1 Corinthians 4:5
What does 1 Corinthians 4:5 mean?
A plain-English look at 1 Corinthians 4:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 1 Corinthians 4:5 means
Paul commands the church to refrain from rendering final judgments before “the time,” the day when the Lord comes. At His coming, the hidden things of darkness will be exposed, and the purposes of hearts will be laid bare. Only then will each receive praise from God as He sees fit. This corrects the Corinthians’ public rankings and their private assumptions about motives and success. It also comforts faithful servants who labor without recognition: God will vindicate in due season. The verse urges patience, humility, and hope—patience to wait, humility to accept our limited sight, and hope that the Lord Himself will honor what He approves.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Therefore judge nothing 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 of God.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949For this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will every man have his praise from God.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from God.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Therefore, 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.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890So that do not judge anything before [the] time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have [his] praise fromGod.
Context
This is the culmination of Paul’s counsel about judgment (verses 3–5). Having insisted that neither human courts nor private conscience can settle faithfulness, he fixes the church’s eyes on the Lord’s return as the true moment of disclosure and commendation. From here (verse 6), Paul will apply this to the Corinthians’ partisan spirit, using himself and Apollos as an example, and warn them not to be inflated beyond what is written. The flow moves from eschatological sobriety to practical correction about pride and party loyalty.
v.4For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
v.5This passage
v.6Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
- Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which isthe bookof life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
- 2 Corinthians 10:18
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
- 2 Peter 3:4
and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
- James 4:11
Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
- 2 Peter 3:12
looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
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