1 Corinthians 4
The full text of 1 Corinthians 4 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 So then, people should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.
2 Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; in fact, I do not even judge myself.
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
5 So do not judge anything before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one against another.
7 For 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?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish you really had begun to reign, so that we also might reign with you!
9 For 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.
10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored!
11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.
15 For even 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.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, which agree with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
19 But 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.
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
Translation notes (4)
- 1 Corinthians 4:3a The Greek phrase "by any human day" is an idiom that refers to a human day of judgment or court.
- 1 Corinthians 4:6a The Greek word metaschEmatisa means "I have figuratively applied" these matters to Paul and Apollos as examples.
- 1 Corinthians 4:6b The Greek phrase translated "Do not go beyond what is written" is obscure and may be a proverb or a quotation that Paul expects his readers to recognize.
- 1 Corinthians 4:13a Some early manuscripts read "when we are blasphemed" instead of "when we are slandered."
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Greek and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including 1 Corinthians, are free to read on this site.
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