in marriage” but “to take about.” THE WORK OF MONKS 2.

THE RIGHT TO BE ACCOMPANIED. AUGUSTINE: To what right does he refer unless it be to the one which the Lord gave to those whom he sent to preach the kingdom of heaven when he said: “Eat what they have; for the laborer deserves his wages”?He offered himself as an exponent of this privilege. Very faithful women attended to the necessities of his life at their own expense. THE WORK OF MONKS 7.

1 Cor