1 Corinthians 4
1 So, people ought to consider us [apostles] (OR, Apollos and me) to be [merely] servants of Christ. God has given to us [(exc) the work of] telling others the message that God has now revealed to us.
Let us be so accounted of by you, as the servants of Messiah, and the stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 With respect to doing that, those who are given work are required {give others some work to do require them} to do that work faithfully.
Now it is required of stewards, that each be found faithful.
3 I am not concerned whether you or [the judges in] some court decide whether I have done my work faithfully or not. I do not even judge myself [about that].
But to me, it is a light matter to be judged of by you, or by any man whatever; nay, I am no judge of myself.
4 I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me.
-(For I am not conscious in myself of any thing flagrant; yet I am not by this justified; for the Lord is my judge.)
5 So, stop evaluating any of us [(exc)] before the time [when God judges everyone] [MTY]! Do not judge us before the Lord comes. He is the one who will reveal the sinful things that people have done secretly. He will even reveal what people have thought. At that time God will praise each person as [each one of them deserves].
Therefore pronounce not judgments before the time, or until the Lord come, who will pour light upon the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the thoughts of men's hearts: and then will each one have due praise from God.
6 My fellow believers, I have [told you] all these things as illustrations of myself and Apollos. I have done this for your sake, in order that you may learn [to live according to] the saying, “Do not act contrary to what is {what they have} written [in the Scriptures].” If you follow that rule, you will not be proud of one [spiritual leader] and despise another.
These things, my Brethren, I have stated concerning the person of myself and of Apollos, for your sakes; that, in us, ye might learn not to think of men, above what is written; and that no one might exalt himself in comparison with his fellow, on account of any person.
7 (No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?) [RHQ] [All the abilities] that you have, you received [from God]. [RHQ] So if you received them all [from God], (you should not boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]!”/why do you boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]?”) [RHQ]
For who exploreth thee? Or what hast thou, which thou didst not receive? And if thou receivedst it, why gloriest thou, as if thou didst not receive it?
8 [It is disgusting that you act as though] [IRO] you have already received everything that you need [spiritually]. You act as though [IRO] you were [spiritually] rich (OR, you had received all [the spiritual gifts you need]). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling [with him], in order that we [apostles] might also rule with you!
Now ye are yourselves full, and enriched; and, without us, are on thrones! And I wish ye were enthroned; that we also might reign with you.
9 But it seems as though God has put us [apostles] on display, [like prisoners] at the end [of the victor’s parade]. We [(exc)] are like men who have been condemned to die, who have been put in the arena where everyone can see [the wild animals] killing them. And not only people, but even angels all over the world [are watching us, as people] watch those who are performing a play [in a theater].
But I suppose, that God hath placed us legates the last, as for death; since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.
10 Many people consider us to be [IRO] fools because [we preach about] Christ, but you proudly [think [IRO] that] you are wise because (of your close relationship with/you belong to) Christ. Many people [consider us] [IRO] to be unimpressive, but you [proudly think that you] impress others. People respect you, but they do not respect us.
We are fools, on account of Messiah; but ye are wise in Messiah! We are feeble; but ye are strong! Ye are lauded, we are contemned.
11 Up to this present time we have often been hungry. We have often been thirsty. We have ragged clothes. Often we have been beaten {others have beaten us}. We [have traveled so much that we] have no regular homes to live in.
Unto this hour, we hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no permanent home:
12 We work very hard [to earn a living]. When we are cursed [by people] {When [people] curse us}, we [ask God to] bless them. When we are persecuted {When [people] cause us to suffer}, we endure it.
and we toil, working with our own hands: they defame us, and we bless: they persecute us, and we endure it:
13 When we are slandered [by people] {When [people] slander us}, we reply kindly to them. Up to now, [unbelievers consider us to be worthless] [MET], [as though we were] just garbage.
they revile us, and we entreat them: we are as the filth of the world, and the expiation for all men, up to this time.
14 I am writing this to you, not to make you feel ashamed, but instead to warn you as [though you were] my own dear children.
I write these things, not to shame you; but I instruct you, as dear children.
15 I say that because as [an apostle of] Christ Jesus I [was the first one who] proclaimed the good message to you. As a result, I was the one who enabled you to have eternal life. So even if there were thousands of Christians who instruct you [MET], I am the only one who became [like] a father to you.
For though ye have a myriad of teachers in Messiah, yet not many fathers; for in Jesus Messiah, I have begotten you by preaching.
16 So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
I beseech you, therefore, that ye be like me.
17 In order to [help you do that], I have sent/will be sending Timothy to you. I love him [as though he were] my son. He serves the Lord faithfully. He will remind you of the way I conduct my life [as one who] (has a close relationship with/belongs to) the Lord. The way I conduct my life is the same as how I teach [others to live] in all the congregations [to whom I have spoken].
For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, that he might bring to your recollection my ways in Messiah, agreeably to what I teach in all the churches.
18 Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
Now some of you are inflated, as though I would not dare come to you.
19 But if the Lord wants me to come, I will come to you soon. Then I will not [pay any attention to] what those proud people say. Instead, I will find out [whether they have God’s] power.
But I will come to you speedily, if God be willing: and I will know, not the speech of them who exalt themselves, but their power:
20 Remember that God [judges whether or not we are letting him] rule [our lives], not by [listening to how we] talk, but [by seeing whether his] power [is present] ([among us/in our lives]).
for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 So which do you prefer? Do you want me to come to you and punish you [because you have not changed your ways], or shall I come to you and act lovingly and gently toward you [because you have done what I told you to do]?
What will ye? Shall I come to you with the rod, or with love and a gentle spirit?
