diff --git a/en_tn_42-MRK.tsv b/en_tn_42-MRK.tsv index 50258a1b2e..1fdfebdabc 100644 --- a/en_tn_42-MRK.tsv +++ b/en_tn_42-MRK.tsv @@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ MRK 1 44 xhu8 figs-explicit σεαυτὸν δεῖξον τῷ ἱερεῖ 1 s MRK 1 44 w6b2 figs-synecdoche σεαυτὸν δεῖξον 1 show yourself Here, the word **yourself** represents the skin of the leper. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: “show your skin” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) MRK 1 45 i91a figs-metaphor ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν πολλὰ καὶ διαφημίζειν τὸν λόγον 1 began to proclaim often and to spread the word widely Here, **spread the word widely** is a metaphor for telling people in many places about what had happened. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternate translation: “began to tell people in many places about what Jesus had done” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) MRK 1 45 z363 figs-hyperbole πάντοθεν 1 from all sides The word **all sides** is a hyperbole used to emphasize from how very many places the people came. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language. Alternate translation: “from all over the region” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) -MRK 2 intro zhb5 0 # Mark 2 General Notes

## Structure and Formatting

1. Jesus heals the paralytic (2:1-12)
1. Jesus tells Levi to follow him (2:13,14)
1. The feast at Levi’s house (2:15-17)
1. Questions about fasting (2:18-22)
1. Picking grain on the Sabbath (2:22-28)

## Special concepts in this chapter

### “Sinners”

When the people of Jesus’ time spoke of “sinners,” they were talking about people who did not obey the law of Moses and instead committed sins like stealing or sexual sins. When Jesus said that he came to call “sinners,” he meant that only people who believe that they are sinners can be his followers. This is true even if they are not what most people think of as “sinners.” (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]])

### Fasting and Feasting

People would fast, or not eat food for a long time, when they were sad or were showing God that they were sorry for their sins. When they were happy, like during weddings, they would have feasts, or meals where they would eat much food. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/fast]])

## Important figures of speech in this chapter

### Rhetorical Questions

The Jewish leaders used rhetorical questions to show that they were angry because of what Jesus said and did and that they did not believe that he was God’s Son ([Mark 2:7](../mrk/02/07.md)). Jesus used them to show the Jewish leaders that they were arrogant ([Mark 2:25-26](./25.md)). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

### The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 18, 25, . If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-pastforfuture]]) +MRK 2 intro zhb5 0 # Mark 2 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n1. Jesus heals the paralytic (2:1-12)\n1. Jesus tells Levi to follow him (2:13,14)\n1. The feast at Levi’s house (2:15-17)\n1. Questions about fasting (2:18-22)\n1. Picking grain on the Sabbath (2:22-28)\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### “Sinners”\n\nWhen the people of Jesus’ time spoke of “sinners,” they were talking about people who did not obey the law of Moses and instead committed sins like stealing or sexual sins. When Jesus said that he came to call “sinners,” he meant that only people who believe that they are sinners can be his followers. This is true even if they are not what most people think of as “sinners.” (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]])\n\n### Fasting and Feasting\n\nPeople would fast, or not eat food for a long time, when they were sad or were showing God that they were sorry for their sins. When they were happy, like during weddings, they would have feasts, or meals where they would eat much food. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/fast]])\n\n## Important figures of speech in this chapter\n\n### Rhetorical Questions\n\nThe Jewish leaders used rhetorical questions to show that they were angry because of what Jesus said and did and that they did not believe that he was God’s Son ([Mark 2:7](../mrk/02/07.md)). Jesus used them to show the Jewish leaders that they were arrogant ([Mark 2:25-26](./25.md)). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])\n\n### The Historic Present \n\nTo call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 18, 25, . If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-pastforfuture]]) MRK 2 1 ir5j figs-activepassive ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν 1 it was heard that he is at home If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “The people there heard that he was staying at his home” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) MRK 2 1 j6pa grammar-connect-time-background καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ 1 The author tells us that Jesus **entered again** to remind us that he has already been in Capernaum in [1:21](../01/21.md). You could make this more explicit in your language. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “Jesus came a second time to the town called Capernaum” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background]]) MRK 2 1 afvi figs-explicit ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν 1 There is some debate over whose **house** this is. It could possibly be (1) Peter’s house. Peter’s house functioned as the place where Jesus always returned to when we was in the town of Capernaum. Alternate translation: “He was in Peter’s house” or (2) you could leave it generic, and not specify whose house it was. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) @@ -1497,4 +1497,4 @@ MRK 16 1 cw1b 0 Connecting Statement: On the first day of the week, women come MRK 16 1 p61n καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ Σαββάτου 1 And the Sabbath having passed That is, after **the Sabbath**, the seventh day of the week, had ended and the first day of the week had begun. MRK 16 4 kld9 figs-activepassive ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος 1 the stone had been rolled away You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “someone had rolled away the stone” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) MRK 16 6 x9m8 figs-activepassive ἠγέρθη 1 He has been raised! The angel is emphatically stating that Jesus has risen from the dead. You can translate this in active form. Alternate translation: “He arose!” or “God raised him from the dead!” or “He raised himself from the dead!” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -MRK 9 10 to7w figs-metonymy τὸν λόγον 1 Mark is figuratively describing something Jesus would say by association with his mouth, which he would use to say something. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “what he said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) \ No newline at end of file +MRK 9 10 to7w figs-metonymy τὸν λόγον 1 Mark is figuratively describing something Jesus would say by association with his mouth, which he would use to say something. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “what he said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) diff --git a/en_tn_47-1CO.tsv b/en_tn_47-1CO.tsv index f233f8ee74..bb293727ea 100644 --- a/en_tn_47-1CO.tsv +++ b/en_tn_47-1CO.tsv @@ -1,19 +1,19 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNote -1CO front intro e8ey 0 # Introduction to 1 Corinthians

## Part 1: General Introduction

### Outline of the Book of 1 Corinthians

1. Opening (1:1–9)
2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)
3. Against sexual immorality (4:16–6:20)
4. On abstinence (7:1–40)
5. On food (8:1–11:1)
6. On head coverings (11:2–16)
7. On the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34)
8. On spiritual gifts (12:1–14:40)
9. On the resurrection of the dead (15:1–58)
10. On the collection and visits (16:1–12)
11. Closing: final commands and greetings (16:13–24)

More detailed outlines for each of these sections appear in the chapter introductions.

### Who Wrote the Book of 1 Corinthians?

The author identifies himself as Paul the apostle. Paul was from the city of Tarsus. He had been known as Saul in his early life. Before becoming a Christian, Paul was a Pharisee, and he persecuted Christians. After he became a Christian, he traveled several times throughout the Roman Empire, telling people about Jesus. Paul first visited the Corinthians during his third time traveling around the Roman Empire (see [Acts 18:1–18](../../act/18/01.md)). After that, Paul wrote this letter while he was in Ephesus ([16:8](../16/08.md)). He lived and proclaimed the gospel there for more than two years (see [Acts 19:1–10](../../act/19/01.md)), and it was sometime during those years that he wrote this letter to the Corinthians.

### What Is the Book of 1 Corinthians about?

While Paul was in Ephesus, he learned things about the Corinthians. People from “Chloe” told Paul about “factions” in the Corinthian group ([1:11](../01/11.md)), and the Corinthian believers wrote a letter to him asking questions ([7:1](../07/01.md)). Paul also mentions that he has “heard” things about what they are doing and saying (see [5:1](../05/01.md); [11:18](../11/18.md); [15:12](../15/12.md)). He may have learned these things from the people “from Chloe,” from their letter, or from other sources, such as “Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus,” who visited Paul before he wrote this letter (see [16:17](../16/17.md)). Paul writes his letter in response to what he has learned about how the Corinthians are thinking and acting. He addresses multiple topics in order. You can see these topics in the outline above. Paul focuses on encouraging the Corinthian believers to remain faithful to Jesus and to behave as those who follow Jesus.

### How Should the Title of this Book Be Translated?

Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “First Corinthians” or “1 Corinthians.” Or they may choose a clearer title, such as “Paul’s First Letter to the Church in Corinth” or “A First Letter to the Christians in Corinth.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

### What was the city of Corinth like?

Corinth was a major city located in ancient Greece. Because it was near the Mediterranean Sea and in an important location, many travelers and traders came to buy and sell goods there. Therefore, many different kinds of people lived in the city, and there were many wealthy people. Also, people in Corinth worshiped many different gods, and their worship could include food and sexual activity. In this culture, Christians who did not participate in worshiping at least some of the many gods were often considered to be strange, and people would not want to associate with them.

### What was the issue that Paul was addressing in this letter?

Paul addresses many specific topics and issues in his letter to the Corinthian believers. These include church unity, sexual behavior, worship practices, food sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. It is possible that all the problems that Paul wishes to correct in these areas come from one single issue in the Corinthian church. It could be that false teachers are leading the Corinthians astray, or it could be that the Corinthians are acting like everyone else in their culture, even when this is not properly following Jesus. Most likely, the Corinthians believed that they had already received all the blessings that Christians will receive when Jesus comes back to the earth. Whatever exactly the primary problem is, what is clear is that the Corinthians were not properly following Jesus in how they were thinking and acting, and Paul writes the letter to guide them back to faithfully following Jesus.

## Part 3: Important Translation Issues

### What does Paul mean when he talks about “wisdom” and “foolishness”?

These words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. If someone creates plans and ideas that work out well, that person is wise. If someone creates plans and ideas that do not work out well, that person is foolish. The wise person makes good choices, and the foolish person makes bad choices. Paul uses these words to contrast what humans think is wise or foolish with what God thinks is wise or foolish. By doing this, Paul wishes to keep the Corinthians from thinking in ways that other humans consider to be “wise.” Rather, he wishes them to think in ways that God considers to be “wise,” which are ways that the other humans might consider to be “foolish.”

### What does Paul mean when he talks about “knowledge”?

Paul uses “knowledge” to refer to comprehending or understanding what is true about God and the world. Paul emphasizes that no one really has “knowledge” without the help of the Holy Spirit. He also wants those who have this “knowledge” to continue to act in ways that respect and honor those who do not have the “knowledge.” In other words, he wants to convince the Corinthians that acting in love toward fellow believers is more valuable than any “knowledge.” So, Paul argues that “knowledge” is valuable, but other things are more important.

### What does Paul mean when he talks about “power” and “weakness”?

Someone who has “power” has much influence and authority and can accomplish many things. Someone who has “weakness” does not have much influence and authority and is not able to accomplish many things. Paul contrasts what humans think is powerful or weak with what God thinks is powerful or weak. By doing this, Paul wishes to keep the Corinthians from acting in ways that other humans think are “powerful.” Rather, he wishes them to act in ways that God considers “powerful,” which are ways that the other humans might consider to be “weak.”

### What did Paul mean by the expressions “in Christ,” “in the Lord,” etc.?

Paul uses the spatial metaphor “in Christ” (often with another name for “Christ,” such as “Lord” or “Jesus”) very frequently in this letter. This metaphor emphasizes that believers are as closely united to Christ as if they were inside him. Paul believes that this is true for all believers, and sometimes he uses “in Christ” simply to identify that what he is speaking about is true for those who believe in Jesus. Other times, he emphasizes union with Christ as the means or the basis for some statement or exhortation. See the notes on specific verses for help in understanding the contextual meaning of “in Christ” and related phrases. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

### How should “brothers” be translated?

Many times in this letter, Paul directly addresses or refers to people he calls “brothers.” Often, a direct address to the “brothers” indicates that Paul is beginning a new section. The word “brothers” refers in general to fellow believers, both male and female. Paul uses this word because he considers believers to be as closely united together as siblings in a family. Consider what word or phrase would best express both the reference to fellow believers and the idea that these fellow believers are as close as family members. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/brother]])

### How should extended metaphors be translated?

Throughout this letter, Paul uses long or extended metaphors. In [3:1–17](../03/01.md), he speaks about children, farming, construction, and temples to discuss how he and others who preach the gospel should relate to the Corinthians. In [5:6–8](../05/06.md), he uses the Jewish festival of Passover to encourage the Corinthians to behave in a certain way. In [9:9–11](../09/09.md), he uses a farming metaphor to speak about receiving money for preaching the gospel, and in [9:24–27](../09/24.md), he uses metaphors related to athletic competitions to encourage the Corinthians to behave in a certain way. In [12:12–27](../12/12.md), Paul uses the human body as an analogy and metaphor for the church. Finally, in [15:36–38](../15/36.md), [42–44](../15/42.md), Paul uses a farming metaphor to speak about the resurrection of the dead. Since these extended metaphors are a significant part of Paul’s argument in these sections, you should retain the metaphors in your translation if possible or express the idea by using an analogy. See the chapter introductions and notes for more information and translation options. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### How should rhetorical questions be translated?

Paul asks many questions in this letter. He does not asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he asks these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. If your readers would understand these kinds of questions, you should retain them in your translation. If your readers would understand these kinds of questions, you could supply the answers or express the questions as statements. See the notes on each rhetorical question for the implied answer and ways to translate the question as a statement. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

### How should euphemisms be translated?

Paul uses euphemisms in multiple places in this letter, particularly when he is discussing sexual activity or death. If possible, use similar euphemisms in your translation. See the notes on each verse that has a euphemism for translation options. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism]])

### How should “you” and “we” be translated?

Throughout the letter, you should assume that “you,” “your,” and “yours” are plural and refer to the Corinthian believers unless a note specifies that the form of “you” is singular. Similarly, throughout the letter, you should assume that “we,” “us,” “our,” and “ours” include Paul, those who work with Paul, and the Corinthian believers unless a notes specifies that the form of “we” excludes the Corinthian believers. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])

### What are the major issues in the text of the Book of 1 Corinthians?

In the following verses, ancient manuscripts do not all have the same words. The ULT uses the words that are found in most of the earliest manuscripts. When you translate these verses, you should compare the ULT with any translations that your readers may be familiar with to see what your readers may expect. Unless there is a good reason to use the alternate words, you should follow the ULT. See the footnotes and notes at each of these verses for more information. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]])

* “the mystery of God” ([2:1](../02/01.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “the testimony of God.”
* “God judges” ([5:13](../05/13.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “God will judge.”
* “glorify God in your body” ([6:20](../06/20.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which belong to God.”
* “as under the law, not being under the law myself in order to gain those under the law” ([9:20](../09/20.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “as under the law in order to gain those under the law.”
* “put the Lord to the test” ([10:9](../10/09.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “put Christ to the test.”
* “and conscience—” ([10:28](../10/28.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “and conscience, for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord—”
* “I hand over my body so that I might boast” ([13:3](../13/03.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “I hand over my body to be burned.”
* “let him be ignorant” ([14:38](../14/38.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “he is considered ignorant.”
* “let us also bear” ([15:49](../15/49.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “we will also bear.”
* “Amen” ([16:24](../15/49.md)). Some ancient manuscripts do not have “Amen.” -1CO 1 intro ud5y 0 # 1 Corinthians 1 General Notes

## Structure and Formatting

1. Opening (1:1–9)
* Greetings and Blessing (1:1–3)
* Praise and Prayer (1:4–9)
2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)
* Divisions, Leaders, and Baptism (1:10–17)
* Wisdom, Foolishness, and Boasting (1:18–31)

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the words of verse 19, which are from the Old Testament.

## Special Concepts in this Chapter

### Disunity

In this chapter, Paul urges the Corinthians to stop dividing up into smaller groups that identify themselves with one specific leader. He mentions some of the leaders, including himself, in [1:12](../01/12.md). The Corinthians probably chose these leaders themselves, since there is no evidence that any of the people mentioned in [1:12](../01/12.md) were trying to create their own groups. People in the Corinthian church were probably trying to sound wiser or more powerful than other people, so they would choose a group and a leader and say they were better than others. Paul argues against these kinds of divisions first, and then he argues against anyone who tries to sound wiser and more powerful than others.

### Wisdom and foolishness

Throughout this chapter, Paul speaks of both wisdom and foolishness. These words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. If someone creates plans and ideas that work out well, that person is wise. If someone creates plans and ideas that do not work out well, that person is foolish. The wise person makes good choices, and the foolish person makes bad choices. Use words in your language that indicate these ideas. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fool]])

### Power and weakness

Throughout this chapter, Paul speaks of both power and weakness. These words primarily refer to how much influence and authority a person has and to how much they can accomplish. Someone who has “power” has much influence and authority and can accomplish many things. Someone who has “weakness” does not have much influence and authority and is not able to accomplish many things. Use words in your language that indicate these ideas (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/power]])

## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

### Metaphors about Christ

In this chapter, Paul says that “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” ([1:24](../01/24.md)) and that Christ “was made for us wisdom from God, righteousness, and also sanctification and redemption” ([1:30](../01/30.md)). With these two verses, Paul is not saying that Christ is no longer a person and is instead these abstract ideas. Rather, Paul is speaking in this way because Christ and his work for believers include all of these abstract ideas. Christ’s work is powerful and wise, and gives those who believe in him wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. For ways to translate these two statements, see the notes on these two verses.

### Rhetorical questions

Paul asks many questions in this chapter. He is not asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he is asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. For ways to translate these questions, look for the notes on each verse that includes these kinds of questions. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

### Positive and negative uses of “wisdom”

Throughout this chapter, Paul speaks about wisdom in both positive and negative ways. He uses the same words throughout the chapter, and he distinguishes between positive and negative meanings by connecting the words to different people or ideas. For example, he speaks of wisdom negatively when it is the wisdom of the world, or the wisdom of humans. However, he speaks of wisdom positively when it is wisdom from God or wisdom given by God. If possible, translate the negative and positive meanings of wisdom with the same word, just as Paul uses one word for both negative and positive. If you must use different words, use positive words for God’s wisdom and negative words for human wisdom.

