1 Corinthians 4
4
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1 Cor 9.17; Rom 11.25; 16.25. This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4#2 Cor 1.12. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5#Rom 2.16; 1 Cor 3.13; 2 Cor 10.18; Rom 2.29. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.
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1 Cor 1.19,31; 3.19-20; 1.12; 3.4. I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7For who sees anything different in you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
8Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9#1 Cor 15.31; 2 Cor 11.23; Rom 8.36; Heb 10.33. For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. 10#1 Cor 1.18; 2 Cor 11.19; 1 Cor 3.18; 2 Cor 13.9; 1 Cor 2.3. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11#Rom 8.35; 2 Cor 11.23-27. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, 12#Acts 18.3; 1 Pet 3.9. and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things.
14I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15#1 Cor 1.30; Philem 10. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17#1 Cor 16.10; Acts 16.1; 1 Cor 7.17. Therefore I sent#4.17 Or am sending to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21#2 Cor 1.23. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
1 Corinthians 4
4
The Faithful Manager
1A person should consider us in this way: as servants # Jn 18:36 of Christ and managers # Lk 16:1 of God’s mysteries. # 1Co 2:7 2In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful. # Nm 12:7 3It is of little # Mt 5:19 importance to me that I should be evaluated # 1Co 2:14 by you or by any human court. # Lit a human day In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified # Ac 13:39 by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. 5Therefore don’t judge # Lk 6:37 anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, # Mk 8:38; 1Pt 5:6 who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. # 2Co 10:18
The Apostles’ Example of Humility
6Now, brothers, # Ac 9:30 I have applied these things to myself and Apollos # Ti 3:13 for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” # The words in quotation marks could = the OT, a Jewish maxim, or a popular proverb. The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another. 7For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? 8You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us — and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! 9For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! # 1Pt 5:14 We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12we labor, working # 2Jn 8 with our own hands. # Ac 18:3 When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the world’s garbage, like the dirt everyone scrapes off their sandals. # Is 64:6; Lm 3:45
Paul’s Fatherly Care
14I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. # 1Th 2:11; Phm 1 15For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can’t have many fathers. For I became your father # Gl 4:19; Phm 10 in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17This is why I have sent # 2Co 9:3; Eph 6:21-22; Col 4:7-8; Phm 12 Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful # Nm 12:7 son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18Now some are inflated with pride, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you soon, # Ac 19:21; 1Co 16:5; 2Co 1:15-16 if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those who are inflated with pride. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, # 2Co 1:23; 2:1,3; 12:20-21; 13:2,10 or in love and a spirit of gentleness? # Jms 3:13
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