The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants(A) of Christ and as those entrusted(B) with the mysteries(C) God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience(D) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.(E) It is the Lord who judges me.(F) Therefore judge nothing(G) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.(H) He will bring to light(I) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.(J)

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”(K) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.(L) For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?(M) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!(N) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die(O) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle(P) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ,(Q) but you are so wise in Christ!(R) We are weak, but you are strong!(S) You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.(T) 12 We work hard with our own hands.(U) When we are cursed, we bless;(V) when we are persecuted,(W) we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage(X) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

14 I am writing this not to shame you(Y) but to warn you as my dear children.(Z) 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father(AA) through the gospel.(AB) 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.(AC) 17 For this reason I have sent to you(AD) Timothy,(AE) my son(AF) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.(AG)

18 Some of you have become arrogant,(AH) as if I were not coming to you.(AI) 19 But I will come to you very soon,(AJ) if the Lord is willing,(AK) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of(AL) talk but of power.(AM) 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,(AN) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

This is how houtōs one anthrōpos should regard logizomai us hēmeis, as hōs servants hypēretēs of Christ Christos and kai stewards oikonomos of God’ s theos mysteries mystērion. In this connection hōde then loipos, it is required zēteō of en · ho stewards oikonomos that hina they tis be found heuriskō trustworthy pistos. But de for me egō it is eimi a matter of the least consequence elachistos that hina I should be judged anakrinō by hypo you hymeis or ē by hypo any human anthrōpinos court hēmera. In fact alla, I do anakrinō not even oude judge anakrinō myself emautou. For gar I am synoida not aware of synoida anything oudeis against myself emautou, yet alla not ou because en of this houtos am I acquitted dikaioō. It is eimi the ho · de Lord kyrios who judges anakrinō me egō. So then hōste, stop passing judgment on krinō anything tis before pro the time kairos, before heōs an the ho Lord kyrios comes erchomai. He hos · kai will bring to light phōtizō the ho hidden kryptos things of ho darkness skotos and kai will disclose phaneroō the ho motives boulē of the ho heart kardia. · kai At that time tote · ho praise epainos will come ginomai to each hekastos from apo · ho God theos.

I have applied metaschēmatizō all this houtos · de to eis myself emautou and kai Apollos Apollōs for dia your hymeis benefit dia, brothers adelphos, that hina you may learn manthanō by en us hēmeis · ho not to go beyond hyper what hos is written graphō, that hina none mē heis of you may be puffed up physioō in favor hyper of · ho one heis against kata · ho another heteros. For gar who tis sees anything superior in diakrinō you sy? What tis · de do you have echō that hos you did not ou receive lambanō? And de if ei · kai you received lambanō it, why tis do you boast kauchaomai as hōs if you did not receive lambanō it?

Already ēdē you have eimi all you want korennymi! Already ēdē you are rich plouteō! Without chōris us hēmeis you have begun to reign basileuō! And kai would ophelon that you did reign basileuō, so that hina · kai we hēmeis could reign with symbasileuō you hymeis! For gar it seems to me dokeō that · ho God theos has displayed apodeiknymi us hēmeis, the ho apostles apostolos, last eschatos, as hōs men sentenced to death epithanatios, because hoti we have become ginomai a spectacle theatron to the ho world kosmos, both kai to angels angelos and kai to men anthrōpos. 10 We hēmeis are fools mōros for dia Christ Christos, but de you hymeis are men of wisdom phronimos in en Christ Christos! We hēmeis are weak asthenēs, but de you hymeis are strong ischuros! You hymeis are distinguished endoxos, but de we hēmeis are dishonored atimos! 11 To achri this ho present arti hour hōra · kai we are hungry peinaō and kai thirsty dipsaō, · kai poorly clothed gymniteuō, · kai knocked about kolaphizō, and kai homeless astateō. 12 · kai We labor kopiaō, working ergazomai with ho our own idios hands cheir. When reviled loidoreō, we bless eulogeō; when persecuted diōkō, we endure anechōmai; 13 when slandered dysphēmeō, we respond kindly parakaleō. We have become ginomai, as hōs it were , the scum perikatharma of the ho world kosmos, the refuse peripsēma of all things pas, even heōs now arti.

14 I am graphō not ou writing graphō these things houtos to shame entrepō you hymeis, but alla to admonish noutheteō you as hōs my egō dear agapētos children teknon. 15 For gar though ean you have echō innumerable myrios guardians paidagōgos in en Christ Christos, you do not ou have many polys fathers patēr, because gar I egō became gennaō your hymeis father gennaō in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous through dia the ho gospel euangelion. 16 I urge parakaleō you hymeis, therefore oun, be ginomai imitators mimētēs of me egō. 17 That is why dia I sent pempō to you hymeis Timothy Timotheos, who hos is eimi my egō beloved agapētos and kai faithful pistos child teknon in en the Lord kyrios. He hos will remind anamimnēskō you hymeis of ho my egō ways hodos · ho in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous, as kathōs I teach didaskō them everywhere pantachou in en every pas church ekklēsia. 18 Some tis have become arrogant physioō, as hōs though I egō were not coming erchomai · de to pros you hymeis. 19 But de I will come erchomai to pros you hymeis soon tacheōs, if ean the ho Lord kyrios wills thelō, and kai I will find ginōskō out not ou the ho speech logos of these ho arrogant physioō people but alla their ho power dynamis. 20 For gar the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos is not ou a matter of en talk logos but alla of en power dynamis. 21 What tis would you prefer thelō? Shall I come erchomai to pros you hymeis with en a rod rhabdos of correction or ē with en love agapē in a spirit pneuma of gentleness prautēs?