1 Corinthians 4:1 Cross References - Moffatt

¹ This is how you are to look upon us, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's secret truths.

¹¹ He replied, "Because it is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Realm of heaven, but it is not granted to these people.

⁴⁵ Now where is the trusty and thoughtful servant, whom his lord and master has set over his household to assign them their supplies at the proper time?

¹¹ and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables,

¹⁰ so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.

⁴² The Lord said, "Well, where is the trusty, thoughtful steward whom the lord and master will set over his establishment to give out supplies at the proper time?

¹ He also said to the disciples: "There was a rich man who had a factor, and this factor, he found, was accused of misapplying his property. ² So he summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Hand in your accounts; you cannot be factor any longer.' ³ The factor said to himself, 'What am I to do, now that my master is taking the factorship away from me? I am too weak to dig, I am ashamed to beg.

²⁵ [Now to Him who can strengthen you by my gospel, by the preaching of Jesus Christ, by revealing the secret purpose which after the silence of long ages

⁷ it is the mysterious Wisdom of God that we discuss, that hidden wisdom which God decreed from all eternity for our glory.

⁵ Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are simply used by God to give you faith, each as the Lord assigns his task.

¹³ when defamed, we try to conciliate. To this hour we are treated as the scum of the earth, the very refuse of the world!

¹⁶ What I am proud of is not the mere preaching of the gospel; that I am constrained to do. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ I get a reward if I do it of my own accord, whereas to do it otherwise is no more than for a steward to discharge his trust. ¹⁸ And my reward? This, that I can preach the gospel free of charge, that I can refrain from insisting on all my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

⁵ (It is Christ Jesus as Lord, not myself, that I proclaim; I am simply a servant of yours for Jesus' sake.)

⁴ I prove myself at all points a true minister of God, by great endurance, by suffering, by troubles, by calamities,

²³ Ministers of Christ? yes perhaps, but not as much as I am (I am mad to talk like this!), with all my labours, with all my lashes, with all my time in prison — a record longer far than theirs. I have been often at the point of death;

⁶ (If I did care to boast of other things, I would be no 'fool,' for I would have a true tale to tell; however, I abstain from that — I want no one to take me for more than he can see in me or make out from me.)

⁹ He has granted us complete insight and understanding of the open secret of his will, showing us how it was the purpose of his design

³ how the divine secret was disclosed to me by a revelation (if you read what I have already written briefly about this, ⁴ you can understand my insight into that secret of Christ ⁵ which was not disclosed to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Spirit), ⁶ namely, that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are co-heirs, companions, and co-partners in the Promise. ⁷ Such is the gospel which I was called to serve by the endowment of God's grace which was vouchsafed me, by the energy of his power; ⁸ less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ ⁹ and enlighten all men upon the new order of that divine secret which God the Creator of all concealed from eternity —

¹⁹ and on my behalf also, that I may be allowed to speak and open my lips in order to expound fully and freely that open secret of the gospel

²⁵ for I am a minister of the church by the divine commission which has been granted me in your interests, to make a full presentation of God's message — ²⁶ of that open secret which, though concealed from ages and generations of old, has now been disclosed to the saints of God. ²⁷ It is His will that they should understand the glorious wealth which this secret holds for the Gentiles, in the fact of Christ's presence among you as your hope of glory.

² May their hearts be encouraged! May they learn the meaning of love! May they have all the wealth of conviction that comes from insight! May they learn to know that open secret of God, the Father of Christ,

³ and pray for me as well, that God may give me an opening for the word, to speak of the open secret of Christ for which I am in custody.

⁶ he must not be a new convert, in case he gets conceited and incurs the doom passed on the devil;

⁹ they must maintain the divine truth of the faith with a pure conscience.

¹⁶ And who does not admit how profound is the divine truth of our religion? — it is He who was "manifest in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, preached among the nations, believed on throughout the world, taken up to glory."

⁷ [For a bishop must be above reproach — he is a steward of God's house — he must not be presumptuous or hot-tempered or a drunkard or violent or addicted to pilfering;

¹⁰ You must serve one another, each with the talent he has received, as efficient stewards of God's varied grace.