### Using different perspectives

Sometimes, Paul speaks of God as if God were “foolish” and “weak” ([1:25](../01/25.md)) and as if he chose “foolish” and “weak” things ([1:27](../01/27.md)). Paul does not actually think that God is foolish and weak and chooses foolish and weak things. Rather, he is speaking from the perspective of normal human thinking. What God does, from a human perspective, is “weak” and “foolish.” He makes this clear in several verses. For example, in [1:26](../01/26.md), Paul says that most of the Corinthians were not wise “according to the flesh.” This is Paul’s way of saying that they were not wise according to human thinking. If possible translate the times Paul speaks from a human perspective with the same words he uses for “weakness” and “foolishness” when he speaks from God’s perspective. If it is necessary to distinguish these uses, use a word or phrase that explains which perspective Paul is using. He does this himself sometimes, and if it is necessary, you can do it in other places as well.

### Information presented out of order

The ULT puts parentheses around [1:16](../01/16.md) because Paul is speaking about whom he baptized, an idea that fits logically with [1:14](../01/14.md) and not as well after [1:15](../01/15.md). Paul has remembered someone else that he baptized, and instead of going back and putting that information in [1:14](../01/14.md), he includes it in [1:16](../01/16.md), interrupting the flow of the argument. If possible, keep [1:16](../01/16.md) where it is, and use a form in your language that indicates that Paul is interrupting his argument. If there is no way to do this in your language, you could move [1:16](../01/16.md) so that it is between [1:14](../01/14.md) and [1:15](../01/15.md). -1CO 1 1 o7ie figs-123person Παῦλος 1 In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, referring to themselves in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you can use the first person here. Or if your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter, and if it would be helpful to your readers, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “From Paul. I have been” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) +1CO front intro e8ey 0 # Introduction to 1 Corinthians\n\n## Part 1: General Introduction\n\n### Outline of the book of 1 Corinthians\n\n1. Opening (1:1–9)\n2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)\n3. Against sexual immorality (4:16–6:20)\n4. On abstinence (7:1–40)\n5. On food (8:1–11:1)\n6. On head coverings (11:2–16)\n7. On the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34)\n8. On spiritual gifts (12:1–14:40)\n9. On the resurrection of the dead (15:1–58)\n10. On the collection and visits (16:1–12)\n11. Closing: final commands and greetings (16:13–24)\n\nMore detailed outlines for each of these sections appear in the chapter introductions.\n\n### Who wrote the book of 1 Corinthians?\n\nThe author identifies himself as Paul the apostle. Paul was from the city of Tarsus. He had been known as Saul in his early life. Before becoming a Christian, Paul was a Pharisee, and he persecuted Christians. After he became a Christian, he traveled several times throughout the Roman Empire, telling people about Jesus. Paul first visited the Corinthians during his third time traveling around the Roman Empire (see [Acts 18:1–18](../../act/18/01.md)). After that, Paul wrote this letter while he was in Ephesus ([16:8](../16/08.md)). He lived and proclaimed the gospel there for more than two years (see [Acts 19:1–10](../../act/19/01.md)), and it was sometime during those years that he wrote this letter to the Corinthians.\n\n### What is the book of 1 Corinthians about?\n\nWhile Paul was in Ephesus, he learned things about the Corinthians. People from “Chloe” told Paul about “factions” in the Corinthian group ([1:11](../01/11.md)), and the Corinthian believers wrote a letter to him asking questions ([7:1](../07/01.md)). Paul also mentions that he has “heard” things about what they are doing and saying (see [5:1](../05/01.md); [11:18](../11/18.md); [15:12](../15/12.md)). He may have learned these things from the people “from Chloe,” from their letter, or from other sources, such as “Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus,” who visited Paul before he wrote this letter (see [16:17](../16/17.md)). Paul writes his letter in response to what he has learned about how the Corinthians are thinking and acting. He addresses multiple topics in order. You can see these topics in the outline above. Paul focuses on encouraging the Corinthian believers to remain faithful to Jesus and to behave as those who follow Jesus. \n\n### How should the title of this book be translated?\n\nTranslators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “First Corinthians” or “1 Corinthians.” Or they may choose a clearer title, such as “Paul’s First Letter to the Church in Corinth” or “A First Letter to the Christians in Corinth.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])\n\n## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts\n\n### What was the city of Corinth like?\n\nCorinth was a major city located in ancient Greece. Because it was near the Mediterranean Sea and in an important location, many travelers and traders came to buy and sell goods there. Therefore, many different kinds of people lived in the city, and there were many wealthy people. Also, people in Corinth worshiped many different gods, and their worship could include food and sexual activity. In this culture, Christians who did not participate in worshiping at least some of the many gods were often considered to be strange, and people would not want to associate with them. \n\n### What issues was Paul addressing in this letter?\n\nPaul addresses many specific topics and issues in his letter to the Corinthian believers. These include church unity, sexual behavior, worship practices, food sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. It is possible that all the problems that Paul wishes to correct in these areas come from one single issue in the Corinthian church. It could be that false teachers are leading the Corinthians astray, or it could be that the Corinthians believers are acting like everyone else in their culture, even when this means not properly following Jesus. Most likely, the Corinthians believed that they had already received all the blessings that Christians will receive when Jesus comes back to the earth. Whatever exactly the primary problem was, what is clear is that the Corinthians were not properly following Jesus in how they were thinking and acting, and Paul writes the letter to guide them back to faithfully following Jesus. \n\n## Part 3: Important Translation Issues\n\n### What does Paul mean when he talks about “wisdom” and “foolishness”?\n\nThese words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. If someone creates plans and ideas that work out well, that person is wise. If someone creates plans and ideas that do not work out well, that person is foolish. The wise person makes good choices, and the foolish person makes bad choices. Paul uses these words to contrast what humans think is wise or foolish with what God thinks is wise or foolish. By doing this, Paul wishes to keep the Corinthians from thinking in ways that other humans consider to be “wise.” Rather, he wishes them to think in ways that God considers to be “wise,” which are ways that the other humans might consider to be “foolish.”\n\n### What does Paul mean when he talks about “knowledge”?\n\nPaul uses “knowledge” to refer to comprehending or understanding what is true about God and the world. Paul emphasizes that no one really has “knowledge” without the help of the Holy Spirit. He also wants those who have this “knowledge” to continue to act in ways that respect and honor those who do not have the “knowledge.” In other words, he wants to convince the Corinthians that acting in love toward fellow believers is more valuable than any “knowledge.” So, Paul argues that “knowledge” is valuable, but other things are more important. \n\n### What does Paul mean when he talks about “power” and “weakness”?\n\nSomeone who has “power” has much influence and authority and can accomplish many things. Someone who has “weakness” does not have much influence and authority and is not able to accomplish many things. Paul contrasts what humans think is powerful or weak with what God thinks is powerful or weak. By doing this, Paul wishes to keep the Corinthians from acting in ways that other humans think are “powerful.” Rather, he wishes them to act in ways that God considers “powerful,” which are ways that the other humans might consider to be “weak.” \n\n### What did Paul mean by the expressions “in Christ,” “in the Lord,” etc.?\n\nPaul uses the spatial metaphor “in Christ” (often with another name for “Christ,” such as “Lord” or “Jesus”) very frequently in this letter. This metaphor emphasizes that believers are as closely united to Christ as if they were inside him. Paul believes that this is true for all believers, and sometimes he uses “in Christ” simply to indicate that what he is speaking about is true for those who believe in Jesus. Other times, he emphasizes union with Christ as the means or the basis for some statement or exhortation. See the notes on specific verses for help in understanding the contextual meaning of “in Christ” and related phrases. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])\n\n### How should “brothers” be translated?\n\nMany times in this letter, Paul directly addresses or refers to people he calls “brothers.” Often, a direct address to the “brothers” indicates that Paul is beginning a new section. The word “brothers” refers in general to fellow believers, both male and female. Paul uses this word because he considers believers to be as closely united together as siblings in a family. Consider what word or phrase would best express both the reference to fellow believers and the idea that these fellow believers are as close as family members. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/brother]])\n\n### How should extended metaphors be translated?\n\nThroughout this letter, Paul uses long or extended metaphors. In [3:1–17](../03/01.md). He speaks about children, farming, construction, and temples to discuss how he and others who preach the gospel should relate to the Corinthians. In [5:6–8](../05/06.md), he uses the Jewish festival of Passover to encourage the Corinthians to behave in a certain way. In [9:9–11](../09/09.md), he uses a farming metaphor to speak about receiving money for preaching the gospel, and in [9:24–27](../09/24.md), he uses metaphors related to athletic competitions to encourage the Corinthians to behave in a certain way. In [12:12–27](../12/12.md), Paul uses the human body as an analogy and metaphor for the church. Finally, in [15:36–38](../15/36.md), [42–44](../15/42.md), Paul uses a farming metaphor to speak about the resurrection of the dead. Since these extended metaphors are a significant part of Paul’s argument in these sections, you should retain the metaphors in your translation if possible or express the idea by using an analogy. See the chapter introductions and notes for more information and translation options. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### How should rhetorical questions be translated?\n\nPaul asks many questions in this letter. He does not ask these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he asks these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. If your readers would understand these kinds of questions, you should retain them in your translation. If your readers would not understand these kinds of questions, you could supply the answers or express the questions as statements. See the notes on each rhetorical question for the implied answer and ways to translate the question as a statement. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])\n\n### How should euphemisms be translated?\n\nPaul uses euphemisms in multiple places in this letter, particularly when he is discussing sexual activity or death. If possible, use euphemisms in your translation. See the notes on each verse that has a euphemism for translation options. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism]])\n\n### How should “you” and “we” be translated?\n\nThroughout the letter, you should assume that “you,” “your,” and “yours” are plural and refer to the Corinthian believers unless a note specifies that the form of “you” is singular. Similarly, throughout the letter, you should assume that “we,” “us,” “our,” and “ours” include Paul, those who work with Paul, and also the Corinthian believers, unless a notes specifies that the form of “we” excludes the Corinthian believers. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])\n\n### What are the major issues in the text of the book of 1 Corinthians?\n\nIn the following verses, ancient manuscripts do not all have the same words. The ULT uses the words that are found in most of the earliest manuscripts. When you translate these verses, you should compare the ULT with any translations that your readers may be familiar with to see what your readers may expect. Unless there is a good reason to use the alternate words, you should follow the ULT. See the footnotes and notes at each of these verses for more information. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]])\n\n* “the mystery of God” ([2:1](../02/01.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “the testimony of God.”\n* “God judges” ([5:13](../05/13.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “God will judge.”\n* “glorify God in your body” ([6:20](../06/20.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which belong to God.”\n* “as under the law, not being under the law myself in order to gain those under the law” ([9:20](../09/20.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “as under the law in order to gain those under the law.”\n* “put the Lord to the test” ([10:9](../10/09.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “put Christ to the test.”\n* “and conscience—” ([10:28](../10/28.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “and conscience, for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord—”\n* “I hand over my body so that I might boast” ([13:3](../13/03.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “I hand over my body to be burned.”\n* “let him be ignorant” ([14:38](../14/38.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “he is considered ignorant.”\n* “let us also bear” ([15:49](../15/49.md)). Some ancient manuscripts have this: “we will also bear.”\n* “Amen” ([16:24](../15/49.md)). Some ancient manuscripts do not have “Amen.” +1CO 1 intro ud5y 0 # 1 Corinthians 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n1. Opening (1:1–9)\n * Greetings and Blessing (1:1–3)\n * Praise and Prayer (1:4–9)\n2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)\n * Divisions, Leaders, and Baptism (1:10–17)\n * Wisdom, Foolishness, and Boasting (1:18–31)\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the words of verse 19, which are from the Old Testament.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Disunity\n\nIn this chapter, Paul urges the Corinthians to stop dividing up into smaller groups that identify themselves with one specific leader. He mentions some of the leaders, including himself, in [1:12](../01/12.md). The Corinthians probably chose these leaders themselves, since there is no evidence that any of the people mentioned in [1:12](../01/12.md) were trying to create their own groups. People in the Corinthian church were probably trying to sound wiser or more powerful than other people, so they would choose a group and a leader and say they were better than others. Paul argues against these kinds of divisions first, and then he argues against anyone who tries to sound wiser and more powerful than others.\n\n### Wisdom and foolishness\n\nThroughout this chapter, Paul speaks of both wisdom and foolishness. These words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. If someone creates plans and ideas that work out well, that person is wise. If someone creates plans and ideas that do not work out well, that person is foolish. The wise person makes good choices, and the foolish person makes bad choices. Use words in your language that indicate these ideas. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fool]])\n\n### Power and weakness\n\nThroughout this chapter, Paul speaks of both power and weakness. These words primarily refer to how much influence and authority a person has and to how much they can accomplish. Someone who has “power” has much influence and authority and can accomplish many things. Someone who has “weakness” does not have much influence and authority and is not able to accomplish many things. Use words in your language that indicate these ideas (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/power]])\n\n## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter\n\n### Metaphors about Christ\n\nIn this chapter, Paul says that “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” ([1:24](../01/24.md)) and that Christ “was made for us wisdom from God, righteousness, and also sanctification and redemption” ([1:30](../01/30.md)). With these two verses, Paul is not saying that Christ is no longer a person and is instead these abstract ideas. Rather, Paul is speaking in this way because Christ and his work for believers include all of these abstract ideas. Christ’s work is powerful and wise, and gives those who believe in him wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. For ways to translate these two statements, see the notes on these two verses.\n\n### Rhetorical questions\n\nPaul asks many questions in this chapter. He is not asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he is asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. For ways to translate these questions, look for the notes on each verse that includes these kinds of questions. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])\n\n## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter\n\n### Positive and negative uses of “wisdom”\n\nThroughout this chapter, Paul speaks about wisdom in both positive and negative ways. He uses the same words throughout the chapter, and he distinguishes between positive and negative meanings by connecting the words to different people or ideas. For example, he speaks of wisdom negatively when it is the wisdom of the world, or the wisdom of humans. However, he speaks of wisdom positively when it is wisdom from God or wisdom given by God. If possible, translate the negative and positive meanings of wisdom with the same word, just as Paul uses one word for both negative and positive. If you must use different words, use positive words for God’s wisdom and negative words for human wisdom.\n\n### Using different perspectives\n\nSometimes, Paul speaks of God as if God were “foolish” and “weak” ([1:25](../01/25.md)) and as if he chose “foolish” and “weak” things ([1:27](../01/27.md)). Paul does not actually think that God is foolish and weak and chooses foolish and weak things. Rather, he is speaking from the perspective of normal human thinking. What God does, from a human perspective, is “weak” and “foolish.” He makes this clear in several verses. For example, in [1:26](../01/26.md), Paul says that most of the Corinthians were not wise “according to the flesh.” This is Paul’s way of saying that they were not wise according to human thinking. If possible translate the times Paul speaks from a human perspective with the same words he uses for “weakness” and “foolishness” when he speaks from God’s perspective. If it is necessary to distinguish these uses, use a word or phrase that explains which perspective Paul is using. He does this himself sometimes, and if it is necessary, you can do it in other places as well.\n\n### Information presented out of order\n\nThe ULT puts parentheses around [1:16](../01/16.md) because Paul is speaking about whom he baptized, an idea that fits logically with [1:14](../01/14.md) and not as well after [1:15](../01/15.md). Paul has remembered someone else that he baptized, and instead of going back and putting that information in [1:14](../01/14.md), he includes it in [1:16](../01/16.md), interrupting the flow of the argument. If possible, keep [1:16](../01/16.md) where it is, and use a form in your language that indicates that Paul is interrupting his argument. If there is no way to do this in your language, you could move [1:16](../01/16.md) so that it follows [1:14](../01/14.md) and [1:15](../01/15.md). +1CO 1 1 o7ie figs-123person Παῦλος 1 In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, referring to themselves in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you can use the first person here. Or if your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter and if it would be helpful to your readers, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “From Paul” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) 1CO 1 1 e8j3 translate-names Παῦλος 1 Paul Here and throughout the letter, **Paul** is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -1CO 1 1 qp1n figs-activepassive κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ 1 Sosthenes our brother If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on who is **called** rather than the person doing the “calling.” Alternate translation: “whom Christ Jesus called {to be} an apostle” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 1 1 qp1n figs-activepassive κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ 1 Sosthenes our brother If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on who is **called** rather than on the person doing the “calling.” Alternate translation: “whom Christ Jesus called {to be} an apostle” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 1 qvn5 figs-possession διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **the will** that **God** has. If your readers would misunderstand that this phrase refers to what God wills, you could express the idea with a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “because God desired this” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 1 1 xfbo figs-explicit καὶ Σωσθένης 1 This phrase means that Sosthenes is with Paul, and Paul writes the letter for both of them. It does not mean that Sosthenes was the scribe who wrote the letter down. It also does not mean that Sosthenes dictated the letter with Paul, since Paul uses the first person singular more than the first person plural in the letter. If there is a way in your language to indicate that Paul writes in behalf of Sosthenes, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “and I write in behalf of Sosthenes” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) +1CO 1 1 xfbo figs-explicit καὶ Σωσθένης 1 This phrase means that Sosthenes is with Paul, and Paul writes the letter for both of them. It does not mean that Sosthenes was the scribe who wrote the letter down. It also does not mean that Sosthenes dictated the letter with Paul, since Paul uses the first person singular more than the first person plural in the letter. If there is a way in your language to indicate that Paul writes in behalf of Sosthenes, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “and I write on behalf of Sosthenes” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1CO 1 1 n9zv translate-names Σωσθένης 1 **Sosthenes** is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) 1CO 1 2 r9kg figs-123person τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ…τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ 1 to the church of God at Corinth In this culture, after giving their own names, letter writers would name those to whom they sent the letter, referring to them in the third person. If that is confusing in your language, you can use the second person here. Or if your language has a particular way of introducing the recipient of a letter, and if it would be helpful to your readers, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “This letter is for you who are members of the church of God at Corinth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) 1CO 1 2 e75p figs-activepassive ἡγιασμένοις 1 those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **sanctified** rather than the person doing the “sanctifying.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “God having sanctified you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 2 lp42 figs-metaphor ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ 1 Paul uses the spatial metaphor **in Christ** to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being **in Christ**, or united to Christ, could explain: (1) the means by which God has sanctified the Corinthians. Alternate translation: “by means of your union with Christ Jesus” (2) the reason why God has sanctified the Corinthians. Alternate translation: “because of your union with Christ Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1CO 1 2 e8jw figs-activepassive κλητοῖς ἁγίοις 1 who are called to be saints If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **called** rather than the person doing the “calling.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “whom God has called {to be} saints” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 2 nz5s figs-hyperbole ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ 1 Here Paul describes all believers as if they were **in every place**. He speaks this way to emphasize that believers can be found in many countries, towns, and villages. If your readers would misunderstand **in every place**, you could indicate that believers are found in many places around the world. Alternate translation: “in many places” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) -1CO 1 2 l21m figs-idiom ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν 1 those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Here, “Calling on the name of” someone is an idiom that refers to worshiping and praying to that person. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “who pray to and venerate our Lord” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1CO 1 2 l9rq figs-ellipsis αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν 1 their Lord and ours In the phrase, Paul has left out words that may be needed in some languages to make a complete thought. If you cannot leave out these words in your language, you could supply words such as “who is” and “Lord” to make a complete thought. Alternate translation: “who is Lord over them and us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) +1CO 1 2 l21m figs-idiom ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν 1 those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Here, to “call on the name of” someone is an idiom that refers to worshiping and praying to that person. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “who pray to and venerate our Lord” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 1 2 l9rq figs-ellipsis αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν 1 their Lord and ours In the phrase **theirs and ours**, Paul has left out words that may be needed in some languages to make a complete thought. If you cannot leave out these words in your language, you could supply words such as “who is” and “Lord” to make a complete thought. Alternate translation: “who is Lord over them and us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 3 gc2c translate-blessing χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 General Information: After stating his name and the name of the person to whom he is writing, Paul adds a blessing for the Corinthians. Use a form that people would recognize as a blessing in your language. Alternate translation: “May you experience kindness and peace within you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah” or “I pray that grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah will always be with you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-blessing]]) 1CO 1 4 zd7l figs-hyperbole πάντοτε 1 Here, **always** is an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood to emphasize how often Paul prays for the Corinthians. If your readers would misunderstand **always**, you could use a word that indicates frequency. Alternate translation: “consistently” or “frequently” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 1 4 qoag figs-distinguish τῷ Θεῷ μου 1 When Paul speaks of **my God**, he does not mean that this is a different **God** than the one the Corinthians believe in. Rather, he simply wishes to state that this **God** is his God. If **my God** in your translation sounds like it makes a distinction between Paul’s God and the Corinthians’ God, you could use a plural pronoun. Alternate translation: “to our God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-distinguish]]) @@ -27,23 +27,23 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 1 5 j48t figs-abstractnouns παντὶ λόγῳ 1 in all speech If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **word**, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “speak” or “say.” Alternate translation: “everything you speak” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 1 5 qy8c figs-abstractnouns πάσῃ γνώσει 1 all knowledge If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **knowledge**, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “know.” Alternate translation: “everything you know” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 1 6 ef38 grammar-connect-logic-result καθὼς 1 Here, **just as** could introduce: (1) the reason why the Corinthians were made rich. Alternate translation: “which is due to how” (2) a comparison that illustrates how the Corinthians were made rich. Alternate translation: “in the same way that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 1 6 ub5r figs-metaphor τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη 1 In this verse, Paul speaks as if what he told the Corinthians about Christ was testimony he gave as a witness in a court of law. This testimony has been **confirmed**, just as if other evidence proved to the judge that his **testimony** was accurate. With this metaphor, he reminds the Corinthians that they have believed the message about Christ and that it is now an important part of their lives. If your readers would misunderstand this metaphor, you could express this idea with a comparable metaphor or non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “our message about Christ has been firmly founded” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 1 6 ub5r figs-metaphor τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη 1 In this verse, Paul speaks as if what he told the Corinthians about Christ were testimony he gave as a witness in a court of law. This testimony has been **confirmed**, just as if other evidence proved to the judge that his **testimony** was accurate. With this metaphor, he reminds the Corinthians that they have believed the message about Christ and that it is now an important part of their lives. If your readers would misunderstand this metaphor, you could express this idea with a comparable metaphor or express it non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “our message about Christ has been firmly founded” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1CO 1 6 h9zk figs-possession τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 the testimony about Christ has been confirmed as true among you Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak about a **testimony** that concerns **Christ**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could make it explicit that **Christ** is the content of the **testimony**. Alternate translation: “the testimony about Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 6 tfo3 figs-activepassive τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what is **confirmed** rather than the person doing the “confirming.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “God has confirmed the testimony of Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 1 7 t2hd grammar-connect-logic-result ὥστε 1 Therefore Here, **so that** could introduce: (1) a result from “being made rich” in [1:5](../01/05.md) and from the confirmation of the “testimony” in [1:6](../01/06.md). Alternate translation: “God has made you rich and confirmed our testimony so that” (2) a result from just the confirmation in [1:6](../01/06.md). Alternate translation: “God confirmed our testimony among you so that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 1 7 t2hd grammar-connect-logic-result ὥστε 1 Therefore Here, **so that** could introduce: (1) a result from “being made rich” in [1:5](../01/05.md) and from the confirmation of the “testimony” in [1:6](../01/06.md). If you use one of the following alternate translations, you may need to end the previous sentence with a period and begin a new sentence.” Alternate translation: “God has made you rich and confirmed our testimony so that” (2) a result from just the confirmation in [1:6](../01/06.md). Alternate translation: “God confirmed our testimony among you so that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1CO 1 7 p5y6 figs-litotes ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι ἐν μηδενὶ χαρίσματι 1 you lack no spiritual gift Here Paul uses two negative words, **not** and **lack**, to express a strong positive meaning. He means that the Corinthians have every spiritual gift that God gives. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express this idea in positive form. Alternate translation: “you have every gift” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes]]) -1CO 1 7 ymph grammar-connect-time-simultaneous ἀπεκδεχομένους 1 Here, **eagerly waiting for** introduces something that happens at the same time as not lacking **in any gift**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express it explicitly. Alternate translation: “while you eagerly wait for” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous]]) +1CO 1 7 ymph grammar-connect-time-simultaneous ἀπεκδεχομένους 1 Here, **eagerly waiting for** introduces something that happens at the same time as not lacking **in any gift**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express it explicitly. Alternate translation: “even while you eagerly wait for” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous]]) 1CO 1 7 fe4q figs-possession τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; 1 the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **revelation** whose content is **our Lord Jesus Christ**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could make this explicit by translating the phrase with a verb with “God” or **our Lord Jesus Christ** as the subject. Alternate translation: “God to reveal our Lord Jesus Christ” or “our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 7 o145 figs-explicit τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 In this context, it is clear that Paul does not simply mean that knowledge about **our Lord Jesus Christ** will be revealed. Rather, he means that **our Lord Jesus Christ** himself will return to earth. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a word such as “return” to make this idea clear. Alternate translation: “the return of our Lord Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1CO 1 8 cqpk writing-pronouns ὃς 1 Here, **who** could refer to: (1) God, who is the implied subject of all the verbs in this section. Alternate translation: “It is God who” (2) Jesus, which is the closest name. Alternate translation: “It is Jesus who” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1CO 1 8 cqpk writing-pronouns ὃς 1 Here, **who** could refer to: (1) God, who is the implied subject of all the verbs in this section. “If you use the following alternate translation, you may need to end the previous sentence with a period.” If you use one of the following alternate translations, you may need to end the previous sentence with a period. Alternate translation: “It is God who” (2) Jesus, which is the closest name. Alternate translation: “It is Jesus who” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 1 8 usci translate-unknown καὶ βεβαιώσει ὑμᾶς 1 Here, **confirm** is the same word that Paul used in [1:6](../01/06.md), also translated “confirmed.” Paul uses the word **also** to remind the reader that he has already used **confirmed**. If possible, translate **confirmed** as you did in [1:6](../01/06.md). Just as there, here it refers to something or someone that is proved to be true or accurate. In this case, it means that God will make the Corinthians’ faith true **to the end**. Alternate translation: “will also firmly found your faith” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 1 8 qtpq figs-idiom ἕως τέλους 1 The phrase translated **to the end** means that some activity or state will continue until a definable point in the future. Here, it means that God will **confirm** the Corinthians until their earthly lives end. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “until your race is run” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 1 8 qtpq figs-idiom ἕως τέλους 1 The phrase translated **to the end** means that some activity or state will continue until a definable point in the future. Here it means that God will **confirm** the Corinthians until their earthly lives end. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “until your race is run” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 1 8 pif5 grammar-connect-logic-result ἀνεγκλήτους 1 you will be blameless Here, **blameless** gives the result of God confirming them to the end. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could make this connection explicit. Alternate translation: “so that you will be blameless” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1CO 1 9 hp30 figs-activepassive δι’ οὗ ἐκλήθητε 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **called** rather than the person doing the “calling.” Alternate translation: “who called you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 9 u2z0 figs-possession εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **fellowship** that is with **his Son**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could: (1) use a word such as “with” to make this clear. Alternate translation: “into fellowship with his Son” (2) translate **fellowship** with a verb such as “share in” or “commune with.” Alternate translation: “to commune with his Son” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 9 kx3z guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 his Son **Son** is an important title for Jesus and identifies his relationship with God the Father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) -1CO 1 10 huz1 grammar-connect-words-phrases παρακαλῶ δὲ 1 Here, **now** indicates the beginning of a new section. Paul transitions from giving thanks to appealing to the Corinthians to avoid divisions. You could: (1) leave this word untranslated, and show the shift in topic by starting a new paragraph. Alternate translation: “I urge” (2) use a word or phrase that indicates the beginning of a new section. Alternate translation: “Next, I urge” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 1 10 u1u1 figs-infostructure παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, 1 In this sentence, **I urge you** is far away from what Paul is urging. If it would be clearer in your language, you could move **I urge you** so that it comes right before **that you all speak**. Alternate translation: “Now brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I urge you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) +1CO 1 10 huz1 grammar-connect-words-phrases παρακαλῶ δὲ 1 Here, **Now** indicates the beginning of a new section. Paul transitions from giving thanks to appealing to the Corinthians to avoid divisions. You could: (1) leave this word untranslated, and show the shift in topic by starting a new paragraph. Alternate translation: “I urge” (2) use a word or phrase that indicates the beginning of a new section. Alternate translation: “Next, I urge” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) +1CO 1 10 u1u1 figs-infostructure παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, 1 In this sentence, the words **I urge you** are located far from what Paul is urging. If it would be clearer in your language, you could move **I urge you** so that it comes right before **that you all speak**. Alternate translation: “Now brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I urge you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 1 10 k7gw figs-gendernotations ἀδελφοί 1 brothers Although **brothers** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If your readers would misunderstand **brothers**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 1 10 sw54 figs-metonymy διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Here Paul uses the **name** of Jesus to refer to the authority of Jesus. With this language, he reminds the Corinthians that he is an apostle with authority from Jesus. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **name**, you could use a comparable figure of speech or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 1 10 u4y2 figs-idiom τὸ αὐτὸ λέγητε πάντες 1 that you all agree In this language, to **speak the same thing** is an idiom that means that everyone is in agreement, not only in what they speak but also in what they believe and set as goals. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “you all see eye to eye” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) @@ -55,15 +55,15 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 1 11 ur84 figs-gendernotations ἀδελφοί μου 1 Although **brothers** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to both men or women. If your readers would misunderstand **brothers**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “my brothers and sisters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 1 11 e8jb figs-explicit τῶν Χλόης 1 Chloe’s people Here, **those of Chloe** refers to people who are connected to Chloe and probably live in her house or work for her. Paul does not tell us whether they are family members, slaves, or employees. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could use a word or phrase that indicates that these people are related to or dependent on Chloe. Alternate translation: “people connected to Chloe” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1CO 1 11 fd71 translate-names Χλόης 1 **Chloe** is the name of a woman. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -1CO 1 11 vbe6 translate-unknown ἔριδες ἐν ὑμῖν εἰσιν 1 there are factions among you Here, **factions** refers to quarrels or strife within a community. These quarrels or fights are not physical but verbal. If possible, use a word that refers to verbal conflict or express the idea with a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “you have verbal fights with each other” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 11 vbe6 translate-unknown ἔριδες ἐν ὑμῖν εἰσιν 1 there are factions among you Here, **factions** refers to quarrels or strife among groups within a community. These quarrels or fights are not physical but verbal. If possible, use a word that refers to verbal conflict or express the idea with a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “you have verbal fights with each other” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 12 umbx grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 Here, **Now** introduces a further explanation of what Paul started talking about in [1:11](../01/11.md). If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could leave the word untranslated or use a word that introduces an explanation. Alternate translation: “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 1 12 tsn6 figs-idiom λέγω…τοῦτο, 1 Here Paul uses the phrase **I say this** to explain what he meant in the previous verse when he mentioned “factions” ([1:11](../01/11.md)). If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could use a comparable idiom for explaining what has already been said or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “what I mean is this” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 1 12 a4lo figs-explicitinfo τοῦτο, ὅτι 1 Having both **this** and **that** in this sentence may be redundant in your language. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use a simpler way to introduce what Paul wants to **say**. Alternate translation: “that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo]]) -1CO 1 12 wf0n figs-hyperbole ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει 1 Here Paul uses **each of them** to emphasize that many individuals within the Corinthian congregation are saying these kinds of things. He does not mean that each person says all four of these things. He also does not mean that every single person in the church is making these kinds of claims. Finally, he does not mean that these are the only four claims that they are making. If your readers would misunderstand the form that Paul uses, you could use an expression that singles out many individuals within a group, and you could add a phrase that indicates that these are examples of what they are saying. Alternate translation: “people in your group say are saying things like” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 1 12 wf0n figs-hyperbole ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει 1 Here Paul uses **each of you** to emphasize that many individuals within the Corinthian congregation are saying these kinds of things. He does not mean that each person says all four of these things. He also does not mean that every single person in the church is making these kinds of claims. Finally, he does not mean that these are the only four claims that they are making. If your readers would misunderstand the form that Paul uses, you could use an expression that singles out many individuals within a group, and you could add a phrase that indicates that these are examples of what they are saying. Alternate translation: “people in your group are saying things like” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 1 12 vpym translate-names Παύλου…Ἀπολλῶ…Κηφᾶ 1 **Paul**, **Apollos**, and **Cephas** are the names of three men. **Cephas** is another name for Peter. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -1CO 1 12 bfd0 figs-quotations ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ 1 If you cannot use this form in your language, you could translate these statements as indirect quotes instead of as direct quotes. Alternate translation: “that you are of Paul, or you are of Apollos, or you are of Cephas, or you are of Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]]) +1CO 1 12 bfd0 figs-quotations ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ 1 If you cannot use this quotation form in your language, you could translate these statements as indirect quotes instead of as direct quotes. Alternate translation: “that you are of Paul, or you are of Apollos, or you are of Cephas, or you are of Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]]) 1CO 1 12 a57r figs-possession ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ 1 Each one of you says Here Paul uses the possessive form to indicate that these people claim to be part of a specific leader’s group. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express this idea with a word such as “belong” or “follow.” Alternate translation: “‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 1 13 iam2 figs-123person μὴ Παῦλος ἐσταυρώθη ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἢ εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου ἐβαπτίσθητε 1 In this verse, Paul speaks of himself in the third person. This could sound like he is speaking about a different **Paul** than himself. If your readers would misunderstand this use of **Paul**, you could clarify that Paul is naming himself. Alternate translation: “I, Paul, was not crucified for you, was I? Or were you baptized in my name, that of Paul?” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) +1CO 1 13 iam2 figs-123person μὴ Παῦλος ἐσταυρώθη ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἢ εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου ἐβαπτίσθητε 1 In this verse, Paul speaks of himself in the third person. This could sound like he is speaking about a different **Paul** than himself. If your readers would misunderstand this use of **Paul**, you could clarify that Paul is naming himself. Alternate translation: “I, Paul, was not crucified for you, was I? Or were you baptized in my name, Paul?” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) 1CO 1 13 wf6r figs-rquestion μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός? 1 Is Christ divided? Paul asks if **Christ** has **been divided**, but he is not really asking for information. Rather, the question assumes that the answer is “no,” and Paul uses a question to invite the Corinthians to think about how absurd their behavior is. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this question, you could express the idea with a strong negative statement. Alternate translation: “Christ has certainly not been divided!” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) 1CO 1 13 w175 figs-activepassive μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός? 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **divided** rather than whoever does the “dividing.” If you must state who does the action, you could use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: “Have they divided Christ?” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 13 aw2r figs-metaphor μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός 1 Here Paul speaks as if **Christ** could be **divided** into pieces and given to different groups. He speaks this way because he identifies the church with the body of Christ. If the church is divided into groups, then the body of Christ has been divided up as well. However, it is absurd to think that Christ’s body has been cut up into pieces, so it is also absurd to divide the church into pieces. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could make this connection more explicit. Alternate translation: “Has Christ’s own body been divided, just as your church has been divided?” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) @@ -74,43 +74,43 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 1 13 zi1y figs-metonymy εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου 1 in the name of Paul Here Paul uses the word **name** to refer to authority. What he means is that, when they were baptized, no one used the **name of Paul**, and therefore they do not belong to his group. Instead, he implicitly asserts that they belong to God, whose name would have been used when they were baptized. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could express this idea by using the word “authority” or by a phrase that includes the language of “belonging.” Alternate translation: “under the authority of Paul” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 1 14 hhh8 grammar-connect-exceptions οὐδένα ὑμῶν ἐβάπτισα, εἰ μὴ 1 none of you, except If it would appear in your language that Paul is making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword the sentence to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: “I baptized only two of you:” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) 1CO 1 14 vqq6 translate-names Κρίσπον…Γάϊον 1 Crispus **Crispus** and **Gaius** are the names of two men. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -1CO 1 15 hv3m grammar-connect-logic-goal ἵνα 1 This was so that no one would say that you were baptized into my name Here, **so that** introduces a purpose or result. In this case, it introduces what results from Paul not baptizing many of the Corinthians. Because he did not baptize almost any of them, they cannot say that they were baptized into his name. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that indicates result, and you could specify that it is the result of Paul not baptizing many of them. Alternate translation: “The result is that” or “Therefore,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) +1CO 1 15 hv3m grammar-connect-logic-goal ἵνα 1 This was so that no one would say that you were baptized into my name Here, **so that** introduces a purpose or result. In this case, it introduces what results from Paul not baptizing many of the Corinthians. Because he did not baptize almost any of them, they cannot say that they were baptized into his name. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that indicates result, and you could specify that it is the result of Paul not baptizing many of them. Alternate translation, as a new sentence: “The result is that” or “Therefore,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) 1CO 1 15 dwdv figs-activepassive εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα ἐβαπτίσθητε 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **baptized** rather than whoever does the “baptizing.” If you must state who does the action, you could use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: “someone baptized you into my name” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 1 15 u8f6 figs-metonymy εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα 1 Here, just as in [1:13](../01/13.md), Paul uses the word **name** to refer to authority. What he means is that, when they were baptized, no one used Paul’s **name**, and therefore they do not belong to his group. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could express this idea by using the word “authority” or by a phrase that includes the language of “belonging.” Alternate translation: “under the my authority” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) +1CO 1 15 u8f6 figs-metonymy εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα 1 Here, just as in [1:13](../01/13.md), Paul uses the word **name** to refer to authority. What he means is that, when they were baptized, no one used Paul’s **name**, and therefore they do not belong to his group. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could express this idea by using the word “authority” or by a phrase that includes the language of “belonging.” Alternate translation: “under my authority” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 1 16 mq74 grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 Here, **Now** interrupts the argument and reintroduces the theme of [1:14](../01/14.md), which is about whom Paul baptized. If your readers would misunderstand this transition, you could express this idea by using punctuation that indicates a brief aside or parenthesis, or you could use a phrase that introduces when someone remembers something. Alternate translation: “Speaking of baptizing, I remember that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 1 16 ed59 translate-names Στεφανᾶ 1 the household of Stephanas **Stephanas** is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) -1CO 1 16 nlzn translate-unknown οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τινα ἄλλον ἐβάπτισα 1 This statement could be more or less confident about how many people Paul baptized. It could be: (1) relatively confident that Paul has thought of everyone he baptized. Alternate translation: “I think that this is everyone that I baptized” (2) less confident that Paul has thought of everyone he baptized. Alternate translation: “I do not remember if I baptized any others” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 16 nlzn translate-unknown οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τινα ἄλλον ἐβάπτισα 1 This statement expresses more or less confidence about how many people Paul baptized. It could mean that Paul is: (1) relatively confident that he has thought of everyone he baptized. Alternate translation: “I think that this is everyone that I baptized” (2) less confident that he has thought of everyone he baptized. Alternate translation: “I do not remember if I baptized any others” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 16 qbjf grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical εἴ 1 Paul here uses the condition introduced by **if** because he wishes to acknowledge that he thinks he has mentioned everyone that he baptized, but he is not sure. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a word that expresses uncertainty. Alternate translation: “whether” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical]]) -1CO 1 17 jkfj grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces an explanation for why Paul has baptized so few people. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that introduces an explanation, and you could clarify that it explains how little he baptizes. Alternate translation: “I only baptized a few people because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 1 17 jkfj grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces an explanation for why Paul has baptized so few people. