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
1 Corinthians 9
New Century Version
Paul Is like the Other Apostles
9 I am a free man. I am an apostle. I have seen Jesus our Lord. You people are all an example of my work in the Lord. 2 If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are proof that I am an apostle in the Lord.
3 This is the answer I give people who want to judge me: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to bring a believing wife with us when we travel as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter? 6 Are Barnabas and I the only ones who must work to earn our living? 7 No soldier ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. No one ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes. No person takes care of a flock without drinking some of the milk.
8 I do not say this by human authority; God’s law also says the same thing. 9 It is written in the law of Moses: “When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating.”[a] When God said this, was he thinking only about oxen? No. 10 He was really talking about us. Yes, that Scripture was written for us, because it goes on to say: “The one who plows and the one who works in the grain should hope to get some of the grain for their work.” 11 Since we planted spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things? 12 If others have the right to get something from you, surely we have this right, too. But we do not use it. No, we put up with everything ourselves so that we will not keep anyone from believing the Good News of Christ. 13 Surely you know that those who work at the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get part of what is offered at the altar. 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who tell the Good News should get their living from this work.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than to have my reason for bragging taken away. 16 Telling the Good News does not give me any reason for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News. 17 If I preach because it is my own choice, I have a reward. But if I preach and it is not my choice to do so, I am only doing the duty that was given to me. 18 So what reward do I get? This is my reward: that when I tell the Good News I can offer it freely. I do not use my full rights in my work of preaching the Good News.
19 I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law. But to those who are ruled by the law I became like a person who is ruled by the law. I did this to win those who are ruled by the law. 21 To those who are without the law I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ruled by Christ’s law.) 22 To those who are weak, I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. 23 I do all this because of the Good News and so I can share in its blessings.
24 You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! 25 All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed. 26 So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air. 27 I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.
Footnotes
- 9:9 “When an ox . . . eating.” Quotation from Deuteronomy 25:4.
1 Corinthians 9
King James Version
9 Am I am not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
