1 Corinthians 4:14-21

English Standard Version

¹⁴I do not write these things ^(A)to make you ashamed, but to admonish you ^(B)as my beloved children. ¹⁵For ^(C)though you have countless^[a] guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For ^(D)I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶I urge you, then, ^(E)be imitators of me. ¹⁷That is why ^(F)I sent^[b] you Timothy, ^(G)my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,^[c] ^(H)as I teach them everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Some are ^(I)arrogant, ^(J)as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹But ^(K)I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. ²⁰For ^(L)the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. ²¹What do you wish? ^(M)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 4:15 Greek you have ten thousand
1 Corinthians 4:17 Or am sending
1 Corinthians 4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus

1 Corinthians 4:14-21

New American Standard Bible

¹⁴I do not write these things to ^(A)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(B)children. ¹⁵For if you were to have countless ^(C)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(D)Christ Jesus I ^(E)became your father through the ^(F)gospel. ¹⁶Therefore I urge you, be ^(G)imitators of me. ¹⁷For this reason I ^(H)have sent to you ^(I)Timothy, who is my ^(J)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(K)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Now some have become ^[a]^(L)arrogant, as though I were not ^(M)coming to you. ¹⁹But I ^(N)will come to you soon, ^(O)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[b]words of those who are ^(P)arrogant, but their power. ²⁰For the kingdom of God is ^(Q)not in ^[c]words, but in power. ²¹What do you desire? ^(R)That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?