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1 Coríntios 4

ARC · Chapter 4/16

1Que os homens nos considerem como ministros de Christo, e dispenseiros dos mysterios de Deus.

2Além d'isso requer-se nos dispenseiros que cada um se ache fiel.

3Porém a mim mui pouco se me dá de ser julgado por vós, ou por algum juizo humano; nem eu tão pouco a mim mesmo me julgo.

4Porque em nada me sinto culpado; mas nem por isso estou justificado; pois quem me julga é o Senhor.

5De sorte que nada julgueis antes de tempo, até que o Senhor venha, o qual tambem trará á luz as coisas occultas das trevas, e manifestará os designios dos corações; e então cada um receberá de Deus o louvor.

6E eu, irmãos, appliquei estas coisas, por similhança, a mim e a Apollos, por amor de vós; para que em nós aprendaes a não ir além do que está escripto, para que não vos ensoberbeçaes a favor de um contra outro.

7Porque, quem te differença? E que tens tu que não tenhas recebido? E, se o recebeste, porque te glorias, como se não o houveras recebido?

8Já estaes fartos! já estaes ricos! sem nós reinaes! e oxalá reineis para que tambem nós reinemos comvosco!

9Porque tenho para mim, que Deus a nós, apostolos, nos designou ultimos, como condemnados á morte; pois somos feitos espectaculo ao mundo, aos anjos, e aos homens.

10Nós somos loucos por amor de Christo, e vós sabios em Christo: nós fracos, e vós fortes: vós illustres, e nós vis.

11Até esta presente hora soffremos fome, e sêde, e estamos nus, e recebemos bofetadas, e não temos pousada certa,

12E trabalhamos obrando com nossas proprias mãos: somos injuriados, e bemdizemos: somos perseguidos, e soffremos:

13Somos blasphemados, e rogamos: até ao presente temos chegado a ser como o lixo d'este mundo, e como a escoria de todos.

14Não escrevo estas coisas para vos envergonhar; mas admoesto-vos como meus filhos amados.

15Porque ainda que tivesseis dez mil aios em Christo não terieis comtudo muitos paes; porque eu pelo evangelho vos gerei em Jesus Christo.

16Admoesto-vos portanto a que sejaes meus imitadores.

17Por esta causa vos mandei Timotheo, que é meu filho amado, e fiel no Senhor: o qual vos lembrará os meus caminhos em Christo, como por todas as partes ensino em cada egreja.

18Mas alguns andam inchados, como se eu não houvesse de ir ter comvosco.

19Porém em breve irei ter comvosco, se o Senhor quizer, e então conhecerei, não as palavras dos que andam inchados, mas a virtude.

20Porque o reino de Deus não consiste em palavras, mas em virtude.

21Que quereis? Irei ter comvosco com vara ou com amor e espirito de mansidão?

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul explains that apostles are servants and stewards of God's mysteries, and that only God has the right to judge them. He describes with irony the hardships apostles face, contrasts this with the arrogant attitude of some Corinthians, and announces his plan to visit them soon.

Explanation

Paul uses heavy irony to expose the arrogance of Corinthian leaders who considered themselves spiritually superior ('you are already full, you are already rich'), while he and the other apostles lived with hunger, persecution, and humiliation for the sake of the gospel. The passage teaches that genuine Christian leadership doesn't seek prestige, but serves with humility, even under suffering. Paul presents himself as a spiritual father, not a rival to the other teachers, and asks the Corinthians to imitate him on this path of humble service. The practical lesson is to recognize that true spiritual authority is measured by character and sacrificial service, not by an appearance of success or worldly wisdom.

