Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 4:7
7For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?
1 Corinthians 4:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
- New International Version (NIV)For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
- English Standard Version (ESV)For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
- New King James Version (NKJV)For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Context of 1 Corinthians 4:7
5So do not go on passing judgment before the appointed time, but wait until the Lord comes, for He will both bring to light the [secret] things that are hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. 6Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other. For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]? 8[You behave as if] you are already filled [with spiritual wisdom and in need of nothing more]. Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts]! You [in your conceit] have ascended your thrones and become kings without us; and how I wish [that it were true and] that you did reign as kings, so that we might reign with you. 9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles at the end of the line, like men sentenced to death [and paraded as prisoners in a procession], because we have become a spectacle to the world [a show in the world’s amphitheater], both to angels and to men.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 41 Corinthians 4:7 word by word
τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει; τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whoτίςtis · which?G5101
- makethδιακρίνωdiakrinō · to judge/doubtG1252
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- andδέde · thenG1161
- hast thouἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- thou didstλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- dost thou gloryκαυχάομαιkauchaomai · to boastG2744
- as ifὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- notμήmē · notG3361
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 4:7
- 1 Corinthians 12:4Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers].
- 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.
- Romans 9:16So then God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift].
- Ephesians 3:3and that by [divine] revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have already written in brief.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:12in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
- 1 Timothy 1:12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry],
- 1 Corinthians 3:5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task.
- 1 Corinthians 7:7I wish that all the people were as I am; but each person has his own gift from God, one of this kind and one of that.
- 1 Chronicles 29:11Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion and kingdom, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
- 2 Chronicles 1:7That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give to you.”
- Proverbs 2:6For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
- Matthew 25:14“For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions.
- Luke 19:13So he called ten of his servants, and gave them ten minas [one apiece, each equal to about a hundred days’ wages] and said to them, ‘Do business [with this] until I return.’
- John 1:16For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].
- John 3:27John replied, “A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing at all] unless it has been granted to him from heaven [for there is no other source than the sovereign will of God].
- Romans 1:5It is through Him that we have received grace and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the Gentiles,
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 4:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7For who maketh thee to differ - It is likely that the apostle is here addressing himself to some one of those puffed up teachers, who was glorying in his gifts, and in the knowledge he had of the Gospel, etc. As if he had said: If thou hast all that knowledge which thou professest to have, didst thou not receive it from myself or some other of my fellow helpers who first preached the Gospel at Corinth? God never spoke to thee to make thee an apostle. Hast…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For who maketh - This verse contains a reason for what Paul had just said; and the reason is, that all that any of them possessed had been derived from God, and no endowments whatever, which they had, could be laid as the foundation for self-congratulation and boasting. The apostle here doubtless has in his eye the teachers in the church of Corinth, and intends to show them that there was no occasion of pride or to assume pre-eminence. As all that they…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 We have no reason to be proud; all we have, or are, or do, that is good, is owing to the free and rich grace of God. A sinner snatched from destruction by sovereign grace alone, must be very absurd and inconsistent, if proud of the free gifts of God. St. Paul sets forth his own circumstances, ver. 9 Allusion is made to the cruel spectacles in the Roman games; where men were forced to cut one another to pieces, to divert the people; and where…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Pride in a leader comes from not realizing that everything is a gift from God. We should feel humble gratitude instead.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Translate, "Who distinguisheth thee (above another)?" Not thyself, but God. glory, as if thou hadst not received it--as if it was to thyself, not to God, thou owest the receiving of it.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 4:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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