1 Corinthians 4
4
The Ministry of the Apostles
1#Ro 16:25; Titus 1:7Let a man so regard us as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover 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 by you or by man’s judgment. I do not even judge myself. 4#Ps 143:2; 130:3For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this. But He who judges me is the Lord. 5#Ro 2:16; 2:1; 2:29Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the purposes of the hearts. Then everyone will have commendation from God.
6#1Co 1:12; 13:4Brothers, I have figuratively applied these things to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, so that you may learn from us not to think of men above that which is written, and that not one of you would be arrogant for one against another. 7#Jn 3:27; Ro 12:6For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8#Rev 3:17Now you are full, now you are rich; you have begun reigning as kings without us, and I wish to God you reigned, so that we also might reign with you. 9#Ro 8:36; Heb 10:33For I think that God has exhibited us, the apostles, last, as if we were sentenced to death. For we have been made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. 10#1Co 2:3; Ac 17:18; 26:24We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honorable, but we are despised. 11#Ro 8:35; 2Co 11:23–27Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless. 12#1Pe 3:9; Ac 18:3; Mt 5:11We labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure. 13#La 3:45Being slandered, we encourage. We are made as the filth of the world, and are the refuse of all things to this day.
14#1Th 2:11; 1Co 4:15I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15#Gal 4:19; 1Co 3:10For if you were to have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. In Christ Jesus I have become a father to you through the gospel. 16#1Co 11:1; Php 3:17So I implore you, be followers of me. 17#1Co 7:17; 1Ti 1:2Therefore I have sent Timothy to you. He is my beloved son and is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18Now some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19#Ac 18:21; 19:21But I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills. And I will know not only what those who are arrogant are saying, but also their power. 20#1Co 2:4For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 21#2Co 13:2; 1:23What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and in the spirit of meekness?
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Military Bible Association
1 Corinthians (1 Co) 4
4
1So, you should regard us as the Messiah’s servants, as trustees of God’s secret truths. 2Now the one thing that is asked of a trustee is that he be found trustworthy. 3And it matters very little to me how I am evaluated by you or by any human court; in fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4I am not aware of anything against me, but this does not make me innocent. The one who is evaluating me is the Lord. 5So don’t pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; he will expose the motives of people’s hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves.
6Now in what I have said here, brothers, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to teach you not to go beyond what the Tanakh says, proudly taking the side of one leader against another. 7After all, what makes you so special? What do you have that you didn’t receive as a gift? And if in fact it was a gift, why do you boast as if it weren’t? 8You are glutted already? You are rich already? You have become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we might share the kingship with you! 9For I think God has been placing us emissaries on display at the tail of the parade, like men condemned to die in the public arena: we have become a spectacle before the whole universe, angels as well as men. 10For the Messiah’s sake we are fools, but united with the Messiah you are wise! We are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored. 11Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place, 12we exhaust ourselves working with our own hands for our living. When we are cursed, we keep on blessing; when we are persecuted, we go on putting up with it; 13when we are slandered, we continue making our appeal. We are the world’s garbage, the scum of the earth — yes, to this moment!
14I am not writing you this to make you feel ashamed, but, as my dear children, to confront you and get you to change. 15For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17This is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord. He will remind you of the way of life I follow in union with the Messiah Yeshua and teach everywhere in every congregation.
18When I didn’t come to visit you, some of you became arrogant. 19But I am coming to you soon, if the Lord wills; and I will take cognizance not of the talk of these arrogant people but of their power. 20For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power. 21Which do you prefer — should I come to you with a stick? or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
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