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New Living Translation

1 Corinthians 4:4

My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Uncharitableness;   Zeal, Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;   Judges;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Conscience;   Judgment;   Master;   Steward;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Conscience;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Presbyterians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - By;   Faith;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Conscience;   1 Corinthians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - By;   Manna;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brotherly Love;   Character;   Justification (2);   Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs;   Trust;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Obsolete or obscure words in the english av bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - By;   Here;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 31;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me.
King James Version (1611)
For I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not hereby iustified: but hee that iudgeth me is the Lord.
King James Version
For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
English Standard Version
For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
New American Standard Bible
For I am not aware of anything against myself; however I am not vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord.
New Century Version
I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not make me right before the Lord. The Lord is the One who judges me.
Amplified Bible
I am aware of nothing against myself and I feel blameless, but I am not by this acquitted [before God]. It is the Lord who judges me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted. But the one who examines me is the Lord.
Berean Standard Bible
My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.
Contemporary English Version
I don't know of anything against me, but that doesn't prove that I am right. The Lord is my judge.
Complete Jewish Bible
I am not aware of anything against me, but this does not make me innocent. The one who is evaluating me is the Lord.
Darby Translation
For I am conscious of nothing in myself; but I am not justified by this: but he that examines me is the Lord.
Easy-to-Read Version
I don't know of any wrong I have done, but that does not make me right. The Lord is the one who must decide if I have done well or not.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified: but he that iudgeth me, is the Lord.
George Lamsa Translation
For I know nothing of which I am guilty; yet I may not be right in this, for my judge is the LORD.
Good News Translation
My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgment on me.
Lexham English Bible
For I am conscious of nothing against myself, but not by this am I vindicated. But the one who judges me is the Lord.
Literal Translation
For I know nothing of myself, but I have not been justified by this; but He judging me is the Lord.
American Standard Version
For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Bible in Basic English
For I am not conscious of any wrong in myself; but this does not make me clear, for it is the Lord who is my judge.
Hebrew Names Version
For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
International Standard Version
For my conscience is clear,I don't know of anything against myself">[fn] but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who examines me.Job 1:9:2; Psalm 130:3; 143:2; Proverbs 21:2; Romans 3:20; 4:2;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
for of nothing in myself am I conscious; but not by this am I justified, but my judge is the Lord.
Murdock Translation
4 -(For I am not conscious in myself of any thing [fn] ; yet I am not by this justified; for the Lord is my judge.)
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I knowe nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified: but he that iudgeth me is the Lorde.
English Revised Version
For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
World English Bible
For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Weymouth's New Testament
Though I am not conscious of having been in any way unfaithful, yet I do not for that reason stand acquitted; but He whose scrutiny I must undergo is the Lord.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf, but not in this thing Y am iustified; for he that demeth me, is the Lord.
Update Bible Version
For I know nothing against myself; yet I am not hereby justified: but he that judges me is the Lord.
Webster's Bible Translation
For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
New English Translation
For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.
New King James Version
For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.
New Life Bible
As for me, my heart tells me I am not guilty of anything. But that does not prove I am free from guilt. It is the Lord Who looks into my life and says what is wrong.
New Revised Standard
I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, of nothing, to myself, am I conscious: nevertheless, not hereby, am I declared righteous, but, he that doth examine me, is the Lord.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I am not conscious to myself of anything. Yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I know nought by my selfe: yet am I not therby iustified. It is the Lorde that iudgeth me.
Young's Literal Translation
for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right -- and he who is discerning me is the Lord:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I knowe noughte by my selfe, yet am I not therby iustified. It is the LORDE that iudgeth me.
Mace New Testament (1729)
(for though I am not conscious to my self of any unfaithfulness, yet am I not hereby absolved:) but he that is my supreme judge, is the Lord.
Simplified Cowboy Version
My conscience is clear. Now I ain't saying I'm perfect, but the One who will judge me is, and I trust him with my soul.

Contextual Overview

1 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. 3 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. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. 5 So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due. 6 Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I've been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won't be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For: ץהום [Strong's G3762], דבס [Strong's G1063], ולבץפש [Strong's G1683], ףץםןיהב. "For I am not conscious to myself of any guilt" or neglect of duty. Wetstien has shown, from the classics, that this is the proper signification of ףץםויהוים.

