1 Corinthians 4:14–15

¹¹As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

¹⁵For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

¹⁴Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

¹⁹Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

²⁸Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

³⁴Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

⁵I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

¹¹Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

¹⁴Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

¹⁵And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

¹¹O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

¹²Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

¹³Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

³I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

²¹Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

¹⁰According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

¹⁹My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

¹⁴Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

²³And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

¹²If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

¹⁸What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

¹DO we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

⁵And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

⁶And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

⁷¶ And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

⁸And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

⁹Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

¹⁰For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

¹¹And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁰I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

¹¹Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

¹²Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

¹⁹I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

²⁰Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

⁴To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

¹AM I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

²If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.