1 KOR. 4
Huduma ya Mitume
1 tMtu na atuhesabu hivi, kuwa tu watumishi wa Kristo, na mawakili wa siri za Mungu. 2 tHapo tena inayohitajiwa katika mawakili, ndiyo mtu aonekane kuwa mwaminifu. 3 Lakini, kwangu mimi, si kitu kabisa nihukumiwe na ninyi, wala kwa hukumu ya kibinadamu, wala sijihukumu hata nafsi yangu. 4 tMaana sijui sababu ya kujishitaki nafsi yangu, lakini sihesabiwi haki kwa ajili hiyo; ila anihukumuye mimi ni Bwana.
5 tBasi ninyi msihukumu neno kabla ya wakati wake, hata ajapo Bwana; ambaye atayamulikisha yaliyositirika ya giza, na kuyadhihirisha mashauri ya mioyo; ndipo kila mtu atakapoipata sifa yake kwa Mungu.
6 tBasi ndugu, mambo hayo nimeyafanya kuwa mfano wa mimi na Apolo kwa ajili yenu, ili kwamba kwa mfano wetu mpate kujifunza kutokupita yale yaliyoandikwa; ili mmoja wenu asijivune kwa ajili ya huyu, kinyume cha mwenziwe. 7 tMaana ni nani anayekupambanua na mwingine? Nawe una nini usichokipokea? Lakini iwapo ulipokea, wajisifia nini kana kwamba hukupokea? 8 tMmekwisha kushiba, mmekwisha kupata utajiri, mmemiliki pasipo sisi. Naam, laiti mngemiliki, ili sisi nasi tumiliki pamoja nanyi! 9 tMaana nadhani ya kuwa Mungu ametutoa sisi mitume mwisho, kama watu waliohukumiwa wauawe; kwa sababu tumekuwa tamasha kwa dunia; kwa malaika na wanadamu. 10 tSisi tu wapumbavu kwa ajili ya Kristo, lakini ninyi ni wenye akili katika Kristo; sisi tu dhaifu, lakini ninyi mna nguvu; ninyi mna utukufu, lakini sisi hatupati heshima. 11 tHata saa hii ya sasa, tuna njaa na kiu, tu uchi, twapigwa ngumi, tena hatuna makao; 12 tkisha twataabika tukifanya kazi kwa mikono yetu wenyewe. Tukitukanwa twabariki, tukiudhiwa twastahimili;
13 ttukisingiziwa twasihi; tumefanywa kama takataka za dunia, na tama ya vitu vyote hata sasa.
14 Siyaandiki hayo ili kuwatahayarisha; bali kuwaonya kama watoto niwapendao. 15 tKwa kuwa ijapokuwa mna waalimu kumi elfu katika Kristo, walakini hamna baba wengi. Maana mimi ndimi niliyewazaa katika Kristo Yesu kwa njia ya Injili. 16 tBasi, nawasihi mnifuate mimi. 17 tKwa sababu hii nimemtuma Timotheo kwenu, aliye mwanangu mpendwa, mwaminifu katika Bwana, atakayewakumbusha njia zangu zilizo katika Kristo, kama vile nifundishavyo kila mahali katika kila kanisa. 18 Basi wengine wamejivuna kana kwamba siji kwenu. 19 tLakini nitakuja kwenu upesi, nikijaliwa, nami nitafahamu, si neno lao tu waliojivuna, bali nguvu zao. 20 tMaana ufalme wa Mungu hauwi katika neno, bali katika nguvu. 21 Mnataka vipi? Nije kwenu na fimbo, au nije katika upendo na roho ya upole?
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?