1 Corinthians 4:12

1 Corinthians 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
• New International Version (NIV)We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
• English Standard Version (ESV)and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
• New King James Version (NKJV)And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

Context of 1 Corinthians 4:12

10We have become like fools so that we can serve Christ. But you think that you are wise because you belong to Christ. We seem like weak people, but you seem to be strong! People respect you but they insult us! 11Until now, we continue to be hungry and thirsty. Our clothes have become old. Sometimes people hit us for no reason. We do not have our own homes. We work hard, so that we become very tired. When people insult us, we ask God to bless them. When people give us trouble, we are patient and brave. 13When people say bad things against us, we answer with kind words. We have become like dirty things that people throw away. That is still true, even today. 14I do not write these things to make you ashamed. You are like my own children that I love. So I want to teach you what is right.

1 Corinthians 4:12 word by word

καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν· λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν, διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• labourκοπιάωkopiaō · to laborG2872
• workingἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• with our ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• being reviledλοιδορέωloidoreō · to revileG3058
• we blessεὐλογέωeulogeō · to praise/blessG2127
• being persecutedδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• we suffer itἀνέχωanechomai · to endureG430

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 4:12

• 1 Corinthians 9:6Barnabas and I seem to be the only leaders who must work at other jobs. We should not need to do that!
• Acts 18:3They knew how to make tents which they could sell to people. Paul also made tents, so he stayed with them and he worked with them.
• Acts 20:34You yourselves know that I worked with my hands. I did that to get money. Then my friends and I could have the things that we needed.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:9Our Christian friends, remember how we worked so hard to help you. We worked during the day and even during the night. We did not want to cause any problems for you. So we taught you God's good news and we did not ask you to give us anything in return.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:8We always paid for the food that anyone gave to us. We worked hard all the time, during the day and at night. We did that so that we would not make trouble for any of you.
• 1 Timothy 4:10So that is why we work to serve God well. We continue to work, even when we have trouble. We do this because we believe that God will help us. He is the one who lives for ever and who saves all people. Certainly, he saves those who are believers.
• Matthew 5:44What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them.
• Luke 6:28Say good things to people that say bad things against you. Pray for people who give you pain.
• Luke 23:34Jesus said, ‘Father, these people do not know what they are doing. So please forgive them.’ The soldiers then picked up Jesus' clothes for themselves. They played a game to decide who would receive each piece of his clothes.
• Acts 7:60Then he fell down on his knees. He shouted, ‘Lord, please forgive these men. Do not punish them because they are doing this to me.’ After Stephen had said this, he died.
• Romans 12:14Ask God to bless people who cause trouble for you. Yes, ask him to be kind to them. Do not ask him to do bad things to them.
• 1 Peter 2:23People insulted Christ, but he did not say any bad thing to answer them. People caused him to have trouble, but he never tried to hurt them in return. Instead, Christ trusted God to help him. He knew that God always judges people fairly.
• 1 Peter 3:9If people do bad things to you, do not do anything bad to them in return. If people insult you, do not insult them in return. Instead, pray that God will bless those people. That is what God wants you to do. Then you will receive the gift of God's blessing.
• Jude 1:9Even the leader of God's angels, Michael, did not speak bad words like that against the Devil. Long ago, Michael argued with the Devil about who should have Moses' dead body. But even when the Devil said bad words against God, Michael himself did not speak against the Devil. He did not think that he should do that. Instead, Michael said, ‘The Lord himself will show that you are wrong.’
• Matthew 5:11Yes, happy are you when people say bad things against you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true.
• 1 Peter 3:14But somebody might give you trouble, even when you do what is right. If that happens, God will bless you. So do not be afraid of what people may do to you. Do not worry about it.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 4:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Working with our own hands - They were obliged to labor in order to supply themselves with the necessaries of life while preaching the Gospel to others. This, no doubt, was the case in every place were no Church had been as yet formed: afterwards, the people of God supplied their ministers, according to their power, with food and raiment. Being reviled, we bless, etc. - What a most amiable picture does this exhibit of the power of the grace of Christ! Man…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And labour … - This Paul often did. See the note at Acts 18:3; compare Acts 20:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9. 2 Thessalonians 3:8. Being reviled - That they were often reviled or reproached, their history everywhere shows. See the Acts of the Apostles. They were reviled or ridiculed as Jews by the Gentiles; and jeered by all as “Nazarenes,” and as deluded followers of Jesus; as the victims of a foolish superstition and enthusiasm. We bless - We return good for…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. 12We work hard with our own hands: To avoid accusations of taking money, Paul chose to support himself (1 Corinthians 9:3–18; Acts 18:3; 20:33–35). When we are vilified, we bless: Paul's response followed the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 5:44–45; compare Romans 12:14, 17–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. working with our own hands--namely, "even unto this present hour" (1Co 4:11). This is not stated in the narrative of Paul's proceedings at Ephesus, from which city he wrote this Epistle (though it is expressly stated of him at Corinth, compare Ac 18:3, 19). But in his address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Ac 20:34), he says, "Ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities," &c. The undesignedness of the coincidence thus…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 4:12

• Forgiveness
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Persecution
• Self-Denial
• Suffering
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Account
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Instructor
• Offscouring
• Rod
• Shame
• Steward
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Forgiveness
• Paul, the Apostle

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