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1 Corinthians 4

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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For 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.

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Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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1 Corinthians 4

Ministers of Christ are stewards of God's mysteries, and the requirement for stewards is faithfulness, not vindication by others. Paul declares his indifference to human judgment (the Corinthians' judgment, the judgment of earthly courts) and even to his own conscience as a standard, since only the Lord judges him and will illuminate what is hidden in darkness and reveal the purposes of hearts. He warns against pronouncing judgment before the time. The apostles represent the final place in the procession: the last of all, a spectacle to the world, angels and humans, fools for Christ's sake while the Corinthians fancy themselves wise, weak while they are strong, dishonored while they are honored, hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, beaten, homeless, laboring with their own hands. Yet Paul does not shame them when he writes this; rather, he exhorts them as beloved children, having countless guardians in Christ but only one father in the gospel. He sends Timothy as his representative to remind them of his ways, and warns that he will come to them soon with his rod or in love and a spirit of gentleness—the choice is theirs.

1 Corinthians 4:1

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries of God — Paul reframes apostolic status: not masters but 'servants' (hyperetēs, lit. 'under-rowers,' low-rank). Apostles are 'entrusted with the mysteries' (mysteria) of God—the gospel's hidden purposes now revealed. The paradox: low status (servant), high responsibility (bearer of mysteries). This inverts Corinthian status hierarchies.

1 Corinthians 4:2

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful — 'faithful' (pistos) is the sole criterion for stewards. Not charisma, eloquence, or social standing but fidelity to the deposit (the gospel). Paul has been faithful; the Corinthians should measure apostles by this standard, not by rhetorical appeal or faction-building power.

1 Corinthians 4:3

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself — Paul's indifference to Corinthian judgment (anakrisis, examination) is not arrogance but theological clarity: human judgment is not the standard. Even self-judgment is inadequate. Only God judges rightly; all other judges, including himself, are unreliable.

1 Corinthians 4:4

My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me — conscience (syneidēsis) is Paul's best human instrument, yet 'my conscience is clear' (apekatastatos) does not guarantee innocence. Hidden sins, unconscious blindness, or misdeeds of which he is unaware may yet exist. Only 'the Lord' (kyrios) knows all and judges truly. Cf. 1 John 3:20.

1 Corinthians 4:5

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God — all judgment is reserved for Christ's coming (parusia). Until then, premature judgment is presumption. At the final day, 'what is hidden in darkness' (krypta tēs skotias, secret deeds) and 'motives' (boulē kardias) will be revealed. Then each receives 'praise' (epainos)—perhaps ironic, or genuine recognition of faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 4:6

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.' Then you will not be arrogant and boast about one of us over against the other — Paul reveals his strategy: he used himself and Apollos as examples to teach a larger principle. 'Do not go beyond what is written' (mē hyper ha gegraptai) is cryptic—possibly referring to scripture's bounds, or to what Paul has written, or to basic principles. The effect: stop inventing divisions not grounded in scripture; cease faction-boasting.

1 Corinthians 4:7

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you have not received? And if you have received it, why do you boast as though you did not? — three rhetorical questions dismantle Corinthian pride. If something makes you unique, God is its source ('received'). Boasting in received gifts is incoherent; one boasts in one's own achievements. Since the Corinthians' gifts are received, boasting is absurd. All honor reverts to God.

1 Corinthians 4:8

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! 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! — Paul's irony is biting. The Corinthians behave 'already' (ēdē) as if the kingdom is fully manifest, as if they 'reign' (basileuō). Yet the present age continues; trials, apostolic weakness, and opposition persist. They are spiritually intoxicated, mistaking present spiritual gifts for final salvation. Paul's wish ('Would that you reigned!') is sarcastic: if they truly reigned, apostles would too.

1 Corinthians 4:9

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle (theatron) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings — the image is brutal: apostles are 'condemned to die' (katadikoi thanatou) in a Roman amphitheater, the last in a procession. 'Spectacle' (theatron, hence 'theatre') means public show, watched by 'the whole universe' (kosmō, cosmos), including 'angels.' This inverts the Corinthians' vision of apostolic triumph; instead, apostles are exhibits of weakness and suffering.

