Let a person regard us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
The Koine Bible
The Scriptures in Greek with direct English translation.
SBL Greek New Testament
1 Corinthians 4
Greek text followed verse by verse by a direct English translation.
Text size:
Now it is required of stewards that one be found faithful.
ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω·
But to me it is of very little importance to be judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this; the one who judges me is the Lord.
ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν, καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.
So do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will also bring to light the things hidden in darkness and will reveal the intentions of the hearts, and then each one’s praise will come from God.
Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλῶν δι' ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τό· Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται, ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου.
Now these things, brothers, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sake, so that you may learn in us not to go beyond what is written, so that no one of you may be puffed up against another.
For who distinguishes you? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν.
Already you have become full, already you have become rich, without us you have reigned; and I wish indeed that you had reigned, so that we also might reign with you.
δοκῶ γάρ, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους, ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις.
For I think that God has displayed us apostles last, as sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to humans.
ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι.
We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored.
Up to this hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and beaten and wander about.
And we toil, working with our own hands; when we are insulted, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure,
Being slandered, we encourage; as refuse of the world we have become, the scum of all until now.
I am not ashamed to write these things to you, but as my beloved children I am admonishing you.
ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλ' οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας, ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα.
For even if you have many teachers in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus through the gospel I became your father.
Therefore I urge you to become imitators of me.
διὰ τοῦτο ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον, ὅς ἐστίν μου τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν κυρίῳ, ὃς ὑμᾶς ἀναμνήσει τὰς ὁδούς μου τὰς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καθὼς πανταχοῦ ἐν πάσῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ διδάσκω.
For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
As if I were not coming to you, some have become arrogant.
ἐλεύσομαι δὲ ταχέως πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν,
But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power,
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?