I know: Job 27:6, Psalms 7:3-5, John 21:17, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 John 3:20, 1 John 3:21

yet: Job 9:2, Job 9:3, Job 9:20, Job 15:14, Job 25:4, Job 40:4, Psalms 19:12, Psalms 130:3, Psalms 143:2, Proverbs 21:2, Romans 3:19, Romans 3:20, Romans 4:2

but: 1 Corinthians 4:5, Psalms 26:12, Psalms 50:6, 2 Corinthians 5:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 9:8 - I will Deuteronomy 9:4 - Speak not 1 Samuel 12:5 - ye have Job 9:15 - though Job 9:21 - yet would Job 23:5 - know Psalms 7:8 - The Lord Psalms 17:3 - proved Psalms 43:1 - Judge Proverbs 20:9 - General Acts 23:1 - I have Acts 24:16 - General Romans 14:4 - Who 2 Corinthians 5:11 - but 2 Corinthians 5:20 - in Galatians 6:4 - rejoicing 2 Timothy 4:1 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
So Cain left the Lord 's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:17
Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.
Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah.
Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents.
Genesis 15:17
After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses.
Exodus 13:12
you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord , for they belong to him.
Leviticus 9:24
Fire blazed forth from the Lord 's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.
Numbers 16:35
Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.
Numbers 18:12
"I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the Lord —the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.
Numbers 18:17
"However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord . Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For I know nothing by myself,.... Which must be understood with a restriction to the subject he is upon, faithfulness in the ministry; otherwise he knew much by himself of indwelling sin, and the corruption of his nature, which he sometimes found very strong and prevalent in him, and of the daily infirmities of life; but as to his ministerial service, he was pure from the blood of all men; he honestly declared what he knew to be the mind of God, and concealed nothing that might be useful to men; in this he had a clear conscience, void of offence both towards God and men,

Yet am I not hereby justified; from all fault and blame, which might possibly escape his knowledge and observation; for in many things all offend, and no man can understand all his errors; and there might be some mistakes which the apostle was not privy to, or conscious of; and were he even free from all, he declares, that such an unstained integrity, in the discharge of his ministerial work, was not the matter of his justification before God, nor did he depend upon it:

but he that judgeth me is the Lord; either who adjudges me to eternal life, justifying me through the righteousness of his Son, in which alone I desire to be found, living and dying; or he that knows my heart, and all my ways, will be my judge at the last day; and to his judgment I appeal and submit, and sit easy in the mean while under all the censures and calumnies of men. The apostle did, as his Lord and Saviour had done before him, who, when he was reviled and reproached by men, conscious of his own innocence and integrity, committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For I know nothing by myself - There is evidently here an ellipsis to be supplied, and it is well supplied by Grotius, Rosenmuller, Calvin, etc. “I am not conscious of evil, or unfaithfulness to myself; that is, in my ministerial life.” It is well remarked by Calvin, that Paul does not here refer to the whole of his life, but only to his apostleship. And the sense is, “I am conscious of integrity in this office. My own mind does not condemn me of ambition or unfaithfulness. Others may accuse me, but I am not conscious of that which should condemn me, or render me unworthy of this office.” This appeal Paul elsewhere makes to the integrity and faithfulness of his ministry. So his speech before the elders of Ephesus at Miletus; Acts 20:18-19, Acts 20:26-27; compare 2Co 7:2; 2 Corinthians 12:17. It was the appeal which a holy and faithful man could make to the integrity of his public life, and such as every minister of the gospel ought to be able to make.

Yet am I not hereby justified - I am not justified because I am not conscious of a failure in my duty. I know that God the judge may see imperfections where I see none. I know that I may be deceived; and therefore, I do not pronounce a judgment on myself as if it were infallible and final. It is not by the consciousness of integrity and faithfulness that I expect to be saved; and it does not follow that I claim to be free from all personal blame. I know that partiality to ourselves will often teach us to overlook many faults that others may discern in us.

He that judgeth me is the Lord - By his judgment I am to abide; and by his judgment I am to receive my eternal sentence, and not by my own view of myself. He searcheth the hearts. He may see evil where I see none. I would not, therefore, be self-confident; but would, with humility, refer the whole case to him. Perhaps there is here a gentle and tender reproof of the Corinthians, who were so confident in their own integrity; and a gentle admonition to them to be more cautious, as it was possible that the Lord would detect faults in them where they perceived none.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 4:4. For I know nothing by myself — Ουδεν γαρ εμαυτῳ συνοιδα· I am not conscious that I am guilty of any evil, or have neglected to fulfil faithfully the duty of a steward of Jesus Christ. The import of the verb συνειδειν is to be conscious of guilt; and conscire has the same meaning: so, in Horace, Nil CONSCIRE sibi, to know nothing to one's self, is the same as nulla pellescere culpa, not to grow pale at being charged with a crime, through a consciousness of guilt.

Yet am I not hereby justified — I do not pretend to say that though I am not conscious of any offence towards God I must therefore be pronounced innocent; no: I leave those things to God; he shall pronounce in my favour, not I myself. By these words the apostle, in a very gentle yet effectual manner, censures those rash and precipitate judgments which the Corinthians were in the habit of pronouncing on both men and things-a conduct than which nothing is more reprehensible and dangerous.


 
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