1 Corinthians 4

New International Version

The Nature of True Apostleship

4 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. ²Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴My conscience^(D) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(E) It is the Lord who judges me.^(F) ⁵Therefore 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)

⁶Now, 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) ⁷For 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?

⁸Already 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! ⁹For 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. ¹⁰We 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! ¹¹To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.^(T) ¹²We work hard with our own hands.^(U) When we are cursed, we bless;^(V) when we are persecuted,^(W) we endure it; ¹³when 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

¹⁴I am writing this not to shame you^(Y) but to warn you as my dear children.^(Z) ¹⁵Even 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) ¹⁶Therefore I urge you to imitate me.^(AC) ¹⁷For 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)

¹⁸Some of you have become arrogant,^(AH) as if I were not coming to you.^(AI) ¹⁹But 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. ²⁰For the kingdom of God is not a matter of^(AL) talk but of power.^(AM) ²¹What 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?

Psalm 113-116

New International Version

Psalm 113

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(A)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;^(B)
    praise the name of the Lord.
²Let the name of the Lord be praised,^(C)
    both now and forevermore.^(D)
³From the rising of the sun^(E) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is exalted^(F) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.^(G)
⁵Who is like the Lord our God,^(H)
    the One who sits enthroned^(I) on high,^(J)
⁶who stoops down to look^(K)
    on the heavens and the earth?

⁷He raises the poor^(L) from the dust
    and lifts the needy^(M) from the ash heap;
⁸he seats them^(N) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹He settles the childless^(O) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt,^(P)
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
²Judah^(Q) became God’s sanctuary,^(R)
Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled,^(S)
the Jordan turned back;^(T)
⁴the mountains leaped^(U) like rams,
the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, sea, that you fled?^(V)
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
⁶Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, earth,^(W) at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.^(X)

Psalm 115^(Y)

¹Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,^(Z)
because of your love and faithfulness.^(AA)

²Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(AB)
³Our God is in heaven;^(AC)
    he does whatever pleases him.^(AD)
⁴But their idols are silver and gold,^(AE)
    made by human hands.^(AF)
⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak,^(AG)
    eyes, but cannot see.
⁶They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
⁷They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

⁹All you Israelites, trust^(AH) in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹⁰House of Aaron,^(AI) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹¹You who fear him,^(AJ) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers^(AK) us and will bless us:^(AL)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³he will bless those who fear^(AM) the Lord—
    small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord cause you to flourish,^(AN)
both you and your children.
¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven^(AO) and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord,^(AP)
    but the earth he has given^(AQ) to mankind.
¹⁷It is not the dead^(AR) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord,^(AS)
    both now and forevermore.^(AT)

Praise the Lord.^[b]^(AU)

Psalm 116

¹I love the Lord,^(AV) for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry^(AW) for mercy.^(AX)
²Because he turned his ear^(AY) to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death^(AZ) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴Then I called on the name^(BA) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!^(BB)”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(BC)
our God is full of compassion.^(BD)
⁶The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low,^(BE) he saved me.^(BF)

⁷Return to your rest,^(BG) my soul,
for the Lord has been good^(BH) to you.

⁸For you, Lord, have delivered me^(BI) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹that I may walk before the Lord^(BJ)
    in the land of the living.^(BK)

¹⁰I trusted^(BL) in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;^(BM)
¹¹in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”^(BN)

¹²What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness^(BO) to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name^(BP) of the Lord.
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows^(BQ) to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight^(BR) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.^(BS)
¹⁶Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(BT)
    I serve you just as my mother did;^(BU)
    you have freed me from my chains.^(BV)

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering^(BW) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows^(BX) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹in the courts^(BY) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.^(BZ)