1 Corinthians 4

Officers of Christ, household managers of God’s mysteries — what is sought is faithfulness. The one who examines me is the Lord — judge nothing before the time. Chapter 3’s figures reshaped onto Paul and Apollos — not beyond what is written, not puffed up. What do you have that you did not receive? Those already filled and reigning, and the apostles exhibited last — a spectacle, hungry, thirsty, naked, beaten, homeless, the world’s refuse. Ten thousand tutors but not many fathers — I begot you through the gospel. Imitate me. Timothy is sent. With a staff, or in a spirit of gentleness?

Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ.

Thus let a man reckon us: as officers of Christ and household managers of the mysteries of God.

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

Why this rendering

1Cor.4.1 Observation

Syntactic observation

Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ … ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με κύριός ἐστιν — let a man reckon us as officers of Christ and household managers of the mysteries of God … the one examining me is the Lord. ὑπηρέτης is the ‘officer’ of John 18:3 and Acts 5:22 — the word for the lower functionaries of court and temple, and Paul uses it of himself and Apollos. οἰκονόμος is the ‘household manager’ of Luke 16:1. ἀνακρίνω comes four times in vv.3-4 — the ‘examine’ of 2:14-15 (one word with Pilate’s ‘examined’ in Luke 23:14), and ‘a human day’ (ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας) is the human court set against the day when ‘the Lord comes’ in v.5 — the text says ‘day’, not ‘court’, and the rendering keeps ‘day’. σύνοιδα (Acts 5:2, ‘his wife also knowing’) is ‘know with’ — ‘I know nothing against myself’ means nothing weighs on his conscience.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“officers” — ὑπηρέτης as fixed

Basis The word of John 18:3 and Acts 5:22; Paul chose the word for a lower official.

“servants / ministers”

Basis The familiar renderings.

Rejected ‘Slave’ is δοῦλος, ‘servant’ is διάκονος (3:5), ‘worker’ is ἐργάτης — the text chose a different word from 3:5.

Lost in translation

ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας — that ‘a human day’ means a court shows only against the Lord’s day of v.5.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

⸀ὧδε λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ.

Here, for the rest, it is sought in household managers that one be found faithful.

ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ὑφ’ ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας· ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω·

But to me it is the least thing that I should be examined by you or by a human day; indeed I do not even examine myself.

οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι, ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με κύριός ἐστιν.

For I know nothing against myself, yet not by this am I justified; but the one examining me is the Lord.

ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν, καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.

So do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both give light to the hidden things of the dark and manifest the purposes of the hearts; and then the commendation will come to each from God.

Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ ⸀Ἀπολλῶν δι’ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τό· Μὴ ὑπὲρ ⸀ἃ ⸀γέγραπται, ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου.

Now these things, brothers, I have reshaped onto myself and Apollos for your sake, so that in us you may learn the “Not beyond what is written,” so that you may not be puffed up, one on behalf of one against the other.

Why this rendering

1Cor.4.6 Observation

Syntactic observation

Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλῶν δι’ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τό· Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται, ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου — these things I have reshaped onto myself and Apollos … so that you may learn the “Not beyond what is written” … that you may not be puffed up. μετασχηματίζω is a verb of σχῆμα (shape), like συσχηματίζομαι in Rom 12:2 (be conformed) — Paul says he has reshaped the figures of chapter 3 (planter, builder) onto himself and Apollos. In τό· Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται the article τό wraps the whole phrase like quotation marks — the text does not say what ‘Not beyond what is written’ refers to (scripture, a proverb, the quotations of the earlier chapters), and this edition keeps it in quotation marks to leave that open. φυσιόω is the picture of inflating with a bellows, ‘be puffed up’ — a word of this letter (4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4). The base text marks ⸀ἃ ⸀γέγραπται as variants.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“Not beyond what is written” — quoted, not explained

Basis The article τό frames the phrase as a quotation; the text does not say what it refers to.

“not to go beyond what is written in Scripture”

Basis Reading γέγραπται as the scriptural quotations of the earlier chapters.

Rejected No ‘Scripture’ in the text; it closes to one reading.

Lost in translation

The σχῆμα (shape) in μετασχηματίζω — one root with Rom 12:2 ‘be conformed’; ‘reshape’ keeps the shape.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει; τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;

For who distinguishes you? And 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?

Ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν.

Already you are filled, already you have become rich, without us you have reigned — and would that you did reign, so that we also might reign together with you.

δοκῶ ⸀γάρ, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους, ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις.

For I think God has exhibited us the apostles as last, as sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

Why this rendering

1Cor.4.9 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους, ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ … ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα — God has exhibited us the apostles as last, as sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world … we have become the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all. ἀποδείκνυμι is the verb of Acts 2:22 (‘demonstrated’) and 25:7 (‘prove’); here the picture is of being set at the end of a procession, so ‘exhibit’ at this site. θέατρον is the word of the Ephesian ‘theatre’ in Acts 19:29 — here not the building but the show inside it. ἐπιθανάτιος, περικάθαρμα and περίψημα each occur only here in the New Testament — the last two are ‘what is cleaned off all round’ and ‘what is wiped off all round’, the residue left after cleaning. In the three contrasts of v.10 (foolish/prudent, weak/strong, glorious/without honour), ἄτιμος is the word of Matt 13:57, ‘a prophet is not without honour except …’ (Mark 6:4 was realigned to the same rendering the same day). Verses 11-13 are a list of twelve present-tense verbs; the text’s present is kept present.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“spectacle” — θέατρον at this site

Basis One word with the ‘theatre’ of Acts 19:29, here meaning the show rather than the building — a site rule.

“theatre” kept

Basis One word, one rendering.

Rejected ‘We have become a theatre’ says in Korean and English that they became a building.

Lost in translation

θέατρον — ‘theatre’ (Acts 19:29) and ‘spectacle’ here are one word.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

The prefix ‘all round’ in περικάθαρμα · περίψημα — ‘refuse · offscouring’ keep the scouring, not the ‘all round’.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι.

We are foolish for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are glorious, but we are without honour.

ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν καὶ διψῶμεν καὶ γυμνιτεύομεν καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν

Until the present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are struck with fists and are homeless,

καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν· λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν, διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα,

and we labour, working with our own hands. Reviled, we bless; persecuted, we bear with it;

⸀δυσφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν· ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι.

defamed, we exhort. We have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all, until now.

Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα, ἀλλ’ ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ ⸀νουθετῶν·

I do not write these things to shame you, but admonishing you as my beloved children.

ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλ’ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας, ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα.

For though you may have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus through the gospel I begot you.

first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous

παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε.

I exhort you, then: become imitators of me.

διὰ τοῦτο ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον, ὅς ἐστίν ⸂μου τέκνον⸃ ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν κυρίῳ, ὃς ὑμᾶς ἀναμνήσει τὰς ὁδούς μου τὰς ἐν Χριστῷ ⸀Ἰησοῦ, καθὼς πανταχοῦ ἐν πάσῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ διδάσκω.

For this reason I sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every assembly.

ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου δέ μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐφυσιώθησάν τινες·

Now some have been puffed up, as if I were not coming to you;

ἐλεύσομαι δὲ ταχέως πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν,

but I will come to you quickly, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power.

οὐ γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλ’ ἐν δυνάμει.

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

τί θέλετε; ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραΰτητος;

What do you want? Shall I come to you with a staff, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?