1 Corinthians 9:8-9

Second, the Old Testament supported this point. God made special provision in the Mosaic Law for the oxen that served people by threshing their grain (Deuteronomy 25:4). In so doing, Paul said, God was teaching His concern for the maintenance of all who serve others, not just oxen. [Note: See Jan L. Verbruggen, "Of Muzzles and Oxen: Deuteronomy 25:4 and 1 Corinthians 9:9," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 49:4 (December 2006):699-711, for a study of various ways Paul may have understood and used Deuteronomy 25:4.]

"Keep in mind that, for the most part, the Greeks despised manual labor. They had slaves to do manual labor so that the citizens could enjoy sports, philosophy, and leisure. The Jews, of course, magnified honest labor." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:599.]