1 Corinthians 4
4
1 Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God.
2 Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful.
3 But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself.
4 For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me.
5 And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God.
6 And so, brothers, I have presented these things in myself and in Apollo, for your sakes, so that you may learn, through us, that no one should be inflated against one person and for another, not beyond what has been written.
7 For what distinguishes you from another? And what do you have that you have not received? But if you have received it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?
8 So, now you have been filled, and now you have been made wealthy, as if to reign without us? But I wish that you would reign, so that we, too, might reign with you!
9 For I think that God has presented us as the last Apostles, as those destined for death. For we have been made into a spectacle for the world, and for Angels, and for men.
10 So we are fools because of Christ, but you are discerning in Christ? We are weak, but you are strong? You are noble, but we are ignoble?
11 Even to this very hour, we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and repeatedly beaten, and we are unsteady.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. We are slandered, and so we bless. We suffer and endure persecution.
13 We are cursed, and so we pray. We have become like the refuse of this world, like the reside of everything, even until now.
14 I am not writing these things in order to confound you, but in order to admonish you, as my dearest sons.
15 For you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, but not so many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you.
16 Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.
17 For this reason, I have sent you Timothy, who is my dearest son, and who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere, in every church.
18 Certain persons have become inflated in thinking that I would not return to you.
19 But I will return to you soon, if the Lord is willing. And I will consider, not the words of those who are inflated, but the virtue.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in virtue.
21 What would you prefer? Should I return to you with a rod, or with charity and a spirit of meekness?
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1 Corinthians 4: CPDV
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1 Corinthians 4
4
Apostles of Christ
1You should think of us as Christ's servants, who have been put in charge of God's secret truths. 2The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master. 3Now, I am not at all concerned about being judged by you or by any human standard; I don't even pass judgement on myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgement on me. 5So you should not pass judgement on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgement must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.
6For your sake, my brothers and sisters, I have applied all this to Apollos and me, using the two of us as an example, so that you may learn what the saying means, “Observe the proper rules.” None of you should be proud of one person and despise another. 7Who made you superior to others? Didn't God give you everything you have? Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift?
8Do you already have everything you need? Are you already rich? Have you become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we could be kings together with you. 9For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of humanity. 10For Christ's sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honoured! 11To this very moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are clothed in rags; we are beaten; we wander from place to place; 12#Acts 18.3we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13when we are insulted, we answer with kind words. We are no more than this world's refuse; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!
14I write this to you, not because I want to make you feel ashamed, but to instruct you as my own dear children. 15For even if you have 10,000 guardians in your Christian life, you have only one father. For in your life in union with Christ Jesus I have become your father by bringing the Good News to you. 16#1 Cor 11.1; Phil 3.17I beg you, then, to follow my example. 17For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the principles which I follow in the new life in union with Christ Jesus and which I teach in all the churches everywhere.
18Some of you have become proud because you have thought that I would not be coming to visit you. 19If the Lord is willing, however, I will come to you soon, and then I will find out for myself the power which these proud people have, and not just what they say. 20For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power. 21Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in a spirit of love and gentleness?
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.