1 Corinthians 4

1 Let a man so account of us, as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Thus let a man regard us as of helpers of Christ, and managers of mysteries of God.

2 Now it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

And beyond that, it is sought in managers that any man should be found faithful.

3 But to me it is of very small moment to be judged by you, or by any man's judgement; nor indeed do I judge myself:

But it is a very small thing to me that I might be appraised by you or by a day of mankind. Yet neither do I appraise myself,

4 (for I am conscious to myself of nothing; though I am not hereby justified; ) but He that judgeth me is the Lord.

for I know nothing on myself. Yet I have not been made righteous in this, but he who appraises me is the Lord.

5 Wherefore judge nothing before the time; even until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every one have praise from God.

Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make public the deliberations of the hearts. And then praise will come to each man from God.

6 These things, my brethren, I have by a figure transferred to myself, and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us not to be wise above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up for one against another.

Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other.

7 For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou, which thou didst not receive? And if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?

For who makes thee different? And what have thou that thou did not receive? And also if thou received it, why do thou boast as not having received it?

8 Ye are now full, ye are now rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I wish ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

Already ye are filled. Already ye have become rich. Ye reigned without us, and O that ye did indeed reign, so that we also might reign with you.

9 For it seems to me that God hath as it were exhibited us the apostles last upon the stage as appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men.

For I think God has exhibited us the apostles least, as men sentenced to die, because we became a spectacle to the world, both to agents and to men.

10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ: we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honoured, but we are despised.

We are foolish for the sake of Christ, but ye are wise in Christ. We are weak, but ye are strong. Ye are esteemed, but we are disreputable.

11 Even to this present time we suffer both hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling:

As far as the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are ill clothed, and are treated roughly, and are homeless.

12 and we labour working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless: when persecuted, we bear it: when defamed, we intreat.

And we toil, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

13 We are made as the filth of the world, and the refuse of all things to this day.

being slandered, we entreat. We became as trash of the world, an offscouring of all things, until now.

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I admonish you:

I do not write these things shaming you, but I warn you as my beloved children.

15 for if ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you by the gospel.

For though ye have countless instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I begot you through the good news.

16 I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

I beseech you therefore, become followers of me.

17 For this end have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who will bring to your remembrance my ways in Christ, how I teach every where in every church.

Because of this I sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every congregation.

18 Now some are puffed up, as if I would not come to you.

But as of me not coming to you, some men are puffed up.

19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord please, and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power:

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord should will, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

20 for the kingdom of God consisteth not in speech, but in power.

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

21 What do ye chuse? that I should come to you with a rod? or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

What do ye want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?