1 Corinthians 4
1 Let men this wyse esteme vs eve as the ministers of Christ and disposers of ye secretes of God.
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.
2 Furthermore it is requyred of the disposers that they be founde faithfull.
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.
3 With me is it but a very smal thinge that I shuld be iudged of you ether of (mans daye) No I iudge not myn awne selfe.
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].
4 I know nought by my selfe: yet am I not therby iustified. It is the Lorde that iudgeth me.
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.
5 Therfore iudge no thinge before the tyme vntill the Lorde come which will lighten thinges that are hyd in darcknes and ope the counsels of the hertes. And then shall every man have prayse of God.
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].
6 These thinges brethre I have described in myn awne person and Apollos for youre sakes that ye myght learne by vs that no man coute of him selfe beyonde that which is above written: that one swell not agaynst another for eny mans cause.
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.
7 For who preferreth the? What hast thou that thou hast not receaved? Yf thou have receaved it why reioysest thou as though thou haddest not receaved it?
(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]
8 Now ye are full: now ye are made rych: ye raygne as kinges with out vs: and I wold to god ye dyd raygne that we might raygne with you.
[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!
9 Me thinketh that God hath set forth vs which are Apostles for the lowest of all as it were me appoynted to deeth. For we are a gasyngestocke vnto the worlde and to ye angels and to men.
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].
10 We are foles for Christes sake and ye are wyse thorow Christ. We are weake and ye are stroge. Ye are honorable and we are despised.
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.
11 Eve vnto this daye we honger and thyrst and are naked and are boffetted wt fistes and have no certayne dwellinge place
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.
12 and laboure workinge with oure awne hondes. We are revysed and yet we blesse. We are persecuted and suffer it.
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.
13 We are evyll spoken of and we praye. We are made as it were the filthynes of the worlde the ofscowringe of all thinges even vnto this tyme.
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.
14 I write not these thinges to shame you: but as my beloved sonnes I warne you.
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.
15 For though ye have ten thousande instructours in Christ: yet have ye not many fathers. In Christ Iesu I have begotten you thorowe ye gospell.
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.
16 Wherfore I desyre you to folowe me.
So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
17 For this cause have I sent vnto you Timotheus which is my deare sonne and faithfull in the Lorde which shall put you in remembrauce of my wayes which I have in Christ eve as I teache every where in all congregacios.
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].
18 Some swell as though I wolde come no more at you.
Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
19 But I will come to you shortely yf God will: and will knowe not ye wordes of the which swell but ye power:
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.
20 for ye kyngdome of God is not in wordes but in power.
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]).
21 What will ye? Shall I come vnto you with a rodde or els in love and in the sprete of mekenes?
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]?
