But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power.
Parallel translations
- WEB But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
- KJV But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
- BSB But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.
- NKJV But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
- NLT But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power.
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 intends to come soon, God willing, and will test not the boasters' talk but their actual spiritual power. It matters because real faith is proven by power, not mere words.
Overview
Submitting his plans to the Lord's will, Paul promises a visit that will expose whether the arrogant have any genuine spiritual substance behind their speech. He distinguishes empty rhetoric from the true power of God at work in a life. This anticipates his theme that God's kingdom is demonstrated, not merely discussed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 2 Cor 13:1–4This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
- Acts 18:21but taking his leave of them, and saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
- Acts 19:21Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
- 1 Cor 4:18Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
- 2 Cor 1:23But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.
- Rom 15:32that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest.
- Heb 6:3This will we do, if God permits.
- 1 Cor 14:5Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but rather that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up.
- 1 Cor 11:34But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.
- 1 Cor 2:6We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing.
- 1 Cor 16:5But I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia.
- Acts 20:2When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.
- 2 Cor 1:15–17In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;
- Jas 4:15For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”
- 2 Cor 2:1–2But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.
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 4:19 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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