SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:16
Pues bien que anuncio el Evangelio, no tengo por qu gloriarme porque me es impuesta obligacin; porque ¡ay de mí si no anunciare el Evangelio!
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:16
Verse 16. For though I preach the Gospel] I have cause of glorying that I preach the Gospel free of all charges to you; but I cannot glory in being a preacher of the Gospel, because I am not such either by my own skill or power. I have received both the office, and the grace by which I execute the office, from God. I have not only his authority to preach, but that authority obliges me to preach; and if I did not, I should endanger my salvation: yea, wo is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel. As every genuine preacher receives his commission from God alone, it is God alone who can take it away. Wo to that man who runs when God has not sent him; and wo to him who refuses to run, or who ceases to run, when God has sent him.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of , etc.] The sense is not, that if he preached the Gospel in order for a livelihood, and to serve his private advantage, he should have no room for glorying; since, if this was the case, he should be obliged to do it, or perish for want: but his meaning is, that though he preached the Gospel ever so well, or ever so freely, and might glory before men, and against the false teachers, who insulted him in his character and office; yet not before God, from whom he received all his gifts, abilities, and qualifications, to preach the Gospel; all his light and knowledge in it; all his enlargements in meditation, and liberty in expression; all his faithfulness and integrity, courage and intrepidity, in the discharge and performance of his work, were by divine grace and assistance; and his success in it owing to the power and Spirit of God, so that he had nothing to glory of on any of these accounts: hence these words are a correction, or rather an explanation of the preceding: for necessity is laid upon me ; not of getting a livelihood by preaching, for he could have got, and did get this another way, even by labouring with his hands; nor of force and compulsion, for no one more readily engaged in it, or more cheerfully performed it; but of obligation from the divine call to this work, and from his own conscience, in which he knew it to be an heavenly one, and from the nature of the trust committed to him, and because of the good of immortal souls, and the honour of Christ; all which lay with weight upon him, and obliged him in duty, love, and gratitude, to attend to it: yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel ; which is to be understood, not of any temporal affliction, as reproach, persecution, famine, nakedness, sword, etc. for such sort of woes frequently attend those that do preach the Gospel; but of the wounding of his conscience, and exposing himself, through the neglect of his calling, and contempt of the divine will, to the wrath and curse of God for ever; not that the apostle feared this would be his case, or that it possibly could be; but he thus speaks, to show what he or any other minister of the Gospel would deserve, at the hand of God, who having abilities to preach, should not make use of them; or should preach, but not the Gospel; or only a part of it, and not the whole; or should entirely desist from it, through self-interest, or the fear of man, or through being ashamed of Christ and his Gospel, or as not able to bear the reproach and persecution attending it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-23 - It is the glory of a minister to deny himself, that he may serve Chris and save souls. But when a minister gives up his right for the sake of the gospel, he does more than his charge and office demands. By preaching the gospel, freely, the apostle showed that he acted from principles of zeal and love, and thus enjoyed much comfort and hope in his soul. And though he looked on the ceremonial law as a yoke take off by Christ, yet he submitted to it, that he might work upon the Jews, do away their prejudices, prevail with them to hear the gospel and win them over to Christ. Though he would transgress no laws of Christ, to please any man, yet he would accommodate himself to all men where he might do it lawfully, to gain some. Doing good was the stud and business of his life; and, that he might reach this end, he did no stand on privileges. We must carefully watch against extremes, an against relying on any thing but trust in Christ alone. We must no allow errors or faults, so as to hurt others, or disgrace the gospel.
Greek Textus Receptus
εαν 1437 COND γαρ 1063 CONJ ευαγγελιζωμαι 2097 5735 V-PMS-1S ουκ 3756 PRT-N εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S μοι 3427 P-1DS καυχημα 2745 N-NSN αναγκη 318 N-NSF γαρ 1063 CONJ μοι 3427 P-1DS επικειται 1945 5736 V-PNI-3S ουαι 3759 INJ δε 1161 CONJ μοι 3427 P-1DS εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S εαν 1437 COND μη 3361 PRT-N ευαγγελιζωμαι 2097 5735 V-PMS-1S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:16 {For if I preach} (ean gar euaggelizwmai). Third class condition, supposable case. Same construction in verse #16 (ean me). {For necessity is laid upon me} (anagke gar moi epikeitai). Old verb, lies upon me (dative case moi). Jesus had called him (#Ac 9:6,15; Ga 1:15f.; Ro 1:14). He could do no other and deserves no credit for doing it. {Woe is me} (ouai gar moi). Explaining the anagke (necessity). Paul had to heed the call of Christ that he had heard. He had a real call to the ministry. Would that this were the case with every modern preacher.
