The meaning of refreshed is probably in this context “setting someone’s mind at rest.” If so, they refreshed my spirit as well as yours would mean that the Corinthian Christians’ minds were set at rest when Stephanas and his companions brought them good news about Paul.

The verb translated Give recognition is not commonly used in the sense of recognizing someone’s authority, though in the light of verse 16 this may be the meaning here. Probably no more than “pay attention to what they say” is meant here. This final sentence may thus be rephrased as “You must pay close attention to what these people say.”

Such men is the same phrase as in verse 16, where it referred probably to males. However, in the present verse there is no reason why the word can not have a more general meaning; for example, “such people,” as in New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible. Paul will mention a woman church leader in the next verse.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .