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 honoured, we are dishonoured! 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 Asomafo
1Ɛsɛ sɛ mubu yɛn sɛ Kristo asomfo a wɔde Onyankopɔn ahintasɛm a ɛyɛ nokware no ahyɛ yɛn nsa. 2Ade baako a wɔrehwehwɛ afi onipa a wɔde ahintasɛm no ahyɛ ne nsa no ne sɛ obedi ne wura no nokware. 3Sɛ mo anaa onipa bi bu me atɛn mprempren a, ɛmfa me ho. Mʼankasa nso mimmu me ho atɛn. 4Mʼadwene mu yɛ fann, nanso ɛno nkyerɛ sɛ midi bem fitaa. Awurade nko ara na obu me atɛn. 5Enti ɛnsɛ sɛ obiara bu ne yɔnko atɛn kosi sɛ bere a ɛsɛ bɛba. Awurade ba mu no na wobebu atɛn a etwa to. Ɔbɛda nea ahintaw wɔ sum mu no adi na wada nea ahintaw wɔ nnipa koma mu no nso adi. Na onipa biara anya nʼayeyi afi Onyankopɔn hɔ.
6Anuanom, mo nti mede Apolo ne me ayɛ nhwɛso, sɛnea ɛbɛma mo osuahu a ɛka se, “Di mmara pa so” no. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo mu biara de onipa bi hoahoa ne ho na obu ɔfoforo nso onipa teta. 7Hena na ɔka kyerɛɛ wo se wokorɔn sen afoforo? Ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔde biribiara a wowɔ no maa wo? Na adɛn nti na wode hoahoa wo ho sɛnea ɛnyɛ akyɛde?
8Biribiara a mohwehwɛ no, mo nsa aka dedaw! Moyɛ adefo dedaw. Moayeyɛ ahemfo, nanso yɛnyɛ bi! Nokware, anka mepɛ sɛ moyɛ ahemfo na anka yɛn nso yɛyɛ ahemfo bɛka mo ho. 9Ɛyɛ me sɛ yɛn asomafo yi de, Onyankopɔn de yɛn atwa to sɛ nnipa bi a wɔabu wɔn kumfɔ wɔ bagua mu sɛ nnipa ne wiase abɔfo nyinaa nhwɛ. 10Kristo nti yɛyɛ nkwaseafo, nanso moyɛ anyansafo wɔ Kristo mu. Yɛyɛ mmerɛw, nanso moyɛ den. Wommu yɛn, nanso wobu mo. 11Ebesi saa bere yi mu ɔkɔm ne osukɔm de yɛn. Yefura ntamagow; wɔhwe yɛn; yedi atutena; 12yɛyɛ adwuma a ɛyɛ den de hwɛ yɛn ho. Wɔdome yɛn a, yehyira; wɔhwe yɛn a yegyina ano. 13Wɔyaw yɛn a, yɛde kasa pa bua. Yɛte sɛ wiase yi mu wura bi a yɛnka hwee de besi nnɛ.
14Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ migu mo anim ase nti na mekyerɛw saa nhoma yi brɛɛ mo. Na mmom mepɛ sɛ mekyerɛ mo ɔkwan sɛ me ara me mma a medɔ wɔn. 15Na sɛ mowɔ ahwɛfo mpem du mpo wɔ mo asetena mu wɔ Kristo mu a, mowɔ Agya baako pɛ. Na mo nkwa a ɛwɔ Kristo Yesu mu no nti, menam asɛmpa a meka kyerɛɛ mo no so abɛyɛ mo agya. 16Mesrɛ mo sɛ munsuasua me. 17Ɛnam eyi so nti, meresoma Timoteo na waba mo nkyɛn. Ɔyɛ mʼankasa me dɔba a odi me nokware wɔ Awurade mu. Ɔbɛkaakae mo mʼakwan foforo a menam so di Kristo Yesu akyi ne nkyerɛkyerɛ a mekyerɛkyerɛ wɔ asafo biara a mekɔ mu no mu.
18Mo mu bi ayɛ ahantan, susuw sɛ meremmɛsra mo. 19Sɛ Awurade pɛ a, ɛrenkyɛ biara mɛba mo nkyɛn na mʼankasa mabɛhwɛ dwuma a saa ahantanfo yi betumi adi na ɛnyɛ asɛm a wɔbɛka no. 20Onyankopɔn Ahenni no nyɛ nsɛnkeka na ɛyɛ tumi. 21Emu nea ɛwɔ he na mopɛ? Memmɛbɔ mo mmaa anaa koma a ɔdɔ wɔ mu na ebu ade na memfa mmra mo nkyɛn?
