1 ¶ ¿No soy apóstol? ¿No soy libre? ¿No he visto a Jesús el Cristo el Señor nuestro? ¿No sois vosotros mi obra en el Señor?

Am I not an apostle (a special messenger)? Am I not free (unrestrained and exempt from any obligation)? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my workmanship in the Lord?

2 S i a los otros no soy apóstol, a vosotros ciertamente lo soy; porque el sello de mi apostolado sois vosotros en el Señor.

Even if I am not considered an apostle (a special messenger) by others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal (the certificate, the living evidence) of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 ¶ Esta es mi respuesta a los que me preguntan:

This is my defense (my vindication of myself) to those who would put me on trial and cross-examine me.

4 Q ué, ¿no tenemos potestad de comer y de beber?

Have we not the right to our food and drink ?

5 ¿ No tenemos potestad de traer con nosotros una hermana por mujer también como los otros apóstoles, y los hermanos del Señor, y Cefas?

Have we not the right also to take along with us a Christian sister as wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas (Peter)?

6 ¿ O sólo yo y Bernabé no tenemos potestad de no trabajar?

Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from doing manual labor for a livelihood ?

7 ¿ Quién jamás peleó a sus expensas? ¿Quién planta viña, y no come de su fruto? ¿O quién apacienta el ganado, y no come de la leche del ganado?

What soldier at any time serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of the fruit of it? Who tends a flock and does not partake of the milk of the flock?

8 ¿ Digo esto solamente según los hombres? ¿No dice esto también la ley?

Do I say this only on human authority and as a man reasons? Does not the Law endorse the same principle?

9 P orque en la ley de Moisés está escrito: No pondrás bozal al buey que trilla. ¿Tiene Dios cuidado de los bueyes?

For in the Law of Moses it is written, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn. Is it for oxen that God cares?

10 ¿ O lo dice enteramente por nosotros? Pues por nosotros está escrito; porque con esperanza ha de arar el que ara; y el que trilla, con esperanza de recibir el fruto trilla.

Or does He speak certainly and entirely for our sakes? it is written for our sakes, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in expectation of partaking of the harvest.

11 S i nosotros os sembramos lo espiritual, ¿es gran cosa si segáremos de vosotros lo material?

If we have sown spiritual good among you, much if we reap from your material benefits?

12 S i otros tienen en vosotros esta potestad, ¿por qué no nosotros? Mas no usamos de esta potestad; antes lo sufrimos todo, para no dar alguna interrupción al curso del Evangelio del Cristo.

If others share in this rightful claim upon you, do not we ? However, we have never exercised this right, but we endure everything rather than put a hindrance in the way of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ.

13 ¿ No sabéis que los que obran en lo sagrado, comen del santuario; y que los que sirven al altar, del altar participan?

Do you not know that those men who are employed in the services of the temple get their food from the temple? And that those who tend the altar share with the altar ?

14 A sí también ordenó el Señor a los que anuncian el Evangelio, que vivan del Evangelio.

the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

15 ¶ Mas yo de nada de esto me aproveché; ni tampoco he escrito esto para que se haga así conmigo; porque tengo por mejor morir, antes que nadie haga vana ésta mi gloria.

But I have not made use of any of these privileges, nor am I writing this that any such provision be made for me. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone make void and deprive me of my glorifying.

16 P ues bien que anuncio el Evangelio, no tengo por qué gloriarme porque me es impuesta obligación; porque ¡ay de mí si no anunciare el Evangelio!

For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)!

17 P or lo cual, si lo hago de voluntad, premio tendré; mas si por fuerza, la comisión me ha sido encargada.

For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have my pay (my reward); but if it is not of my own will, but is done reluctantly and under compulsion, I am entrusted with a trusteeship and commission.

18 ¿ Qué premio, pues, tendré? Que predicando el Evangelio, ponga el Evangelio del Cristo de balde, por no hacer mal uso de mi potestad en el Evangelio.

What then is the reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it free of expense, not taking advantage of my rights and privileges of the Gospel.

19 ¶ Por lo cual, siendo libre para con todos, me he hecho siervo de todos para ganar a más.

For although I am free in every way from anyone’s control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more.

20 Y soy hecho a los judíos como judío, por ganar a los judíos; a los que están sujetos a la ley, como sujeto a la ley, por ganar a los que están sujetos a la ley;

To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law.

21 a los que son sin ley, como si yo fuera sin ley, (no estando yo sin ley de Dios, sino en la ley de Cristo,) por ganar a los que estaban sin ley.

To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.

22 S oy hecho a los débiles como débil, por ganar a los débiles; a todos soy hecho todo, por hacer salvos a todos.

To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some.

23 Y esto hago por causa del Evangelio, por hacerme juntamente participante de él.

And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its.

24 ¶ ¿No sabéis que los que corren en el estadio, todos a la verdad corren, mas uno lleva el premio? Corred pues de tal manera que lo toméis.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but one receives the prize? So run that you may lay hold and make it yours.

25 Y todo aquel que lucha, en todo demuestra templanza; y ellos, a la verdad, para recibir una corona corruptible; mas nosotros, una incorruptible.

Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we that cannot wither.

26 A sí que, yo de esta manera corro, no como a cosa incierta; de esta manera peleo, no como quien hiere el aire;

Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.

27 a ntes sujeto mi cuerpo, y lo pongo en servidumbre; para que predicando a los otros, no me haga yo reprobado.

But I buffet my body and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit.