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
The Nature of True Apostleship
1This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign — and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world — right up to this moment.
Paulʼs Appeal and Warning
14I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
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