1 Corintios 4
1 Así que, considérenos los hombres como esclavos de Cristo y administradores de los secretos de Dios no revelados.
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 Además, se requiere de los administradores que cada uno sea fiel.
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 Para mí es de poca importancia que sea evaluado por ustedes o por tribunal humano. Ni siquiera me evalúo a mí mismo.
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 Porque de [nada de esto] estoy consciente, de nada puedo justificarme. Sin embargo, el Señor es Quien me evalúa.
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 Así que, no juzguen algo antes de tiempo. Esperen hasta que venga [el] Señor, Quien demostrará lo escondido en la oscuridad y los motivos de los corazones. Entonces cada uno recibirá la aprobación de Dios.
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 Hermanos, estas cosas me las apliqué a mí mismo y a Apolos por causa de ustedes, para que por medio de nosotros aprendan a no pensar más allá de lo que está escrito a fin de que no sean arrogantes [los] unos contra [los] otros.
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 Porque ¿quién te considera superior? ¿Qué tienes que no recibiste? Y si lo recibiste, ¿por qué te enorgulleces como si no lo hubieras recibido?
(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 Ya están saciados. Ya enriquecieron. Ya reinaron sin nosotros. ¡Ojalá reinen para que nosotros también reinemos con ustedes!
[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 Porque pienso que Dios nos exhibió a [los] apóstoles en último lugar, como a sentenciados a muerte, porque fuimos un espectáculo para el mundo, para [los] ángeles y para [los] seres humanos.
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 Nosotros somos necios por causa de Cristo, pero ustedes, prudentes en Cristo. Nosotros somos débiles, pero ustedes, fuertes; ustedes, honrados, pero a nosotros se nos deshonra.
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 Hasta ahora padecemos hambre y sed, nos vestimos pobremente, se nos golpea a puñetazos, no tenemos dónde vivir,
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 luchamos y trabajamos con las propias manos. Cuando nos maldicen, bendecimos. Cuando nos persiguen, soportamos.
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 Cuando somos difamados, respondemos con bondad. Hasta ahora somos como la escoria del mundo, desecho de todos.
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 No les escribo esto para avergonzarlos, sino para amonestarlos como a hijos míos amados.
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 Porque ustedes, aunque tuvieran 10.000 maestros en Cristo, no [tienen] muchos padres, porque en Cristo Jesús yo soy su padre por medio de las Buenas Noticias.
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 Por tanto los exhorto: Sean imitadores de mí.
So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.
17 Por esto les envío a Timoteo, quien es mi hijo amado y fiel en el Señor, el cual les recordará mi manera de actuar en Cristo, cómo enseño en toda iglesia dondequiera.
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 Y algunos se envanecieron porque yo no los visito.
Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].
19 Pero los visitaré pronto cuando el Señor quiera y no conoceré las palabras de los envanecidos, sino su poder.
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 Porque el reino de Dios no consiste en palabras, sino en poder.
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 ¿Quieren que vaya a ustedes con vara, o con amor y espíritu de mansedumbre?
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]?
