1 Corinthians 4
1 Let people look on us as Christ’s servants, and as stewards of the hidden truths of God.
Let a man, so, be reckoning of us, as officers of Christ, and stewards of sacred secrets of God.
2 Now what we look for in stewards is that they should be trustworthy.
Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards, that, faithful, one be found.
3 But it weighs very little with me that I am judged by you or by any human tribunal. No, I do not even judge myself;
With me, however, it counteth for the very smallest thing, that, by you, I should be examined, or by a human day. Nay! I am not even examining myself,
4 for, though I am conscious of nothing against myself, that does not prove me innocent. It is the Lord who is my judge.
For, of nothing, to myself, am I conscious: nevertheless, not hereby, am I declared righteous, but, he that doth examine me, is the Lord.
5 Therefore do not pass judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes. He will throw light on what is now dark and obscure, and will reveal the motives in people’s minds; and then everyone will receive due praise from God.
So then, not before the fitting time, be judging anything, —until the Lord shall come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and, then, the praise shall come to each one, from God.
6 All this, friends, I have, for your sakes, applied to Apollos and myself, so that, from our example, you may learn to observe the precept – ‘Keep to what is written,’ that none of you may speak boastfully of one teacher to the disparagement of another.
But, these things, brethren, have I transferred unto myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that, in us, ye might learn [the lesson] —Not beyond the things that are written…! that ye do not puff yourselves up, individually, for this one against that.
7 For who makes any one of you superior to others? And what have you that was not given you? But if you received it as a gift, why do you boast as if you had not?
For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou which thou didst not receive? But, if thou didst even receive it, why dost thou boast, as though thou hadst not received it?
8 Are you all so soon satisfied? Are you so soon rich? Have you begun to reign without us? Would indeed that you had, so that we also might reign with you!
Already, ye have become full, already, ye are become rich, —apart from us, ye are become kings! And I would indeed ye had become kings, that, we also, with you, might have together become kings!
9 For, as it seems to me, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all, as people doomed to death. We are made a spectacle to the universe, both to angels and to people!
For I think that, God, hath set forth, us the apostles, to be last of all, as men devoted to death, —in that, a spectacle, have we been made, unto the world, —both unto messengers and unto men.
10 We, for Christ’s sake, are fools, but you, by your union with Christ, are people of discernment. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are despised.
We, are foolish for Christ’s sake, but, ye, prudent in Christ; we are weak, but, ye, mighty; ye, all-glorious, but, we, dishonoured.
11 To this very hour we go hungry, thirsty, and naked; we are beaten; we are homeless;
Until the present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and are wanderers,
12 we work hard, toiling with our own hands. We meet abuse with blessings, we meet persecution with endurance,
And toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we hold on,
13 we meet slander with gentle appeals. We have been treated as the scum of the earth, the vilest of the vile, to this very hour.
Being defamed, we beseech: as the sweepings of the world have we become, the offscouring of all—until even now.
14 It is with no wish to shame you that I am writing like this; but to warn you as my own dear children.
Not, to shame you, write I these things; but, as my beloved children, I admonish you.
15 Though you may have thousands of instructors in the faith of Christ, yet you have not many fathers. It was I who, through union with Christ Jesus, became your father by means of the good news.
For, though myriads of tutors ye should have in Christ, yet not many fathers; for, in Christ Jesus, through means of the joyful message, I, begat you.
16 Therefore I entreat you – Follow my example.
I beseech you, therefore, —become imitators of me.
17 This is my reason for sending Timothy to you. He is my own dear faithful child in the Master’s service, and he will remind you of my methods of teaching the faith of Christ Jesus – methods which I follow everywhere in every church.
For this cause, sent I unto you, Timothy, —who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put, you, in mind of my ways which are in Christ [Jesus], even as, everywhere, in every assembly, I teach.
18 Some, I hear, are puffed up with pride, thinking that I am not coming to you.
But, as though I were not coming unto you, some are puffed up!
19 But come to you I will, and that soon, if it please the Lord; and then I will find out, not what words these people use who are so puffed up, but what power they possess;
Howbeit, I will come quickly unto you, —if, the Lord, please, —and will get to know—not the speech of them who are puffed up, but, the power;
20 for the kingdom of God is based, not on words, but on power.
For, not in speech, is the kingdom of God, but, in power.
21 What do you wish? Am I to come to you with a rod, or in a loving and gentle spirit?
What will ye? that, with a rod, I should come unto you? or, with love, and a spirit of meekness?
