1 Corinthians 4: Stewards of God's Mysteries
Paul portrays the apostles as humble, suffering stewards, rebukes the church's pride, and writes as a father longing to come to them.
1 Corinthians 4 (WEB)
1 So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.
2 Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s judgment. Yes, I don’t judge my own self.
4 For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
6 Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.
7 For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But 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 come to reign without us. Yes, and I wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.
11 Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.
12 We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.
13 Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
14 I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News.
16 I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.
17 Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every assembly.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
1 Corinthians 4 (KJV)
1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
1 Corinthians 4 (ASV)
1 Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.
7 For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?
8 Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have come to reign without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;
12 and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
13 being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel.
16 I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.
17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
Summary
Paul asks the Corinthians to regard him and his fellow workers simply as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries, of whom only one thing is required—faithfulness. He is unconcerned about human verdicts on his ministry, for the Lord is his true judge, and final judgment must wait until Christ comes to bring hidden things to light. Then Paul turns the spotlight back on the church's pride. They act as though they have already arrived—already rich, already reigning like kings—while the apostles are displayed last of all, like men sentenced to death, made a spectacle to the world. The contrast is sharp and ironic: we are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise; we are weak, hungry, beaten, homeless, reviled, persecuted, and treated as the world's refuse, while you are honored and strong. Yet Paul writes not to shame them but to admonish them as his beloved children, for though they have countless guardians, he became their father through the gospel. He urges them to imitate him and is sending Timothy to remind them of his ways. To the arrogant who assumed he would not visit, he warns that the kingdom of God is not in talk but in power, and asks whether he should come with a rod or in love and gentleness.
Main Characters
- Paul — The apostle and spiritual father who describes himself as a lowly, suffering steward of God, appealing to the church in love rather than shame.
- The apostles — Christ's servants, displayed last of all like men condemned to death, weak and dishonored for the sake of the gospel.
- The proud Corinthians — Believers puffed up with a sense of having already arrived, who must be reminded that the kingdom is power, not mere words.
- Timothy — Paul's beloved and faithful child in the Lord, sent to remind the church of Paul's ways in Christ.
Key Verse
1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB)
Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.
Lessons Learned
- The one thing required of God's servants is faithfulness, not human approval.
- Final judgment belongs to the Lord, who will bring hidden motives to light.
- Genuine apostolic ministry is marked by lowliness and suffering, not status.
- Spiritual leaders correct best as loving fathers, not as harsh critics.
- Faithfulness is the standard. “It is required of stewards, that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2, WEB). God measures servants by faithfulness, not fame or success.
- Leave the verdict to the Lord. “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes” (1 Corinthians 4:5, WEB). He alone reveals hidden things and gives fitting praise.
- Everything we have is received. “What do you have that you didn’t receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7, WEB). Since all is a gift, boasting makes no sense.
- The kingdom is power, not talk. “For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20, WEB). Real spirituality shows itself in transformed life, not bluster.
- What does it mean to think of leaders as stewards required to be faithful?
- Why does Paul refuse to be overly concerned with human judgments of his ministry?
- How does the contrast between the suffering apostles and the comfortable Corinthians expose their pride?
- What is the difference between admonishing as a father and merely shaming someone?
- What in your life have you received as a gift that you are tempted to boast in as if you earned it?
- A steward manages what belongs to another, so success is measured by faithfulness to the master, not by applause (4:1-2). This frees servants from chasing approval and keeps them accountable to God rather than to public opinion.
- Human verdicts, including Paul's own self-assessment, are not the final word; only the Lord's judgment at Christ's coming truly counts (4:3-5). Resting in that future verdict releases us from being ruled by others' praise or criticism.
- The apostles are hungry, beaten, and reviled while the Corinthians feel rich and kingly (4:8-13). The irony exposes a church that has confused worldly comfort with spiritual arrival, when the path of Christ is the path of the cross.
- Paul corrects them as beloved children, not to humiliate but to restore (4:14-15). A father's discipline aims at growth and is rooted in love, which is the right spirit for all godly correction.
- This is a personal-application question. Everything good in us is received (4:7), so invite members to name a talent, opportunity, or blessing they treat as self-made, and to turn pride into gratitude. Keep the tone warm and freeing.