| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. | 1This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. |
| 2In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. | 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. |
| 3But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. | 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. |
| 4For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. | 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. |
| 5Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. | 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. |
| 6Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. | 6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. |
| 7For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? | 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? |
| 8You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. | 8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign--and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! |
| 9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. | 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. |
| 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. | 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! |
| 11To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; | 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. |
| 12and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; | 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; |
| 13when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. | 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world--right up to this moment. |
| 14I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. | 14I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. |
| 15For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. | 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. |
| 16Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. | 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. |
| 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. | 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. |
| 18Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. | 18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. |
| 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. | 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. |
| 20For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. | 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. |
| 21What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? | 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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