God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 4:5
5Therefore, don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people’s motives. Then each person will receive praise from God.
1 Corinthians 4:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
Context of 1 Corinthians 4:5
3It means very little to me that you or any human court should cross-examine me. I don’t even ask myself questions. 4I have a clear conscience, but that doesn’t mean I have God’s approval. It is the Lord who cross-examines me. Therefore, don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people’s motives. Then each person will receive praise from God. 6Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won’t arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other. 7Who says that you are any better than other people? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? If you were given what you have, why are you bragging as if it weren’t a gift?
Read all of 1 Corinthians 41 Corinthians 4:5 word by word
ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν· καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thereforeὥστεhōste · soG5620
- judgeκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
- ·τιςtis · oneG5100
- nothingμήmē · notG3361
- beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
- ·ἄνan · ifG302
- the timeκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
- untilἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- bothκαίkai · andG2532
- will bring to lightφωτίζωphōtizō · to illuminateG5461
- the hidden thingsκρυπτόςkruptos · hiddenG2927
- of darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
- will make manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
- the counselsβουλήboulē · planG1012
- of the heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- shallγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- every manἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
- praiseἔπαινοςepainos · praiseG1868
- ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 4:5
- Matthew 7:1“Stop judging so that you will not be judged.
- Luke 6:37“Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Romans 2:1No matter who you are, if you judge anyone, you have no excuse. When you judge another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.
- Romans 14:4Who are you to criticize someone else’s servant? The Lord will determine whether his servant has been successful. The servant will be successful because the Lord makes him successful.
- James 4:11Brothers and sisters, stop slandering each other. Those who slander and judge other believers slander and judge God’s laws. If you judge God’s teachings, you are no longer following them. Instead, you are judging them.
- 1 Corinthians 1:7Therefore, you don’t lack any gift as you wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
- 1 Corinthians 11:26Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about the Lord’s death until he comes.
- 1 Corinthians 15:23This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him ⌞will be made alive⌟.
- Matthew 24:30“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the people on earth will cry in agony when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- James 5:7Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains.
- 2 Peter 3:4by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.”
- Jude 1:14Furthermore, Enoch, from the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about them. He said, “The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy angels.
- Revelation 1:7Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him. This is true. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done.
- Ecclesiastes 11:9You young people should enjoy yourselves while you’re young. You should let your hearts make you happy when you’re young. Follow wherever your heart leads you and whatever your eyes see. But realize that God will make you give an account for all these things when he judges everyone.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 4:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Judge nothing before the time - God, the righteous Judge, will determine every thing shortly: it is his province alone to search the heart, and bring to light the hidden things of darkness. If you be so pure and upright in your conduct, if what you have been doing in these divisions, etc., be right in his sight, then shall you have praise for the same; if otherwise, yourselves are most concerned. Some refer the praise to St. Paul and his companions: Then…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Therefore - Inview of the danger of being deceived in your judgment, and the impossibility of certainly knowing the failings of the heart. Judge nothing - Pass no decided opinion; see the note at Matthew 7:1. The apostle here takes occasion to inculcate on them an important lesson - one of the leading lessons of Christianity - not to pass a harsh opinion on the conduct of any man, since there are so many things that go to make up his character which we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5judge nothing: Only the Lord can truly know a person's heart. When he returns, he will judge. Paul took God's judgment of his ministry very seriously (see 2 Corinthians 5:9–10; Philippians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20; compare 2 Corinthians 1:14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Disproving the judicial power claimed by the Romish priesthood in the confessional. Therefore--as the Lord is the sole Decider or Dijudicator. judge--not the same Greek word as in 1Co 4:3, 4, where the meaning is to approve of or decide on, the merits of one's case. Here all judgments in general are forbidden, which would, on our part, presumptuously forestall God's prerogative of final judgment. Lord--Jesus Christ, whose "ministers" we are (1Co 4:1)…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 4:5
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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