Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Disproving the judicial power claimed by the Romish priesthood in the confessional.
Therefore - as the Lord is the sole Decider.
Judge х krinete (G2919)] - not the same Greek as in 5:3,4, where the meaning is to decide on the merits of one's case. Here judgments in general are forbidden, which presumptuously forestall God's prerogative.
Lord - Jesus Christ, whose "ministers" we are (1 Corinthians 4:1), and who is to be the Judge (John 5:22; John 5:27; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31).
Manifest ... hearts - our judgments now (as those of the Corinthians respecting their teachers) are necessarily defective: we only see the outward act; we cannot see the motives. 'Faithfulness' (1 Corinthians 4:2) will be estimated, and the "Lord" will 'justify' men's work, or the reverse (1 Corinthians 4:4), according to "the counsels of the hearts."
Then shall every man have praise (1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Samuel 26:23; Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23; Matthew 25:28) - rather, 'his due praise,' not exaggerated, such as the Corinthians heaped on favourite teachers; 'THE PRAISE' (so the Greek) due for acts estimated by the motives. "Then," not 'before;' therefore wait until then (James 5:7).