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The Corinthians thought that preachers could be judged and evaluated based by how much money they demand. A good speaker would charge a large sum, an average speaker would be a little cheaper, and a poor speaker would speak for free. The false prophets argued that because Paul asked for no fee for his preaching, he might have been an amateur with very little authority and confidence.

We as believers must have the discernment to understand that not every speaker who is well known and demands a large bonus of money necessarily teaches the truth.

Paul could have asked the Corinthian church for financial support. Jesus himself taught that those who minister for God should be supported by the people to whom they minister. But Paul thought that asking for the assistance might be understood. There were many false teachers who hoped to make a good profit from preaching, and Paul might have been seen as one of them. Paul separated himself completely from those false teachers in order to silence those who only claimed to do God’s work.

2 Corinthians 11:7-12
7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.