1 Corinthians 4

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Servants of Christ

¹Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων Θεοῦ

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

²ὧδε λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ

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

³Ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν ἵνα ὑφ’ ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω

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

⁴οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με Κύριός ἐστιν

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

⁵Ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ

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.

⁶Ταῦτα δέ ἀδελφοί μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλῶν δι’ ὑμᾶς ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τό Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου

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.

⁷τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών

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?

⁸ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν

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!

⁹δοκῶ γάρ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις

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.

¹⁰Ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι

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.

¹¹ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν καὶ διψῶμεν καὶ γυμνιτεύομεν καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν

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

¹²καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα

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

¹³δυσφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι

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

Paul’s Fatherly Warning

¹⁴Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα ἀλλ’ ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶν

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

¹⁵ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ ἀλλ’ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα

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.

¹⁶παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε

¹⁶Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

¹⁷Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον ὅς ἐστίν μου τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ ὃς ὑμᾶς ἀναμνήσει τὰς ὁδούς μου τὰς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καθὼς πανταχοῦ ἐν πάσῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ διδάσκω

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.

¹⁸Ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου δέ μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐφυσιώθησάν τινες

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

¹⁹ἐλεύσομαι δὲ ταχέως πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν

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.

²⁰οὐ γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλλ’ ἐν δυνάμει

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

²¹τί θέλετε ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραΰτητος

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