EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Corinthians 4:21
21I will come and I will find out what is really true. So you must choose. Will I need to be angry and punish you? Or will I speak kind words to show that I love you? Which do you want me to do?
1 Corinthians 4:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
- New International Version (NIV)What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
- English Standard Version (ESV)What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
- New King James Version (NKJV)What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
Context of 1 Corinthians 4:21
19But I will come to visit you again soon, if the Lord wants me to. Then I will find out what these proud people are really like. It is not just the words that they say. I will find out if they have the power of God. 20When people serve God as their king, they have God's power. They do not just speak proud words. I will come and I will find out what is really true. So you must choose. Will I need to be angry and punish you? Or will I speak kind words to show that I love you? Which do you want me to do?
Read all of 1 Corinthians 41 Corinthians 4:21 word by word
Τί θέλετε; ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραΰτητος;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- will yeθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- shall I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- youσύsu · youG4771
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- a rodῥάβδοςrhabdos · rodG4464
- orἤē · orG2228
- loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- andτεte · and/bothG5037
- the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 4:21
- 1 Corinthians 5:5When you meet, put this man under Satan's authority. Satan will then destroy the man's body. Then God may save the man's spirit on the day when the Lord Jesus returns.
- 2 Corinthians 10:2So please listen to what I am asking you. Some people among you think that we live like people who belong to this world. When I come to visit you, I am sure that I will be brave enough to speak against those people. But I do not want to have to speak strongly like that against all of you.
- 2 Corinthians 12:20When I come there to visit you, I hope you will be living in a good way. But I am afraid that I will not see what I want to see. Then you will see that I am different from what you want me to be! I am afraid that you may be quarrelling. You may be jealous of each other. You may be very angry with each other. Some of you may just want to please yourselves. You may be insulting one another, or telling lies about one another. You may be proud of how good you are. You may be causing trouble for one another. Yes, I am afraid that all those things may be happening among you.
- 2 Corinthians 13:2I have already warned those people who did wrong things before. I did that when I was with you on my second visit. Now I am warning them again, while I am away from you. So, when I come to you the next time, nobody will go free. I will punish those people and all the others who have done wrong things.
- 2 Corinthians 3:10The old agreement was great and powerful at one time. But now God's new agreement has come in its place. The great power of the new agreement shows that the old agreement is no longer powerful.
- 2 Corinthians 10:1I, Paul, need to ask you something. Perhaps you think that I am only humble when I am present there with you. You think that I only speak strongly to you when I am far away! Now I am away from you. But I am still humble and kind, like Christ is.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:7We could have used our authority over you, because we are Christ's apostles. But instead, we chose to be kind to you and to help you. We took care of you, like a mother takes care of her little children.
- James 3:17But if God makes you really wise, you will live in a completely good way. That is the most important thing. Also, you will live in a way that brings peace. You will be kind to other people so that they become your friends. You will listen to them and not argue. You will forgive them and do many good things to help them. You will not choose between people. And you will not be a hypocrite.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 4:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Shall 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21What 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 In reproving for sin, we should distinguish between sinners and their sins. Reproofs that kindly and affectionately warn, are likely to reform. Though the apostle spoke with authority as a parent, he would rather beseech them in love. And as ministers are to set an example, others must follow them, as far as they follow Christ in faith and practice. Christians may mistake and differ in their views, but Christ and Christian truth are the same…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-21Paul ends this part about divisions in the church with kind, fatherly advice and a warning (1 Corinthians 1:10–4:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. with a rod, or in love--The Greek preposition is used in both clauses; must I come IN displeasure to exercise the rod, or IN love, and the Spirit of meekness (Is 11:4; 2Co 13:3)?Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 4:21
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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