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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>1 Corinthians 4 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_corinthians/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_corinthians/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > 1 Corinthians 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_corinthians/3.htm" title="1 Corinthians 3">◄</a> 1 Corinthians 4 <a href="../1_corinthians/5.htm" title="1 Corinthians 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">The Work of the Apostles</h3><p class="par"><span class="v46_4_1"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.1" class="v46_4_1">1</span>Think of us as servants of Christ who have been given the work of explaining God's mysterious ways. </span><span class="v46_4_2"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.2" class="v46_4_2">2</span>And since our first duty is to be faithful to the one we work for, </span><span class="v46_4_3"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.3" class="v46_4_3">3</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_4"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.4" class="v46_4_4">4</span>I don't know of anything against me, but this doesn't prove I am right. The Lord is my judge. </span><span class="v46_4_5"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.5" class="v46_4_5">5</span>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.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v46_4_6"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.6" class="v46_4_6">6</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_7"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.7" class="v46_4_7">7</span>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? </span><span class="v46_4_8"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.8" class="v46_4_8">8</span>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.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v46_4_9"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.9" class="v46_4_9">9</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_10"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.10" class="v46_4_10">10</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_11"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.11" class="v46_4_11">11</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_12"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.12" class="v46_4_12">12</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Cor.4.12!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> We work hard with our own hands, and when people abuse us, we wish them well. When we suffer, we are patient. </span><span class="v46_4_13"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.13" class="v46_4_13">13</span>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.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v46_4_14"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.14" class="v46_4_14">14</span>I am not writing to embarrass you. I want to help you, just as parents help their own dear children. </span><span class="v46_4_15"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.15" class="v46_4_15">15</span>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, </span><span class="v46_4_16"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.16" class="v46_4_16">16</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Cor.4.16!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> and I want you to be like me. </span><span class="v46_4_17"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.17" class="v46_4_17">17</span>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.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v46_4_18"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.18" class="v46_4_18">18</span>Some of you think I am not coming for a visit, and so you are bragging. </span><span class="v46_4_19"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.19" class="v46_4_19">19</span>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. </span><span class="v46_4_20"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.20" class="v46_4_20">20</span>God's kingdom isn't just a lot of words. It is power. </span><span class="v46_4_21"><span class="reftext" id="1Cor.4.21" class="v46_4_21">21</span>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?</span></p> </div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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