4 This is how you should think about us, who are leaders in the church. We are Christ's servants. God has also given a special job to us. We must explain his message to people so that they understand it. 2 Anyone who has that kind of job must do what his master wants. That is the important thing.
3 So what you think about me does not matter to me. What you decide, or what any human authority decides, is not important. I do not even try to decide about myself. 4 I am sure in my own mind that I have not done anything wrong. But that does not make me right. Only the Lord himself can judge me. 5 So you should not decide about things before the time is right. Wait until the Lord comes again. He will show everything clearly. He will show the bad things that people have done secretly. He will show the secret purpose of people's thoughts. Then God will praise each person in a way that is right for them.
6 My Christian friends, I want to help you to understand these things. That is why I have used Apollos and myself as examples. You should learn from us what this means: ‘Obey what is written in the Bible.’ None of you should be proud of one leader and not respect another leader. 7 Do not think that any of you are better than anyone else. You received from God everything that you have. So you have no reason to be proud of what you have. It is all a gift!
8 You already have everything that you need, do you? You think that you are very rich already! You are ready to rule as kings. You no longer need us to help you. I think it would be good if you had really become kings. Then we could also rule together with you! 9 This is what I think: as apostles, God has put us last of everyone. People see us like we are prisoners at the end of the line. They are taking us to die in a public place. Everybody in the world has come to look at us, both people and angels.
10 We have become like fools so that we can serve Christ. But you think that you are wise because you belong to Christ. We seem like weak people, but you seem to be strong! People respect you but they insult us!
11 Until now, we continue to be hungry and thirsty. Our clothes have become old. Sometimes people hit us for no reason. We do not have our own homes. 12 We work hard, so that we become very tired. When people insult us, we ask God to bless them. When people give us trouble, we are patient and brave. 13 When people say bad things against us, we answer with kind words. We have become like dirty things that people throw away. That is still true, even today.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed. You are like my own children that I love. So I want to teach you what is right. 15 When I told the good news about Jesus Christ to you, I became like a father for you. You may have ten thousand teachers to help you understand the message about Christ. But I am the only person who is like a father for you. 16 That is why I want you to copy my example. 17 To help you to do that, I have sent Timothy to visit you. He is like a son to me, and I love him very much. He continues to serve the Lord well. He will help you to remember how I live as a Christian. I teach the same things to all groups of Christians everywhere.
18 Some people among you have become proud. They think that I will never come back to warn them. 19 But I will come to visit you again soon, if the Lord wants me to. Then I will find out what these proud people are really like. It is not just the words that they say. I will find out if they have the power of God. 20 When people serve God as their king, they have God's power. They do not just speak proud words. 21 I will come and I will find out what is really true. So you must choose. Will I need to be angry and punish you? Or will I speak kind words to show that I love you? Which do you want me to do?
4 You should think of us as servants of Christ, the ones God has trusted to do the work of making known his secret truths. 2 Those who are trusted with such an important work must show that they are worthy of that trust. 3 But I don’t consider your judgment on this point to be worth anything. Even an opinion from a court of law would mean nothing. I don’t even trust my own judgment. 4 I don’t know of any wrong I have done, but that does not make me right. The Lord is the one who must decide if I have done well or not. 5 So don’t judge anyone now. The time for judging will be when the Lord comes. He will shine light on everything that is now hidden in darkness. He will make known the secret purposes of our hearts. Then the praise each person should get will come from God.
6 Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples for you. I did this so that you could learn from us the meaning of the words, “Follow what the Scriptures say.” Then you will not brag about one person and criticize another. 7 Who do you think you are? Everything you have was given to you. So, if everything you have was given to you, why do you act as if you got it all by your own power?
8 You think you have everything you need. You think you are rich. You think you have become kings without us. I wish you really were kings. Then we could rule together with you. 9 But it seems to me that God has given me and the other apostles the last place. We are like prisoners condemned to die, led in a parade for the whole world to see—not just people but angels too. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you think you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but you think you are so strong. People give you honor, but they don’t honor us. 11 Even now we still don’t have enough to eat or drink, and we don’t have enough clothes. We often get beatings. We have no homes. 12 We work hard with our own hands to feed ourselves. When people insult us, we ask God to bless them. When people treat us badly, we accept it. 13 When people say bad things about us, we try to say something that will help them. But people still treat us like the world’s garbage—everyone’s trash.
