Servants of Christ

1Let a man so account of us, as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Now it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3But to me it is of very small moment to be judged by you, or by any man's judgement; nor indeed do I judge myself: 4(for I am conscious to myself of nothing; though I am not hereby justified;) but He that judgeth me is the Lord. 5Wherefore judge nothing before the time; even until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every one have praise from God.

6These things, my brethren, I have by a figure transferred to myself, and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye may learn in us not to be wise above what is written, that ye may not be puffed up for one against another. 7For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou, which thou didst not receive? And if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?

8Ye are now full, ye are now rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I wish ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9For it seems to me that God hath as it were exhibited us the apostles last upon the stage as appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ: we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honoured, but we are despised. 11Even to this present time we suffer both hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling: 12and we labour working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless: when persecuted, we bear it: when defamed, we intreat. 13We are made as the filth of the world, and the refuse of all things to this day.

Paul’s Fatherly Warning

14I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I admonish you: 15for if ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you by the gospel. 16I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me. 17For this end have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who will bring to your remembrance my ways in Christ, how I teach every where in every church. 18Now some are puffed up, as if I would not come to you. 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord please, and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power: 20for the kingdom of God consisteth not in speech, but in power. 21What do ye chuse? that I should come to you with a rod? or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?