the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New King James Version
1 Corinthians 4:21
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Which do you want: that I come to you with punishment, or that I come with love and gentleness?
What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? Shall I come vnto you with a rodde or els in love and in the sprete of mekenes?
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
Which do you prefer? Should I come to you with a stick, or in love and with a gentle spirit?2 Corinthians 10:2; 13:10;">[xr]
What do you desire? That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
Which do you want: that I come to you with punishment or with love and gentleness?
What do you want? shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and [in] the spirit of meekness?
What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
What do you want? Will I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? That I come to you with a rod? or in love, and the spirit of meekness?
Which shall it be? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in a loving and tender spirit?
What wole ye? Schal Y come to you in a yerde, or in charite, and in spirit of myldenesse?
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?
Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
What do you want me to do when I arrive? Do you want me to be hard on you or to be kind and gentle?
Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline and correction], or with love and a gentle spirit?
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
What is your desire? is my coming to be with punishment, or is it to be in love and a gentle spirit?
Which do you prefer — should I come to you with a stick? or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? that I come to you with a rod; or in love, and [in] a spirit of meekness?
How are you willing ? with a rod shall I come to you, or with love and with the spirit of kindliness ?
What will ye? Shall I come to you with the rod, or with love and a gentle spirit?
What will ye? Shall I come vnto you with a rod, or in loue, and in the spirit of meekenesse?
Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?
What do you want? Do you want me to come with a stick to whip you? Or do you want me to come with love and a gentle spirit?
What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? shall I come vnto you with a rod, or in loue, & in ye spirite of meekenes?
Now what do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and in the spirit of meekness?
What will ye? that, with a rod, I should come unto you? or, with love, and a spirit of meekness?
What will you? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in charity and in the spirit of meekness?
What wyl ye? Shal I come vnto you with a rodde, or in loue and in the spirite of mekenesse?
Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in a spirit of love and gentleness?
What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?
what do ye wish? with a rod shall I come unto you, or in love, with a spirit also of meekness?
What wil ye? Shal I come vnto you wt the rodd, or with loue and the sprete of mekenesse?
Which would you chuse, that I should come to you arm'd with resentment? or, in a mild and benevolent temper?
So how should I prepare to come to you? As a severe disciplinarian who makes you toe the mark? Or as a good friend and counselor who wants to share heart-to-heart with you? You decide.
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
So I guess y'all have a decision to make. Do you want me to come back with a quirt or with love?
What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
shall: 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 10:6, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 12:20, 2 Corinthians 12:21, 2 Corinthians 13:2, 2 Corinthians 3:10
and: 2 Corinthians 10:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:7, James 3:17
Reciprocal: Proverbs 26:3 - General Acts 5:5 - hearing 2 Corinthians 1:23 - that 2 Corinthians 2:1 - that 2 Corinthians 2:3 - I wrote 2 Corinthians 13:10 - I write Galatians 6:1 - in the
Cross-References
So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."
Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?
They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands.
Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
Gill's Notes on the Bible
What will ye?.... Or "how will ye, that I should come unto you?" as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read it: since the apostle had determined upon his coming to them: and had made mention of it, he puts it to them, in what manner they themselves would choose he should come unto them;
shall I come unto you with a rod; either as a schoolmaster, as were their false teachers, with a "ferula"; or as a father with a rod of correction and chastisement, assuming his paternal authority, putting on severe looks, and using roughness; or rather as an apostle with the apostolical rod; by which is meant not excommunication, which is what belongs to a whole community, and not any single person; but a power of inflicting punishment on the bodies of delinquents, by smiting with diseases, and even with death itself; for as the prophets of the Old Testament had a power from God of inflicting diseases and death upon offenders; so had the apostles of the New, as appears from the instances of Ananias, and Sapphira, and Elymas the sorcerer:
or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? with the affection of a father, with a pleasant countenance, and a meek spirit; in opposition to that roughness and sharpness, he had an authority, as an apostle of Christ, to use in proper cases; and therefore as the latter would be most eligible by them, his suggestion is, that they would behave accordingly, that there might be no occasion to come to them in the former manner, which was not desirable by him, There seems to be an allusion to a practice among the Jews, in the punishing of a drunkard or gluttonous person; the rule for which was this w,
"they first correct him בדברים או בשבט "with words", or "with a rod", as it is written, Deuteronomy 21:18 and have chastened him; but if he adds and repeats (i.e. goes on in his sin), then they stone him.''
