Chapter 4

Servants of Christ

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as aservants of Christ and bstewards of cthe mysteries of God.

2 In this case, moreover, it is required 1of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human 1court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.

4 For I aam conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this bacquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

5 Therefore ado not go on 1passing judgment before 2the time, but wait buntil the Lord comes who will both cbring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s dpraise will come to him from God.

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed awhat is written, so that no one of you will bbecome 1arrogant cin behalf of one against the other.

7 For who regards you as superior? aWhat 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 aalready 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 apostles last of all, as men acondemned to death; because we bhave become a spectacle to the world, 1both to angels and to men.

10 We are afools for Christ’s sake, but byou are prudent in Christ; cwe are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

11 To this present hour we are both ahungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;

12 and we toil, aworking with our own hands; when we are breviled, we bless; when we are cpersecuted, we endure;

13 when we are slandered, we try to 1conciliate; we have abecome as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

14 I do not write these things to ashame you, but to admonish you as my beloved bchildren.

15 For if you were to have countless atutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in bChrist Jesus I cbecame your father through the dgospel.

16 Therefore I exhort you, be aimitators of me.

17 For this reason I ahave sent to you bTimothy, who is my cbeloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, djust as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Now some have become 1aarrogant, as though I were not bcoming to you.

19 But I awill come to you soon, bif the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the 1words of those who are carrogant but their power.

20 For the kingdom of God does anot consist in 1words but in power.

21 What do you desire? aShall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?