Sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi, et dispensatores mysteriorum Dei.

Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God.

That is how we ought to be regarded, as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.

Hic jam quæritur inter dispensatores ut fidelis quis inveniatur.

Here now it is required among the dispensers, that a man be found faithful.

And this is what we look for in choosing a steward; we must find one who is trustworthy.

Mihi autem pro minimo est ut a vobis judicer, aut ab humano die: sed neque meipsum judico.

But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man’s day; but neither do I judge my own self.

Yet for myself, I make little account of your scrutiny, or of any human audit-day; I am not even at pains to scrutinize my own conduct.

Nihil enim mihi conscius sum, sed non in hoc justificatus sum: qui autem judicat me, Dominus est.

For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord.

My conscience does not, in fact, reproach me; but that is not where my justification lies; it is the Lord’s scrutiny I must undergo.

Itaque nolite ante tempus judicare, quoadusque veniat Dominus: qui et illuminabit abscondita tenebrarum, et manifestabit consilia cordium: et tunc laus erit unicuique a Deo.

Therefore judge not before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise from God.

You do ill, therefore, to pass judgement prematurely, before the Lord’s coming; he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and reveal the secrets of men’s hearts; then each of us will receive his due award from God.

Hæc autem, fratres, transfiguravi in me et Apollo, propter vos: ut in nobis discatis, ne supra quam scriptum est, unus adversus alterum infletur pro alio.

But these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo, for your sakes; that in us you may learn, that one be not puffed up against the other for another, above that which is written.

All this, brethren, I have applied to myself and to Apollo, but it is meant for you. The lesson you must learn from our example is, not to go beyond what is laid down for you, one man slighting another out of partiality for someone else.

Quis enim te discernit? quid autem habes quod non accepisti? si autem accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis?

For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

After all, friend, who is it that gives thee this pre-eminence? What powers hast thou, that did not come to thee by gift? And if they came to thee by gift, why dost thou boast of them, as if there were no gift in question?

Jam saturati estis, jam divites facti estis: sine nobis regnatis: et utinam regnetis, ut et nos vobiscum regnemus.

You are now full; you are now become rich; you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

Well, you are already fully content; already you have grown rich; already you have come into your kingdom, without waiting for help from us. Would that you had come into your kingdom indeed; then we should be sharing it with you.

Puto enim quod Deus nos Apostolos novissimos ostendit, tamquam morti destinatos: quia spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et angelis, et hominibus.

For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death: we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.

As it is, it seems as if God had destined us, his apostles, to be in the lowest place of all, like men under sentence of death; such a spectacle do we present to the whole creation, men and angels alike.

Nos stulti propter Christum, vos autem prudentes in Christo: nos infirmi, vos autem fortes: vos nobiles, nos autem ignobiles.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honourable, but we without honour.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, you are so wise; we are so helpless, you so stout of heart; you are held in honour, while we are despised.

Usque in hanc horam et esurimus, et sitimus, et nudi sumus, et colaphis cædimur, et instabiles sumus,

Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed abode;

Still, as I write, we go hungry and thirsty and naked; we are mishandled, we have no home to settle in,

et laboramus operantes manibus nostris: maledicimur, et benedicimus: persecutionem patimur, et sustinemus:

And we labour, working with our own hands: we are reviled, and we bless; we are persecuted, and we suffer it.

we are hard put to it, working with our own hands. Men revile us, and we answer with a blessing, persecute us, and we make the best of it,

blasphemamur, et obsecramus: tamquam purgamenta hujus mundi facti sumus, omnium peripsema usque adhuc.

We are blasphemed, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all even until now.

speak ill of us, and we fall to entreaty. We are still the world’s refuse; everybody thinks himself well rid of us.

Non ut confundam vos, hæc scribo, sed ut filios meos carissimos moneo.

I write not these things to confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children.

I am not writing this to shame you; you are my dearly loved children, and I would bring you to a better mind.

Nam si decem millia pædagogorum habeatis in Christo, sed non multos patres. Nam in Christo Jesu per Evangelium ego vos genui.

For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.

Yes, you may have ten thousand schoolmasters in Christ, but not more than one father; it was I that begot you in Jesus Christ, when I preached the gospel to you.

Rogo ergo vos, imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi.

Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.

Follow my example, then, I entreat you, as I follow Christ’s.

Ideo misi ad vos Timotheum, qui est filius meus carissimus, et fidelis in Domino: qui vos commonefaciet vias meas, quæ sunt in Christo Jesu, sicut ubique in omni ecclesia doceo.

For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord; who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus; as I teach every where in every church.

That is why I have sent Timothy to you, a faithful and dearly loved son of mine in the Lord; he will remind you of the path I tread in Christ Jesus, the lessons I give to all churches alike.

Tamquam non venturus sim ad vos, sic inflati sunt quidam.

As if I would not come to you, so some are puffed up.

Some of you have grown contemptuous, thinking that I would never come to visit you.

Veniam autem ad vos cito, si Dominus voluerit: et cognoscam non sermonem eorum qui inflati sunt, sed virtutem.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will: and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power.

But I shall be coming to see you soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will test, not the fine words of those who hold me in contempt, but the powers they can shew.

Non enim in sermone est regnum Dei, sed in virtute.

For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power.

It is power that builds up the kingdom of God, not words.

Quid vultis? in virga veniam ad vos, an in caritate, et spiritu mansuetudinis?

What will you? shall I come to you with a rod; or in charity, and in the spirit of meekness?

Choose, then; am I to come to you rod in hand, or lovingly, in a spirit of forbearance?