1 karinthinaH 4

1 lOkA asmAn khrISTasya paricArakAn Izvarasya nigUThavAkyadhanasyAdhyakSAMzca manyantAM|

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 kinjca dhanAdhyakSENa vizvasanIyEna bhavitavyamEtadEva lOkai ryAcyatE|

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 atO vicArayadbhi ryuSmAbhiranyaiH kaizcin manujai rvA mama parIkSaNaM mayAtIva laghu manyatE 'hamapyAtmAnaM na vicArayAmi|

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 mayA kimapyaparAddhamityahaM na vEdmi kintvEtEna mama niraparAdhatvaM na nizcIyatE prabhurEva mama vicArayitAsti|

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 ata upayuktasamayAt pUrvvam arthataH prabhOrAgamanAt pUrvvaM yuSmAbhi rvicArO na kriyatAM| prabhurAgatya timirENa pracchannAni sarvvANi dIpayiSyati manasAM mantraNAzca prakAzayiSyati tasmin samaya IzvarAd Ekaikasya prazaMsA bhaviSyati|

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 hE bhrAtaraH sarvvANyEtAni mayAtmAnam ApallavanjcOddizya kathitAni tasyaitat kAraNaM yuyaM yathA zAstrIyavidhimatikramya mAnavam atIva nAdariSyadhba ItthanjcaikEna vaiparItyAd aparENa na zlAghiSyadhba EtAdRzIM zikSAmAvayOrdRSTAntAt lapsyadhvE|

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 aparAt kastvAM vizESayati? tubhyaM yanna datta tAdRzaM kiM dhArayasi? adattEnEva dattEna vastunA kutaH zlAghasE?

(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 idAnImEva yUyaM kiM tRptA labdhadhanA vA? asmAsvavidyamAnESu yUyaM kiM rAjatvapadaM prAptAH? yuSmAkaM rAjatvaM mayAbhilaSitaM yatastEna yuSmAbhiH saha vayamapi rAjyAMzinO bhaviSyAmaH|

[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 prEritA vayaM zESA hantavyAzcEvEzvarENa nidarzitAH| yatO vayaM sarvvalOkAnAm arthataH svargIyadUtAnAM mAnavAnAnjca kautukAspadAni jAtAH|

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 khrISTasya kRtE vayaM mUPhAH kintu yUyaM khrISTEna jnjAninaH, vayaM durbbalA yUyanjca sabalAH, yUyaM sammAnitA vayanjcApamAnitAH|

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 vayamadyApi kSudhArttAstRSNArttA vastrahInAstAPitA AzramarahitAzca santaH

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 karmmaNi svakarAn vyApArayantazca duHkhaiH kAlaM yApayAmaH| garhitairasmAbhirAzIH kathyatE dUrIkRtaiH sahyatE ninditaiH prasAdyatE|

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 vayamadyApi jagataH sammArjanIyOgyA avakarA iva sarvvai rmanyAmahE|

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 yuSmAn trapayitumahamEtAni likhAmIti nahi kintu priyAtmajAniva yuSmAn prabOdhayAmi|

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 yataH khrISTadharmmE yadyapi yuSmAkaM dazasahasrANi vinEtArO bhavanti tathApi bahavO janakA na bhavanti yatO'hamEva susaMvAdEna yIzukhrISTE yuSmAn ajanayaM|

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 atO yuSmAn vinayE'haM yUyaM madanugAminO bhavata|

So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.

17 ityarthaM sarvvESu dharmmasamAjESu sarvvatra khrISTadharmmayOgyA yE vidhayO mayOpadizyantE tAn yO yuSmAn smArayiSyatyEvambhUtaM prabhOH kRtE priyaM vizvAsinanjca madIyatanayaM tImathiyaM yuSmAkaM samIpaM prESitavAnahaM|

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 aparamahaM yuSmAkaM samIpaM na gamiSyAmIti buddhvA yuSmAkaM kiyantO lOkA garvvanti|

Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].

19 kintu yadi prabhEricchA bhavati tarhyahamavilambaM yuSmatsamIpamupasthAya tESAM darpadhmAtAnAM lOkAnAM vAcaM jnjAsyAmIti nahi sAmarthyamEva jnjAsyAmi|

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 yasmAdIzvarasya rAjatvaM vAgyuktaM nahi kintu sAmarthyayuktaM|

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 yuSmAkaM kA vAnjchA? yuSmatsamIpE mayA kiM daNPapANinA gantavyamuta prEmanamratAtmayuktEna vA?

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]?