Servants of Christ

1Let a man so thinke of vs, as of the ministers of Christ, and disposers of the secrets of God: 2And as for the rest, it is required of the disposers, that euery man be found faithfull. 3As touching me, I passe very litle to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement: no, I iudge not mine owne selfe. 4For I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified: but he that iudgeth me, is the Lord. 5Therefore iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lorde come, who will lighten things that are hid in darkenesse, and make the counsels of the hearts manifest: and then shall euery man haue praise of God.

6Nowe these things, brethren, I haue figuratiuely applied vnto mine owne selfe and Apollos, for your sakes, that ye might learne by vs, that no man presume aboue that which is written, that one swell not against another for any mans cause. 7For who separateth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not receiued? If thou hast receiued it, why reioycest thou, as though thou haddest not receiued it?

8Nowe ye are full: nowe ye are made rich: ye reigne as kings without vs, and would to God ye did reigne, that we also might reigne with you. 9For I thinke that God hath set forth vs the last Apostles, as men appointed to death: for we are made a gasing stocke vnto the worlde, and to the Angels, and to men. 10We are fooles for Christes sake, and ye are wise in Christ: we are weake, and ye are strong: ye are honourable, and we are despised. 11Vnto this houre we both hunger, & thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and haue no certaine dwelling place, 12And labour, working with our owne handes: we are reuiled, and yet we blesse: we are persecuted, and suffer it. 13We are euill spoken of, and we pray: we are made as the filth of the world, the offskowring of all things, vnto this time.

Paul’s Fatherly Warning

14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloued children I admonish you. 15For though ye haue tenne thousand instructours in Christ, yet haue ye not many fathers: for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospel. 16Wherefore, I pray you, be ye folowers of me. 17For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timotheus, which is my beloued sonne, and faithfull in the Lord, which shall put you in remembrance of my wayes in Christ as I teache euery where in euery Church. 18Some are puffed vp as though I woulde not come vnto you. 19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lorde will, and will knowe, not the wordes of them which are puffed vp, but the power. 20For the kingdome of God is not in worde, but in power. 21What will ye? shall I come vnto you with a rod, or in loue, & in ye spirite of meekenes?