The Nature of True Apostleship
1This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
Paul’s Appeal and Warning
14I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Kristo Asomafoɔ
1Ɛsɛ sɛ mobu yɛn sɛ Kristo asomfoɔ a wɔde Onyankopɔn ahintasɛm a ɛyɛ nokorɛ no ahyɛ yɛn nsa. 2Adeɛ baako a wɔrehwehwɛ afiri onipa a wɔde ahintasɛm no ahyɛ ne nsa no ne sɛ, ɔbɛdi ne wura no nokorɛ. 3Sɛ mo anaa onipa bi bu me atɛn seesei a ɛmfa me ho. Mʼankasa nso memmu me ho atɛn. 4Mʼadwene mu yɛ fann, nanso ɛno nkyerɛ sɛ medi bem fitaa. Awurade nko ara na ɔbu me atɛn. 5Enti, ɛnsɛ sɛ obiara bu ne yɔnko atɛn kɔsi sɛ ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ bɛba. Awurade ba mu no na wɔbɛbu atɛn a ɛtwa toɔ. Ɔbɛda deɛ ahinta wɔ sum mu no adi na wada deɛ ahinta wɔ nnipa akoma mu no nso adi. Na nkamfo a ɛsɛ sɛ onipa biara nya firi Onyankopɔn hɔ no, wɔakamfo no.
6Anuanom, mo enti mede Apolo ne me ayɛ nhwɛsoɔ, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma mo asuasɛm a ɛka sɛ, “Di mmara pa so” no. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo mu biara de onipa bi hoahoa ne ho na ɔbu ɔfoforɔ nso onipa teta. 7Hwan na ɔka kyerɛɛ wo sɛ wokorɔn sene afoforɔ? Ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔde biribiara a wowɔ no maa wo? Na adɛn enti na wode hoahoa wo ho sɛdeɛ ɛnyɛ akyɛdeɛ?
8Biribiara a mohwehwɛ no, mo nsa aka dada! Moyɛ adefoɔ dada. Moayeyɛ ahemfo, nanso yɛnyɛ bi! Nokorɛm, anka mepɛ sɛ moyɛ ahemfo na anka yɛn nso yɛyɛ ahemfo bɛka mo ho. 9Ɛyɛ me sɛ yɛn asomafoɔ yi deɛ, Onyankopɔn de yɛn atwa toɔ sɛ nnipa bi a wɔabu wɔn kumfɔ wɔ badwa mu sɛ nnipa ne ewiase abɔfoɔ nyinaa nhwɛ. 10Kristo enti, yɛyɛ nkwaseafoɔ, nanso moyɛ anyansafoɔ wɔ Kristo mu. Yɛyɛ mmerɛ, nanso moyɛ den. Wɔmmu yɛn, nanso wɔbu mo. 11Ɛbɛsi saa ɛberɛ yi mu ɛkɔm ne sukɔm de yɛn. Yɛfira ntomago; wɔhwe yɛn; yɛdi atutena; 12yɛyɛ adwuma a ɛyɛ den de hwɛ yɛn ho. Wɔdome yɛn a, yɛhyira; wɔhwe yɛn a yɛgyina ano. 13Wɔya yɛn a, yɛde kasa pa bua. Yɛte sɛ ewiase yi mu wira bi a yɛnka hwee de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
14Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ megu mo anim ase enti na metwerɛɛ saa nwoma yi brɛɛ mo. Na mmom, mepɛ sɛ mekyerɛ mo ɛkwan sɛ me ara me mma a medɔ wɔn. 15Na sɛ mowɔ ahwɛfoɔ ɔpedu mpo wɔ mo asetena mu wɔ Kristo mu a, mowɔ Agya baako pɛ. Na mo nkwa a ɛwɔ Kristo Yesu mu no enti, menam asɛmpa a meka kyerɛɛ mo no so abɛyɛ mo agya. 16Mesrɛ mo sɛ monsuasua me. 17Ɛnam yei so enti, meresoma Timoteo na waba mo nkyɛn. Ɔyɛ mʼankasa me dɔ ba a ɔdi me nokorɛ wɔ Awurade mu. Ɔbɛkaakae mo mʼakwan foforɔ a menam so di Kristo Yesu akyi ne nkyerɛkyerɛ a mekyerɛkyerɛ wɔ asafo biara a mekɔ mu no.
18Mo mu bi ayɛ ahantan, susu sɛ meremmɛsra mo. 19Sɛ Awurade pɛ a, ɛrenkyɛre biara mɛba mo nkyɛn na mʼankasa mabɛhwɛ dwuma a saa ahantanfoɔ yi bɛtumi adi na ɛnyɛ asɛm a wɔbɛka no. 20Onyankopɔn Ahennie no nyɛ nsɛnkeka na ɛyɛ tumi. 21Emu deɛ ɛwɔ he na mopɛ? Memmɛbɔ mo mmaa anaa akoma a ɔdɔ wɔ mu na ɛbu adeɛ na memfa mmra mo nkyɛn?
