SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:5
¿No tenemos potestad de traer con nosotros una hermana para mujer tambin como los otros apstoles, y los hermanos del Seor, y Cefas?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:5
Verse 5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife] The word exousian is to be understood here, as above in 1 Corinthians ix. 4, as implying authority or right; and authority, not merely derived from their office, but from Him who gave them that office; from the constitution of nature; and from universal propriety or the fitness of things. When the apostle speaks of leading about a sister, a wife, he means first, that he and all other apostles, and consequently all ministers of the Gospel, had a right to marry. For it appears that our Lord's brethren James and Jude were married; and we have infallible evidence that Peter was a married man, not only from this verse, but from Matt. viii. 14, where his mother-in-law is mentioned as being cured by our Lord of a fever.
And secondly, we find that their wives were persons of the same faith; for less can never be implied in the word sister. This is a decisive proof against the papistical celibacy of the clergy: and as to their attempts to evade the force of this text by saying that the apostles had holy women who attended them, and ministered to them in their peregrinations, there is no proof of it; nor could they have suffered either young women or other men's wives to have accompanied them in this way without giving the most palpable occasion of scandal. And Clemens Alexandrinus has particularly remarked that the apostles carried their wives about with them, "not as wives, but as sisters, that they might minister to those who were mistresses of families; that so the doctrine of the Lord might without reprehension or evil suspicion enter into the apartments of the women." And in giving his finished picture of his Gnostic, or perfect Christian, he says: esqiei, kai pinei, kai gamei-eikonav ecei touv apostolouv, He eats, and drinks, and marries-having the apostles for his example. Vid. Clem. Alex. Strom., lib. vii., c. 12.
On the propriety and excellence of marriage, and its superiority to celibacy, see the notes on chap. 7.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife , etc.] The phrase a sister, a wife, is an Hebraism, and answers to hlkytja , my sister, spouse, ( Song of Solomon 4:9,10,12 5:1). The Jews called their wives, sisters, not on account of religion, which also is not the meaning here; but because of the common relation that men and women, all mankind, stand in to one another, antecedent to any nearer relation, as that of man and wife.
The sense the Papists put on these words, to secure them from being a proof of the lawfulness of the marriage of the ministers of the Gospel, can by no means be the true one; which is, that they are to be understood of a rich woman, or women, the apostles had a power to carry about with them, to minister of their substance to them, and provide for them; for such a sense is directly contrary to the subject and argument the apostle is upon; which is to show the right that he and others had, of casting themselves entirely upon the churches for a maintenance; whereas this is contriving a way for relieving the churches of such a charge; besides, the act of leading, or carrying about, is expressive of such a power over them, as cannot be thought to agree with persons of such substance; and whose voluntary act this must be, to go along with them and supply them; add to this, that for the apostles to lead about with them wherever they went women, whether rich or poor, that were not their wives, would be of no good report, and must tend to hurt their character and reputation: moreover, though these words clearly imply the lawfulness of a ministers marriage, and suppose it, yet they do not express the act itself, or the lawfulness of entering into such a state, but rather what follows after it; and the sense is this, that the apostle and others, supposing them to have wives, and it may be added also, and children, they had a right to take these with them wherever they went, and insist upon the maintenance of them, as well as of their own, at the public expense: as well as other apostles ; who it seems did so, that had wives and families, as Philip the Evangelist had four daughters, ( Acts 21:8,9). And as the brethren of the Lord : who it seems were married persons, and took such a method; by whom are meant James, Joses, Judas, and Simon; who were the near kinsmen of Christ, it being usual with the Jews to call such brethren: and Cephas ; that is, Peter, who it is certain had a wife; (see Matthew 8:14) and therefore it is with a very ill grace that the pope, who pretends to be Peters successor, should forbid the marriage of ecclesiastical persons.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-14 - It is not new for a minister to meet with unkind returns for good-wil to a people, and diligent and successful services among them. To the cavils of some, the apostle answers, so as to set forth himself as a example of self-denial, for the good of others. He had a right to marr as well as other apostles, and to claim what was needful for his wife and his children if he had any, from the churches, without labourin with his own hands to get it. Those who seek to do our souls good should have food provided for them. But he renounced his right, rathe than hinder his success by claiming it. It is the people's duty to maintain their minister. He may wave his right, as Paul did; but thos transgress a precept of Christ, who deny or withhold due support.
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 PRT-N ουκ 3756 PRT-N εχομεν 2192 5719 V-PAI-1P εξουσιαν 1849 N-ASF αδελφην 79 N-ASF γυναικα 1135 N-ASF περιαγειν 4013 5721 V-PAN ως 5613 ADV και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM λοιποι 3062 A-NPM αποστολοι 652 N-NPM και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM αδελφοι 80 N-NPM του 3588 T-GSM κυριου 2962 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ κηφας 2786 N-NSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. A sister, a wife. Wrong Sister means a christian woman, a fellow-member of the Church, as Rom. xvi. 1; 1 Cor. vii. 15; James ii. 15. It is in apposition with wife: A wife that is a sister on believer. So Rev. Such an one has also the right, like her husband, to be maintained by the Church. Some of the fathers claimed that not a wife was meant, but a female attendant, serviens mantrona, who contributed to the maintenance of the apostles as certain women ministered to Christ. There is no foundation for this. It is contradicted by the example of Peter cited at the end of this verse; compare Matt. viii. 14; and besides, the point of the argument is that these companions should be maintained. Such a practice, however, did grow up in the Church, but was abolished by the Council of Nicaea on account of its abuses. Stanley remarks that the fact of these women accompanying their husbands, may be explained by the necessity of females to gain access to and to baptize the female converts in Greece and in oriental countries; the same necessity which gave rise to the order of deaconesses.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:5 {Have we no right?} (me ouk ecomen exousian;). Same idiom. {To lead about a wife that is a believer?} (adelfen gunaika periagein;). Old verb periagw, intransitive in #Ac 13:11. Two substantives in apposition, a sister a wife, a common Greek idiom. this is a plea for the support of the preacher's wife and children. Plainly Paul has no wife at this time. {And Cephas} (kai kefas). Why is he singled out by name? Perhaps because of his prominence and because of the use of his name in the divisions in Corinth (#1:12). It was well known that Peter was married (#Mt 8:14). Paul mentions James by name in #Ga 1:19 as one of the Lord's brothers. All the other apostles were either married or had the right to be.