Or rather the allusion is to the judges in the sanhedrim, one of the instruments or ensigns of whose office was "a rod or staff" to smite with; it is said x of R. Hona, when he went to the sanhedrim, he used to say, bring me the instruments of the Tabernae (the place where the sanhedrim sat); what are they? "the staff" (in Cocceius's edition it is חוטרי, "the rods", and the sandals, the trumpets, and the thongs); the gloss is, "the thong" for scourging, "the staff" (or rods) for beating the rebellious until they return, the "trumpets" for excommunication, and the "sandals" for plucking off the shoe; things in which the judges of the court were concerned, and here the apostle proposes to come as judge; see 1 Corinthians 5:3.
w R. Elias in Adderet apud Trigland. de sect. Karaeor. c. 10. p. 161. x T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 7. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
What will ye - It depends on yourselves how I shall come. If you lay aside your contentions and strifes; if you administer discipline as you should; if you give yourselves heartily and entirely to the work of the Lord, I shall come, not to reprove or to punish, but as a father and a friend. But if you do not heed my exhortations or the labors of Timothy; if you still continue your contentions, and do not remove the occasions of offence, I shall come with severity and the language of rebuke.
With a rod - To correct and punish.
In the spirit of meekness - Comforting and commending instead of chastising. Paul intimates that this depended on themselves. They had the power, and it was their duty to administer discipline; but if they would not do it, the task would devolve on him as the founder and father of the church, and as entrusted with power by the Lord Jesus to administer the severity of Christian discipline, or to punish those who offended by bodily suffering; see 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Corinthians 11:30. See also the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1 ff), and of Elymas the sorcerer. Acts 13:10-11.
Remarks On 1 Corinthians 4:0
1. We should endeavor to form a proper estimate of the Christian ministry; 1 Corinthians 4:1. We should regard ministers as the servants of Jesus Christ, and honor them for their Master’s sake; and esteem them also in proportion to their fidelity. They are entitled to respect as the ambassadors of the Son of God; but that respect also should be in proportion to their resemblance of him and their faithfulness in their work. They who love the ministers of Christ, who are like him, and who are faithful, love the Master that sent them; they who hate and despise them despise him; see Matthew 10:40-42.
2. Ministers should be faithful; 1 Corinthians 4:2. They are the stewards of Christ. They are appointed by him. They are responsible to him. They have a most important trust - more important than any other stewards, and they should live in such a manner as to receive the approbation of their master.
3. It is of little consequence what the world thinks of us; 1 Corinthians 4:3. A good name is on many accounts desirable; but it should not be the leading consideration; nor should we do anything merely to obtain it. Desirable as is a fair reputation, yet the opinion of the world is not to be too highly valued; because -
- It often misjudges;
- It is prejudiced for or against us;
- It is not to decide our final destiny;
(4) To desire that simply, is a selfish and base passion.
4. The esteem even of friends is not to be the leading object of life; 1 Corinthians 4:2. This is valuable, but not so valuable as the approbation of God. Friends are partial, and even where they do not approve our course, if we are conscientious, we should be willing to bear with their disapprobation. A good conscience is everything. The approbation even of friends cannot help us on the Day of Judgment.
5. We should distrust ourselves; 1 Corinthians 4:3-4. We should not pronounce too confidently on our motives or our conduct. We may be deceived. There may be much even in our own motives that may elude our most careful inquiry. This should teach us humility, self-distrust, and charity. Knowing our own liableness to misjudge ourselves, we should look with kindness on the faults and failings of others.
6. We see here the nature of the future Judgment; 1 Corinthians 4:5;
(1) The hidden things of darkness will be brought out - all the secret crimes, and plans, and purposes of people will be developed. All that has been done in secret, in darkness, in the night, in palaces and in prisons, will be developed. What a development will take place in the great Day when the secret crimes of a world shall be revealed; and when all that has now escaped the notice of people, and the punishment of courts, shall be brought out!
