Apostles of Christ
1 You should think of us as Christ's servants, who have been put in charge of God's secret truths. 2 The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master. 3 Now, I am not at all concerned about being judged by you or by any human standard; I don't even pass judgment on myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgment on me. 5 So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.
6 For your sake, my friends, I have applied all this to Apollos and me, using the two of us as an example, so that you may learn what the saying means, “Observe the proper rules.” None of you should be proud of one person and despise another. 7 Who made you superior to others? Didn't God give you everything you have? Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift?
8 Do you already have everything you need? Are you already rich? Have you become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we could be kings together with you. 9 For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings. 10 For Christ's sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honored! 11 To this very moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are clothed in rags; we are beaten; we wander from place to place; 12 we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world's garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!
14 I write this to you, not because I want to make you feel ashamed, but to instruct you as my own dear children. 15 For even if you have ten thousand guardians in your Christian life, you have only one father. For in your life in union with Christ Jesus I have become your father by bringing the Good News to you. 16 I beg you, then, to follow my example. 17 For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the principles which I follow in the new life in union with Christ Jesus and which I teach in all the churches everywhere.
18 Some of you have become proud because you have thought that I would not be coming to visit you. 19 If the Lord is willing, however, I will come to you soon, and then I will find out for myself the power which these proud people have, and not just what they say. 20 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power. 21 Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in a spirit of love and gentleness?
1 Let a man so thinke of vs, as of the ministers of Christ, and disposers of the secrets of God: 2 And as for the rest, it is required of the disposers, that euery man be found faithfull. 3 As touching me, I passe very litle to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement: no, I iudge not mine owne selfe. 4 For I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified: but he that iudgeth me, is the Lord. 5 Therefore iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lord come, who will lighten things that are hid in darkenesse, and make the counsels of the hearts manifest: and then shall euery man haue praise of God. 6 Nowe these things, brethren, I haue figuratiuely applied vnto mine owne selfe and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye might learne by vs, that no man presume aboue that which is written, that one swell not against another for any mans cause. 7 For who separateth thee? and what hast thou, that thou hast not receiued? if thou hast receiued it, why reioycest thou, as though thou haddest not receiued it? 8 Nowe ye are full: nowe ye are made rich: ye reigne as kings without vs, and would to God ye did reigne, that we also might reigne with you. 9 For I thinke that God hath set forth vs the last Apostles, as men appointed to death: for we are made a gasing stocke vnto the worlde, and to the Angels, and to men. 10 We are fooles for Christes sake, and ye are wise in Christ: we are weake, and ye are strong: ye are honourable, and we are despised. 11 Vnto this houre we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and haue no certaine dwelling place, 12 And labour, working with our owne handes: we are reuiled, and yet we blesse: we are persecuted, and suffer it. 13 We are euill spoken of, and we pray: we are made as the filth of the world, the offskowring of all things, vnto this time. 14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloued children I admonish you. 15 For though ye haue tenne thousand instructours in Christ, yet haue ye not many fathers: for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospel. 16 Wherefore, I pray you, be ye folowers of me. 17 For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timotheus, which is my beloued sonne, and faithfull in the Lord, which shall put you in remembrance of my wayes in Christ as I teache euery where in euery Church. 18 Some are puffed vp as though I woulde not come vnto you. 19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will knowe, not the wordes of them which are puffed vp, but the power. 20 For the kingdome of God is not in worde, but in power. 21 What will ye? shall I come vnto you with a rod, or in loue, and in ye spirite of meekenes?