Que todo hombre nos considere de esta manera: como servidores de Cristo^a y administradores^b de los misterios de Dios^c. 2 Ahora bien, además se requiere de¹ los administradores que cada uno sea hallado fiel. 3 En cuanto a mí, es de poca importancia que yo sea juzgado por vosotros, o por cualquier tribunal¹ humano; de hecho, ni aun yo me juzgo a mí mismo. 4 Porque no estoy consciente^a de nada en contra mía; mas no por eso estoy sin culpa^b, pues el que me juzga es el Señor. 5 Por tanto, no juzguéis^a antes de tiempo¹, sino esperad hasta que el Señor venga^b, el cual sacará a la luz las cosas ocultas en las tinieblas y también pondrá de manifiesto los designios de los corazones^c; y entonces cada uno recibirá su alabanza de parte de Dios^d.

6 Esto, hermanos, lo he aplicado en sentido figurado a mí mismo y a Apolos por amor a vosotros, para que en nosotros aprendáis a no sobrepasar lo que está escrito^a, para que ninguno de vosotros se vuelva arrogante^1b a favor del uno contra el otro^c. 7 Porque ¿quién te distingue? ¿Qué tienes que no recibiste? Y si lo recibiste, ¿por qué te jactas como si no lo hubieras recibido^a? 8 Ya estáis saciados, ya os habéis hecho ricos^a, ya habéis llegado a reinar sin necesidad de nosotros; y ojalá hubierais llegado a reinar, para que nosotros reinásemos también con vosotros. 9 Porque pienso que Dios nos ha exhibido a nosotros los apóstoles en último lugar, como a sentenciados a muerte^a; porque hemos llegado a ser un espectáculo para el mundo^b, tanto para los ángeles como para los hombres. 10 Nosotros somos necios por amor de Cristo^a, mas vosotros, prudentes en Cristo^b; nosotros somos débiles^c, mas vosotros, fuertes; vosotros sois distinguidos, mas nosotros, sin honra. 11 Hasta el momento¹ presente pasamos hambre y sed, andamos mal vestidos², somos maltratados y no tenemos dónde vivir^a; 12 nos agotamos trabajando con nuestras propias manos^a; cuando nos ultrajan^b, bendecimos; cuando somos perseguidos^c, lo soportamos; 13 cuando nos difaman, tratamos de reconciliar¹; hemos llegado a ser, hasta ahora, la escoria del mundo, el desecho de todo^a.

14 No escribo esto para avergonzaros^a, sino para amonestaros como a hijos^b míos amados. 15 Porque aunque tengáis innumerables maestros¹ en Cristo^a, sin embargo no tenéis muchos padres; pues en Cristo Jesús^b yo os engendré^c por medio del evangelio^d. 16 Por tanto, os exhorto: sed imitadores míos^a. 17 Por esta razón os he enviado a Timoteo^a, que es mi hijo amado^b y fiel en el Señor, y él os recordará mis caminos, los caminos en Cristo, tal como enseño en todas partes, en cada iglesia^c. 18 Y algunos se han vuelto arrogantes^1a, como si yo no hubiera de ir a vosotros^b. 19 Pero iré a vosotros^a pronto, si el Señor quiere^b, y conoceré, no las palabras¹ de los arrogantes^2c sino su poder. 20 Porque el reino de Dios no consiste en palabras¹, sino en poder^a. 21 ¿Qué queréis? ¿Iré a vosotros con vara^a, o con amor y espíritu de mansedumbre?

Let a man regard us in this manner, as ^aservants of Christ and ^bstewards of ^cthe mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required ¹of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ¹court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I ^aam conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^bacquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore ^ado not go on ¹passing judgment before ²the time, but wait ^buntil the Lord comes who will both ^cbring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s ^dpraise will come to him from God.

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^awhat is written, so that no one of you will ^bbecome ¹arrogant ^cin behalf of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as superior? ^aWhat do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

8 You are ^aalready filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^acondemned to death; because we ^bhave become a spectacle to the world, ¹both to angels and to men. 10 We are ^afools for Christ’s sake, but ^byou are prudent in Christ; ^cwe are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both ^ahungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, ^aworking with our own hands; when we are ^breviled, we bless; when we are ^cpersecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to ¹conciliate; we have ^abecome as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

14 I do not write these things to ^ashame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^bchildren. 15 For if you were to have countless ^atutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^bChrist Jesus I ^cbecame your father through the ^dgospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be ^aimitators of me. 17 For this reason I ^ahave sent to you ^bTimothy, who is my ^cbeloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^djust as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become ^1aarrogant, as though I were not ^bcoming to you. 19 But I ^awill come to you soon, ^bif the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ¹words of those who are ^carrogant but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does ^anot consist in ¹words but in power. 21 What do you desire? ^aShall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

This is the way any person is to regard us: as ^aservants of Christ and ^bstewards of ^cthe mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required ¹of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is an insignificant matter that I would be examined by you, or by any human ¹court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I ^aam not aware of anything against myself; however I am not ^bvindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore ^ado not go on ¹passing judgment before ²the time, but wait ^buntil the Lord comes, who will both ^cbring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then ^dpraise will come to each person from God.

6 Now these things, brothers and sisters, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos on your account, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^awhat is written, so that no one of you will ^bbecome ¹arrogant ^cin behalf of one against the other. 7 For who considers you as superior? ^aWhat do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

8 You are ^aalready filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all as men ^acondemned to death, because we ^bhave become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to mankind. 10 We are ^afools on account of Christ, but ^byou are prudent in Christ! ^cWe are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are without honor! 11 Up to this present hour we are both ^ahungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless; 12 and we labor, ^aworking with our own hands; when we are ^bverbally abused, we bless; when we are ^cpersecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we ¹reply as friends; we have ^abecome as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

14 I do not write these things to ^ashame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^bchildren. 15 For if you were to have countless ^atutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^bChrist Jesus I ^cbecame your father through the ^dgospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, be ^aimitators of me. 17 For this reason I ^ahave sent to you ^bTimothy, who is my ^cbeloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^djust as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become ^1aarrogant, as though I were not ^bcoming to you. 19 But I ^awill come to you soon, ^bif the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ¹words of those who are ^carrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God is ^anot in ¹words, but in power. 21 What do you desire? ^aThat I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?