1 Corinthians 4

¹Let a person so regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

²Moreover, in this regard it is required among stewards that one be found faithful.

³But to me it amounts to a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by a human court; but neither do I examine myself.

⁴For I am not aware of anything against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

⁵Therefore do not judge anything before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will manifest the purposes of hearts; and then each will receive his praise from God.

⁶Now these things, brothers and sisters, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sake, so that in us you might learn not to go beyond what is written, so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.

⁷For who makes you different? And 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?

⁸Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Apart from us you have come to reign! And would that you really had reigned, so that we also might reign with you!

⁹For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as those condemned to death, for we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to human beings.

¹⁰We are fools on account of Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we are without honor.

¹¹To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and are poorly clad and are beaten with fists and are homeless,

¹²and we toil, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

¹³when slandered, we appeal. We have become like the scum of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.

¹⁴I am not writing these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I am admonishing you.

¹⁵For even if you were to have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus through the gospel I myself fathered you.

¹⁶I appeal to you, therefore, become imitators of me.

¹⁷For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸Now some have become arrogant as if I were not coming to you.

¹⁹But I will come to you quickly, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of those who are puffed up, but the power.

²⁰For the kingdom of God does not consist in word but in power.

²¹What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?