1 Corinthians 4 DBY
Summary: Paul describes apostles as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, whose faithfulness will ultimately be judged by the Lord alone, not by human courts. With biting irony he contrasts the Corinthians' self-satisfied sense of having "become rich" and reigned as kings with the apostles' actual condition — fools for Christ's sake, hungry, homeless, reviled, and persecuted, "the scum of the world" (v. 13). Speaking as their spiritual father who begot them through the gospel, Paul urges them to imitate him, announces he is sending Timothy to remind them of his ways, and warns that when he comes he will deal with the arrogant, asking whether they want him to come with a rod or with love and gentleness.
1Let a man so account of us as servants of Christ, and stewards of [the] mysteries ofGod.
2Here, further, it is sought in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3But for me it is the very smallest matter that I be examined of you or of man's day. Nor do I even examine myself.
4For I am conscious of nothing in myself; but I am not justified by this: but he that examines me is the Lord.
5So that do not judge anything before [the] time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have [his] praise fromGod.
6Now these things, brethren, I have transferred, in their application, to myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us the [lesson of] not [letting your thoughts go] above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up one for [such a] one against another.
7For who makes thee to differ? and what hast thou which thou hast not received? but if also thou hast received, why boastest thou as not receiving?
8Already ye are filled; already ye have been enriched; ye have reigned without us; and I would that ye reigned, that we also might reign with you.
9For I think thatGod has set us the apostles for the last, as appointed to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.
10We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but ye prudent in Christ: we weak, but ye strong: ye glorious, but we in dishonour.
11To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are in nakedness, and buffeted, and wander without a home,
12and labour, working with our own hands. Railed at, we bless; persecuted, we suffer [it];
13insulted, we entreat: we are become as [the] offscouring of the world, [the] refuse of all, until now.
14Not [as] chiding do I write these things to you, but as my beloved children I admonish [you].
15For if ye should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the glad tidings.
16I entreat you therefore, be my imitators.
17For this reason I have sent to you Timotheus, who is my beloved and faithful child in [the] Lord, who shall put you in mind of my ways [as] they [are] in Christ, according as I teach everywhere in every assembly.
18But some have been puffed up, as if I were not coming to you;
19but I will come quickly to you, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of those that are puffed up, but the power.
20For the kingdom ofGod [is] not in word, but in power.
21What will ye? that I come to you with a rod; or in love, and [in] a spirit of meekness?
Also read this chapter in: KJV, WEB, ASV, WYC, GNV, WBT, YLT