1 Corinthians 4
4
1Let a man so reckon us as officers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God,
2and as to the rest, it is required in the stewards that one may be found faithful,
3and to me it is for a very little thing that by you I may be judged, or by man's day, but not even myself do I judge,
4for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right — and he who is discerning me is the Lord:
5so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from God.
6And these things, brethren, I did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other,
7for who doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received?
8Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together,
9for I think that God did set forth us the apostles last — as appointed to death, because a spectacle we became to the world, and messengers, and men;
10we [are] fools because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we [are] ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured;
11unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,
12and labour, working with [our] own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer;
13being spoken evil of, we entreat; as filth of the world we did become — of all things an offscouring — till now.
14Not [as] putting you to shame do I write these things, but as my beloved children I do admonish,
15for if a myriad of child-conductors ye may have in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, through the good news, I — I did beget you;
16I call upon you, therefore, become ye followers of me;
17because of this I sent to you Timotheus, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways in Christ, according as everywhere in every assembly I teach.
18And as if I were not coming unto you certain were puffed up;
19but I will come quickly unto you, if the Lord may will, and I will know not the word of those puffed up, but the power;
20for not in word is the reign of God, but in power?
21what do ye wish? with a rod shall I come unto you, or in love, with a spirit also of meekness?
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1 Corinthians 4: YLT98
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
1 Corinthians 4
4
God is the judge
1What need have we then of any other wisdom than this divine sort? 2We are servants of Christ, we have the stewardship of God’s mysteries. And as such we must be faithful. 3-4It is small matter to me what men decide about me, what their criticisms may be. These human judgments and criticisms do not concern the truth of the Gospel. It is the day of the Lord that judges man, separating truth from fiction. 5Therefore I do not even judge myself, I do not exercise my conscience over my degree of faithfulness or the reverse. But that is not my justification, I am not justified simply because my conscience is at rest, I am justified because God is judging me. Wait then for His judgment. It will come to pass — that severance of truth and falsehood, faith and faithlessness. Leave it to God and do not usurp his function before the time, when the light shall shine, when the darkness shall collapse, when the hidden purposes of the heart shall resolve themselves, and man’s praise and honour shall come to him from God alone.
The apostles as an example
6Have you learned from me and Apollos? and are you going to make these new acquisitions and possessions a thing to be conceited and self-sufficient about, a thing to judge others in, and put yourself above another? But indulge nothing beyond what is written in our teaching.
7This sensitiveness to praise or blame, and this setting of one teacher above another is no part of the Gospel. Whence come your enlightenment, your wisdom, your treasures of joy and deep riches of the spirit, whence your fulness, completion and victory? From yourselves? Or is it given you in Christ? 8Yes, that is your state in Christ, yet has the Kingdom still to be striven for, you cannot yet call these things your own, and boast of them as such; whilst the world still rules, whilst we apostles are like arena criminals condemned to make a spectacle for others, whilst we are defenceless and weak, will you boast of your victory, will you be strong and self-sufficient? 9Whilst the world and angels and man unite to watch our struggles and efforts, are you reigning at peace with the saints in Christ? 10Whilst we are fools, are you wise in Christ? Whilst we are dishonoured, have you the safety and the glory of the truth? Yes, all that is true, yet I would have you not to glory over it, but to remember the condition of us who taught you. 11We are still hungering and thirsty, we are still naked and buffeted and amazed, 12we still work with our hands to gain a living. We are reviled and we bless, we are persecuted and we endure, 13we are cursed and we turn it aside. Up to the present moment, the very moment that I write to you, we are the outcasts and pariahs of society, its very dregs and offscourings. Think of this when you are tempted to become wise and self-sufficient in your own eyes, to set one man’s teaching above another’s, and make the Christ a matter of vain-glorious disputation and theory.
Paul as father rather than teacher
14And yet I would not speak harshly to you and condemn you, but I appeal to you as to children whom I love. 15Am I your teacher? Am I not rather the father that begot you in the faith by the Gospel and is that not something more than a mere teacher — a man may have many tutors but only one father. 16If that is our relationship then be like me, be imitative of me. 17That is why I have sent you Timothy, my faithful, my beloved son in the Lord, to tell you of my bonds, of my life in Christ, and to remind you of what my teaching is and always has been in the Christ. 18But because I have not come myself, there have arisen certain persons among you with an exaggerated opinion of their own importance. 19And that being so, I shall, if the Lord so will, come to you myself and visit you, and when I come, it will not be with the dialectic of these self-assertive teachers, but with the word of power. 20In that is the kingdom of God, not theory and contention but spiritual power. 21What then? Shall I come to you as a master with rod and rule, or in the spirit of love and gentleness?
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.