Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
Parallel translations
- 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.
- BSB 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.
- 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, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
- 1 Cor 4:17Because of this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every assembly.
- Rom 16:21Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.
- 1 Th 3:2and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;
- Phil 2:19–22But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.
- 2 Cor 6:1Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain,
- Acts 19:22Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
- 1 Th 4:12that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
- 2 Cor 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
- 1 Cor 16:11Therefore let no one despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.
- Acts 16:1He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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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