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that introduces an explanation, and you could clarify that it explains how little he baptizes. Alternate translation: “I only baptized a few people, because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1CO 1 17 ga5k figs-infostructure οὐ…ἀπέστειλέν με Χριστὸς βαπτίζειν, ἀλλὰ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι 1 If your language would not naturally put the negative statement before the positive statement, you could reverse them and introduce **not with wise speech** by repeating **proclaim**. Alternate translation: “Christ sent me to proclaim the gospel, not to baptize. I proclaim the gospel” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 1 17 tg7i figs-ellipsis ἀλλὰ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι 1 Christ did not send me to baptize In this clause, Paul has omitted some words that might be necessary to make a complete thought in your language. If you do need these words in your language, you could repeat the “sending” language. Alternate translation: “but he sent me to proclaim the gospel” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 17 p3cf figs-ellipsis οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγου 1 In this clause, Paul has omitted some words that might be necessary to make a complete thought in your language. If you do need these words in your language, you could repeat the “proclaiming” language. Alternate translation: “I do not proclaim it with wise speech” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 17 u60s grammar-connect-logic-goal ἵνα 1 Here, **so that** introduces the purpose for which Paul does not use “wise speech.” Here, you could use a word or phrase that normally indicates purpose. Alternate translation: “in order that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) -1CO 1 17 zn1n figs-metaphor μὴ κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 clever speech … the cross of Christ should not be emptied of its power Here Paul speaks as if the **cross of Christ** was a container that was full of power that he does not wish to empty of that power. By this, he means that he does not want to take away the power that the cross and the message about it have. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively, including the idea of power. Alternate translation: “the cross of Christ would not lose its power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 1 17 zn1n figs-metaphor μὴ κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 clever speech … the cross of Christ should not be emptied of its power Here Paul speaks as if the **cross of Christ** were a container that was full of power and which he does not wish to empty of that power. By this, he means that he does not want to take away the power that the cross and the message about it have. If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively, including the idea of power. Alternate translation: “the cross of Christ would not lose its power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1CO 1 17 qdyj figs-activepassive μὴ κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **cross** that could be **emptied** rather than the person doing the “emptying.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that he himself would do it. Alternate translation: “I would not empty the cross of Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 1 18 j7cw grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Connecting Statement: Here, **For** introduces an explanation of the last part of [1:17](../01/17.md). In this verse, then, Paul explains further why he does not use wise speech. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that introduces an explanation, and you could briefly restate what Paul is explaining. Alternate translation: “I speak in this way because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 1 18 fq4x figs-possession ὁ λόγος…ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ 1 the message about the cross Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak about a **word** that is about **the cross**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that the **cross** is the content of the **word**. Alternate translation: “the word about the cross” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) +1CO 1 18 j7cw grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Connecting Statement: Here, **For** introduces an explanation of the last part of [1:17](../01/17.md). In this verse, then, Paul explains further why he does not use wise speech. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use words that introduce an explanation, and you could briefly restate what Paul is explaining. Alternate translation: “I speak in this way because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 1 18 fq4x figs-possession ὁ λόγος…ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ 1 the message about the cross Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak about a **word** or a teaching that is about **the cross**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that the **cross** is the content of the **word**. Alternate translation: “the word about the cross” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 18 utr3 figs-metonymy τοῦ σταυροῦ 1 Here, the word **cross** stands for the event in which Jesus died on the cross. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could include Jesus’ death in your translation. Alternate translation: “of Jesus’s death on the cross” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 1 18 p4wb figs-abstractnouns μωρία ἐστίν 1 is foolishness If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **foolishness**, you could express the idea by using an adjective such as “foolish.” Alternate translation: “seems foolish” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) -1CO 1 18 lq5z figs-activepassive τοῖς…ἀπολλυμένοις 1 to those who are dying If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who **are perishing** rather than the person who makes them “perish.” If you must state who does the action, Paul could imply that: (1) they cause or experience the action. Alternate translation: “to those who will experience destruction” (2) God does the action. Alternate translation: “to those whom God will destroy” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 1 18 lq5z figs-activepassive τοῖς…ἀπολλυμένοις 1 to those who are dying If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who **are perishing** rather than on the person who makes them “perish.” If you must state who does the action, Paul could imply that: (1) they cause or experience the action. Alternate translation: “to those who will experience destruction” (2) God does the action. Alternate translation: “to those whom God will destroy” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 18 ao4m figs-activepassive τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **being saved** rather than the person doing the “saving.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “but to us whom God is saving” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 18 m66w figs-distinguish τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν 1 The description **who are being saved** distinguishes **us** from everyone else. It is not just adding information. Use a form in your language that shows that this is a distinguishing phrase. Alternate translation: “but to us, that is, the ones who are being saved” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-distinguish]]) 1CO 1 18 ji74 figs-possession δύναμις Θεοῦ ἐστιν 1 it is the power of God Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **power** that comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that **God** is the source of the **power**. Alternate translation: “power from God” or “God working in power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 19 fdhk grammar-connect-words-phrases γάρ 1 Here, **For** introduces Paul’s evidence that what he said in [1:18](../01/18.md) is true. You could use a word that introduces evidence for a claim or leave the word untranslated. Alternate translation: “As” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 1 19 tzmj writing-quotations γέγραπται γάρ 1 In Paul’s culture, **For it is written** was a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text. In this case, the quotation comes from [Isaiah 29:14](../../isa/29/14.md). If your readers would misunderstand how Paul introduces the quotation, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “for it can be read in Isaiah” or “For the book of Isaiah says” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations]]) 1CO 1 19 wx5x figs-activepassive γέγραπται 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what **is written** rather than the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you could express it so that: (1) the scripture or scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: “Isaiah has written” (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: “God has said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 1 19 tzmj writing-quotations γέγραπται γάρ 1 In Paul’s culture, **For it is written** was a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text. In this case, the quotation comes from [Isaiah 29:14](../../isa/29/14.md). If your readers would misunderstand how Paul introduces the quotation, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “For it can be read in Isaiah” or “For it says in the book of Isaiah” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations]]) 1CO 1 19 tc6n figs-quotations ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν, καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω 1 I will frustrate the understanding of the intelligent If you cannot use this form in your language, you could translate this direct quote as an indirect quote, specifying that God is the subject and including an introductory word such as “that.” Alternate translation: “that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and he will frustrate the understanding of the intelligent” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]]) 1CO 1 19 kzb0 figs-possession τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν…τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν 1 In both of these clauses, Paul uses the possessive form to describe **wisdom** or **understanding** that belongs to **the wise** or **the intelligent**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could indicate that **wisdom** and **understanding** belong to **the wise** or **the intelligent**. Alternate translation: “the wisdom that the wise have … the understanding that the intelligent have” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 19 gft6 figs-nominaladj τῶν σοφῶν…τῶν συνετῶν 1 Paul is using the adjectives **wise** and **intelligent** as nouns in order to describe groups of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with noun phrases. Alternate translation: “of the people who are wise … of the people who are intelligent” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) -1CO 1 19 pa5n translate-unknown τῶν συνετῶν 1 Here, **intelligent** describes someone who is good at figuring problems out, understanding new ideas, and making smart decisions. Use a word in your language that gets this general idea across. Alternate translation: “of the smart” or “of the clever” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 19 pa5n translate-unknown τῶν συνετῶν 1 Here, **intelligent** describes someone who is good at figuring out problems, understanding new ideas, and making smart decisions. Use a word in your language that gets this general idea across. Alternate translation: “of the smart” or “of the clever” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 20 m6tf figs-rquestion ποῦ σοφός? ποῦ γραμματεύς? ποῦ συνζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου? 1 Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this world? With these questions, Paul is not actually asking about the location of certain people. Rather, he is suggesting to the Corinthians that these kinds of people cannot be found. If your readers would misunderstand these questions, you could express the idea with statements that: (1) assert that these people do not actually have real wisdom, knowledge, or skill. Alternate translation: “The wise person does not really have wisdom. The scholar does not really know much. The debater of this age is not really good at arguing” (2) assert that these people do not exist. Alternate translation: “There is no wise person. There is no scholar. There is no debater of this age” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) 1CO 1 20 h0qa figs-genericnoun σοφός…γραμματεύς…συνζητητὴς 1 Paul uses these singular nouns to identify types of people, but he does not mean just one **wise person**, **scholar**, or **debater**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use a form that identifies a type of person, or you could translate these nouns in plural form. Alternate translation: “the kind of person who has wisdom … the kind of person who is a scholar … the kind of person who is a debater” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) 1CO 1 20 mzxx figs-possession συνζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **debater** who is part of **this age**. In fact, Paul may mean that the **wise person** and the **scholar** also belong to **this age**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express this idea with a relative clause. Alternate translation: “the debater, who belongs in this age” or “the debater? All these kinds of people belong to this age” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 1 20 u5j5 translate-unknown συνζητητὴς 1 the debater Here, **debater** refers to people who spend much of their time arguing about beliefs, values, or actions. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a short phrase or a term that expresses this idea better. Alternate translation: “the disputant” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 20 u5j5 translate-unknown συνζητητὴς 1 the debater Here, **debater** refers to a person who spends much of their time arguing about beliefs, values, or actions. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a short phrase or a term that expresses this idea better. Alternate translation: “the disputant” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 20 a7zl figs-rquestion οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου? 1 Has not God turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness? Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “yes.” If your readers would misunderstand this question, you could express the idea with a statement. Alternate translation: “ God has turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) 1CO 1 20 y5wx figs-possession τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **wisdom** that seems wise according to the standard of this **world**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea using a relative clause. Alternate translation: “the wisdom that this world values” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 21 cihg grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces an explanation of how God has turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness ([1:20](../01/20.md)). You could use a word that introduces an explanation in your language or a short phrase that identifies that this verse explains the previous verse. Alternate translation: “That is,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 1 21 eauj grammar-connect-logic-result ἐπειδὴ…οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν Θεόν, εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς 1 Here, **since** introduces the reason for the second half of the verse, beginning with **God was pleased**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could make this more explicit or break the two pieces into two sentences and use a transition word that indicates result. Alternate translation: “because … the world did not know God through wisdom, therefore God was pleased” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 1 21 eauj grammar-connect-logic-result ἐπειδὴ…οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν Θεόν, εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς 1 Here, **since** introduces the reason for the second half of the verse, which , begins with **God was pleased**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could make this more explicit or break the two pieces into two sentences and use a transition word that indicates result. Alternate translation: “because … the world did not know God through wisdom, therefore God was pleased” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1CO 1 21 tnez figs-possession ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of **wisdom** that **God** uses when he makes decisions or acts. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by adding “plans” or “thinking” and translating **wisdom** with an adjective such as “wise.” Alternate translation: “in God’s wise plan” or ”in God’s wise thinking” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 21 odyk figs-synecdoche ὁ κόσμος 1 Here Paul uses **world** to refer to the humans that are part of the **world**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could translate **world** with a word or phrase that refers to people who do not believe in Christ, or you could use a phrase like “people of the world.” Alternate translation: “the people of the world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) 1CO 1 21 d7xw figs-possession τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος 1 those who believe Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of **preaching** that is characterized by **foolishness**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by translating **foolishness** as an adjective describing **the preaching** or the content of **the preaching**. Alternate translation: “the foolish preaching” or “the foolish message that we preach” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) @@ -119,59 +119,59 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 1 22 e1sy figs-hyperbole Ἰουδαῖοι…Ἕλληνες 1 By using the words translated **Jews** and **Greeks**, Paul is not saying that every single Jewish and Greek person does these things. Instead, he is generalizing, identifying common patterns among people who are Jewish and Greek. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that not all **Jews** and **Greeks** are meant. Alternate translation: “most Jews … most Greeks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 1 22 t32r translate-unknown Ἕλληνες 1 Here, **Greeks** does not refer only to people who are ethnically Greek. However, it also does not refer to everyone who is not a Jew. Rather, it refers to people who speak the Greek language and who value the philosophy and education that are part of Greek culture. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a word or phrase that identifies these people by their interests and values more than by their ethnicity. Alternate translation: “people who value Greek philosophy” or “people who had a Greek education” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 23 q8sj grammar-connect-logic-contrast δὲ 1 Here Paul continues the contrast he set up in [1:22](../01/22.md). Jews seek signs, and Greeks seek wisdom, but Paul and those like him proclaim that the Messiah was crucified. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that indicates a strong contrast between behavior or beliefs. Alternate translation: “In contrast with them,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) -1CO 1 23 v9fa figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς 1 General Information: Here, **we** refers to Paul and others who proclaim the Gospel with him. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1CO 1 23 v9fa figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς 1 General Information: Here, **we** refers to Paul and others who proclaim the gospel with him. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1CO 1 23 ntu3 figs-activepassive Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον 1 Christ crucified If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **Christ** who was **crucified** rather than the person doing the “crucifying.” If you must state who does the action, you could express the idea with: (1) **Christ** as the subject. Alternate translation: “that Christ laid down his life on the cross” (2) an indefinite or vague subject. Alternate translation: “that they crucified Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 23 krw3 figs-metaphor σκάνδαλον 1 a stumbling block Paul uses **stumbling block** to indicate that the message about “Christ crucified” causes offense or repulses many Jews. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “a repulsive concept” or “an unacceptable idea” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 1 23 n6u2 figs-hyperbole Ἰουδαίοις…ἔθνεσιν 1 By using the words translated **Jews** and **Gentiles**, Paul is not saying that every single Jewish and Gentile person responds to the Gospel in these ways. Instead, he is generalizing, identifying common patterns among people who are Jewish and Gentile. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that not all **Jews** and **Gentiles** are meant. Alternate translation: “to most Jews … to most Gentiles” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 1 23 n6u2 figs-hyperbole Ἰουδαίοις…ἔθνεσιν 1 By using the words translated **Jews** and **Gentiles**, Paul is not saying that every single Jewish and Gentile person responds to the gospel in these ways. Instead, he is generalizing, identifying common patterns among people who are Jewish and Gentile. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that not all **Jews** and **Gentiles** are meant. Alternate translation: “to most Jews … to most Gentiles” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 1 24 xgw1 grammar-connect-logic-contrast δὲ 1 Here Paul uses **But** to contrast **those who are called** and the “Jews” and “Gentiles” in [1:23](../01/23.md). If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that contrasts people and their thinking. Alternate translation: “In contrast with them,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1CO 1 24 i7l4 figs-infostructure αὐτοῖς…τοῖς κλητοῖς, Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν, Χριστὸν Θεοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφίαν 1 Paul here puts the people he is talking about first before he makes a statement about them. If this is unnatural in your language, you could: (1) phrase the sentence so that **those who are called** is the subject of the whole sentence. Alternate translation: “those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, know that Christ {is} the power of God and the wisdom of God” (2) move **to those who are called** to the end of the sentence. Alternate translation: “Christ {is} the power of God and the wisdom of God to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) -1CO 1 24 h7iw figs-123person αὐτοῖς…τοῖς κλητοῖς 1 to those whom God has called Paul uses the third person to speak about those whom God has called because he is speaking of the group as a category in comparison with Jews who find the Gospel a stumbling block and Gentiles who find the Gospel to be foolish. He does not use the third person because he excludes himself or the Corinthians from this category. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea with the first person. Alternate translation: “to those of us who are called” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) +1CO 1 24 h7iw figs-123person αὐτοῖς…τοῖς κλητοῖς 1 to those whom God has called Paul uses the third person to speak about those whom God has called, because he is speaking of the group as a category in comparison with Jews who find the gospel a stumbling block and Gentiles who find the gospel to be foolish. He does not use the third person because he excludes himself or the Corinthians from this category. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea with the first person. Alternate translation: “to those of us who are called” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]]) 1CO 1 24 appp figs-activepassive τοῖς κλητοῖς 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on those who are **called** rather than the person doing the “calling.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “whom God has called” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 24 pt5x translate-unknown Ἕλλησιν 1 Here, **Greeks** does not refer only to people who are ethnically Greek. However, it also does not refer to everyone who is not a Jew. Rather, it refers to people who speak the Greek language and who value the philosophy and education that are part of Greek culture. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a word or phrase that identifies these people by their interests and values more than by their ethnicity. Alternate translation: “people who value Greek philosophy” or “people who had a Greek education” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 24 hu1s figs-metonymy Χριστὸν 1 Christ as the power and the wisdom of God Here, the word **Christ** could refer to: (1) the message about the work of Christ. Alternate translation: “the message about Christ” (2) the work of Christ, especially his death. Alternate translation: “Christ’s work” or “Christ’s death” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 1 24 w9vm figs-possession Θεοῦ δύναμιν 1 the power … of God Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of **power** that comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that **God** is the source of the **power**. Alternate translation: “power from God” or “God acting powerfully” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 24 p1hu figs-possession Θεοῦ σοφίαν 1 the wisdom of God Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of **wisdom** that comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that **God** is the source of the **wisdom**. Alternate translation: “wisdom from God” or “God giving wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 25 fst8 grammar-connect-logic-result ὅτι 1 Here, **For** introduces the reason why the seemingly foolish message about Christ is power and wisdom ([1:24](../01/24.md)). If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word that introduces a reason or a short phrase that connects this verse to the previous verse or verses. Alternate translation: “God works through foolishness because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 1 25 h9hh figs-irony τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ…τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 the foolishness of God is wiser than people, and the weakness of God is stronger than people Paul describes God as having **foolishness** and **weakness**. He does not actually think that God is weak and foolish, but he is speaking from the perspective of the world and its wisdom. From the perspective of the world, Paul’s God is indeed foolish and weak. What Paul means to say is that what the world sees as **foolishness** and **weakness** is still **wiser** and **stronger** than anything that humans have to offer. If your readers would misunderstand this way of speaking, you could use an expression that indicates that Paul is using irony or speaking from another person’s perspective. Alternate translation: “the apparent foolishness of God … the apparent weakness of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony]]) +1CO 1 25 h9hh figs-irony τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ…τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 the foolishness of God is wiser than people, and the weakness of God is stronger than people Paul describes God as having **foolishness** and **weakness**. He does not actually think that God is weak and foolish, but he is speaking of them from the perspective of the world and its wisdom. From the perspective of the world, Paul’s God is indeed foolish and weak. What Paul means to say is that what the world sees as **foolishness** and **weakness** is still **wiser** and **stronger** than anything that humans have to offer. If your readers would misunderstand this way of speaking, you could use an expression that indicates that Paul is using irony or speaking from another person’s perspective. Alternate translation: “the apparent foolishness of God … the apparent weakness of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony]]) 1CO 1 25 esc9 figs-gendernotations τῶν ἀνθρώπων -1 The words translated **men** in both places in this verse do not refer just to male people. Rather, Paul means any human of any sex. If your readers would misunderstand **men**, you could refer to both genders or use a gender-neutral word. Alternate translation: “women and men … women and men” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 1 25 jydy figs-possession τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ…ἐστίν 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **foolishness** that comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea with a phrase that indicates that **God** does **foolishness**. Alternate translation: “the foolish things that God does are” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 25 uciw figs-ellipsis σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν 1 Paul does not include all the words that are needed in many languages to make a complete comparison. If you do need these words in your language, you could add whatever is needed to make the comparison complete, such “the wisdom.” Alternate translation: “is wiser than the wisdom of men” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 25 gnpe figs-possession τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **weakness** that comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could translate this idea with a phrase that indicates that **God** does **weakness**. Alternate translation: “the weak things that God does {are}” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 25 i7pl figs-ellipsis ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων 1 Paul does not include all the words that are needed in many languages to make a complete comparison. If you do need these words in your language, you could add whatever is needed to make the comparison complete, such “the strength.” Alternate translation: “stronger than the strength of men” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 26 je03 grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces proof for or examples of what Paul has claimed so far about God choosing to work through foolishness and weakness. