1 Corinthians 4
4
The Ministry of Apostles
1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and #[ch. 9:17]; See 1 Pet. 4:10stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4#See Acts 23:1 For I am not aware of anything against myself, #Job 9:2, 15; Ps. 130:3; 143:2; [1 John 3:21]but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore #Matt. 7:1; Rom. 2:1; [Matt. 13:29] do not pronounce judgment before the time, #See John 21:22; Rom. 2:16 before the Lord comes, #ch. 3:13 who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. #2 Cor. 10:18; See ch. 3:8Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
6I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,#4:6 Or brothers and sisters that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may #ver. 18, 19; ch. 5:2; 13:4be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7For who sees anything different in you? #John 3:27; [1 Chr. 29:14; James 1:17; 1 Pet. 4:10]What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, #See Rom. 8:36 like men sentenced to death, because we #Heb. 10:33 (Gk.); [Isa. 20:3]have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10#[Acts 17:18]; See ch. 1:18; Acts 26:24 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but #2 Cor. 11:19 you are wise in Christ. #ch. 2:3; 2 Cor. 13:9We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11To the present hour #Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 11:27; Phil. 4:12 we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and #2 Cor. 11:20, 23 buffeted and #[Matt. 8:20]homeless, 12and we #See Acts 18:3 labor, working with our own hands. #See 1 Pet. 3:9 When reviled, we bless; #See John 15:20when persecuted, we endure; 13when slandered, we entreat. #[Isa. 30:22; 64:6] We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, #Lam. 3:45the refuse of all things.
14I do not write these things #[ch. 6:5; 15:34] to make you ashamed, but to admonish you #2 Cor. 6:13; 1 Thess. 2:11; 3 John 4as my beloved children. 15For #[ch. 3:10] though you have countless#4:15 Greek you have ten thousand guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For #Philem. 10; [Gal. 4:19]I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16I urge you, then, #ch. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; [Phil. 4:9; 2 Thess. 3:9]be imitators of me. 17That is why #ch. 16:10 I sent#4:17 Or am sending you Timothy, #1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2 my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,#4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus #ch. 7:17as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18Some are #See ver. 6 arrogant, #ver. 21; [2 Cor. 10:2]as though I were not coming to you. 19But #ch. 11:34; 16:5, 6; Acts 19:21; 20:2; 2 Cor. 1:15, 16I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20For #See ch. 2:4the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21What do you wish? #2 Cor. 1:23; 2:1, 3; 12:20; 13:2, 10Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Corinthians 4
4
1 So let a man think of us as Messiah’s servants and stewards of God’s mysteries. 2Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by a human court. Yes, I don’t even judge my own self. 4For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord. 5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
6 Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another. 7For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8 You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you! 9For I think that God has displayed us, the emissaries, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men. 10We are fools for Messiah’s sake, but you are wise in Messiah. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor. 11Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place. 12We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure. 13Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
14 I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15For though you have ten thousand tutors in Messiah, you don’t have many fathers. For in Messiah Yeshua, I became your father through the Good News. 16I beg you therefore, be imitators of me. 17Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Messiah, even as I teach everywhere in every assembly. 18Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. 20For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power. 21What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
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