14 I am not trying to make you feel ashamed, but I am writing this to counsel you as my own dear children. 15 You may have ten thousand teachers in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. Through the Good News I became your father in Christ Jesus. 16 So I beg you to be like me. 17 That is why I am sending Timothy to you. He is my son in the Lord. I love him and trust him. He will help you remember the way I live in Christ Jesus—a way of life that I teach in every meeting of the church wherever I am.
18 Some of you are acting so proud, it seems as though you think I won’t be coming there again. 19 But I will come to you very soon, the Lord willing. Then I will see if these proud talkers have the power to do anything more than talk. 20 God’s kingdom is not seen in talk but in power. 21 Which do you want: that I come to you with punishment, or that I come with love and gentleness?
4 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But 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.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore 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.
6 And 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.
7 For 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?
8 Now 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.
9 For 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.
10 We 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.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For 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.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But 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.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
4 This is the way any person is to regard us: as ( A ) servants of Christ and ( B ) stewards of ( C ) the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required [ a ] of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is an insignificant matter that I would be examined by you, or by any human [ b ] court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I ( D ) am not aware of anything against myself; however I am not ( E ) vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore ( F ) do not go on [ c ] passing judgment before [ d ] the time, but wait ( G ) until the Lord comes, who will both ( H ) bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then ( I ) praise will come to each person from God.
6 Now these things, brothers and sisters , I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos on your account, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ( J ) what is written, so that no one of you will ( K ) become [ e ] arrogant ( L ) in behalf of one against the other. 7 For who considers you as superior? ( M ) What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8 You are ( N ) already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all as men ( O ) condemned to death, because we ( P ) have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to mankind. 10 We are ( Q ) fools on account of Christ, but ( R ) you are prudent in Christ! ( S ) We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are without honor! 11 Up to this present hour we are both ( T ) hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless; 12 and we labor, ( U ) working with our own hands; when we are ( V ) verbally abused, we bless; when we are ( W ) persecuted, we endure it ; 13 when we are slandered, we [ f ] reply as friends; we have ( X ) become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
14 I do not write these things to ( Y ) shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ( Z ) children. 15 For if you were to have countless ( AA ) tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ( AB ) Christ Jesus I ( AC ) became your father through the ( AD ) gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, be ( AE ) imitators of me. 17 For this reason I ( AF ) have sent to you ( AG ) Timothy, who is my ( AH ) beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ( AI ) just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become [ g ] ( AJ ) arrogant, as though I were not ( AK ) coming to you. 19 But I ( AL ) will come to you soon, ( AM ) if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the [ h ] words of those who are ( AN ) arrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God is ( AO ) not in [ i ] words, but in power. 21 What do you desire? ( AP ) That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants ( A ) of Christ and as those entrusted ( B ) with the mysteries ( C ) God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience ( D ) is clear, but that does not make me innocent. ( E ) It is the Lord who judges me. ( F ) 5 Therefore judge nothing ( G ) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. ( H ) He will bring to light ( I ) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. ( J )
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” ( K ) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. ( L ) 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? ( M ) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! ( N ) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die ( O ) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle ( P ) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, ( Q ) but you are so wise in Christ! ( R ) We are weak, but you are strong! ( S ) You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ( T ) 12 We work hard with our own hands. ( U ) When we are cursed, we bless; ( V ) when we are persecuted, ( W ) we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage ( X ) of the world—right up to this moment.
14 I am writing this not to shame you ( Y ) but to warn you as my dear children. ( Z ) 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father ( AA ) through the gospel. ( AB ) 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. ( AC ) 17 For this reason I have sent to you ( AD ) Timothy, ( AE ) my son ( AF ) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. ( AG )
18 Some of you have become arrogant, ( AH ) as if I were not coming to you. ( AI ) 19 But I will come to you very soon, ( AJ ) if the Lord is willing, ( AK ) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of ( AL ) talk but of power. ( AM ) 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, ( AN ) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