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that introduces examples or support. Alternate translation: “For instance,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 1 26 c8sf translate-unknown τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν 1 Here, **calling** primarily to who the Corinthians were at the time of their **calling**. It does not primarily refer to God’s act in **calling** them. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you can emphasize this aspect in your translation. Alternate translation: “who you were at your calling” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) +1CO 1 26 c8sf translate-unknown τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν 1 Here, **calling** refers primarily to who the Corinthians were at the time of their **calling**. It does not primarily refer to God’s act in **calling** them. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you can emphasize this aspect in your translation. Alternate translation: “who you were at your calling” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) 1CO 1 26 xq6b figs-gendernotations ἀδελφοί 1 Here, **brothers** does not just refer to men but to people of any sex. If your readers would misunderstand **brothers**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 1 26 w6l1 figs-litotes οὐ πολλοὶ -1 Not many of you Here Paul uses a form that can more easily be stated in inverse form in many languages. If: (1) your language would most naturally put **not** with the verb instead of **many**, you could do so here. Alternate translation: “many {were} not … many {were} not … and many {were} not” (2) your language would most naturally use a word that indicates a small number of people here, you could use it without **not**. Alternate translation: “few … few … and few” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes]]) 1CO 1 26 unig writing-pronouns οὐ πολλοὶ -1 While Paul does not explicitly state that **not many** refers to the Corinthians, he is referring to the Corinthians when he says **not many**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could insert “you.” Alternate translation: “not many of you … not many of you … and not many of you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) -1CO 1 26 camj figs-infostructure οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοί, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς 1 Paul here uses the phrase **according to the flesh** to clarify what he means by **wise**, **powerful**, and **of noble birth**, not just **wise**. If your readers would misunderstand what **according to the flesh** modifies, you could move the phrase so that it is clear that it modifies all three of these statements. Alternate translation: “according to the flesh, not many {were} wise, not many {were} powerful, and not many {were} of noble birth (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) +1CO 1 26 camj figs-infostructure οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοί, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς 1 Paul here uses the phrase **according to the flesh** to clarify what he means by **wise**, and also **powerful**, and also **of noble birth**, not just **wise**. If your readers would misunderstand what **according to the flesh** modifies, you could move the phrase so that it is clear that it modifies all three of these statements. Alternate translation: “according to the flesh, not many {were} wise, not many {were} powerful, and not many {were} of noble birth (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 1 26 pws2 figs-idiom κατὰ σάρκα 1 wise according to the flesh Here Paul uses the phrase **according to the flesh** to refer to human ways of thinking. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could express the idiom **according to the flesh** with a phrase that refers to human values or perspectives. Alternate translation: “according to human definitions” or “according to what humans value” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1CO 1 27 qjvd grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλὰ 1 Here Paul introduces a contrast. He is contrasting **God chose the foolish things** with what a person might expect about how God would treat foolish and weak people like the Corinthians. He is not contrasting how **God chose the foolish things** with the statements in the previous verse about the foolishness and weakness of the Corinthians. If your readers would misunderstand this contrast, you could clarify that Paul writes **But** to contrast with what a person might expect about God. Alternate translation: “Despite what might be expected,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) +1CO 1 27 qjvd grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλὰ 1 Here Paul introduces a contrast. He is contrasting **God chose the foolish things** with what a person might expect about how God would treat foolish and weak people like the Corinthians. He is not contrasting how **God chose the foolish things** with the statements in the previous verse about the foolishness and weakness of the Corinthians. If your readers would misunderstand this contrast, you could clarify that Paul writes **But** to contrast this statement with what a person might expect about God. Alternate translation: “Despite what might be expected,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1CO 1 27 qv5l figs-parallelism τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς; καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά 1 God chose … wise. God chose … strong Here Paul makes two very similar statements in which **foolish** goes with **weak** and **wise** goes with **strong**. These two statements are almost synonymous, and Paul repeats himself to emphasize the point. If your readers would misunderstand why Paul uses two parallel sentences, and if the repetition would not emphasize the point, you could combine the two sentences into one. Alternate translation: “God chose the unimportant things of the world in order that he might shame the important things” or “God chose the foolish and weak things of the world in order that he might shame the wise and strong” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) 1CO 1 27 r4ly figs-possession τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου…τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου 1 Paul uses the possessive form twice to clarify that the **foolish things** and **weak things** are only **foolish** and **weak** from the perspective of the **world**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea with a phrase such as “according to the world.” Alternate translation: “things that are foolish according to the world … things that are weak according to the world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 27 gdob figs-synecdoche τοῦ κόσμου -1 When Paul uses **the world** in this context, he is not referring primarily to everything that God has made. Rather, he uses **the world** to refer to human beings. If your readers would misunderstand **the world**, you could use an expression that refers to human beings in general. Alternate translation: “of people … of people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) 1CO 1 27 iwho grammar-connect-logic-goal ἵνα -1 Here, **in order that** could introduce: (1) the purpose for which **God chose the foolish things of the world** and **the weak things of the world**. Alternate translation: “so that … so that” (2) what happened when **God chose the foolish things of the world** and **the weak things of the world**. Alternate translation: “with the result that … with the result that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) 1CO 1 27 vtzx figs-nominaladj τοὺς σοφούς…τὰ ἰσχυρά 1 Paul uses the adjective **wise** to describe a group of people, and he uses the adjective **strong** to describe a group of people and things. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these two adjectives with noun phrases. Alternate translation: “people who are wise … people and things which are strong” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) -1CO 1 28 tqxg figs-parallelism τοῦ κόσμου…ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός,…ἵνα 1 In this verse, Paul repeats many of the words from the parallel parts of previous verse. He does this because repeating the same idea with different examples was more convincing than using just one example in his culture. If possible, translate these words the same way that you translated them in [1:27](../01/27.md). If it is necessary, you could remove or change some of the words if it makes the sentence sound more convincing. Alternate translation: “he chose … of the world … in order that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) +1CO 1 28 tqxg figs-parallelism τοῦ κόσμου…ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός,…ἵνα 1 In this verse, Paul repeats many of the words from the parallel parts of the previous verse. He does this because, in his culture, repeating the same idea with different examples was more convincing than using just one example. If possible, translate these words the same way that you translated them in [1:27](../01/27.md). You could remove or change some of the words if it makes the sentence sound more convincing. Alternate translation: “he chose … of the world … in order that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) 1CO 1 28 k3kd translate-unknown τὰ ἀγενῆ 1 what is low and despised Here, **base things** is the opposite of the word translated “of noble birth” in [1:26](../01/26.md). Paul uses it to refer to things and people that were not considered important or powerful in his culture. If your readers would misunderstand **base things**, you could use a word or phrase that refers to people and things that have low status or low importance. Alternate translation: “the marginalized things” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 1 28 d5pa translate-unknown τὰ ἐξουθενημένα 1 While **base things** refers to a person’s status or a thing’s status, the word translated **despised things** refers to how people treat other people or things that have low status. Usually, people badly treat others whom they consider to be of lower status, ignoring them or mocking them. That is what Paul means when he says **despised**. If your readers would misunderstand **despised things**, you could use a word or phrase that refers to how people treat others of lower status badly. Alternate translation: “the scorned things” or “the things people treat with contempt” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 28 d5pa translate-unknown τὰ ἐξουθενημένα 1 While **base things** refers to a person’s status or a thing’s status, the word translated **despised things** refers to how people treat other people or things that have low status. Usually, people badly treat others whom they consider to be of lower status, ignoring them or mocking them. That is what Paul means when he says **despised**. If your readers would misunderstand **despised things**, you could use a word or phrase that refers to how people mistreat others of lower status. Alternate translation: “the scorned things” or “the things people treat with contempt” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 1 28 wir6 figs-possession τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα 1 Here Paul uses **of the world** to describe both **the base things** and **the despised things**. As in [1:27](../01/27.md), he uses the possessive form to clarify that **base things and the despised things** are only **base** and **despised** from the perspective of the world. If your readers would misunderstand **of the world**, you could express the idea with a phrase such as “according to the world.” Alternate translation: “the base things and the despised things according to the world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 1 28 unyl figs-synecdoche τοῦ κόσμου 1 When Paul uses **the world** in this context, he is not referring primarily to everything that God has made. Rather, he uses **the world** to refer to human beings. If your readers would misunderstand **the world**, you could use an expression that refers to human beings in general. Alternate translation: “of people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) -1CO 1 28 gj19 figs-hyperbole τὰ μὴ ὄντα 1 nothing, to bring to nothing things that are held as valuable Here Paul further describes the **base things** and **the despised things** as if they were **things that are not**. He does not mean that the **base** and **despised things** do not exist. Instead, he is identifying how people often ignore the **base** and **despised things**, just as if they did not exist at all. If your readers would misunderstand **the things that are not**, you could use a comparable phrase or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “the things that people ignore” or “the nobodies” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 1 28 gj19 figs-hyperbole τὰ μὴ ὄντα 1 nothing, to bring to nothing things that are held as valuable Here Paul further describes the **base things** and **the despised things** as if they were **things that are not**. He does not mean that the **base** and **despised things** do not exist. Instead, he is identifying how people often ignore the **base** and **despised things**, just as if they did not exist at all. If your readers would misunderstand **the things that are not**, you could use a comparable phrase or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “the things that people ignore” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 1 28 f11p grammar-connect-logic-goal ἵνα 1 things that are held as valuable Here, **in order that** could introduce: (1) the purpose for which **God chose the base things and the despised things of the world, the things that are not**. Alternate translation: “so that” (2) what happened when **God chose the base things and the despised things of the world, the things that are not**. Alternate translation: “with the result that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) -1CO 1 28 f9s5 translate-unknown καταργήσῃ 1 Here, **he might bring to nothing** refers to making something ineffective, useless, or irrelevant. What Paul means is that God has made **the things that are** unimportant and without function because he instead worked through **the things that are not**. If your readers would misunderstand **bring to nothing**, you could use a word or phrase that indicates that a person has acted so that something else is no longer important, useful, or effective. Alternate translation: “he might sideline” or “render ineffective” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 1 28 etjg figs-idiom τὰ ὄντα 1 In this context, **the things that are** does not refer primarily to things that exist. Rather, it refers primarily to things that are important in society and culture. If your readers would misunderstand **the things that are**, you could use a comparable phrase that refers to important or significant things and people in your culture. Alternate translation: “the things that people care about” or “the somebodies” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 1 28 f9s5 translate-unknown καταργήσῃ 1 Here, **he might bring to nothing** refers to making something ineffective, useless, or irrelevant. What Paul means is that God has made **the things that are** unimportant and without function because he instead worked through **the things that are not**. If your readers would misunderstand **bring to nothing**, you could use a word or phrase that indicates that a person has acted so that something else is no longer important, useful, or effective. Alternate translation: “he might tear down” or “render ineffective” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 1 28 etjg figs-idiom τὰ ὄντα 1 In this context, **the things that are** does not refer primarily to things that exist. Rather, it refers primarily to things that are important in society and culture. If your readers would misunderstand **the things that are**, you could use a comparable phrase that refers to important or significant things and people in your culture. Alternate translation: “the things that people care about” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 1 29 unr6 grammar-connect-logic-goal ὅπως 1 Here, **so that** introduces a final goal. In [1:28–29](../01/28–29.md), Paul uses “in order that” to introduce immediate goals, but here, **so that** is the overall goal. If your readers would misunderstand **so that**, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a final or overall goal, making sure to distinguish it from the words you used in [1:28–29](../01/28–29.md), if possible. Alternate translation: “so that, in the end,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal]]) 1CO 1 29 q4gh figs-idiom μὴ…πᾶσα σὰρξ 1 Paul uses the word **flesh** to refer to humans. Unlike in many other places in his letters, **flesh** does not indicate sinful and weak humanity. Instead, it simply refers to humans compared to their creator, God. If your readers would misunderstand **flesh**, you could use a word or phrase that commonly refers to people in general, especially if it includes the idea that people are created by God. Alternate translation: “no creature” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 1 29 fdv5 figs-metaphor ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul speaks of people not boasting **before God**, as if they were standing in front of **God**. With this way of talking, Paul means that people are acting as if they could see God and God could see them. This means that they recognize that God knows what they say and do. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that someone recognizes that God knows what they are doing and thinking. Alternate translation: “when they know that God sees them” or “while God looks on” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 1 30 yk4y grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 Here, **But** introduces a slight contrast between people who might boast and the Corinthians, who are united to Christ. However, **But** primarily means that Paul is moving to the next step in his argument. If **But** would not express this idea in your language, you could use a word that indicates that the author is moving on to the next step, or you could leave it untranslated. Alternate translation: “Now” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) +1CO 1 30 yk4y grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 Here, **But** introduces a slight contrast between people who might boast and the Corinthians who are united to Christ. However, **But** primarily means that Paul is moving to the next step in his argument. If **But** would not express this idea in your language, you could use a word that indicates that the author is moving on to the next step, or you could leave it untranslated. Alternate translation: “Now” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 1 30 fmr3 figs-activepassive ἐξ αὐτοῦ…ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ 1 because of him While **because of him, you are in Christ Jesus** is not written the way most passive sentences are, this construction is like a passive sentence and may be difficult to represent in your language. What **because of him** means is that God is the source of how the Corinthians **are in Christ Jesus**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could rephrase these words so that “God” is the subject who makes it so that **you are in Christ Jesus**. Alternate translation: “he puts you in Christ Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 30 alyj writing-pronouns αὐτοῦ 1 Here, **of him** refers to God. If your readers would misunderstand to whom **him** refers, you could use the name “God” here. Alternate translation: “of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 1 30 a986 figs-metaphor ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ 1 Paul uses the spatial metaphor **in Christ Jesus** to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being **in Christ Jesus**, or united to Christ Jesus, explains how **Christ Jesus** can be **wisdom**, **righteousness**, **sanctification**, and **redemption** for the Corinthians. Alternate translation: “in union with Christ Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 1 30 f1at figs-metaphor ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε, καὶ ἁγιασμὸς, καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις; 1 Christ Jesus, who was made for us wisdom from God Here Paul uses language and structure that is very similar to what he used in [1:24](../01/24.md). Refer back to that verse to help you translate this verse. When Paul says that Jesus **was made … wisdom** and **righteousness, and also sanctification and redemption**, he does not mean that Jesus has become these abstract ideas. Instead, he means that Jesus is the source of **wisdom**, **righteousness**, **sanctification**, and **redemption** for **us** who are **in Christ Jesus**. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could include some clarifying words such as “the source of.” Alternate translation: “who was made for us the source of wisdom from God, the source of righteousness, and also the source of sanctification and redemption” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 1 30 lxpy figs-activepassive ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **Christ Jesus** who was **made** rather than the person doing the “making.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “whom God made for us wisdom from himself” or “whom God made for us wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 1 30 f1at figs-metaphor ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε, καὶ ἁγιασμὸς, καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις; 1 Christ Jesus, who was made for us wisdom from God Here Paul uses language and structure that is very similar to what he used in [1:24](../01/24.md). Refer back to that verse to help you translate this verse. When Paul says that Jesus **was made for us wisdom** and **righteousness, and also sanctification and redemption**, he does not mean that Jesus has become these abstract ideas. Instead, he means that Jesus is the source of **wisdom**, **righteousness**, **sanctification**, and **redemption** for **us** who are **in Christ Jesus**. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could include some clarifying words such as “the source of.” Alternate translation: “who was made for us the source of wisdom from God, the source of righteousness, and also the source of sanctification and redemption” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 1 30 lxpy figs-activepassive ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **Christ Jesus**, who was **made**, rather than focusing on the person doing the “making.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “whom God made for us wisdom from himself” or “whom God made for us wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 1 30 yyns writing-pronouns ὃς 1 Here, **who** refers to **Christ Jesus**. If your readers would misunderstand to whom **who** refers, you could write the name of **Christ Jesus** instead of using **who** or along with **who**. Alternate translation: “the Christ who” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 1 30 g5um figs-abstractnouns σοφία…ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε, καὶ ἁγιασμὸς, καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις 1 If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **wisdom**, **righteousness**, **sanctification**, and **redemption**, you could express the ideas by using verbs with God as the subject. Alternate translation: “a person through whom God taught us, judged us not guilty, and also set us apart for himself and set us free” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) -1CO 1 31 dm5h grammar-connect-logic-result ἵνα 1 Here, **so that** could introduce: (1) the result of everything he has said about God being the one who chooses and acts. If you use one of the following alternate translations, you may need to add period before it. Alternate translation: “Because of all this” or “Therefore” (2) the purpose for which God chose the weak and foolish. Alternate translation: “in order that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 1 31 dm5h grammar-connect-logic-result ἵνα 1 Here, **so that** could introduce: (1) the result of everything he has said about God being the one who chooses and acts. If you use one of the following alternate translation, you may need to add period before it. Alternate translation: “Because of all this” or “Therefore” (2) the purpose for which God chose the weak and foolish. Alternate translation: “in order that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1CO 1 31 gtv0 figs-ellipsis ἵνα καθὼς γέγραπται 1 Here Paul leaves out some words that might be required in your language to make a complete thought. If your language does need these words, you could supply words such as “we should do.” Alternate translation: “so that we should behave just as it is written” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 1 31 paga figs-infostructure καθὼς γέγραπται, ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω 1 If it would be unnatural in your language to put **just as it is written** before the quotation, you could put **just as it is written** at the end of the sentence. Alternate translation: “‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord,’ just as it is written” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 1 31 ebvw writing-quotations καθὼς γέγραπται 1 In Paul’s culture, **just as it is written** is a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book written by Jeremiah the prophet (see [Jeremiah 9:24](../../jer/09/24.md)). If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “as it can be read in the Old Testament” or “according to Jeremiah the prophet” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations]]) @@ -179,22 +179,22 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 1 31 fym9 figs-imperative ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω 1 Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord Here Paul uses a third person imperative. If you have third person imperatives in your language, you could use one here. If you do not have third person imperatives, you could: (1) translate this one as a conditional sentence, adding “if.” Alternate translation: “If people want to boast, they should boast in the Lord” (2) translate this one using a word such as “should.” Alternate translation: “Anyone who boasts should boast in the Lord” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative]]) 1CO 1 31 mo0q figs-idiom ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω 1 When Paul says that someone can **boast in the Lord**, he does not mean that they are inside **the Lord**. Rather, he means that they are boasting about **the Lord** and what he has done. If your readers would misunderstand **boast in the Lord**, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that someone is boasting about someone else. Alternate translation: “Let … boast with reference to the Lord” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 2 intro k86p 0 # 1 Corinthians 2 General Notes

## Structure and Formatting

2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)
* Paul’s attitude among the Corinthians (2:1–5)
* The wisdom of God, revealed by the Spirit (2:6–16)

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the words of verses 9 and 16, which are from the Old Testament. Verse 9 quotes from Isaiah 64:4, and verse 16 quotes from Isaiah 40.

## Special Concepts in this Chapter

### Wisdom and foolishness

Throughout this chapter, Paul continues to speak of both wisdom and foolishness. Just as in chapter one, these words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. Continue to use the words you chose in chapter one. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fool]])

### Power and weakness

Throughout this chapter, Paul continues to speak of both power and weakness. Just as in chapter one, these words primarily refer to how much influence and authority a person has and to how much they can accomplish. Someone who has “power” has much influence and authority and can accomplish many things. Someone who has “weakness” does not have much influence and authority and is not able to accomplish many things. Continue to use the words that you chose in chapter one. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/power]])

### The Spirit

Paul first mentions the “Spirit” in this chapter. In most places where this word appears, it refers to God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit), who is the third person of the Trinity. However, in two places in this chapter, the word “spirit” refers to something else. First, “spirit of the world” in [2:12](../02/12.md) refers to a “spirit” that is not God’s Spirit and that originates from within the world. Paul says that this kind of “spirit” is not the kind that believers in Jesus have received. Second, the “spirit of a man” in [2:11](../02/11.md) refers to the non-physical part of a person. It does not refer to God’s Spirit or to something that God’s Spirit replaces. Sometimes Paul uses the adjective form “spiritual” ([2:13](../02/13.md); [2:15](../02/15.md)) and the adverb form “spiritually” ([2:14](../02/14.md)). Both of these forms also refer to God’s Spirit. If someone or something is “spiritual,” that means that the person or thing has or is characterized by God’s Spirit. If something is done “spiritually,” that means that it is done by the power of God’s Spirit. Once, Paul uses the word “natural” ([2:14](../02/14.md)), which is the opposite of “spiritual.” “Natural” means that the person or thing does not have and is not characterized by God’s Spirit. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/holyspirit]])

### The Mystery

Paul speaks of a “mystery” in [2:1](../02/01.md); [2:7](../02/07.md). This “mystery” is not some secret truth that is hard to understand and that only a few privileged individuals can learn about. Instead, it refers to God’s plans that once were unknown but are now known to all his people. As Paul has already stated in chapter one, these plans center around the cross, which seems to be foolishness. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/reveal]])

## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

### The deep things of God

In [2:10](../02/10.md), Paul says that the Spirit searches “the deep things of God.” Paul talks about God as if he were a well or a lake with parts that are deep down in order to identify things about God that humans cannot understand or find it difficult to understand. He does not mean that God is a being or location with deep parts. See the note on this verse for translation options.

## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

### The rulers of this age

In [2:6](../02/06.md); [2:8](../02/08.md), Paul speaks about “the rulers of this age.” This phrase refers to individuals who have power in the created world during the time between Christ’s first and second comings. While Paul does not state whether these individuals with power are humans or spiritual beings, he does say that they were the ones who crucified Jesus ([2:8](../02/08.md)). This suggests that they are humans, and they would be people like governors, emperors, and unfaithful religious leaders. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/ruler]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/age]])

### Positive and negative uses of “wisdom”

Just as in chapter one, Paul continues to speak about wisdom in both positive and negative ways. He uses the same words throughout the chapter, and he distinguishes between positive and negative meanings by connecting the words to different people or ideas. For example, he speaks of wisdom negatively when it is the wisdom of the world, or the wisdom of humans. However, he speaks of wisdom positively when it is wisdom from God or wisdom given by God. If possible, translate the negative and positive meanings of wisdom with the same word, just as Paul uses one word for both negative and positive. If you must use different words, use positive words for God’s wisdom and negative words for human wisdom.

### First person singular and plural

Paul uses the first person singular in [2:1–5](../02/01–05.md) because in these verses he speaks of his own time among the Corinthians. He switches to the first person plural in [2:6–16](../02/06–16.md) because in these verses he is speaking more generally about everyone who proclaims the Gospel as he does. In [2:6–16](../02/06–16.md), the first person plural sometimes includes the Corinthians and sometimes does not include the Corinthians. Throughout the chapter, the first person plural will include the Corinthians unless a note specifies that it does not include them. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) -1CO 2 1 pxmq grammar-connect-words-phrases κἀγὼ 1 Here, **And I** introduces how Paul himself fits into the pattern he introduced in the last chapter. Just as God chooses the weak and the foolish, Paul preaches the Gospel in weak and foolish ways. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express the idea with a word or phrase that introduces an example or a comparison. Alternate translation: “In the same way, I” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) +1CO 2 1 pxmq grammar-connect-words-phrases κἀγὼ 1 Here, **And I** introduces how Paul himself fits into the pattern he introduced in the last chapter. Just as God chooses the weak and the foolish, Paul preaches the gospel in weak and foolish ways. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express the idea with a word or phrase that introduces an example or a comparison. Alternate translation: “In the same way, I” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 2 1 qvj7 figs-gendernotations ἀδελφοί 1 brothers Although **brothers** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to both men or women. If your readers would misunderstand **brothers**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters”(See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 2 1 koh8 figs-explicitinfo ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς…ἦλθον οὐ 1 Here Paul twice says that he has **come** to them. This is a structure that makes sense in Paul’s language. However, if your readers would misunderstand this repetition, you could: (1) translate the first **come** with a different word, such as “visit.” Alternate translation: “having visited you, did not come” (2) combine these two phrases. Alternate translation: “did not come to you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo]]) 1CO 2 1 o0vw grammar-connect-time-background ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς 1 The phrase **having come to you** gives background information. It describes what happened before Paul **did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could clarify by using a word that introduces action that has already occurred. Alternate translation: “after I came to you” or “when I came to you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background]]) 1CO 2 1 mioj figs-go ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς…ἦλθον οὐ 1 Here Paul is speaking about how he had previously visited the Corinthians. Use a form in your language that refers to a past visit. Alternate translation: “after arriving where you live, did arrive” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-go]]) 1CO 2 1 o3ks figs-possession ὑπεροχὴν λόγου ἢ σοφίας 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **speech** and **wisdom** that have **superiority**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this form, you could express the idea by translating **superiority** as an adjective. Alternate translation: “superior speech or superior wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 1 ikmt translate-unknown ὑπεροχὴν λόγου ἢ σοφίας 1 Here, **superiority** refers to how something or someone has more authority, skill, knowledge, or power than something or someone else. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could express the idea with a comparable word or a short description. Alternate translation: “greatness of speech or of wisdom” or “speech or wisdom that was better than what others have” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 2 1 kxie grammar-connect-time-simultaneous καταγγέλλων ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 The phrase **proclaiming to you the mystery of God** gives the situation in which Paul **did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could make it explicit by including a word that indicates that these things are happening at the same time. Alternate translation: “when I proclaimed to you the mystery of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous]]) +1CO 2 1 kxie grammar-connect-time-simultaneous καταγγέλλων ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 The phrase **proclaiming to you the mystery of God** gives the situation in which Paul **did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could make it explicit by including a word that indicates that these things are happening at the same time. Alternate translation: “meanwhile proclaiming to you the mystery of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous]]) 1CO 2 1 nam8 figs-possession τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **mystery** that is: (1) revealed by God. Alternate translation: “the mystery given by God” or “the mystery from God” (2) about God. Alternate translation: “the mystery about God” or “the mystery concerning God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 1 xu7t translate-textvariants μυστήριον 1 In Paul’s language, **mystery** and “testimony” look and sound very similar. While some early and important manuscripts have “testimony” here, other early and important manuscripts have **mystery**. Unless there is a good reason to translate “testimony,” it is best to follow the ULT here. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) -1CO 2 2 a2g9 figs-hyperbole οὐ…ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν 1 I decided to know nothing … except Jesus Christ Here Paul speaks as if he decides to forget all his knowledge and become ignorant of everything except for **Jesus Christ**. This is an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood as emphasis on Paul’s focus on **Jesus Christ** as the one thing he wished to tell the Corinthians about. If your readers would misunderstand this exaggeration, you could use a phrase that indicates that it is an exaggeration or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I decided to speak among you only about Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) -1CO 2 2 nk9r grammar-connect-exceptions οὐ…ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον 1 If it would appear in your language that Paul makes a strong statement about knowing nothing and then contradicts it, you could reword this sentence so that there is no **except**. Alternate translation: “I decided that I would only know among you Jesus Christ and him crucified” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) +1CO 2 2 a2g9 figs-hyperbole οὐ…ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν 1 I decided to know nothing … except Jesus Christ Here Paul speaks as if he decides to forget all his knowledge and become ignorant of everything except **Jesus Christ**. This is an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood as emphasis on Paul’s sharp focus on **Jesus Christ** as the one thing he wished to tell the Corinthians about. If your readers would misunderstand this exaggeration, you could use a phrase that indicates that it is an exaggeration or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I decided to speak among you only about Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 2 2 nk9r grammar-connect-exceptions οὐ…ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον 1 If it would appear in your language that Paul makes a strong statement about knowing nothing and then contradicts it, you could reword this sentence so that there is no **except**. Alternate translation: “I decided that among you I would only know Jesus Christ and him crucified” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) 1CO 2 2 zvge figs-activepassive τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **Jesus Christ** who was **crucified** rather than the person doing the “crucifying.” If you must state who does the action, you could express the idea with: (1) **Christ** as the subject. Alternate translation: “how he laid down his life on the cross” (2) an indefinite or vague subject. Alternate translation: “how they crucified him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 3 xen3 grammar-connect-words-phrases κἀγὼ 1 Here, **And I** is the same word Paul used to introduce [2:1](../02/01.md). It again introduces how Paul himself fits into the pattern he introduced in the last chapter. Just as God chooses the weak and the foolish, Paul himself was weak and foolish. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express the idea with a word or phrase that introduces an example or a comparison. Alternate translation: “Just as I did not use superior words and wisdom, I myself” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 2 3 s9lp κἀγὼ…ἐγενόμην πρὸς ὑμᾶς 1 I was with you Alternate translation: “And I remained with you” -1CO 2 3 e8li figs-abstractnouns ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ, καὶ ἐν φόβῳ, καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ πολλῷ, 1 in weakness If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **weakness**, **fear**, and **trembling**, you could express the ideas by using adjectives or verbs. Alternate translation: “as a weak, afraid, and frequently trembling person” or “while I ailed, feared, and often trembled” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) +1CO 2 3 e8li figs-abstractnouns ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ, καὶ ἐν φόβῳ, καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ πολλῷ, 1 in weakness If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **weakness**, **fear**, and **trembling**, you could express the ideas by using adjectives or verbs. Alternate translation: “as a weak, fearful, and frequently trembling person” or “while I ailed, feared, and often trembled” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 2 4 lewv figs-ellipsis ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου, οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις 1 Here Paul does not use the verb **were** in his sentence. In English, this word is essential, so it has been included in the ULT. If you can translate this sentence without **were**, you could do so here. Otherwise, you could retain **were** as it appears in the ULT. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 2 4 g5my figs-abstractnouns ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου, οὐκ 1 If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **word** and **proclamation**, you could express the ideas by using verbs such as “speak” or “talk” and “proclaim.” Alternate translation: “I spoke and proclaimed a message not” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 2 4 m23e figs-abstractnouns ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις 1 If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **words** and **wisdom**, you could express the ideas by using a verb such as “speak” or “talk” and an adverb such as “wisely.” Alternate translation: “based on speaking persuasively and wisely” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) @@ -204,13 +204,13 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 4 qrfj figs-possession ἀποδείξει Πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **demonstration** that: (1) comes from **the Spirit** and **power**. Alternate translation: “a demonstration by the Spirit and by power” (2) proves that the **Spirit** and **power** are present. Alternate translation: “a demonstration of the presence of the Spirit and of power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 4 s83h translate-unknown ἀποδείξει 1 Here, **demonstration** refers to proving or showing that something is true. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could use a comparable expression. Alternate translation: “a validation” or “a confirmation” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 2 4 s6h6 figs-hendiadys Πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως 1 This phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with **and**. The word **Spirit** tells who is acting in **power**. If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this meaning with an equivalent phrase that does not use **and**. Alternate translation: “of the Spirit’s power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys]]) -1CO 2 5 av3t figs-idiom ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν, μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ’ ἐν δυνάμει Θεοῦ 1 Here, the phrase translated **faith … in** refers to believing something (**faith**) based on (**in**) something else. It does not refer, as it does in many other places, to believing in or trusting in something. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could use translate **in** with a word or phrase that indicates the basis of the **faith**. Alternate translation: “your faith might not be based on the wisdom of men but based on the power of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 2 5 av3t figs-idiom ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν, μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ’ ἐν δυνάμει Θεοῦ 1 Here, the phrase translated **faith might not be in the wisdom of men but in** refers to believing something (**faith**) based on (**in**) something else. It does not refer, as it does in many other places, to believing in or trusting in something. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could translate **in** with a word or phrase that indicates the basis of the **faith**. Alternate translation: “your faith might not be based on the wisdom of men but based on the power of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 2 5 ovoj figs-abstractnouns ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν, μὴ ᾖ 1 If you cannot use this form in your language, you could express the idea in active form by translating **faith** with a verb such as “trust” or “believe.” Alternate translation: “you might believe not” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 2 5 rkoy figs-possession σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe what **men** think is **wisdom**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by translating **men** with an adjective such as “human.” Alternate translation: “in human wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 5 cdw7 figs-gendernotations ἀνθρώπων 1 Although **men** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If your readers would misunderstand **men**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “of people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 2 5 b29d figs-possession δυνάμει Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of **power** that **God** has and shows. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could express the idea by translating **power** as a verb or adverb with **God** as the subject. Alternate translation: “God working powerfully” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 2 6 azm7 grammar-connect-logic-contrast δὲ 1 Now we do speak Here, **Now** introduces a contrast with what Paul has said in [2:4–5](../02/4–5.md). In those verses, he said that he did not speak with **wisdom**. In this verse, however, he clarifies that he does **speak** with a kind of **wisdom**. If your readers would misunderstand **Now**, you could express the idea by using a word that introduces a contrast. Alternate translation: “In spite of this,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) -1CO 2 6 uena figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and others like him who preach the Gospel. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1CO 2 6 azm7 grammar-connect-logic-contrast δὲ 1 Now we do speak Here, **Now** introduces a contrast with what Paul has said in [2:4–5](../02/4–5.md). In those verses, he said that he did not speak with **wisdom**. In this verse, however, he clarifies that he does **speak** with **wisdom** of a certain kind. If your readers would misunderstand **Now**, you could express the idea by using a word that introduces a contrast. Alternate translation: “In spite of this,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) +1CO 2 6 uena figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and others like him who preach the gospel. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1CO 2 6 uka3 figs-abstractnouns σοφίαν -1 speak wisdom If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **wisdom**, you could express the idea by using by using an adverb such as “wisely” or an adjective such as “wise.” Alternate translation: “wisely … the wise speech” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 2 6 eq1q figs-nominaladj τοῖς τελείοις 1 the mature Paul is using the adjective **mature** as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate **mature** with a noun phrase or a relative clause. Alternate translation: “those who are mature” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) 1CO 2 6 tm2e figs-possession σοφίαν δὲ, οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **wisdom** that fits with the standards and values of **this age** and that **rulers of this age** value. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by using verbal phrases. Alternate translation: “but not wisdom that fits with this age nor wisdom that the rulers of this age value” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) @@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 6 xydl figs-possession τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **rulers** who are in power during **this age**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by using language about the time in which the rulers have power or the place in which they have power. Alternate translation: “of the rulers who have power now” or “of the rulers who control this world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 6 endk translate-unknown τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 The **rulers of this age** could refer to: (1) humans who have power. Alternate translation: “of the people who rule this age” (2) spiritual beings that have power. Alternate translation: “of the spiritual powers that rule this age” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 2 6 tbnh translate-unknown τῶν καταργουμένων 1 Paul has already used the word translated **passing away** in [1:28](../01/28.md), where it is translated **bring to nothing**. Here, the word means that the **rulers** are becoming ineffective, useless, or irrelevant, which means that they will no longer have power. If possible, translate this word like you did in [1:28](../01/28.md). Alternate translation: “who are becoming ineffective” or “who are losing their power” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 2 7 l064 figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν…ἡμῶν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and anyone who preaches the Gospel. It does not include the Corinthians. However, the word **our** does include the Corinthians along with Paul. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1CO 2 7 l064 figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν…ἡμῶν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and anyone who preaches the gospel. It does not include the Corinthians. However, the word **our** does include the Corinthians along with Paul. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1CO 2 7 bsme figs-possession Θεοῦ σοφίαν 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **wisdom** that **God** would consider to be true **wisdom**. This also means that the **wisdom** comes from **God**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could clarify that the **wisdom** comes from **God**. Alternate translation: “the wisdom from God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 7 wy8u figs-abstractnouns σοφίαν 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **wisdom**, you could express the idea by using by using an adverb such as “wisely” or an adjective such as “wise.” Alternate translation: “the wise message” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 2 7 xbye figs-explicitinfo ἐν μυστηρίῳ τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην 1 Here Paul uses both **has been hidden** and **in a mystery**. Both of these phrases refer to something that is secret. If using both of these phrases is redundant in your language, you could use only one. Alternate translation: “that has been hidden” or “that is a mystery” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo]]) @@ -229,12 +229,12 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 8 bw5i writing-pronouns ἣν 1 Just as in [2:7](../02/07.md), **which** refers to “the wisdom,” not to “a mystery.” If your readers would misunderstand what **which** refers to, you could repeat “wisdom” here. Alternate translation: “the wisdom that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 2 8 imbk figs-possession τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 1 Just as in [2:6](../02/06.md), Paul uses the possessive form to describe **rulers** who are in power during **this age**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by using language about the time in which **the rulers** have power or the place in which they have power. Alternate translation: “of the rulers who have power now” or “of the rulers who control this world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 8 ur15 grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **for** introduces Paul’s proof that **the rulers** did not understand. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this word, you could express the idea using a word that customarily introduces proof or evidence. Alternate translation: “which is true because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 2 8 ji1o grammar-connect-condition-contrary εἰ…ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν; 1 Here Paul uses **if** to introduce a scenario that he knows is not true. He wants to point out that the **rulers** were the ones who **crucified** Jesus, and this proves that they did not understand God’s wisdom. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by reversing the two clauses and making **they understood it** negative and **they would not have crucified the Lord of glory** positive. Alternate translation: “they crucified the Lord glory, which means that they did not understand it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-contrary]]) -1CO 2 8 zc89 figs-possession τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης 1 the Lord of glory Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **the Lord** who has **glory**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by translating **glory** with an adjective or a relative clause. Alternate translation: “the Lord who has glory” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 2 9 fu1y grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλὰ 1 Things that no eye … arisen, the things … who love him Here, **But** introduces a contrast with the hypothetical statement in [2:8](../02/08.md) about how the rulers would not have crucified the Lord if they had understood God’s wisdom. The **But** reminds the reader that this hypothetical statement is not true, and Paul wishes to introduce further statements about how people do not understand God’s wisdom. If your readers would misunderstand **But**, you could leave **But** untranslated or use a word or phrase that would signal that Paul is now longer speaking hypothetically. Alternate translation: “But no,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) +1CO 2 8 ji1o grammar-connect-condition-contrary εἰ…ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν; 1 Here Paul uses **if** to introduce a scenario that he knows is not true. He wants to point out that the **rulers** were the ones who **crucified** Jesus, and this proves that they did not understand God’s wisdom. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by reversing the two clauses and making **they understood it** negative and **they would not have crucified the Lord of glory** positive. Alternate translation: “they crucified the Lord of glory, which means that they did not understand it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-contrary]]) +1CO 2 8 zc89 figs-possession τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης 1 the Lord of glory Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe **the Lord** who has **glory**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by translating **glory** with an adjective or a relative clause. Alternate translation: “the Lord, who has glory” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) +1CO 2 9 fu1y grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλὰ 1 Things that no eye … arisen, the things … who love him Here, **But** introduces a contrast with the hypothetical statement in [2:8](../02/08.md) about how the rulers would not have crucified the Lord if they had understood God’s wisdom. The **But** reminds the reader that this hypothetical statement is not true, and Paul wishes to introduce further statements about how people do not understand God’s wisdom. If your readers would misunderstand **But**, you could leave **But** untranslated or use a word or phrase that would signal that Paul is no longer speaking hypothetically. Alternate translation: “But instead,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1CO 2 9 wuar figs-ellipsis ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται 1 Here Paul has omitted some words that may be necessary in your language to form a complete thought. If necessary, you can supply a summary from [2:8](../02/08.md) of what the rulers did not understand and how they acted. Alternate translation: “But the rulers did not understand, just as it is written” or “But the rulers did do these things, just as it is written” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 2 9 qcb2 writing-quotations καθὼς γέγραπται 1 In Paul’s culture, **just as it is written** is a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book written by Isaiah the prophet (see [Isaiah 64:4](../../isa/64/04.md)). If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “as it can be read in the Old Testament” or “according to Isaiah the prophet” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations]]) -1CO 2 9 w3m2 figs-activepassive γέγραπται 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what **is written** rather than the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you could express it so that: (1) the scripture or scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: “Isaiah has written” (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: “God has said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 2 9 w3m2 figs-activepassive γέγραπται 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what **is written** rather than the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you could express it so that: (1) the scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: “Isaiah has written” (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: “God has said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 9 pt3m figs-infostructure ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν 1 In this quotation, **What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not arisen in the heart of man** are the **things God has prepared**. If your language would naturally put **What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not arisen in the heart of man** after **God has prepared**, you could reverse the order. Alternate translation: “God has prepared for those who love him what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not arisen in the heart of man” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 2 9 j9ib figs-synecdoche ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη 1 Things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined Here, the words **eye**, **ear**, and **heart** refer to the parts of the person that see, hear, and think. In each case, the word means that the whole person sees, hears, and thinks. If your readers would misunderstand this way of speaking, you could use a word that refers to a person as a whole instead of just a part of that person. Alternate translation: “What a person has not seen, and a person has not heard, and has not arisen when a person thinks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]]) 1CO 2 9 xe03 figs-idiom ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη 1 The phrase **heart of man** refers to the place where humans think. If something “arises” there, that means that a human has thought about that thing. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **arisen in the heart of man**, you could use a comparable phrase or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “man has not thought about” or “man has not imagined” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) @@ -243,16 +243,16 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 9 us5y grammar-collectivenouns ἀνθρώπου 1 Here, even though **man** is written in singular form, it refers to anyone who would be considered a **man**, that is, any human. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you can make **man** plural. Alternate translation: “of men” or “of humans” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns]]) 1CO 2 10 z472 grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces an explanation of the last line of the quote from [2:9](../02/09.md): “these things God has prepared for those who love him.” Paul wants to explain that these are the things that **God has revealed** to those who believe. If your readers would misunderstand **For**, you could leave the word untranslated or use a word or phrase that introduces an explanation. Alternate translation: “In fact,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 2 10 hp6w grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 2 Here, **For** introduces an explanation for why God’s revelation is made **to us through the Spirit**. It is because the **Spirit searches everything** and knows everything that is **revealed**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a comparable word or phrase that introduces this kind of explanation. Alternate translation: “He works through the Spirit because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 2 10 zccl translate-unknown ἐραυνᾷ 1 Here, **searches** refers to how someone can explore or know about something else. If your readers would misunderstand **searches**, you could use another word for “exploring” or “knowing.” Alternate translation: “comprehends” or “knows about” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 2 10 zccl translate-unknown ἐραυνᾷ 1 Here, **searches** refers to how someone can explore or seek to know about something else. If your readers would misunderstand **searches**, you could use another word for “exploring” or “knowing.” Alternate translation: “comprehends” or “knows about” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 2 10 bhyv translate-unknown τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 The phrase **deep things of God** refers to things about God that are hard to understand or things about God that no one can fully comprehend. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use a comparable expression or state the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “secrets about God” or “things about God that no one knows” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 2 11 h4p8 figs-rquestion τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? 1 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of the person in him? Here Paul uses question because he thinks that everyone will agree with him, for this information is common knowledge in his culture. He does not use a question because he is not sure about the answer. If your readers would misunderstand this question, you could express the idea by using a form that presents information that everyone knows and agrees with. Alternate translation: “For it is a well-known fact that no one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that {is} within him.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) -1CO 2 11 gw3u grammar-connect-exceptions τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. 1 no one knows the deep things of God except the Spirit of God In both parts of this verse, Paul makes a negative claim and then gives an exception to that claim. If it would appear in your language that Paul is contradicting himself, you could use a different structure that also singles out one possibility and negates all other possibilities. Alternate translation: “For the spirit of the man that {is} within him is the only one among men that knows the things of a man, right? So also, the Spirit of God is the only one that knows the things of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) +1CO 2 11 h4p8 figs-rquestion τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? 1 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of the person in him? Here Paul uses a question because he thinks that everyone will agree with him, for this information is common knowledge in his culture. He does not use a question because he is not sure about the answer. If your readers would misunderstand this question, you could express the idea by using a form that presents information that everyone knows and agrees with. Alternate translation: “For it is a well-known fact that no one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that {is} within him.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) +1CO 2 11 gw3u grammar-connect-exceptions τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. 1 no one knows the deep things of God except the Spirit of God In both parts of this verse, Paul makes a negative claim and then offers an exception to that claim. If it would appear in your language that Paul is contradicting himself, you could use a different structure that also singles out one possibility and negates all other possibilities. Alternate translation: “For the spirit of the man that {is} within him is the only one among men that knows the things of a man, right? So also, the Spirit of God is the only one that knows the things of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) 1CO 2 11 li8e figs-gendernotations ἀνθρώπων…ἀνθρώπου…τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ 1 Although the words translated **men**, **man**, and **him** are masculine, Paul is using them to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If your readers would misunderstand these masculine words, you could use non-gendered words or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “among people … of a person … of the person that {is} within that person” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 2 11 lmzi figs-genericnoun ἀνθρώπου…τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ 1 Paul uses the word **man** to speak of people in general, not one specific person. If your readers would misunderstand **man**, you could use a form that indicates people in general in your language. Alternate translation: “of a certain man … of that certain man that {is} within him” or “of men … of men that {is} within them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) 1CO 2 11 wfr2 figs-idiom τίς…ἀνθρώπων 1 The phrase **who among men** is a way of asking about people or things that belong to a specific category. Paul means to ask if there are any **men** who can know **the things of a man**. He uses this phrase because God also **knows the things of a man**, so he must limit his question to only **men**. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express the idea by using a phrase that asks about people or things, but only those that belong in a specific category. Alternate translation: “which man” or “out of all men, who” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 2 11 mi27 figs-idiom τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου…τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the phrases **the things of a man** and **the things of God** to refer to everything that makes up the person, including personality, thoughts, actions, desires, possessions, and many more similar categories. Paul is intentionally general and does not narrow down which of these categories he has in mind. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use an expression that refers to all the aspects of a person that makes that person unique. Alternate translation: “all the details about a man … all the details about God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 2 11 i47d translate-unknown τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ 1 spirit of the person Here, the word translated **spirit** is the same word that Paul uses for the Holy **Spirit**. It refers to the interior life of a person, to the part of them that people cannot see, including their thoughts and desires. If possible, use the same word here that you will use later in the verse for the **Spirit**, since Paul is drawing an analogy between the human **spirit** and God’s **Spirit**. If you cannot use the word for God’s **Spirit** to describe a human being, you could: (1) refer simply to a human without specifying which part of the human **knows**. Alternate translation: “the man himself” (2) use an expression that refers to the interior life of a human. Alternate translation: “the consciousness of the man that {is} within him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) -1CO 2 11 to3t figs-idiom τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ 1 In this culture, people would speak of the non-physical part of human beings as if it were inside the physical part of human beings. Here Paul speaks in this way when he says that the **spirit of the man** is **within him**. By using **within him**, Paul is identifying the **spirit** as the one that belongs to **the man**. It is not some other man’s **spirit**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **within him**, you could: (1) use a word or phrase that identifies that the **spirit** belongs to **the man** only. Alternate translation: “that man’s own spirit” (2) express the idea by using a phrase that describes where a human being’s non-physical part would be in your culture. Alternate translation: “the spirit of the man that permeates him” or “the spirit of the man that suffuses him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 2 11 to3t figs-idiom τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ 1 In this culture, people would speak of the nonphysical part of a human being as if it were inside the physical part of a human being. Here Paul speaks in this way when he says that the **spirit of the man** is **within him**. By using **within him**, Paul is identifying the **spirit** as the one that belongs to **the man**. It is not some other man’s **spirit**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **within him**, you could: (1) use a word or phrase that identifies that the **spirit** belongs to **the man** only. Alternate translation: “that man’s own spirit” (2) express the idea by using a phrase that describes where a human being’s non-physical part would be in your culture. Alternate translation: “the spirit of the man that permeates him” or “the spirit of the man that suffuses him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 2 12 zbv8 grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 General Information: Here, **But** introduces the next part of Paul’s argument. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **But**, you could leave it untranslated or use a word or phrase that signifies that the argument is moving on. Alternate translation: “Now” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 2 12 evts figs-infostructure ἡμεῖς…οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 If your language would naturally state the negative before the positive, you could reverse the order of the **not** statement and the **but** statement. Alternate translation: “we received the Spirit who {is} from God, not the spirit of the world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 2 12 emse translate-unknown τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου 1 The phrase **spirit of the world** could refer to: (1) a **spirit** that does not actually exist. In other words, Paul is saying that the Spirit they received did not come from the **world** but rather came from **God**. Alternate translation: “a spirit that comes from the world” (2) human ways of thinking and understanding, which could be called a **spirit**. In other words, Paul is saying that they did not receive human ways of thinking but rather ways of thinking that God’s Spirit brings. Alternate translation: “human ways of thinking” ((See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) @@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 12 vw4v figs-ellipsis ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα 1 Here Paul omits some words that may be needed in your language to make a complete thought. If your readers would misunderstand this shortened form, you could supply some words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: “but we received the Spirit” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 2 12 w1qd figs-activepassive τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 If it would be more natural in your language, you could make God the subject of the **who** statement. Alternate translation: “the Spirit whom God sent” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 12 n1c7 figs-activepassive τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν 1 freely given to us by God If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **the things** that are **given** rather than God, who does the “giving.” Alternate translation: “the things that God has freely given to us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 2 13 nan2 figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and others who proclaim the Gospel with him. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1CO 2 13 nan2 figs-exclusive λαλοῦμεν 1 Here, **we** refers to Paul and others who proclaim the gospel with him. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1CO 2 13 u797 figs-infostructure οὐκ ἐν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ’ ἐν διδακτοῖς Πνεύματος 1 The Spirit interprets spiritual words with spiritual wisdom If your language would not naturally put the negative statement before the positive statement, you could reverse them, putting **words** with the positive statement. Alternate translation: “in words taught by the Spirit, not in those taught by human wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) -1CO 2 13 yg45 figs-activepassive διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις 1 The Spirit interprets spiritual words with spiritual wisdom If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **words** that are **taught** rather than the person doing the “teaching.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “humans” or “people” do it. Alternate translation: “words that human wisdom teaches” or “words that humans teach as wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 2 13 yg45 figs-activepassive διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις 1 The Spirit interprets spiritual words with spiritual wisdom If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **words** that are **taught** rather than focusing on the person doing the “teaching.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “humans” or “people” do it. Alternate translation: “words that human wisdom teaches” or “words that humans teach as wisdom” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 13 ywbw figs-activepassive διδακτοῖς Πνεύματος 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **words** that are **taught** rather than the **Spirit**, who does the “teaching.” Alternate translation: “those that the Spirit teaches” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 13 gueq translate-unknown πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συνκρίνοντες 1 Here, the phrase **combining spiritual things with spiritual words** could mean: (1) that Paul and those with him interpret **spiritual things** and ideas with **spiritual words**. Alternate translation: “interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words” (2) that Paul and those with him explain **spiritual things** to **spiritual** people. Alternate translation: “explaining spiritual things to spiritual people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 2 13 kinz grammar-connect-time-simultaneous συνκρίνοντες 1 Here, **combining** introduces an action that takes place at the same time as when **we speak**. The idea is that **combining spiritual things with spiritual words** is the way that **we speak these things**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could express the idea by including a word or phrase that indicates that **combining** is the way in which **we speak**. Alternate translation: “by means of combining” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous]]) @@ -272,43 +272,43 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 2 14 cve2 figs-genericnoun ψυχικὸς…ἄνθρωπος, οὐ δέχεται…αὐτῷ…οὐ δύναται 1 General Information: Paul uses the words **person**, **him**, and **he** to speak of people in general, not one specific man. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of these words, you could use a form that indicates people in general in your language. Alternate translation: “any natural person does not receive … to him or her … he or she is not able” or “natural people do not receive … to them … they are not able” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) 1CO 2 14 vvju figs-gendernotations αὐτῷ…οὐ δύναται 1 Here, the words translated **him** and **he** are written in masculine form, but they refer to anyone, no matter what their gender might be. If your readers would misunderstand **he** and **him**, you could express the idea by using a word that does not have gender or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: “to that person … that person is not able” or “to him or her … he or she is not able” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 2 14 fye5 figs-activepassive μωρία…αὐτῷ ἐστίν 1 If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the structure and make **him** the subject of a verb such as “think” or “consider.” Alternate translation: “for he thinks that they are foolishness” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 2 14 gwe3 figs-activepassive πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται 1 because they are spiritually discerned If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what is **discerned** rather than the person doing the “discerning.” If you must state who does the action, you could use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: “people can only discern them spiritually” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 2 14 gwe3 figs-activepassive πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται 1 because they are spiritually discerned If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what is **discerned** rather than focusing on the person doing the “discerning.” If you must state who does the action, you could use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: “people can only discern them spiritually” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 14 vznr πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται 1 Alternate translation: “they are discerned by the power of the Spirit” or “they are discerned by people who are indwelt by the Spirit” 1CO 2 15 w4q7 translate-unknown ὁ…πνευματικὸς 1 the one who is spiritual Here Paul uses **the spiritual one** as the opposite of “the natural person” in [2:14](../02/14.md). The phrase **the spiritual one** describes a person who does have God’s Spirit. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this phrase, you could express the idea by using a word or phrase that describes someone who has received God’s Spirit. Alternate translation: “the person with the Spirit” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 2 15 gcv7 figs-genericnoun ὁ…πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνει…αὐτὸς…ἀνακρίνεται 1 Paul uses the words **spiritual one** and **he himself** to speak of people in general, not one specific man. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of these words, you could use a form that indicates people in general. Alternate translation: “any spiritual person discerns … he himself or she herself” or “spiritual people discern … they themselves are discerned” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) -1CO 2 15 ap89 figs-hyperbole τὰ πάντα 1 Here Paul uses **all things** as an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood to emphasize that the **spiritual one** can discern God’s gifts and the message of the Gospel. Paul does not mean that every **spiritual** person is able to discern everything there is to know. If your readers would misunderstand this exaggeration, you could express the idea by using a phrase such as “many things,” and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “many things indeed” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 2 15 ap89 figs-hyperbole τὰ πάντα 1 Here Paul uses **all things** as an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood to emphasize that the **spiritual one** can discern God’s gifts and the message of the gospel. Paul does not mean that every **spiritual** person is able to discern everything there is to know. If your readers would misunderstand this exaggeration, you could express the idea by using a phrase such as “many things,” and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “many things indeed” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) 1CO 2 15 ji5n figs-activepassive αὐτὸς…ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on **he** who is **discerned** rather than the person doing the “discerning.” Alternate translation: “no one discerns him himself” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1CO 2 15 ypl6 figs-gendernotations αὐτὸς…ἀνακρίνεται 1 Here, the words translated **he himself** are written in masculine form, but they refer to anyone, no matter what their gender might be. If your readers would misunderstand **he himself**, you could express the idea by using a word that does not have gender or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: “that person is discerned” or “he himself or she herself is discerned” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) -1CO 2 15 zg4b figs-explicit αὐτὸς…ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται 1 Here Paul wishes to say that it is impossible for someone without the Spirit to properly understand or make judgments about the person who does have the Spirit. If this implication would be missed by your readers, you could make it more explicit that Paul speaking about the possibility of someone without the Spirit “discerning” someone with the Spirit. Alternate translation: “he himself cannot be discerned by anyone who is not spiritual” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) +1CO 2 15 zg4b figs-explicit αὐτὸς…ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται 1 Here Paul wishes to say that it is impossible for someone without the Spirit to properly understand or make judgments about the person who does have the Spirit. If this implication would be missed by your readers, you could make it more explicit that Paul is speaking about the impossibility of someone without the Spirit “discerning” someone with the Spirit. Alternate translation: “he himself cannot be discerned by anyone who is not spiritual” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1CO 2 15 ndi1 figs-rpronouns αὐτὸς…ἀνακρίνεται 1 Here, **himself** focuses attention on **the spiritual one**. If **himself** would not draw attention in this way in your language, you could express the attention or focus in another way. Alternate translation: “he is discerned” or “he indeed is discerned” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rpronouns]]) -1CO 2 16 ye98 grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces proof from Scripture to support what Paul has said about the “natural person” and the “spiritual” person in [2:14–15](../02/14–15.md). If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that indicates that Paul is introducing proof. Alternate translation: “You can tell that these things are true because” or “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) +1CO 2 16 ye98 grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces proof from Scripture to support what Paul has said about the “natural person” and the “spiritual” person in [2:14–15](../02/14–15.md). If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that indicates that Paul is introducing proof. Alternate translation: “You can tell that these things are true, because” or “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 2 16 tj79 writing-quotations γὰρ 1 Here, **For** is the only word that Paul uses to introduce a quotation from the Old Testament, in this case, from the book written by Isaiah the prophet (see [Isaiah 40:13](../../isa/40/13.md)). If your language would not introduce a quotation in this way, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “For, as it can be read in the Old Testament,” or “For, according to Isaiah the prophet,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations]]) -1CO 2 16 m4pu figs-rquestion τίς…ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν? 1 For who can know the mind of the Lord, that he can instruct him? Here, the passage that Paul quotes from the book of Isaiah uses a question to indicate that no human **has known the mind of the Lord**, and no human **will instruct him**. The question is not asking for information. Instead, it assumes that the answer is “no one,” and the author uses a question to make a negative claim that is stronger than a simple statement. If your readers would misunderstand the question, you could express the idea with a strong negative statement. Alternate translation: “no one has known the mind of the Lord—no one will instruct him.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) +1CO 2 16 m4pu figs-rquestion τίς…ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν? 1 For who can know the mind of the Lord, that he can instruct him? Here, the passage that Paul quotes from the book of Isaiah uses a question to indicate that no human **has known the mind of the Lord**, and no human **will instruct him**. The quoted question is not asking for information. Instead, it assumes that the answer is “no one,” and the author used a question to make a negative claim that is stronger than a simple statement. If your readers would misunderstand the question, you could express the idea with a strong negative statement. Alternate translation: “no one has known the mind of the Lord—no one will instruct him.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) 1CO 2 16 wacc figs-possession νοῦν Κυρίου 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **mind** that the **Lord** has or uses. If your readers would misunderstood that the **Lord** is one who is thinking with **the mind**, you could express the idea by using a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “the thoughts that the Lord thinks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 2 16 r18k figs-metaphor νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν 1 Here Paul speaks as if **we** are people who possess **the mind of Christ**. Paul means that **we** are able to understand what Christ thinks and share the same ways of thinking with him. He does not mean that we have taken Christ’s **mind** from him or that we no longer have our own **mind**. If your readers would misunderstand “having someone else’s mind,” you could express the idea with a comparable metaphor or with a verb such as “share.” Alternate translation: “think the same thoughts as Christ does” or “share in the mind of Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 2 16 pr9b figs-possession νοῦν Χριστοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **mind** that **Christ** has or uses. If your readers would misunderstood that **Christ** is one who is thinking with **the mind**, you could express the idea by using a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “the thoughts that Christ thinks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 3 intro g6ku 0 # 1 Corinthians 3 General Notes

