1 Corinthians 9:3-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me[a] is this. 4 [b]Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?(A) 7 Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating its produce? Or who shepherds a flock without using some of the milk from the flock?(B) 8 Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things? 9 It is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”(C) Is God concerned about oxen, 10 or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share.(D) 11 If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?(E) 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?(F)
Reason for Not Using His Rights. Yet we have not used this right.[c] On the contrary, we endure everything so as not to place an obstacle to the gospel of Christ.
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- 9:3 My defense against those who would pass judgment on me: the reference to a defense (apologia) is surprising, and suggests that Paul is incorporating some material here that he has previously used in another context. The defense will touch on two points: the fact of Paul’s rights as an apostle (1 Cor 9:4–12a and 1 Cor 9:13–14) and his nonuse of those rights (1 Cor 9:12b and 1 Cor 9:15–18).
- 9:4–12a Apparently some believe that Paul is not equal to the other apostles and therefore does not enjoy equal privileges. His defense on this point (here and in 1 Cor 9:13–14) reinforces the assertion of his apostolic character in 1 Cor 9:2. It consists of a series of analogies from natural equity (7) and religious custom (1 Cor 9:13) designed to establish his equal right to support from the churches (1 Cor 9:4–6, 11–12a); these analogies are confirmed by the authority of the law (1 Cor 9:8–10) and of Jesus himself (1 Cor 9:14).
- 9:12 It appears, too, that suspicion or misunderstanding has been created by Paul’s practice of not living from his preaching. The first reason he asserts in defense of this practice is an entirely apostolic one; it anticipates the developments to follow in 1 Cor 9:19–22. He will give a second reason in 1 Cor 9:15–18.
1 Corintios 9:3-12
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
3 Esta es mi defensa contra los que me critican: 4 ¿Acaso no tenemos derecho a comer y a beber? 5 ¿No tenemos derecho a viajar acompañados por una esposa creyente, como hacen los demás apóstoles y Cefas y los hermanos del Señor? 6 ¿O es que solo Bernabé y yo estamos obligados a ganarnos la vida con otros trabajos?
7 ¿Qué soldado presta servicio militar pagándose sus propios gastos? ¿Qué agricultor planta un viñedo y no come de sus uvas? ¿Qué pastor cuida un rebaño y no toma de la leche que ordeña? 8 No penséis que digo esto solamente desde un punto de vista humano. ¿No lo dice también la ley? 9 Porque en la ley de Moisés está escrito: «No le pongas bozal al buey mientras esté trillando».[a] ¿Acaso se preocupa Dios por los bueyes, 10 o lo dice más bien por nosotros? Por supuesto que lo dice por nosotros, porque, cuando el labrador ara y el segador trilla, deben hacerlo con la esperanza de participar de la cosecha. 11 Si hemos sembrado semilla espiritual entre vosotros, ¿será mucho pedir que cosechemos de vosotros lo material?[b] 12 Si otros tienen derecho a este sustento de parte vuestra, ¿no lo tendremos aún más nosotros?
Sin embargo, no ejercimos este derecho, sino que lo soportamos todo con tal de no crear obstáculo al evangelio de Cristo.
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