1 Corinthians 4
4
1LET a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God.
2Here now it is required among the dispensers, that a man be found faithful.
3But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man's day; but neither do I judge my own self.
4For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord.
5Therefore judge not before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise from God.
6But these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo, for your sakes; that in us you may learn, that one be not puffed up against the other for another, above that which is written.
7For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
8You are now full; you are now become rich; you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death: we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.
10We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honourable, but we without honour.
11Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed abode;
12And we labour, working with our own hands: we are reviled, and we bless; we are persecuted, and we suffer it.
13We are blasphemed, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all even until now.
14I write not these things to confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children.
15For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.
16Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.
17For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord; who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus; as I teach every where in every church.
18As if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up.
19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will: and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power.
20For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power.
21What will you? shall I come to you with a rod; or in charity, and in the spirit of meekness?
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
1 Corinthians 4
4
Servants of Christ
1So then, let us [who minister] be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God [that He chooses to reveal]. 2In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy. 3But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I may be judged by you or any human court [on this point]; in fact, I do not even judge myself. 4I am aware of nothing against myself and I feel blameless, but I am not by this acquitted [before God]. It is the Lord who judges me. 5So do not go on passing judgment before the appointed time, but wait until the Lord comes, for He will both bring to light the [secret] things that are hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
6Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other. 7For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?
8[You behave as if] you are already filled [with spiritual wisdom and in need of nothing more]. Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts]! You [in your conceit] have ascended your thrones and become kings without us; and how I wish [that it were true and] that you did reign as kings, so that we might reign with you. 9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles at the end of the line, like men sentenced to death [and paraded as prisoners in a procession], because we have become a spectacle to the world [a show in the world’s amphitheater], both to angels and to men. 10We are [regarded as] fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are highly esteemed, but we are dishonored. 11To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are continually poorly dressed, and we are roughly treated, and wander homeless. 12We work [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When we are reviled and verbally abused, we bless. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure. 13When we are slandered, we try to be conciliatory and answer softly. We have become like the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
14I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn and advise you as my beloved children. 15For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation]. 16So I urge you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father]. 17For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my way of life in Christ [my conduct and my precepts for godly living], just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18Now some of you have become arrogant and pretentious, as though I were not coming to see you. 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not just the talk of these arrogant people, but [evaluate] their [spiritual] power [whether they live up to their own claims]. 20For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power. 21Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline and correction], or with love and a gentle spirit?
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