I Corinthians 4

¹Let a man so account us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

²Here moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by a human tribunal; nay, I do not even judge myself;

⁴for though I am conscious to myself of nothing wrong, yet not by this am I cleared of blame; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

⁵So then judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the purposes of men’s hearts; and then shall every one have his praise from God.

⁶And these things, brethren, I have transferred in a figure to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us ye may learn not to go beyond what is written, that no one of you may pride himself in one against another.

⁷For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? But if thou didst receive it, why dost thou boast, as if thou hadst not received it?

⁸Already ye are full; already ye are rich; without us ye have become kings; and I would indeed ye were kings, that we also might reign with you.

⁹For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles as lowest, as men sentenced to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.

¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are in honor, but we are despised.

¹¹Even to this very hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place,

¹²and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it;

¹³being slandered, we exhort; we have become as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now.

¹⁴I write not these things to shame you, but I am warning you as my beloved children.

¹⁵For though ye have ten thousand teachers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begot you through the gospel.

¹⁶I exhort you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

¹⁷For this end I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved child, and faithful in the Lord, who will put you in mind of my ways in Christ, according as I teach everywhere in every church.

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

¹⁹But I shall come to you shortly, if it be the Lord’s will, and will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power;

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

²¹What will ye? Am I to come to you with a rod, or in love, and the spirit of mildness?

I Corinthians 4

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

²Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

⁴For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

⁵Therefore judge nothing 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 of God.

⁶And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

⁷For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

⁸Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

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

¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

¹¹Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

¹²And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

¹³Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

¹⁴I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

¹⁵For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

¹⁶Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

¹⁷For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

¹⁸Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

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

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

²¹What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?