1 Corinthians 4

¹Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. ²Here, moreover, 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 against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. ⁵Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.

⁶Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other. ⁷For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? ⁸Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have come to reign without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. ⁹For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men. ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor. ¹¹Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; ¹²and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; ¹³being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.

¹⁴I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. ¹⁵For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel. ¹⁶I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me. ¹⁷For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that 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 a spirit of gentleness?