The Bible — World English Bible
1 Corinthians 4
In brief
In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul addresses a divided church that has begun to judge and compare its leaders. He presents himself with Apollos as a simple servant of Christ, entrusted with the mysteries of God, from whom faithfulness is expected first. The only judge is the Lord. Paul then dismantles the Corinthians' pride with a question that sums up the chapter, “What do you have that you didn't receive?”, and contrasts their comfort with the sufferings of the apostles. He ends as a father warning his children and announces his coming.
The chapter in 5 parts
1So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.
2Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s judgment. Yes, I don’t judge my own self.
4For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
6Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.
7For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8You are already filled. You have already become rich. You have come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.
10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.
11Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.
12We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.
13Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
14I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.
16I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.
17Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every assembly.
18Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.
21What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
Key verses
Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
What is required of someone who manages another's goods is neither talent nor success, but faithfulness. Paul's standard for a servant of God is simple and within everyone's reach.
For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
Paul lets himself be judged neither by others nor by himself: a clear conscience is not enough to justify him. Final judgment belongs to the Lord, who brings to light what is hidden, including the intentions of the heart.
For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
A question that defuses pride: gifts, intelligence, faith, opportunities, everything we have is received. If everything is received, there is no room for boasting or comparing.
We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.
Paul ironically contrasts the Corinthians, who think themselves wise and strong, with the apostles, fools and weak in the world's eyes because of Christ. The cross redefines what wisdom and strength are.
For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.
“For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.” Paul wants to examine what the proud actually produce, rather than what they say.
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Frequently asked questions about 1 Corinthians 4
What does “What do you have that you didn't receive?” mean in 1 Corinthians 4:7?
Paul asks this question of Corinthians who boasted of their gifts and their favorite teachers. It reminds us that everything we have, talents, faith, intelligence, opportunities, is received from God. So there is nothing to boast about, and nothing to compare with others. It is one of the verses most often quoted against pride.
What does it mean to be a steward of the mysteries of God?
A steward is a manager, someone who administers a master's goods. For Paul, the mysteries of God are the truths of the gospel that God has revealed. Servants of Christ are entrusted with passing them on faithfully without taking them as their own, and what is asked of them is faithfulness, not success.
Why is Paul sarcastic toward the Corinthians?
In verses 8 to 10, Paul deliberately exaggerates: the Corinthians think they are already full, rich and kings. This irony is meant to help them see their pride. He follows it with an honest portrait of the apostles, who endure hunger, contempt and weariness. He then explains that his aim is not to shame them, but to warn them as a father.
What does “God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power” mean?
In verse 20, Paul distinguishes what people say from what God actually produces in a life. For some, power means visible signs of God at work. Others stress a transformed life, marked by holiness and love. Christian traditions speak of it with different emphases, but all agree that fine words are not enough.
Articles quoting 1 Corinthians 4
World English Bible translation — public domain.