(2) Every person’s secret thoughts shall be revealed. There will be no concealment then. All that we have devised or desired; all the thoughts that we have forgotten, shall there be brought out to noon-day. How will the sinner tremble when all his thoughts are made known! Suppose, unknown to him, some person had been writing down all that a man has thought for a day, a week, or a year, and should begin to read it to him. Who is there that would not hang his head with shame, and tremble at such a record? Yet at the Day of Judgment the thoughts of “the whole life” will be revealed.
(3) Every man shall be judged as he ought to be. God is impartial. The man that ought to be saved will be; the man that ought not will not be. How solemn will be the “impartial trial of the world!” Who can think of it but with alarm!
7. We have no occasion for pride or vain-boasting; 1 Corinthians 4:7. All that we have of beauty, health, wealth, honor, grace, has been given to us by God. For what he has given us we should be grateful; but it should not excite pride. It is, indeed, valuable because God gives it, and we should remember his mercies, but we should not boast. We have nothing to boast of. Had we our deserts, we should be driven away in his wrath, and made wretched. That any are out of hell is matter of thankfulness; that one possesses more than another proves that God is a sovereign, and not that we are more worthy than another, or that there is by nature any ground of preference which one has over another.
8. Irony and sarcasm are sometimes lawful and proper; 1 Corinthians 4:8-10. But it is not often as safe as it was in the hands of the apostle Paul. Few people can regulate the talent properly; few should allow themselves to indulge in it. It is rarely employed in the Bible; and it is rarely employed elsewhere where it does not do injury. The cause of truth can be usually sustained by sound argument; and that which cannot be thus defended is not worth defense. Deep wounds are often made by the severity of wit and irony; and an indulgence in this usually prevents a man from having a single friend.
9. We see from this chapter what religion has cost; 1 Corinthians 4:9-13. Paul states the sufferings that he and the other apostles endured in order to establish it. They were despised, and persecuted, and poor, and regarded as the refuse of the world. The Christian religion was founded on the blood of its author, and has been reared amidst the sighs and tears of its friends. All its early advocates were subjected to persecution and trial; and to engage in this work involved the certainty of being a martyr. We enjoy not a blessing which has not thus been purchased; and which has not come to us through the self-denials and toils of the best people that the earth has known. Persecution raged around all the early friends of the church; and it rose and spread while the fire of martyrdom spread, and while its friends were everywhere cast out as evil, and called to bleed in its defense.
10. We have here an illustrious instance of the manner in which reproach, and contempt, and scorn should be borne; 1 Corinthians 4:12-13. The apostles imitated the example of their Master and followed his precepts. They prayed for their enemies, persecutors, and slanderers. There is nothing but religion that can produce this spirit; and this can do it always. The Saviour evinced it; his apostles evinced it; and all should evince it, who profess to be its friends - We may remark:
(1) This is not produced by nature. It is the work ot grace alone.
(2) It is the very spirit and genius of Christianity to produce it.
(3) Nothing but religion will enable a man to bear it, and will produce this temper and spirit.
(4) We have an instance here of what all Christians should evince. All should be in this like the apostles. All should be like the Saviour himself.
11. We have an argument here for the truth of the Christian religion. The argument is founded on the fact that the apostles were willing to suffer so much in order to establish it - They professed to have been eye-witnesses of what they affirmed. They had nothing to gain by spreading it if it was not true. They exposed themselves to persecution on this account, and became willing to die rather than deny its truth - Take, for example, the case of the apostle Paul:
(1) He had every prospect of honor and of wealth in his own country. He had been liberally educated, and had the confidence of his countrymen. He might have risen to the highest station of trust or influence. He had talents which would have raised him to distinction anywhere.
(2) He could not have been mistaken in regard to the events connected with his conversion; Acts 9:0. The scene, the voice, the light, the blindness, were all things which could not have been counterfeited. They were open and public. They did not occur “in a corner.”
(3) He had no earthly motive to change his course. Christianity was despised when he embraced it; its friends were few and poor; and it had no prospect of spreading through the world. It conferred no wealth; bestowed no diadem; imparted no honors; gave no ease; conducted to no friendship of the great and the mighty. It subjected its friends to persecution, and tears, and trials, and death. What should induce such a man to make such a change? Why should Paul have embraced this, but from a conviction of its truth? How could he be convinced of that truth except by some argument that should be so strong as to overcome his hatred to it, make him willing to renounce all his prospects for it; to encounter all that the world could heap upon him, and even death itself, rather than deny it? But such a religion had a higher than any earthly origin, and must have been from God.
