So let a man account of us, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.
Here a moreover it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful,
but to me it amounteth to very little that I be examined by you, or by man’s day.
Nay, I do not examine even myself, for I am conscious to myself of nothing, yet I am not justified by this, but he that examineth me is the Lord.
So then judge nothing prematurely until the Lord shall have come, who shall both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall each have his praise from God.
And these things, brethren, I transferred to myself and Apollos on your account, that ye may in our case learn, Nothing above what is written, in order that ye be not puffed up one for one against another.
For who distinguisheth thee? and what hast thou which thou didst not receive? But if thou didst even receive, why boastest thou as not having received?
Already ye are filled, already ye have been enriched, apart from us ye reigned; and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
For, I think, b God set us the apostles last as devoted to death, because we became a spectacle to the world, to both angels and men:
we, fools for Christ, but ye prudent in Christ; we weak, but ye strong; ye illustrious, but we disgraced.
Until the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are buffeted and are homeless wanderers,
and we toil, working with our own hands; reviled, we bless, persecuted, we suffer;
slandered, we beseech. We became as the world’s scum, off-scouring of all, until now.
Not to abash you do I write these things, but as my beloved children I admonish [you];
for if ye should have ten thousand child-guides in Christ, yet not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus, through the gospel, I begot you.
I beseech you then, become imitators of me.
For this cause I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in [the] Lord, who will remind you of my ways that are in Christ [Jesus], even as everywhere in every assembly I teach.
Now some were puffed up as though I were not coming unto you;
but I shall come shortly unto you, if the Lord will, and will know not the word of those that are puffed up but the power;
for the kingdom of God [is] not in word but in power.
What will ye? that I come unto you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?