1 Corinthians 9
New English Translation
The Rights of an Apostle
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign[a] of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to financial support?[b] 5 Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?[c] 6 Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? 7 Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? 8 Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense,[d] or does the law not say this as well? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[e] God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? 10 Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. 11 If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? 12 If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving?
But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple[f] eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? 14 In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me.[g] In fact, it would be better for me to die than—no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting![h] 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. 18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.[i] 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law)[j] to gain those under the law. 21 To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. 22 To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.
23 I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.
24 Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
26 So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:2 tn Grk “the seal.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:4 tn Grk “the right to eat and drink.” In the context this is a figurative reference to financial support.
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211). Both the Aramaic name “Cephas” and the Greek name “Peter” are related to words in each language which mean “rock.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “only according to human authority”; Grk “saying these things according to men.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:9 sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 tn Grk “working the sacred things.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:15 tn Grk “so that it will happen in this way in my case.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:15 tc The reading ἤ—τὸ καύχημά μου οὐδεὶς κενώσει (ē—to kauchēma mou oudeis kenōsei, “than—no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!”) is syntactically abrupt, but fully in keeping with Pauline style. It is supported by P46 א* B D*,c 33 1739 1881 as well as early patristic authors. Most witnesses, especially the later ones (א2 C D2 Ψ M lat), have a significantly smoother reading than this: ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ (or κενώσει); ē to kauchēma mou hina tis kenōsē (or kenōsei), “than that anyone should deprive me of my boasting.” The simple replacement of οὐδείς with ἵνα essentially accomplishes the smoothing out of the text, and as such the ἵνα reading is suspect. Not only is the harder reading in keeping with Pauline style, but it is also found in the earlier and better witnesses.sn Paul breaks off his thought at mid-sentence (indicated by the dash in the translation) and it is somewhat difficult to determine his reason for boasting. Most likely Paul would rather die than be deprived of the boast that he had offered the gospel free of charge even though as an apostle he had the right to such support (9:14). Did he say this as a way of criticizing his opponents? Perhaps only indirectly. His focus has more to do with not hindering the gospel than what his opponents were doing (9:12).
- 1 Corinthians 9:19 tn Or “more converts.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20 tc The Byzantine text, as well as a few other witnesses (D2 [L] Ψ 1881 M) lack this parenthetical material, while geographically widespread, early, and diverse witnesses have the words (so א A B C D* F G P 33 104 365 1175 1505 1739 al latt). The phrase may have dropped out accidentally through homoioteleuton (note that both the preceding phrase and the parenthesis end in ὑπὸ νόμον [hupo nomon, “under the law”]), or intentionally by overscrupulous scribes who felt that the statement “I myself am not under the law” could have led to license.
1 Corintios 9
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Pablo defiende su apostolado
9 ¿No soy libre(A)? ¿No soy apóstol(B)? ¿No he visto a Jesús nuestro Señor(C)? ¿No son ustedes mi obra en el Señor(D)? 2 Si para otros no soy apóstol, por lo menos para ustedes sí lo soy; pues ustedes son el sello(E) de mi apostolado(F) en el Señor.
3 Mi defensa contra[a] los que me examinan es esta: 4 ¿Acaso no[b] tenemos derecho a comer y beber(G)? 5 ¿No[c] tenemos derecho a llevar con nosotros una esposa creyente[d](H), así como los demás apóstoles y los hermanos del Señor(I) y Cefas[e](J)? 6 ¿O acaso solo Bernabé(K) y yo[f] no tenemos el derecho a no trabajar? 7 ¿Quién ha servido alguna vez como soldado(L) a sus propias expensas? ¿Quién planta una viña y no come de su fruto(M)? ¿O quién cuida un rebaño y no bebe[g] de la leche del rebaño?
8 ¿Acaso digo esto según el juicio humano[h](N)? ¿No dice también la ley esto mismo? 9 Pues en la ley de Moisés está escrito: «No pondrás bozal al buey cuando trilla(O)». ¿Acaso le preocupan a Dios los bueyes(P)? 10 ¿O lo dice especialmente por nosotros? Sí, se escribió por nosotros(Q), porque el que ara debe arar con esperanza, y el que trilla debe trillar con la esperanza de recibir de la cosecha(R).
11 Si en ustedes sembramos lo espiritual, ¿será demasiado que de ustedes cosechemos lo material(S)? 12 Si otros tienen este derecho sobre ustedes, ¿no lo tenemos aún más nosotros? Sin embargo, no hemos usado este derecho(T), sino que sufrimos todo para no causar estorbo(U) al evangelio de Cristo(V).
13 ¿No saben(W) que los que desempeñan los servicios sagrados comen la comida del templo, y los que regularmente sirven al altar, del altar reciben su parte(X)? 14 Así también ordenó el Señor que los que proclaman el evangelio(Y), vivan del evangelio(Z). 15 Pero yo de nada de esto me he aprovechado[i](AA). Y no escribo esto para que así se haga conmigo. Porque mejor me fuera morir, que permitir que alguien me prive de esta gloria[j](AB).
16 Porque si predico el evangelio, no tengo nada de qué gloriarme, pues estoy bajo el deber(AC) de hacerlo. Pues ¡ay de mí si no predico el evangelio(AD)! 17 Porque si hago esto voluntariamente, tengo recompensa(AE); pero si lo hago en contra de mi voluntad, un encargo(AF) se me ha confiado. 18 ¿Cuál es, entonces, mi recompensa(AG)? Que al predicar el evangelio, pueda ofrecerlo[k] gratuitamente(AH) sin hacer pleno uso de mi derecho(AI) como predicador del evangelio.
Celo evangelizador de Pablo
19 Porque aunque soy libre(AJ) de todos, de todos me he hecho esclavo(AK) para ganar(AL) al mayor número posible. 20 A los judíos me hice como judío, para poder ganar a los judíos. A los que están bajo la ley, como bajo la ley(AM), aunque yo no estoy bajo la ley(AN), para poder ganar a los que están bajo la ley. 21 A los que están sin ley(AO), como sin ley(AP), aunque no estoy[l] sin la ley de Dios, sino bajo la ley de Cristo(AQ), para poder ganar a los que están sin ley. 22 A los débiles me hice débil(AR), para ganar a los débiles. A todos me he hecho todo(AS), para que por todos los medios salve a algunos(AT). 23 Y todo lo hago por amor del evangelio, para ser partícipe de él.
Disciplina personal de Pablo
24 ¿No saben(AU) que los que corren en el estadio, todos en verdad corren, pero solo uno obtiene el premio(AV)? Corran(AW) de tal modo que ganen. 25 Y todo el que compite(AX) en los juegos se abstiene de todo. Ellos lo hacen para recibir una corona(AY) corruptible, pero nosotros, una incorruptible. 26 Por tanto, yo de esta manera corro(AZ), no como sin tener meta; de esta manera peleo, no como dando golpes al aire(BA), 27 sino que golpeo[m] mi cuerpo(BB) y lo hago mi esclavo, no sea que habiendo predicado a otros, yo mismo sea descalificado.
Footnotes
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