I Corinthians 4

¹So a man gesse vs, as mynystris of Crist, and dispenderis of the mynysteries of God.

²Now it is souyt here among the dispenderis, that a man be foundun trewe.

³And to me it is for the leest thing, that Y be demyd of you, or of mannus dai; but nether Y deme my silf.

⁴For Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf, but not in this thing Y am iustified; for he that demeth me, is the Lord.

⁵Therfor nyle ye deme bifore the tyme, til that the Lord come, which schal liytne the hyd thingis of derknessis, and schal schewe the counseils of hertis; and thanne preisyng schal be to ech man of God.

⁶And, britheren, Y haue transfigurid these thingis in to me and in to Apollo, for you; that in vs ye lerne, lest ouer that it is writun, oon ayens another be blowun with pride for another.

⁷Who demeth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? And if thou hast resseyued, what gloriest thou, as thou haddist not resseyued?

⁸Nowe ye ben fyllid, now ye ben maad riche; ye regnen with outen vs; and Y wolde that ye regnen, that also we regnen with you.

⁹And Y gesse, that God schewide vs the laste apostlis, as thilke that ben sent to the deth; for we ben maad a spectacle to the world, and to aungels, and to men.

¹⁰We foolis for Crist, but ye prudent in Crist; we sike, but ye stronge; ye noble, but we vnnoble.

¹¹Til in to this our we hungren, and thirsten, and ben nakid, and ben smytun with buffatis,

¹²and we ben vnstable, and we trauelen worchynge with oure hondis; we ben cursid, and we blessen; we suffren persecucioun, and we abiden longe; we ben blasfemyd, and we bisechen;

¹³as clensyngis of this world we ben maad the `out castyng of alle thingis `til yit.

¹⁴Y write not these thingis, that Y confounde you, but Y warne as my moste dereworthe sones.

¹⁵For whi if ye han ten thousynde of vndur maistris in Crist, but not many fadris; for in Crist Jhesu Y haue gendrid you bi the gospel.

¹⁶Therfor, britheren, Y preye you, be ye foleweris of me, as Y of Crist.

¹⁷Therfor Y sente to you Tymothe, which is my most dereworthe sone, and feithful in the Lord, which schal teche you my weies, that ben in Crist Jhesu; as Y teche euery where in ech chirche.

¹⁸As thouy Y schulde not come to you, so summe ben blowun with pride;

¹⁹but Y schal come to you soone, if God wole; and Y schal knowe not the word of hem that ben blowun with pride, but the vertu.

²⁰For the rewme of God is not in word, but in vertu.

²¹What wole ye? Schal Y come to you in a yerde, or in charite, and in spirit of myldenesse?

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?