I Corinthians 4

¹Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God.

²Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful.

³But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself.

⁴For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me.

⁵And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God.

⁶And so, brothers, I have presented these things in myself and in Apollo, for your sakes, so that you may learn, through us, that no one should be inflated against one person and for another, not beyond what has been written.

⁷For what distinguishes you from another? And what do you have that you have not received? But if you have received it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?

⁸So, now you have been filled, and now you have been made wealthy, as if to reign without us? But I wish that you would reign, so that we, too, might reign with you!

⁹For I think that God has presented us as the last Apostles, as those destined for death. For we have been made into a spectacle for the world, and for Angels, and for men.

¹⁰So we are fools because of Christ, but you are discerning in Christ? We are weak, but you are strong? You are noble, but we are ignoble?

¹¹Even to this very hour, we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and repeatedly beaten, and we are unsteady.

¹²And we labor, working with our own hands. We are slandered, and so we bless. We suffer and endure persecution.

¹³We are cursed, and so we pray. We have become like the refuse of this world, like the reside of everything, even until now.

¹⁴I am not writing these things in order to confound you, but in order to admonish you, as my dearest sons.

¹⁵For you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, but not so many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you.

¹⁶Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.

¹⁷For this reason, I have sent you Timothy, who is my dearest son, and who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere, in every church.

¹⁸Certain persons have become inflated in thinking that I would not return to you.

¹⁹But I will return to you soon, if the Lord is willing. And I will consider, not the words of those who are inflated, but the virtue.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in virtue.

²¹What would you prefer? Should I return to you with a rod, or with charity and a spirit of meekness?

I Corinthians 4

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

²Here now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful.

³But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you or by man's day. But neither do I judge my own self.

⁴For I am not conscious to myself of anything. Yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

⁵Therefore, judge not before the time: until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise from God.

⁶But these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo, for your sakes: that in us you may learn that one be not puffed up against the other for another, above that which is written.

⁷For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received, and if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

⁸You are now full: you are now become rich: you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

⁹For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death. We are made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men.

¹⁰We are fools for Christs sake, but you are wise in Christ: we are weak, but you are strong: you are honourable, but we without honour.

¹¹Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no fixed abode.

¹²And we labour, working with our own hands. We are reviled: and we bless. We are persecuted: and we suffer it.

¹³We are blasphemed: and we entreat. We are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all, even until now.

¹⁴I write not these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children.

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

¹⁶Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ.

¹⁷For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord. Who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus: as I teach every where in every church.

¹⁸As if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up.

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

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

²¹What will you? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in charity and in the spirit of meekness?