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I Corinthians Chapter 4

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darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 Let a man so account of us as servants of Christ, and stewards of [the] mysteries ofGod.
2 Here, further, it is sought in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But for me it is the very smallest matter that I be examined of you or of man's day. Nor do I even examine myself.
4 For I am conscious of nothing in myself; but I am not justified by this: but he that examines me is the Lord.
5 So that do not judge anything before [the] time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have [his] praise fromGod.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have transferred, in their application, to myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us the [lesson of] not [letting your thoughts go] above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up one for [such a] one against another.
7 For who makes thee to differ? and what hast thou which thou hast not received? but if also thou hast received, why boastest thou as not receiving?
8 Already ye are filled; already ye have been enriched; ye have reigned without us; and I would that ye reigned, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think thatGod has set us the apostles for the last, as appointed to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.
10 We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but ye prudent in Christ: we weak, but ye strong: ye glorious, but we in dishonour.
11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are in nakedness, and buffeted, and wander without a home,
12 and labour, working with our own hands. Railed at, we bless; persecuted, we suffer [it];
13 insulted, we entreat: we are become as [the] offscouring of the world, [the] refuse of all, until now.
14 Not [as] chiding do I write these things to you, but as my beloved children I admonish [you].
15 For if ye should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the glad tidings.
16 I entreat you therefore, be my imitators.
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timotheus, who is my beloved and faithful child in [the] Lord, who shall put you in mind of my ways [as] they [are] in Christ, according as I teach everywhere in every assembly.
18 But some have been puffed up, as if I were not coming to you;
19 but I will come quickly to you, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of those that are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom ofGod [is] not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? that I come to you with a rod; or in love, and [in] a spirit of meekness?

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi: et dispensatores mysteriorum Dei.
2 Hic iam quæritur inter dispensatores ut fidelis quis inveniatur.
3 Mihi autem pro minimo est ut a vobis iudicer, aut ab humano die: sed neque meipsum iudico.
4 Nihil enim mihi conscius sum: sed non in hoc iustificatus sum: qui autem iudicat me, Dominus est.
5 Itaque nolite ante tempus iudicare, quoadusque veniat Dominus: qui et illuminabit abscondita tenebrarum, et manifestabit consilia cordium: et tunc laus erit unicuique a Deo.
6 Hæc autem, fratres, transfiguravi in me et Apollo, propter vos: ut in nobis discatis, ne supra quam scriptum est, unus adversus alterum infletur pro alio.
7 Quis enim te discernit? Quid autem habes quod non accepisti? Si autem accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis?
8 Iam saturati estis, iam divites facti estis: sine nobis regnatis: et utinam regnetis, ut et nos vobiscum regnemus.
9 Puto enim quod Deus nos Apostolos novissimos ostendit, tamquam morti destinatos: quia spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et Angelis, et hominibus.
10 Nos stulti propter Christum, vos autem prudentes in Christo: nos infirmi, vos autem fortes: vos nobiles, nos autem ignobiles.
11 Usque in hanc horam et esurimus, et sitimus, et nudi sumus, et colaphis cædimur, et instabiles sumus,
12 et laboramus operantes manibus nostris: maledicimur, et benedicimus: persecutionem patimur, et sustinemus:
13 blasphemamur, et obsecramus: tamquam purgamenta huius mundi facti sumus, omnium peripsema usque adhuc.
14 Non ut confundam vos, hæc scribo, sed ut filios meos charissimos moneo.
15 Nam si decem millia pædagogorum habeatis in Christo: sed non multos patres. Nam in Christo Iesu per Evangelium ego vos genui.
16 Rogo ergo vos, imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi.
17 Ideo misi ad vos Timotheum, qui est filius meus charissimus, et fidelis in Domino: qui vos commonefaciet vias meas, quæ sunt in Christo Iesu, sicut ubique in omni Ecclesia doceo.
18 Tamquam non venturus sim ad vos, sic inflati sunt quidam.
19 Veniam autem ad vos cito, si Dominus voluerit: et cognoscam non sermonem eorum, qui inflati sunt, sed virtutem.
20 Non enim in sermone est regnum Dei, sed in virtute.
21 Quid vultis? in virga veniam ad vos, an in charitate, et spiritu mansuetudinis?

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 Let a man so reckon us as officers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God,
2 and as to the rest, it is required in the stewards that one may be found faithful,
3 and to me it is for a very little thing that by you I may be judged, or by man's day, but not even myself do I judge,
4 for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right--and he who is discerning me is the Lord:
5 so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from God.
6 And these things, brethren, I did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other,
7 for who doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received?
8 Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together,
9 for I think that God did set forth us the apostles last--as appointed to death, because a spectacle we became to the world, and messengers, and men;
10 we <FI>are<Fi> fools because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we <FI>are<Fi> ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured;
11 unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,
12 and labour, working with <FI>our<Fi> own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer;
13 being spoken evil of, we entreat; as filth of the world we did become--of all things an offscouring--till now.
14 Not <FI>as<Fi> putting you to shame do I write these things, but as my beloved children I do admonish,
15 for if a myriad of child-conductors ye may have in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, through the good news, I--I did beget you;
16 I call upon you, therefore, become ye followers of me;
17 because of this I sent to you Timotheus, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways in Christ, according as everywhere in every assembly I teach.
18 And as if I were not coming unto you certain were puffed up;
19 but I will come quickly unto you, if the Lord may will, and I will know not the word of those puffed up, but the power;
20 for not in word is the reign of God, but in power?
21 what do ye wish? with a rod shall I come unto you, or in love, with a spirit also of meekness?

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).