Fun facts

  • The Greek word translated as 'spectacle' (v.9) evokes the Roman arenas, where condemned prisoners were publicly displayed before death — a shocking image Paul uses to describe the apostles' situation.
  • Timothy, mentioned here as Paul's messenger, would later become the recipient of two of the apostle's pastoral letters (1 and 2 Timothy), showing the close and lasting relationship between the two.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Coríntios 4:1Paul defines how he wants to be seen: not as the head of a faction, but as a “minister of Christ” and a steward of the mysteries of God — a servant with a role, not a banner for rivalry.
  2. 1 Coríntios 4:2What is expected of a steward is not fame or eloquence, but faithfulness — a very different standard from the one the Corinthians used to pick their favorite leaders.
  3. 1 Coríntios 4:3Paul gives little weight to human judgment of his work, whether from the Corinthians or from himself, because that is not the verdict that counts in the end.
  4. 1 Coríntios 4:4Even though he feels guilty of nothing, that does not prove he is right — only God has the authority to truly judge, and it is His judgment, not the Corinthian church’s, that decides.
  5. 1 Coríntios 4:5That is why Paul asks them to stop judging ahead of time: only when the Lord returns will He expose what is hidden and give each person the recognition they deserve.
  6. 1 Coríntios 4:6“Not to think of men above that which is written” is a way of saying: stay within what has already been taught, without inventing hierarchies between Paul and Apollos just to boast of one against the other — picking up again the factional fighting from chapter 1.
  7. 1 Coríntios 4:7A question that cuts to the root of the Corinthians’ pride: everything they have — gifts, wisdom, status — was received from God, so it makes no sense to boast as if they had earned it on their own.
  8. 1 Coríntios 4:8An ironic line: the Corinthians already considered themselves “full” and “rich” spiritually, reigning as kings on their own, while Paul and the apostles were still suffering — a contrast that exposes their arrogance.
  9. 1 Coríntios 4:9“A spectacle unto the world” recalls the Roman arena, where condemned prisoners were displayed last, usually to die in front of the crowd. Paul describes himself and the other apostles as the ones who enter last in that procession, like the condemned at the end.
  10. 1 Coríntios 4:10He reinforces the ironic contrast: the apostles are seen as “fools” and “weak” for Christ’s sake, while the Corinthians consider themselves wise and strong — but the apostles’ reality is suffering, not status.
  11. 1 Coríntios 4:11A concrete list of what the apostles truly faced: hunger, thirst, ragged clothing, physical violence, not even a fixed home — a far cry from the “reign” the Corinthians imagined they had achieved.
  12. 1 Coríntios 4:12The list continues: hard manual labor (Paul made tents), being reviled and responding with blessing, persecuted and enduring it — the opposite of the social prestige Corinth valued.
  13. 1 Coríntios 4:13He ends the list by comparing the apostles to the “filth” and the “offscouring” of society, the lowest possible image in the Greco-Roman hierarchy — a contrast with the Corinthians who thought themselves important.
  14. 1 Coríntios 4:14Paul explains his intention: he does not want to shame the Corinthians with this harsh comparison, but to correct them as a father corrects children he loves, not as an enemy.
  15. 1 Coríntios 4:15“Instructors” (in Greek, paidagogoi) were slaves responsible for taking children to school and watching their conduct — they were not fathers, just hired caretakers. Paul says Corinth may have countless such instructors, but he alone is the “father” who begot the church through the gospel.
  16. 1 Coríntios 4:16Building on that fatherly relationship, Paul asks them to imitate him — not in the suffering itself, but in the humility and dependence on God he described, the opposite of their arrogance.
  17. 1 Coríntios 4:17That is why he sent Timothy, his “son” in the faith and a trusted co-worker, to remind the Corinthians of the way of life Paul teaches in every church, not a message made up just for Corinth.
  18. 1 Coríntios 4:18Some in the church became “puffed up” (arrogant), thinking Paul would not have the nerve to come back in person and face the problems the letter exposes.
  19. 1 Coríntios 4:19Paul promises to visit soon, warning that he will check not the fine speech of the arrogant, but whether there is real power behind their words.
  20. 1 Coríntios 4:20He sums up the standard: the kingdom of God is not measured by eloquent speech but by real power at work — a direct answer to those who valued rhetoric over substance.
  21. 1 Coríntios 4:21“A rod, or in love” is the choice Paul gives the Corinthians before his visit: he can arrive correcting them with harshness or coming with gentleness. The decision depends on how they are behaving by then.

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