Servants of Christ

4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² In this case, moreover, it is required ^[a]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. ³ But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[b]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴ For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore do not go on ^[c]passing judgment before ^[d]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.

⁶ Now 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 ^[e]arrogant in behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For 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?

⁸ You 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. ⁹ For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, ^[f]both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We 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. ¹¹ To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; ¹² and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are slandered, we try to ^[g]conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For 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. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. ¹⁷ For 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. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^[h]arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹ But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[i]words of those who are arrogant but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does not consist in ^[j]words but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

4 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. ² So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. ³ But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

⁴ I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is ^[a]vanity and striving after wind. ⁵ The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. ⁶ One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

⁷ Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. ⁸ There was a certain man without a ^[b]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰ For if ^[c]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[d]another to lift him up. ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[e]keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[f]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

¹³ A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[g]instruction. ¹⁴ For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who ^[h]replaces him. ¹⁶ There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.