SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:17
Por lo cual, si lo hago de voluntad, premio tendr; mas si por fuerza, la comisin me ha sido encargada.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:17
Verse 17. For if I do this thing willingly] If I be a cordial co-operator with God, I have a reward, an incorruptible crown, 1 Cor. ix. 25. Or, if I freely preach this Gospel without being burthensome to any, I have a special reward; but if I do not, I have simply an office to fulfill, into which God has put me, and may fulfill it conscientiously, and claim my privileges at the same time; but then I lose that special reward which I have in view by preaching the Gospel without charge to any. This and the 18th verse have been variously translated: Sir Norton Knatchhull and, after him, Mr. Wakefield translate the two passages thus: For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I am intrusted with an office without my consent? what is my reward then? to make the Gospel of Christ, whilst I preach it, without charge, in not using to the utmost my privileges in the Gospel.
Others render the passage thus: But if I do it merely because I am obliged to it, I only discharge an office that is committed to me, 1 Cor. ix. 18. For what then shall I be rewarded? It is for this, that, preaching the Gospel of Christ, I preach it freely, and do not insist on a claim which the Gospel itself gives me.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. For if I do this thing willingly , etc.] That is, not freely and without receiving anything for preaching, without seeking any temporal profits and advantages; nor in pure love to Christ, and the good of souls, without any fear of punishment, or hope of reward; but the apostle supposes a case which was not, and his sense is, that supposing no necessity had been laid upon him, or any injunction or command given him to preach the Gospel, but he had entered on it without any obligation upon him, then, says he, I have a reward ; or should have one, or might expect one; so the Jews f160 say, that a reward is given to him, who does anything unbidden: but if against my will , or unwillingly, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed to me ; which was his case; the Gospel was committed to his trust, as anything is to the trust and charge of a steward by his lord, who is obliged to take care of it, and is accountable for it, and of whom faithfulness is required; he did not undertake this economy, or dispensation of the Gospel of himself, of his own mind and will, but it was enjoined him by one that had the command over him, and could and did oblige him to take the charge of it; though he made him willing, as well as able to do it: and therefore since this was the case, that it was not at his own option whether he would preach the Gospel or not, but he was obliged to it by one, that had a superior power and influence over him; hence, though he performed it ever so well, and with never so much faithfulness and integrity, he asks in the following verse, Ver. 18. What is my reward then ? etc.] None at all, I have none to expect, hope for, or claim, in a way of debt; I am a servant intrusted by my Lord with the Gospel, and an unprofitable one I am; I do, at most and best, but what is my duty, and for that I can claim no reward: all the reward that remains is only this, verily, that when I preach the Gospel , which I am obliged to do, I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge ; to them that hear it, as he did to the Corinthians, which was his glorying in ( 1 Corinthians 9:15) and is the same with his reward here; for this means not any reward from God, but his glorying among men, and against the false teachers; that when he preached the word at Corinth, he was not chargeable to any, nor would he ever be: his reason for it is, that I abuse not my power in the Gospel ; his right of having a maintenance, whilst he was preaching the Gospel; to have made use of which would have been an abuse of it, since it would have given occasion to the false apostles to reproach and calumniate, and might have been an hinderance to the Gospel of Christ, and a stumbling to some weak minds.
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
ει 1487 COND γαρ 1063 CONJ εκων 1635 A-NSM τουτο 5124 D-ASN πρασσω 4238 5719 V-PAI-1S μισθον 3408 N-ASM εχω 2192 5719 V-PAI-1S ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ ακων 210 A-NSM οικονομιαν 3622 N-ASF πεπιστευμαι 4100 5769 V-RPI-1S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. For if l do this thing willingly, etc. The exact line of Paul's thought is a matter of much discussion, and must be determined if we are to understand the force of the several words. It appears to be as follows: He has been speaking of the fact that he preaches at his own cost. He so glories in this that he would rather die than surrender this ground of boasting Compare 2 Cor. xi. 7-12; xii. 13-16. For it is the only ground of boasting that is possible to him. The preaching of the Gospel in itself furnishes no such ground, for one cannot boast of what he needs must do; and the necessity to preach the Gospel is laid on him under penalty of a "woe" if he refuse. He goes on to show, in two propositions, why and how there is no cause for boasting in preaching under necessity. 1 Supposing there were no necessity, but that he preached of free will, like the twelve who freely accepted the apostleship at Christ's call, then he would rightfully have a reward, as a free man entering freely upon service; and so would have some ground of glorying. 2. But supposing I became an apostle under constraint, as was the fact, then I am not in the position of a free man who chooses at will, but of a slave who is made household steward by his master's will, without his own choice, and consequently I have no claim for reward and no ground of boasting. What, then, is my reward? What ground of boasting have I? Only this: to make the Gospel without charge. In this I may glory.Willingly - against my will (ekwn - akwn). These words are not to be explained of the spirit in which Paul fulfilled his ministry; but of his attitude toward the apostolic charge when it was committed to him. He was seized upon by Christ (Philip. ii. 12); constrained by His call on the way to Damascus. Rev., of mine own will - not of mine own will. Reward. Correlative with the second kauchma something to glory of, in ver. 16.
A dispensation is committed unto me (oikonomian pepistumai). Lit., I am entrusted with a stewardship. For a similar construction see Romans iii. 2. Stewards belonged to the class of slaves. See Luke xii. 42, 43, and note oijkonomov steward in ver. 42, and doulov ejkeinov that bond-servant in ver. 43. Paul is not degrading the gospel ministry to a servile office. He is only using the word to illustrate a single point - the manner of his appointment.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:17 {Of mine own will} (hekwn) {--not of mine own will} (akwn). Both common adjectives, but only here in N.T. save hekwn, also in #Ro 8:20. The argument is not wholly clear. Paul's call was so clear that he certainly did his work {willingly} and so had a reward (see on Mt 6:1 for misqos); but the only {reward} that he had for his willing work (Marcus Dods) was to make the gospel {free of expense} (adapanon, verse #18, rare word, here only in N.T., once in inscription at Priene). this was his misqos. It was glorying (kaucema, to be able to say so as in #Ac 20:33f.). {I have a stewardship intrusted to me} (oikonomian pepisteumai). Perfect passive indicative with the accusative retained. I have been intrusted with a stewardship and so would go on with my task like any oikonomos (steward) even if akwn (unwilling).
