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

10Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. 11Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. 13We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. 14I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.

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 9:6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
• Acts 18:3Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
• Acts 20:34You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:9Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:8We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.
• 1 Timothy 4:10This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.
• Matthew 5:44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
• Luke 6:28Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
• Luke 23:34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
• Acts 7:60He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
• 1 Peter 2:23He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
• 1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.
• Jude 1:9But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)
• Matthew 5:11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
• 1 Peter 3:14But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.

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