1 Corinthians 4:10

We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! — the contrasts are sardonic. Apostles are 'fools' (mōroi), 'weak' (astheneis), 'dishonored' (atimoi); Corinthians are 'wise,' 'strong,' 'honored.' If the Corinthians are truly wise/strong/honored, and apostles are fools/weak/dishonored, then the hierarchy of the kingdom is inverted from what Christ taught. Paul challenges the Corinthians' self-assessment.

1 Corinthians 4:11

To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless — Paul catalogs apostolic hardship: hunger, thirst, nakedness ('in rags,' gymnoi), physical abuse (kolaphizō, struck), homelessness (aperipatoi, unsettled). These are not metaphors but lived reality. The Corinthians' comfort contrasts sharply. Yet Paul's point is not to solicit pity but to show apostolic fidelity despite cost.

1 Corinthians 4:12

We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; — Paul worked as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3) to avoid being a burden. The response to curse (katara) is blessing (eulogeō); to persecution (diōkō, driven out), endurance (anechō, holding up). These reflect Jesus's teaching on enemy-love (Luke 6:28). Apostles practice what they preach about Christ-centered love.

1 Corinthians 4:13

When we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world — the last sentence is devastating. 'Scum' (perisseia, literally 'filth') and 'refuse' (perikatharmata, cleansing-waste) were terms for the lowest outcasts. Apostles occupy the lowest social position. Yet this matches Christ's own trajectory: from honor to shame, from power to powerlessness, from life to death. The gospel's logic requires this descent.

1 Corinthians 4:14

I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children — Paul's tone shifts: not vindictive but parental. 'Shame' (entrepō, to turn someone face-down in disgrace) is not his goal; 'warn' (nouthetēō, to put in mind) is. The address 'dear children' (tekna mou) reveals Paul's tender concern beneath the sharp rebuke. He corrects because he loves, not because he despises.

1 Corinthians 4:15

Even if you had ten thousand tutors in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel — the distinction between 'tutors' (paidagōgos, slave-escorts for wealthy boys) and 'fathers' (patēr) is crucial. Tutors abound; fathers are unique. Paul's paternal authority derives from his role in the Corinthians' spiritual birth (through the gospel he preached). They cannot transfer allegiance to Apollos and remain Paul's children; the paternal bond is singular.

1 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore I urge you to imitate me — 'imitate' (mimiētai) means to pattern yourself after. Not cult-of-personality imitation but imitation of apostolic virtue: weakness accepted, hardship endured, enemies blessed, Christ exalted. The Corinthians should imitate Paul's fidelity and suffering-love, not his status or rhetoric.

1 Corinthians 4:17

For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus and how I teach everywhere in every church — Timothy (Timotheos, 'honoring God') is Paul's representative, sent to reinforce the apostle's message. 'Faithful in the Lord' means Timothy is trustworthy, aligned with Christ. He will 'remind' (anamimnesko) the Corinthians of Paul's 'way of life' (hodoi) and consistent teaching. Consistency across churches (not custom-tailored to please each congregation) is mark of authentic apostolate.

1 Corinthians 4:18

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you — the accusation: arrogance (physiōo, puffed up) has filled some Corinthians because Paul's physical presence is delayed. Absence is misread as weakness or irrelevance. Yet Paul's coming ('I am coming to you') will test whether arrogant boasting was justified.

1 Corinthians 4:19

But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have — Paul will visit and 'find out' (gnōsis) the distinction between talk (logos) and power (dynamis). The arrogant boasters' words (likely their claims to superior knowledge/wisdom) will be measured against their actual capacity to manifest the Spirit's power. Words without power are empty.

1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power — the kingdom's manifestation is not rhetorical but transformative. 'Talk' (logos) is human eloquence; 'power' (dynamis) is the Spirit's work of salvation, healing, and holiness. Corinthian boasting values words; Paul redirects to power. Who is truly spiritual? Not the eloquent but the one in whom God's kingdom-power is operative.

1 Corinthians 4:21

What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit? — Paul's choice is between stern discipline ('with a whip,' en rabdō, lit. a rod) and loving gentleness (agapē en pneumati praytēs, love in a spirit of gentleness). The 'whip' does not suggest violence but corrective authority. Yet Paul prefers love. The Corinthians' behavior determines which Paul they will meet: the severe corrector or the tender father.