1 Corinthians 4

1 So, people ought to consider us [apostles] (OR, Apollos and me) to be [merely] servants of Christ. God has given to us [(exc) the work of] telling others the message that God has now revealed to us.

So a person should consider us as Messiah's servants, and stewards of God's mysteries.

2 With respect to doing that, those who are given work are required {give others some work to do require them} to do that work faithfully.

Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.

3 I am not concerned whether you or [the judges in] some court decide whether I have done my work faithfully or not. I do not even judge myself [about that].

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment. Yes, I do not judge my own self.

4 I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me.

For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

5 So, stop evaluating any of us [(exc)] before the time [when God judges everyone] [MTY]! Do not judge us before the Lord comes. He is the one who will reveal the sinful things that people have done secretly. He will even reveal what people have thought. At that time God will praise each person as [each one of them deserves].

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one will get his praise from God.

6 My fellow believers, I have [told you] all these things as illustrations of myself and Apollos. I have done this for your sake, in order that you may learn [to live according to] the saying, “Do not act contrary to what is {what they have} written [in the Scriptures].” If you follow that rule, you will not be proud of one [spiritual leader] and despise another.

Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.

7 (No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?) [RHQ] [All the abilities] that you have, you received [from God]. [RHQ] So if you received them all [from God], (you should not boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]!”/why do you boast [thinking], “I got these abilities [from myself], [not from God]?”) [RHQ]

For who makes you different? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

8 [It is disgusting that you act as though] [IRO] you have already received everything that you need [spiritually]. You act as though [IRO] you were [spiritually] rich (OR, you had received all [the spiritual gifts you need]). You act as though [IRO] you had already begun to rule as kings with Christ. Well, I wish that you really were ruling [with him], in order that we [apostles] might also rule with you!

You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

9 But it seems as though God has put us [apostles] on display, [like prisoners] at the end [of the victor’s parade]. We [(exc)] are like men who have been condemned to die, who have been put in the arena where everyone can see [the wild animals] killing them. And not only people, but even angels all over the world [are watching us, as people] watch those who are performing a play [in a theater].

For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and people.

10 Many people consider us to be [IRO] fools because [we preach about] Christ, but you proudly [think [IRO] that] you are wise because (of your close relationship with/you belong to) Christ. Many people [consider us] [IRO] to be unimpressive, but you [proudly think that you] impress others. People respect you, but they do not respect us.

We are fools for Messiah's sake, but you are wise in Messiah. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

11 Up to this present time we have often been hungry. We have often been thirsty. We have ragged clothes. Often we have been beaten {others have beaten us}. We [have traveled so much that we] have no regular homes to live in.

Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

12 We work very hard [to earn a living]. When we are cursed [by people] {When [people] curse us}, we [ask God to] bless them. When we are persecuted {When [people] cause us to suffer}, we endure it.

We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

13 When we are slandered [by people] {When [people] slander us}, we reply kindly to them. Up to now, [unbelievers consider us to be worthless] [MET], [as though we were] just garbage.

Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

14 I am writing this to you, not to make you feel ashamed, but instead to warn you as [though you were] my own dear children.

I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

15 I say that because as [an apostle of] Christ Jesus I [was the first one who] proclaimed the good message to you. As a result, I was the one who enabled you to have eternal life. So even if there were thousands of Christians who instruct you [MET], I am the only one who became [like] a father to you.

For though you have ten thousand tutors in Messiah, yet not many fathers. For in Messiah Jesus, I became your father through the gospel.

16 So I urge you to [live for Christ] the way I do.

I appeal to you therefore, be imitators of me.

17 In order to [help you do that], I have sent/will be sending Timothy to you. I love him [as though he were] my son. He serves the Lord faithfully. He will remind you of the way I conduct my life [as one who] (has a close relationship with/belongs to) the Lord. The way I conduct my life is the same as how I teach [others to live] in all the congregations [to whom I have spoken].

Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Messiah, even as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will not come there [to rebuke your congregation about what they are doing].

Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

19 But if the Lord wants me to come, I will come to you soon. Then I will not [pay any attention to] what those proud people say. Instead, I will find out [whether they have God’s] power.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

20 Remember that God [judges whether or not we are letting him] rule [our lives], not by [listening to how we] talk, but [by seeing whether his] power [is present] ([among us/in our lives]).

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

21 So which do you prefer? Do you want me to come to you and punish you [because you have not changed your ways], or shall I come to you and act lovingly and gently toward you [because you have done what I told you to do]?

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