1 Corinthians 4 – NIV & CCL

New International Version

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

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?

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

1 Akorinto 4:1-21

Atumiki a Khristu

1Choncho tsono anthu atione ife monga atumiki a Khristu, ndiponso ngati osunga zinsinsi za Mulungu. 2Chofunika kwambiri nʼchakuti amene apatsidwa udindo oyangʼanira aonetse kukhulupirika. 3Ine ndilibe nazo kanthu ngati ndiweruzidwa ndi inu kapena khothi lina lililonse. Ndithu, inenso sindidziweruza ndekha. 4Chikumbumtima changa sichikunditsutsa, koma sikuti ndine wolungama. Wondiweruza ine ndi Ambuye. 5Chomwecho musaweruze nthawi yoweruza isanakwane. Dikirani mpaka Ambuye atabwera. Iye adzaonetsa poyera zimene zabisika mu mdima ndipo adzaonetsa maganizo a mʼmitima ya anthu. Pa nthawi imeneyo aliyense adzalandira kwa Mulungu chiyamiko.

6Tsono abale, ndapereka chitsanzo cha ine mwini ndi Apolo kuti mupindule. Phunzirani kwa ife tanthauzo la mawu akuti, “Musamapitirire zimene Malemba akunena,” kuti musamanyade pamene wina aposa mnzake. 7Pakuti ndani amakusiyanitsani ndi wina aliyense? Nʼchiyani muli nacho chimene simunalandire? Ndipo ngati munalandira, bwanji mumadzitukumula ngati kuti simunalandire?

8Inu muli nazo kale zonse zimene mufuna! Inu mwalemera kale! Inu mwayamba kale kulamulira ife! Ndilakalaka mukanakhaladi mafumu kuti ife tikhale nawo mafumu pamodzi ndi inu. 9Pakuti kwa ine zikuoneka ngati kuti Mulungu watiyika ife atumwi pachionetsero, kumapeto kwa mndandanda, monga anthu oweruzidwa kuti akaphedwe mʼmabwalo. Ife tayikidwa kuti tionekere ku dziko lonse, kwa angelo ndi anthu. 10Ife ndife opusa chifukwa cha Khristu, koma inu ndinu anzeru mwa Khristu! Ife ndife ofowoka koma inu ndinu amphamvu! Inu ndinu olemekezeka koma ife ndife opeputsidwa! 11Mpaka pano tili ndi njala ndi ludzu, tili ndi sanza, tikuzunzidwa, tilibe nyumba. 12Timagwira ntchito molimbika ndi manja athu. Akamatitemberera, ife timadalitsa; tikasautsidwa, ife timapirira. 13Pamene atilalatira timayankha mwachifundo. Mpaka pano takhala ngati zinyalala za dziko, monga zakudzala za dziko lapansi.

Pempho ndi Chenjezo

14Sindikulemba izi kuti ndikuchititseni manyazi, koma kukuchenjezani monga ana anga okondedwa. 15Ngakhale muli ndi anthu 10,000 okutsogolerani mwa Khristu, mulibe abambo ambiri, popeza mwa Khristu Yesu, ine ndakhala abambo anu kudzera mu Uthenga Wabwino. 16Chifukwa chake ndikukupemphani kuti munditsanze ine. 17Chifukwa cha ichi ndikutumiza kwa inu Timoteyo, mwana wanga amene ndimamukonda, amene ndi wokhulupirika mwa Ambuye. Adzakukumbutsani inuyo za moyo wanga mwa Khristu Yesu, umene ukugwirizana ndi zimene ndimaphunzitsa paliponse mu mpingo uliwonse.

18Ena mwa inu mukudzitukumula, ngati kuti sindingabwere kwanu. 19Koma ndibwera kwanuko posachedwapa, ngati Ambuye alola, ndipo ndi pamene ndidzadziwe osati zimene anthu odzitukumulawa akuyankhula, koma kuti mphamvu zawo nʼzotani. 20Pakuti ufumu wa Mulungu si mawu chabe koma mphamvu. 21Kodi musankha chiyani? Kodi ndidzabwere ndi chikwapu, kapena mu chikondi ndiponso mwa mzimu wofatsa?