1 Corinthians 4

Modern

Literal

Servants of Christ

¹So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

¹So let a man reckon us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

²Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

²Here, henceforth, it is required in the stewards that one should be found faithful.

³I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

³But to me, it is a very little thing that I should be examined by you or by a human day. Yet neither do I examine myself.

⁴My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.

⁴For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I have not been justified by this; but the One examining me is the Lord.

⁵Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

⁵So then do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord shall have come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the purposes of hearts; and then the praise will come to each from God.

⁶Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.

⁶Now I have applied these things, brothers, to myself and Apollos on account of you, so that in us you may learn, “Not beyond what has been written,” so that not one of you may be puffed up over one against the other.

⁷For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

⁷For who makes you different? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if also you did receive it, why do you boast as not having received it?

⁸Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. Without us, you have become kings. How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!

⁸Already you are satiated; already you were enriched; apart from us you reigned—and I wish that you indeed reigned, so that we also might reign together with you.

⁹For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles at the end of the procession, like prisoners appointed for death. We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men.

⁹For I think God set forth us, the apostles, last, as appointed to death, because we became a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

¹⁰We are fools on account of Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are glorious, but we are without honor.

¹¹To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

¹¹As far as the present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed, and are battered, and wander homeless,

¹²We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

¹²and we toil, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we bear it;

¹³when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

¹³being slandered, we entreat. We became as the scum of the world, the refuse of all, until now.

Paul’s Fatherly Warning

¹⁴I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.

¹⁴I do not write these things shaming you, but admonishing you as my beloved children.

¹⁵Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

¹⁵For although you may have ten thousand guardians in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel.

¹⁶Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

¹⁶Therefore I exhort you, become imitators of me.

¹⁷That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus,^a which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁷Because of this, I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways that are in Christ Jesus, as I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.

¹⁸Now some were puffed up, as if I were not coming to you.

¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.

¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord might will, and I will know not only the talk of those being puffed up, but the power.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

²¹Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

²¹What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?