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1 Corinthians 4
New Testament for Everyone
1 Corinthians 4
New Testament for Everyone
Judgment then rather than now
4 This is how we should be thought of: as servants of the Messiah, and household managers for God’s mysteries. 2 And this is what follows: the main requirement for a manager is to be trustworthy. 3 Having said that, I regard it as a matter of minimal concern to think that I should be interrogated by you, or indeed by any human court. I don’t even interrogate myself. 4 I don’t actually know of anything that stands against me, but that isn’t what vindicates me; it’s the Lord who interrogates me.
5 So don’t pass judgment on anything before the time when the Lord comes! He will bring to light the secrets of darkness, and will lay bare the intentions of the heart. Then everyone will receive praise—from God.
Apostles on display
6 I have applied all this to myself and Apollos because of you, my dear family, so that you may learn from us, as the saying goes, not to go beyond what the Bible says—so that nobody gets puffed up in favor of one person and against another.
7 Who is going to concede that you are special, after all? What have you got that you didn’t receive? Well then, if you received it, why boast as if you didn’t? 8 Do you really suppose you’ve already had all the food you need? Do you think you’ve already become rich? Do you think you’ve already been crowned as royalty, leaving us behind? I wish you really were already reigning, so that we could reign alongside you!
9 This is how I look at it, you see: God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like people sentenced to death. We have become a public show for the world, for angels and humans alike. 10 We are fools because of the Messiah, but you are wise in the Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are celebrated, we are nobodies! 11 Yes, right up to the present moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are badly clothed, roughly treated, with no home to call our own. 12 What’s more, we work hard, doing manual labor. When we are insulted, we give back blessings. When we are persecuted, we put up with it. 13 When we are slandered, we speak gently in return. To this day we have become like the rubbish of the world, fit only to be scraped off the plate and thrown away with everything else.
Puffed up or powerful?
14 I’m not writing this to make you ashamed! I am simply treating you as dear children, and putting you straight. 15 You’ve got a thousand babysitters in Christ, I know, but you haven’t got many fathers—because I became your father in the Messiah, Jesus, through the gospel.
16 So let me appeal to you: copy me! 17 That’s why I have sent Timothy to you; he’s my child in the Lord, and I love him and trust him. He will remind you how I conduct myself in the Messiah Jesus, just as I teach everywhere, in every assembly.
18 Some people are getting puffed up, as though I wasn’t going to come to you. 19 But I will come to you quickly, if the Lord wants it that way; and then I’ll find out, not what these puffed-up people are saying, but how powerful they are. 20 The kingdom of God, you see, isn’t about talk—it’s about power. 21 What d’you want, then? Shall I come to you with a big stick, or with love, and in a gentle spirit?
1 Korinthierbrevet 4
Svenska Folkbibeln
1 Korinthierbrevet 4
Svenska Folkbibeln
4 1 Som Kristi tjänare och som förvaltare av Guds hemligheter skall man alltså betrakta oss. 2 Av en förvaltare krävs att han visar sig pålitlig. 3 Mig gör det ingenting att ni eller någon mänsklig domstol dömer mig. Ja, jag vill inte ens döma mig själv. 4 Visserligen har jag inget på mitt samvete, men det betyder inte att jag är frikänd. Det är Herren som dömer mig. 5 Fäll därför inte någon dom i förtid, innan Herren kommer. Han skall lysa upp det som mörkret döljer och avslöja hjärtats tankar och avsikter, och då skall var och en få sitt beröm av Gud.
6 Bröder, detta har jag för er skull tillämpat på mig och Apollos, för att ni skall lära er den regeln när det gäller oss att inte gå utöver vad Skriften säger och inte skryta över en ledare på den andres bekostnad. 7 Vad skiljer dig från andra? Vad äger du, som du inte har fått? Men om du har fått det, varför skryter du då, som om du inte hade fått det? 8 Ni är redan mätta. Ni har redan blivit rika. Ni har blivit kungar, och det utan oss. Jag skulle önska att ni verkligen hade regerat som kungar, så att vi kunde regera tillsammans med er. 9 Det verkar som om Gud hade ställt oss apostlar sist, som vigda åt döden. Vi har blivit ett skådespel för världen, för både änglar och människor. 10 Vi är dårar för Kristi skull, ni är kloka i Kristus. Vi är svaga, ni är starka. Ni är aktade, vi är föraktade. 11 Ännu i denna stund är vi hungriga och törstiga. Vi går nakna, vi misshandlas och är hemlösa. 12 Vi sliter och arbetar med våra händer. När vi hånas, välsignar vi. När vi förföljs, härdar vi ut. 13 När folk talar illa om oss, talar vi väl om dem. Vi har blivit som världens avskum, som alla människors slödder, och så är det fortfarande.
14 Jag skriver inte detta för att få er att skämmas utan för att tillrättavisa er som mina älskade barn. 15 Om ni än skulle ha tusentals uppfostrare i Kristus, har ni ändå inte många fäder. Det var jag som i Kristus Jesus födde er till liv genom evangeliet. 16 Därför ber jag er: bli mina efterföljare. 17 Timoteus, mitt älskade och trofasta barn i Herren, sänder jag nu till er. Han skall påminna er om vad jag undervisar i Kristus Jesus,[a] det jag överallt lär ut i alla församlingar. 18 Några har blivit självsäkra, eftersom de tror att jag inte skall komma till er. 19 Men jag kommer snart till er, om Herren vill, och då får jag veta hur det ligger till, inte med orden utan med kraften hos dessa uppblåsta människor. 20 Ty Guds rike består inte i ord utan i kraft. 21 Vad vill ni? Skall jag komma till er med riset eller med kärlek och en mild ande?
Footnotes
- 1 Korinthierbrevet 4:17 undervisar i Kristus Jesus Ordagrant: "mina vägar i Kristus Jesus". Se not till Apg 9:2.
1 Corinthians 4
New International Version
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. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience(D) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.(E) It is the Lord who judges me.(F) 5 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)
6 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) 7 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?
8 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! 9 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?
1 Corinthians 4
King James Version
1 Corinthians 4
King James Version
4 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Svenska Folkbibeln (SFB)
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.