Stewards answerable to the Lord
1So let people regard us as servants of the Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2And what is asked of stewards is that each be found faithful. 3It matters very little to me that I am examined by you or by any human court; I do not even examine myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that is not what acquits me: the one who examines me is the Lord. 5So pass no judgment before the time, before the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in the dark and lay bare the intentions of hearts, and then each will receive praise from God. 6Brothers and sisters, I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your sake, so that through us you may learn the rule “Nothing beyond what is written,” and none of you may be puffed up in favor of one man against another. 7Who sees anything special in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why boast as though you had not?
Kings already, while the apostles come last
8Already you have all you want! Already you are rich! You have come into your kingdom without us! I only wish you really had come into it, so that we might reign with you. 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on last of all, like men condemned to die: we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to human beings. 10We are fools for the Christ’s sake, you are shrewd in Christ; we are weak, you are strong; you are honored, we are held in contempt. 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, roughly handled, homeless. 12We wear ourselves out working with our own hands. Cursed, we bless; hounded, we endure; 13slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the rubbish of the world, the scrapings of everything, to this day.
A father writing to his children
14I am not writing this to shame you, but to set you straight as my dear children. 15For even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers: in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16So I urge you: follow my example. 17That is why I have sent you Timothy, my dear and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach them everywhere, in every church. 18Some of you have grown puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and then I will find out not the talk of these puffed-up people but their power. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21Which do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a gentle spirit?
