1 Corinthians 4
4
1Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgement: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God. 6Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.
7For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 8Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have reigned without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonour. 11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; 12and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
14I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15For though ye should have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel. 16I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.
17For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church. 18Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them which are puffed up, but the power. 20For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 21What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
1 Corinthians 4
4
True Apostles of Christ
1So here’s how you should think of us. We’re servants of Christ who’ve been trusted with the mysteries God has shown us. 2Those who’ve been trusted with something must show that they’re dependable. 3I really don’t care if you judge me, or if any human court judges me. I don’t even judge myself. 4I don’t feel I have done anything wrong, but that doesn’t mean I’m not guilty. It’s the Lord who judges me. 5So don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord returns, and he will bring what’s now hidden in the dark out into the light. He’ll show the real reasons why people do what they do. At that time God will give each person the praise they deserve.
6Brothers and sisters, I’ve used myself and Apollos as examples. I want to help you learn from us what the saying means, “Don’t go beyond what’s written.” If you understand that, you won’t feel proud that you follow one of us instead of the other. 7Who thinks you’re different from anyone else? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as though it came from you?
8You think you already have everything you need. You think you’ve already become rich and that you’ve begun to rule, even though we haven’t. I wish that you really had begun to rule. Then we’d be ruling with you! 9It feels as if God has put us apostles on display like the people who are put at the end of the procession to the arena because they’re going to die there. And it feels as if the whole universe is watching, both angels and humans. 10We’re fools for Christ, but you’re so wise in Christ! We’re weak, but you’re so strong! You are honored, but we’re looked down on! 11We’re still hungry and thirsty, dressed in rags, homeless, and treated badly. 12We work hard with our own hands. When others curse us, we bless them. When we’re attacked, we don’t fight back. 13When others say bad things about us, we answer with kind words. We’ve become the world’s garbage, and we’re still everybody’s trash even now.
Paul Warns Against Pride
14I’m not writing this to make you ashamed, but to warn you as my dear children. 15Other people might be your guardians in Christ, but even if there were 10,000 of them, you still wouldn’t have many fathers. I became your father in Christ Jesus by telling you the good news. 16So I’m asking you to follow my example. 17That’s the reason why I’ve sent Timothy to you. He’s like a son to me, and I love him. He’s faithful in serving the Lord. He’ll remind you of the way I live as a servant of Christ Jesus. I myself follow what I teach everywhere in all the churches.
18Some of you have become proud. You act as if I weren’t coming to you. 19But I am going to come very soon, if that’s the Lord’s will. Then I’ll find out if there’s actually any power behind what these proud people are saying. 20The kingdom of God isn’t a matter of talk but a matter of power. 21Which would you prefer? Do you want me to come and punish you? Or do you want me to come in love, with a gentle spirit?
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