1 KORINTIËRS 4

Paulus praat oor sy verhouding met die Korintiërs

1 Dit beteken dat julle ons moet beskou as blote diensknegte van Christus. Ja, as mense wat God se diepsinnige planne moet help bestuur.2 Van bestuurders word verwag dat hulle hulleself as betroubaar sal bewys.3 Wat van my? Was ek betroubaar? Dis vir my werklik nie belangrik hoe julle of enige menslike regbank my beoordeel nie. Ek vertrou selfs nie eers my eie oordeel in hierdie opsig nie!

4 My gewete is skoon, maar daarmee is ek nog nie noodwendig skotvry nie. Die Hére se oordeel oor my is al wat saak maak.

5 Julle moet dus nie voortydig 'n oordeel vel voordat die Here kom nie. Hý sal sy lig laat skyn op die dinge wat in die donker verborge lê, en Hý sal die motiewe van ons harte aan die lig bring. Dan sal God aan elkeen die lof gee wat hom of haar toekom.
6 Broers en susters, ek het myself en Apollos as voorbeelde gebruik sodat julle van ons kan leer. As julle na die Skrif luister, sal julle nie oor julle leiers teenoor mekaar spog nie.

7 Wat maak jou beter as enige ander gelowige? Wat het jy wat God nie aan jou gegee het nie? En as dit dan aan jou gegee is, hoe spog jy dan asof jy op eie houtjie presteer het?
8 Julle is so absoluut selfvoldaan! Julle dink julle is al klaar skatryk! Sonder ons het julle al klaar konings geword! Ek wens dit was werklik die geval, want dan sou ons al saam met julle op die troon gesit het!

9 Soms lyk dit vir my of God aan ons wat apostels is, die heel agterste plek in die prosessie toegeken het. Ons is soos terdoodveroordeeldes wat in die arena moet sterf, 'n skouspel waarmee die hele wêreld spot - engele sowel as mense.
10 Ons toewyding aan Christus laat ons dwaas lyk, maar julle is mos die Christene wat weet! Ons is broos, maar julle is die sterkes. Julle is die mense van aansien, maar ons is die veragtes.11 Tot nou toe ly ons honger en dors, ons is skamel aangetrek; ons word geslaan en het geen tuiste nie.12 Ons moet swoeg deur met ons eie hande te werk. Ons seën dié wat ons uitskel. Ons is geduldig met hulle wat ons vervolg.

13 Ons bly vriendelik wanneer ons beskinder word. Ons het die uitvaagsels van die wêreld geword, almal se sondebokke. En so is dit nog steeds.
14 Wat ek skryf, bedoel ek nie kwetsend nie, maar om julle te vermaan soos 'n mens maak met kinders wat jy liefhet.15 Want selfs al sou julle tienduisend ander leermeesters hê om julle omtrent Christus te onderrig, het julle net een geestelike vader. Ek het tog julle vader in Jesus Christus geword toe ek die Goeie Nuus aan julle verkondig het.

16 Daarom vra ek julle dringend: Volg my voorbeeld!

17 Ek het Timoteus juis om hierdie rede na julle toe gestuur - om julle hierin by te staan. Hy is my geliefde en betroubare kind in die Here. Hy sal julle herinner aan my Christelike optrede en onderrig, soos ek dit oral in elke gemeente doen.
18 Toe dit lyk of ek nie meer na julle toe sal kom nie, het party van julle arrogant geraak.19 Ek daag egter sommer eersdaags by julle op, as die Here wil. Dan sal ek wel uitvind of hierdie arrogante persone maar net grootpraters is, en of hulle tog oor God se krag beskik.20 Want in die koninkryk van God gaan dit nie om blote praatjies nie, maar om 'n lewe in die krag van God.

21 Wat verkies julle? Moet ek met 'n lat na julle toe kom, of in 'n gesindheid van liefde en vriendelikheid?

1 CORINTHIANS 4

The Work of the Apostles

1 Think of us as servants of Christ who have been given the work of explaining God's mysterious ways. 2 And since our first duty is to be faithful to the one we work for, 3 it doesn't matter to me if I am judged by you or even by a court of law. In fact, I don't judge myself. 4 I don't know of anything against me, but this doesn't prove I am right. The Lord is my judge.

5 So don't judge anyone until the Lord returns. He will show what is hidden in the dark and what is in everyone's heart. Then God will be the one who praises each of us.
6 Friends, I have used Apollos and myself as examples to teach you the meaning of the saying, “Follow the rules.” I want you to stop saying one of us is better than the other. 7 What is so special about you? What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag?

8 Are you already satisfied? Are you now rich? Have you become kings while we are still nobodies? I wish you were kings. Then we could have a share in your kingdom.
9 It seems to me that God has put us apostles in the worst possible place. We are like prisoners on their way to death. Angels and the people of this world just laugh at us. 10 Because of Christ we are thought of as fools, but Christ has made you wise. We are weak and hated, but you are powerful and respected. 11 Even today we go hungry and thirsty and don't have anything to wear except rags. We are mistreated and don't have a place to live. 12 t We work hard with our own hands, and when people abuse us, we wish them well. When we suffer, we are patient.

13 When someone curses us, we answer with kind words. Until now we are thought of as nothing more than the trash and garbage of this world.
14 I am not writing to embarrass you. I want to help you, just as parents help their own dear children. 15 Ten thousand people may teach you about Christ, but I am your only father. You became my children when I told you about Christ Jesus, 16 t and I want you to be like me.

17 This is why I sent Timothy to you. I love him like a son, and he is a faithful servant of the Lord. Timothy will tell you what I do to follow Christ and how it agrees with what I always teach about Christ in every church.
18 Some of you think I am not coming for a visit, and so you are bragging. 19 But if the Lord lets me come, I will soon be there. Then I will find out if the ones who are doing all this bragging really have any power. 20 God's kingdom isn't just a lot of words. It is power. 21 What do you want me to do when I arrive? Do you want me to be hard on you or to be kind and gentle?