Apostles Are Servants of Christ

4 People should think of us as servants of Christ, ·the ones God has trusted with his [and stewards/household managers of God’s] ·secrets [mysteries]. ² Now in this way ·those who are trusted with something valuable [stewards; household managers] must ·show they are worthy of that trust [^Lbe found faithful]. ³ As for myself, ·I do not care [or it is of no consequence; ^Lit is a minor thing] if I am judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. ⁴ I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not make me ·right before the Lord [innocent; acquitted; justified]. The Lord is the One who judges me. ⁵ So do not judge before the ·right [appointed] time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret ·purposes [motives] of people’s hearts. Then God will ·praise [give appropriate commendation to] each one of them.

⁶ Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples so you could learn through us the meaning of the saying, “·Follow only [^LDo not go beyond] ·what is written in the Scriptures [or what I have already written to you; ^Lwhat is written].” Then you will not ·be more proud of one person than another [or arrogantly support one person over another]. ⁷ [^LFor] Who ·says you are better than others [made you so important; or sees anything different in you]? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you ·brag [boast] as if you did not ·receive it as a gift [^Lreceive it]?

⁸ ·You think you already have everything you need [^LAlready you have been satisfied/filled up!; ^Cthe Corinthians believed they had reached a higher spiritual status because of their wisdom]. ·You think you are rich [^LAlready you are rich!]. You ·think you have become kings [have begun to reign…!] without us. I wish you really were ·kings [reigning] so we could ·be kings [reign] together with you. ⁹ But it seems to me that God has put us apostles ·in last place [or on display at the end of the procession], like those sentenced to die [^Cthe image is of prisoners of war being led through the city in disgrace, condemned to die in the arena]. We are like a ·show [spectacle; display] for the whole world to see—angels and people. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are very wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You receive honor, but we are ·shamed [disgraced; dishonored]. ¹¹ Even ·to this very hour [or now] we do not have enough to eat or drink or to wear. We are often beaten, and we have no homes in which to live. ¹² We work hard with our own hands [^CPaul earned his own living so as not to burden the church and to avoid accusations of profiting from the Gospel; 1 Thess. 2:9]. When people ·curse [insult; revile] us, we bless them. When they ·hurt [persecute] us, we ·put up with it [endure; persevere]. ¹³ When they ·tell evil lies about [slander] us, we ·speak nice words about them [answer gently; or humbly appeal; entreat]. Even today, we are treated as though we were the garbage of the world—·the filth of the earth [^Leveryone’s scum/filth; or scum/filth in everyone’s eyes].

¹⁴ I am not writing this to make you feel ashamed, but to ·warn [admonish; correct] you as my own ·dear [beloved] children. ¹⁵ For though you may have ten thousand ·teachers [guardians; tutors] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. [^LFor; Because] Through the ·Good News [Gospel] I became your father in Christ Jesus, ¹⁶ so I ·beg [urge; encourage; exhort] you, ·please follow my example [^Lbe imitators of me]. ¹⁷ That is why I am sending to you Timothy, my ·dear [beloved] and faithful son in the Lord. He will ·help you remember [remind you about] my way of life in Christ Jesus, just as I teach it in all the churches everywhere.

¹⁸ Some of you have become ·proud [arrogant; puffed up], thinking that I will not come to you again. ¹⁹ But I will come to you very soon if the Lord ·wishes [wills; allows]. Then I will ·know [find out; learn] ·what the proud ones do, not what they say [^Lnot just the talk/word of these arrogant people, but also their power], ²⁰ because the kingdom of God ·is present [or consists] not in talk but in power. ²¹ Which do you want: that I come to you with ·punishment [^La rod] or with love and ·gentleness [or a gentle spirit]?