If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
- KJV Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
- NKJV And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
- NASB Now if Timothy comes, see that he has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.
- NLT When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul urges the Corinthians to receive Timothy without intimidating him, since he too does the Lord's work. It models honoring younger, faithful servants of Christ.
Overview
Timothy was Paul's trusted younger coworker (1 Timothy 4:12 hints he could be looked down on for his youth), and the divided, sometimes proud Corinthian church could easily have made him uneasy. Paul places Timothy's labor on the same footing as his own ('as I also do'), commending him to their care. The instruction reflects the gospel pattern of valuing fellow servants according to their faithful work for the Lord, not their status.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Cor 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- 1 Cor 4:17That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.
- Rom 16:21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.
- 1 Th 3:2We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
- Phil 2:19–22Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.
- 2 Cor 6:1As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
- Acts 19:22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
- 1 Th 4:12Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
- 2 Cor 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
- 1 Cor 16:11No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he can return to me, for I am expecting him along with the brothers.
- Acts 16:1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 16:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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