I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Parallel translations
- WEB But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s judgment. Yes, I don’t judge my own self.
- KJV But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
- NKJV But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
- NASB But to me it is an insignificant matter that I would be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
- NLT As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.
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 considers human verdicts on his ministry—even his own self-assessment—to be a minor concern. It matters because the believer's worth rests on God's judgment, not the shifting opinions of people.
Overview
The Corinthians were sitting in judgment over Paul, but he refuses to be governed by their 'day in court' or any human tribunal, and even distrusts his own self-evaluation. This is not arrogance but a settled freedom that comes from living before God. Paul models a conscience answerable ultimately to the Lord, releasing him from the tyranny of others' approval.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- John 7:24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- 1 Cor 2:15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.
- 1 Sam 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
- 1 Cor 3:13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
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 4:3 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.