1 Corinthians 4:14-21

New International Reader's Version

Paul Warns Against Pride

¹⁴ I am not writing this to shame you. You are my dear children, and I want to warn you. ¹⁵ Suppose you had 10,000 believers in Christ watching over you. You still wouldn’t have many fathers. I became your father by serving Christ Jesus and telling you the good news. ¹⁶ So I’m asking you to follow my example. ¹⁷ That’s the reason I have sent Timothy to you. He is like a son to me, and I love him. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in serving Christ Jesus. And that agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸ Some of you have become proud. You act as if I weren’t coming to you. ¹⁹ But I will come very soon, if that’s what the Lord wants. Then I will find out how those proud people are talking. I will also find out what power they have. ²⁰ The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. It is a matter of power. ²¹ Which do you want? Should I come to you to correct and punish you? Or should I come in love and with a gentle spirit?