Passage Research
1 Corinthians 4 — Sermon Preparation
Paul presents apostles as servants and stewards of God's mysteries, rebukes Corinthian arrogance, and appeals to them as a father to his children. Below is a research summary for 1 Corinthians 4, drawn from openly licensed scholarly databases — original-language morphology, classic sermons from the church fathers through the Puritans, and ancient geography data.
- 21
- verses
- 345 / 155
- Greek words / lemmas
- 24
- classic sermon excerpts
- 7
- preachers & commentators
1 Corinthians 4 in the Greek
Distinctive vocabulary of this chapter, based on original-language morphology.
| Greek | Transliteration | Strong's | Count | KJV renderings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| φυσιόω | physióō | G5448 | 3 | puff up |
| ἀνακρίνω | anakrínō | G350 | 3 | ask, question, discern, examine |
| οἰκονόμος | oikonómos | G3623 | 2 | chamberlain, governor, steward |
| λαμβάνω | lambánō | G2983 | 3 | accept, be amazed, assay, attain |
| βασιλεύω | basileúō | G936 | 2 | king, reign |
| ἀγαπητός | agapētós | G27 | 2 | beloved, dear |
| πιστός | pistós | G4103 | 2 | believe, faithful, sure, true |
How preachers through history handled this text
24 public-domain excerpts on 1 Corinthians 4, from the church fathers to the Puritans.
“In reproving for sin, we should distinguish between sinners and their sins. Reproofs that kindly and affectionately warn, are likely to reform. Though the apostle spoke with authority as a parent, he would rather beseech them in love. And as ministers are to set an example, others must follow them, as far as they follow Christ in faith and practice. Christians may mistake and differ in their views, but Christ and Christian truth are the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. …”
— Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise), on 1 Corinthians 4:14–30 (Public Domain)
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