True Apostles of Christ
1So here is how you should think of us. We serve Christ. We are trusted with the mysteries God has shown us. 2Those who have been given a trust must prove that they are faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court. I don’t even judge myself. 4I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. But that doesn’t mean I’m not guilty. The Lord judges me. 5So don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord returns. He will bring to light what is hidden in the dark. He will show the real reasons why people do what they do. At that time each person will receive their praise from God.
6Brothers and sisters, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to help you. You can learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Don’t go beyond what is written.” Then you won’t be proud that you follow one of us instead of the other. 7Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you brag as though you did not?
8You already have everything you want, don’t you? Have you already become rich? Have you already begun to rule? And did you do that without us? I wish that you really had begun to rule. Then we could also rule with you! 9It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of a parade. We are like people sentenced to die in front of a crowd. We have been made a show for the whole creation to see. Angels and people are staring at us. 10We are fools for Christ. But you are so wise in Christ! We are weak. But you are so strong! You are honored. But we are looked down on! 11Up to this very hour we are hungry and thirsty. We are dressed in rags. We are being treated badly. We have no homes. 12We work hard with our own hands. When others curse us, we bless them. When we are attacked, we put up with it. 13When others say bad things about us, we answer with kind words. We have become the world’s garbage. We are everybody’s trash, right up to this moment.
Paul Warns Against Pride
14I am not writing this to shame you. You are my dear children, and I want to warn you. 15Suppose you had 10,000 believers in Christ watching over you. You still wouldn’t have many fathers. I became your father by serving Christ Jesus and telling you the good news. 16So I’m asking you to follow my example. 17That’s the reason I have sent Timothy to you. He is like a son to me, and I love him. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in serving Christ Jesus. And that agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18Some of you have become proud. You act as if I weren’t coming to you. 19But I will come very soon, if that’s what the Lord wants. Then I will find out how those proud people are talking. I will also find out what power they have. 20The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. It is a matter of power. 21Which do you want? Should I come to you to correct and punish you? Or should I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Abatume ba Kristo
14:1 a 1Ko 9:17; Tit 1:7 b Bar 16:25Omuntu asaanidde atulabe ng’abaweereza ba Kristo era abawanika b’ebyama bya Katonda. 2Ate era omuwanika kimugwanira okuba omuntu omwesigwa. 3Naye gye ndi ekyo kintu kitono nnyo mmwe okunsalira omusango oba omuntu yenna ku lunaku olw’okusalirako omusango; nange sseesalira musango. 44:4 Bar 2:13Kubanga nze seemanyiiko nsonga yonna, wabula ekyo tekimpeesa butuukirivu, naye ansalira omusango ye Mukama waffe. 54:5 a Mat 7:1, 2; Bar 2:1 b Bar 2:29Noolwekyo temusalanga musango ekiseera nga tekinnatuuka okutuusa Mukama waffe lw’alijja, alimulisa ebyakwekebwa eby’ekizikiza, n’ayolesa n’ebigendererwa by’omutima, buli muntu n’alyoka atendebwa Katonda.
64:6 a 1Ko 1:19, 31; 3:19, 20 b 1Ko 1:12Kaakano abooluganda ebintu ebyo mbigeredde ku nze ne ku Apolo ku lwammwe, mulyoke muyigire ku ffe obutasukkanga ku byawandiikibwa, omuntu omu alemenga okwegulumiza ng’anyooma omulala. 74:7 Yk 3:27; Bar 12:3, 6Kubanga ani akwawula? Era mulina kye mutaaweebwa? Kale obanga ddala mwaweebwa, kiki ate ekibenyumirizisa ng’abataakifuna? 84:8 Kub 3:17, 18Mwakkuta dda n’okugaggawala ne mugaggawala, era ne mufuuka bakabaka awatali ffe; naye nandyagadde mufuuke bakabaka, naffe tulyoke tufuukire wamu bakabaka nammwe. 94:9 a Bar 8:36 b Beb 10:33Kubanga ndowooza nga ffe abatume, Katonda yatuteeka ku nkomerero ng’abasibe abalindirira okuttibwa, kubanga twafuulibwa ekyerolerwa eri ensi, eri bamalayika n’eri abantu. 104:10 a 1Ko 1:18; Bik 17:18 b 1Ko 3:18 c 1Ko 2:3Tuli basirusiru ku bwa Kristo, naye mmwe muli bagezi mu Kristo; Ffe tuli banafu naye mmwe muli ba maanyi! Mmwe muli ba kitiibwa naye ffe tunyoomebwa. 114:11 Bar 8:35; 2Ko 11:23-27Era ne mu kiseera kino tulumwa enjala n’ennyonta nga tetulina na kyakwambala, tukubibwa era tubungeeta bubungeesi. 124:12 a Bik 18:3 b 1Pe 3:9Tutegana nga tukola emirimu n’emikono gyaffe; tusabira emikisa abo abatukolimira; bwe tuyigganyizibwa tugumiikiriza; 134:13 Kgb 3:45abo abatuvuma tubaddamu ne gonjebwa. Era n’okutuusa kaakano tuli ng’ebisooto mu bigere era tuli ng’ebisaaniiko.
144:14 1Bs 2:11Siwandiika bintu bino lwa kubaswaza naye lwa kubabuulirira ng’abaana bange abaagalwa. 154:15 1Ko 9:12, 14, 18, 23Kubanga newaakubadde mulina abalala nkumi na nkumi ababayigiriza ebya Kristo, naye mujjukirenga nga mulina bakitammwe batono. Kubanga nze mbazaala mu Kristo olw’enjiri. 164:16 1Ko 11:1; Baf 3:17; 1Bs 1:6; 2Bs 3:7, 9Noolwekyo mbongeramu amaanyi mulabire ku nze. 174:17 a 1Ti 1:2 b 1Ko 7:17Kyennava mbatumira Timoseewo omwana wange omwesigwa era omwagalwa mu Mukama waffe, anaabajjukizanga ebyo bye ngoberera mu Kristo Yesu nga bwe njigiriza wonna wonna mu buli Kkanisa.
18Naye waliwo abamu mu mmwe abeekuluntaza nga balowooza nti sigenda kujja gye muli. 194:19 a 2Ko 1:15, 16 b Bik 18:21Naye nzija mangu, Mukama bw’anaasiima ndyoke mmanye amaanyi g’abo abeekuluntaza so si mu bigambo obugambo. 20Kubanga obwakabaka bwa Katonda tebuli mu kwogera bwogezi, wabula mu maanyi. 214:21 2Ko 1:23; 13:2, 10Kiruwa kye mwagala? Nzije n’omuggo, oba nzije na kwagala n’omwoyo ogw’obuwombeefu?