12. We may expect to suffer reproach. It has been the common lot of all, from the time of the Master himself to the present. Jesus was reproached; the apostles were reproached; the martyrs were reproached, and we are not to be surprised that ministers and Christians are called to similar trials now. It is enough “for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Corinthians 4:21. Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love — Here he alludes to the case of the teacher and father, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 4:15. Shall I come to you with the authority of a teacher, and use the rod of discipline? or shall I come in the tenderness of a father, and entreat you to do what I have authority to enforce? Among the Jews, those who did not amend, after being faithfully admonished, were whipped, either publicly or privately, in the synagogue. If on this they did not amend, they were liable to be stoned. We see, from the cases of Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas the sorcerer, Hymenaeus and Alexander, c., that the apostles had sometimes the power to inflict the most awful punishments on transgressors. The Corinthians must have known this, and consequently have dreaded a visit from him in his apostolical authority. That there were many irregularities in this Church, which required both the presence and authority of the apostle, we shall see in the subsequent chapters.
1. IN the preceding chapter we find the ministers of God compared to STEWARDS, of whom the strictest fidelity is required.
(1.) Fidelity to GOD, in publishing his truth with zeal, defending it with courage, and recommending it with prudence.
(2.) Fidelity to CHRIST, whose representatives they are, in honestly and fully recommending his grace and salvation on the ground of his passion and death, and preaching his maxims in all their force and purity.
(3.) Fidelity to the CHURCH, in taking heed to keep up a godly discipline, admitting none into it but those who have abandoned their sins and permitting none to continue in it that do not continue to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour.
(4.) Fidelity to their own MINISTRY, walking so as to bring no blame on the Gospel; avoiding the extremes of indolent tenderness on one hand, and austere severity on the other. Considering the flock, not as their flock, but the flock of Jesus Christ; watching, ruling, and feeding it according to the order of their Divine Master.
2. A minister of God should act with great caution: every man, properly speaking, is placed between the secret judgment of God and the public censure of men. He should do nothing rashly, that he may not justly incur the censure of men; and he should do nothing but in the loving fear of God, that he may not incur the censure of his Maker. The man who scarcely ever allows himself to be wrong, is one of whom it may be safely said, he is seldom right. It is possible for a man to mistake his own will for the will of God, and his own obstinacy for inflexible adherence to his duty. With such persons it is dangerous to have any commerce. Reader, pray to God to save thee from an inflated and self-sufficient mind.
3. Zeal for God's truth is essentially necessary for every minister; and prudence is not less so. They should be wisely tempered together, but this is not always the case. Zeal without prudence is like a flambeau in the hands of a blind man; it may enlighten and warm, but it play also destroy the spiritual building. Human prudence should be avoided as well as intemperate zeal; this kind of prudence consists in a man's being careful not to bring himself into trouble, and not to hazard his reputation, credit, interest, or fortune, in the performance of his duty. Evangelical wisdom consists in our suffering and losing all things, rather than be wanting in the discharge of our obligations.
4. From St. Paul's account of himself we find him often suffering the severest hardships in the prosecution of his duty. He had for his patrimony, hunger, thirst, nakedness, stripes, c. and wandered about testifying the Gospel of the grace of God, without even a cottage that he could claim as his own. Let those who dwell in their elegant houses, who profess to be apostolic in their order, and evangelic in their doctrines, think of this. In their state of affluence they should have extraordinary degrees of zeal, humility, meekness, and charity, to recommend them to our notice as apostolical men. If God, in the course of his providence, has saved them from an apostle's hardships, let them devote their lives to the service of that Church in which they have their emoluments; and labour incessantly to build it up on its most holy faith. Let them not be masters to govern with rigour and imperiousness; but tender fathers, who feel every member in the Church as their own child, and labour to feed the heavenly family with the mysteries of God, of which they are stewards.
5. And while the people require much of their spiritual pastors, these pastors have equal right to require much of their people. The obligation is not all on one side; those who watch for our souls have a right not only to their own support, but to our reverence and confidence. Those who despise their ecclesiastical rulers, will soon despise the Church of Christ itself, neglect its ordinances, lose sight of its doctrines, and at last neglect their own salvation.
