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
Apostles of Christ Jesus
1You should think of us as servants of Christ, the ones God has trusted to do the work of making known his secret truths. 2Those who are trusted with such an important work must show that they are worthy of that trust. 3But I don’t consider your judgment on this point to be worth anything. Even an opinion from a court of law would mean nothing. I don’t even trust my own judgment. 4I don’t know of any wrong I have done, but that does not make me right. The Lord is the one who must decide if I have done well or not. 5So don’t judge anyone now. The time for judging will be when the Lord comes. He will shine light on everything that is now hidden in darkness. He will make known the secret purposes of our hearts. Then the praise each person should get will come from God.
6Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples for you. I did this so that you could learn from us the meaning of the words, “Follow what the Scriptures say.” Then you will not brag about one person and criticize another. 7Who do you think you are? Everything you have was given to you. So, if everything you have was given to you, why do you act as if you got it all by your own power?
8You think you have everything you need. You think you are rich. You think you have become kings without us. I wish you really were kings. Then we could rule together with you. 9But it seems to me that God has given me and the other apostles the last place. We are like prisoners condemned to die, led in a parade for the whole world to see—not just people but angels too. 10We are fools for Christ, but you think you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but you think you are so strong. People give you honor, but they don’t honor us. 11Even now we still don’t have enough to eat or drink, and we don’t have enough clothes. We often get beatings. We have no homes. 12We work hard with our own hands to feed ourselves. When people insult us, we ask God to bless them. When people treat us badly, we accept it. 13When people say bad things about us, we try to say something that will help them. But people still treat us like the world’s garbage—everyone’s trash.
14I am not trying to make you feel ashamed, but I am writing this to counsel you as my own dear children. 15You may have ten thousand teachers in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. Through the Good News I became your father in Christ Jesus. 16So I beg you to be like me. 17That is why I am sending Timothy to you. He is my son in the Lord. I love him and trust him. He will help you remember the way I live in Christ Jesus—a way of life that I teach in every meeting of the church wherever I am.
18Some of you are acting so proud, it seems as though you think I won’t be coming there again. 19But I will come to you very soon, the Lord willing. Then I will see if these proud talkers have the power to do anything more than talk. 20God’s kingdom is not seen in talk but in power. 21Which do you want: that I come to you with punishment, or that I come with love and gentleness?
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