Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 9:14

"Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel." — 1 Corinthians 9:14 (ASV)

Even so.—These words explain why the Apostle again referred to Jewish law, after having already appealed to the Law as an argument in 1 Corinthians 9:9. It is now again referred to only to introduce the crowning argument that Christ Himself perpetuated this law in its application to the Christian ministry (Luke 10:7).

They who preach the gospel.—The preaching of the gospel is the function in the Christian ministry that corresponds to the offering of sacrifice in the Jewish priesthood. Bengel well remarks, “If the Mass were a sacrifice, Paul would undoubtedly have accommodated his conclusion to it here.”