## Structure and Formatting

2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)
* Paul identifies the divisions (3:1–5)
* Farming metaphor (3:6–9a)
* Building metaphor (3:9b–15
* Temple metaphor (3:16–17)
* Wisdom and folly (3:18–20)
* All things are yours (3:21–23)

Some translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page to make them easier to read. The ULT does this with the quoted words of verses 19 and 20. Verse 19 quotes from Job 5:13, and verse 20 quotes from Psalm 94:11.

## Special Concepts in this Chapter

### Fleshly people

In [3:1–4](../03/01–04.md), Paul calls the Corinthian believers “fleshly.” In [3:3](../03/03.md), he defines “fleshly” as “walking according to men.” The word “fleshly” thus refers to people who think and behave from a merely human point of view, without thinking and behaving from God’s perspective. The opposite of “fleshly” is “spiritual,” which refers to those who think and behave by the power of the Spirit (see [3:1](../0/01.md)). (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/flesh]], [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/spirit]])

### Fire and judgment

In Paul’s culture, fire was commonly associated with the day when God would come to judge everyone. Paul uses this association when he makes use of the metaphor of a building. When a building catches on fire, it shows how well it was build. Similarly, when the fire of God’s judgment comes, it will show who has taught the gospel correctly. Fire fits within the metaphor of a building, but it is not just a part of that metaphor. If it is possible, retain the language of fire for God’s judgment. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/judgmentday]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/fire]])

### Wisdom and Foolishness

Throughout this chapter, Paul continues to speak of both wisdom and foolishness. Just as in chapters one and two, these words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. Continue to use the words you chose in chapters one and two. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fool]])

## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

### Infants and food metaphor

In [3:1–2](../03/01–02.md), Paul speaks as if the Corinthians are infants who were, and still are, unable to eat any solid food but can only drink milk. By speaking about them as if they were infants, Paul wishes to tell the Corinthians that they are spiritually immature. They are immature enough that they can only drink milk. Paul uses “milk” to refer to the very basic teachings about Christ, while he uses “solid food” to refer to the more advanced teachings. In translating this metaphor, use words that identify what very small children can eat (milk) and what they cannot eat (solid food). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Farming metaphor

In [3:6–9a](../03/06–09.md), Paul speaks as if he and Apollos were farmers. Paul first proclaimed the gospel to the Corinthians, so he is like a farmer who plants seeds. Apollos taught the Corinthians more about the gospel, so he is like a farmer who waters the plants when they start to grow. However, God is the one who makes seeds grow into plants and the one who enables believers to accept and learn more about the gospel. With this metaphor, Paul wishes to emphasize that he and Apollos are equal in that they both teach about the gospel. However, neither one of them is significant in comparison to God, who is the one who actually enables people to accept and believe in the gospel. If possible, preserve the farming metaphor, even if you need to adjust some of the details. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Building metaphor

In [3:9b–15](../03/09–15.md), Paul speaks of the Corinthians as if they were a house. Paul is the one who laid the house’s foundation, because he was the one who first proclaimed the gospel to them. Other people, whom Paul does not name, build on the foundation. They are the ones who are teaching the Corinthians more, whether what they teach is correct or not. Paul then says that the building will catch on fire, and what each of these builders used to construct the house will become clear. If they built with durable materials, they will be rewarded, but if they built with materials that burn, they will suffer loss, and the builders themselves will barely escape from the fire. In speaking this way, Paul is warning those who teach more about the gospel that God himself will judge whether what they teach is correct or not. If it is incorrect, those teachers will lose everything and barely be saved themselves. If it is correct, God will honor and reward those teachers. If possible, preserve the building metaphor, even if you need to adjust some of the details. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Temple metaphor

In [3:16–17](../03/16–17.md), Paul speaks as if the Corinthians were God’s temple. By speaking this way, he identifies the Corinthian believers as a place where God is specially present. Paul then notes that anyone who does anything to harm God’s temple will be punished by God. Since the Corinthians are like God’s temple, God will punish anyone who does anything to harm them, including if anyone tries to divide them up into different groups. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Rhetorical questions

Paul asks many questions in this chapter ([3:3–5](../03/03–05.md); [16](../03/16.md)). He is not asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he is asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. For ways to translate these questions, look for the notes on each verse that includes these kinds of questions. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

### Christ is God’s

In [3:23](../03/23.md), Paul says that “Christ is God’s.” He does not mean that Christ is a person who belongs to God, but is not God. Rather, he means that Christ is part of who God is. Christ belongs to the being of God. In your translation, you should to try to preserve this meaning. However, if possible, do not make your translation into a statement about the divinity of Christ, since that is not the main point that Paul is trying to make. +1CO 2 16 pr9b figs-possession νοῦν Χριστοῦ 1 Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a **mind** that **Christ** has or uses. If your readers would misunderstood that **Christ** is the one who is thinking with **the mind**, you could express the idea by using a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: “the thoughts that Christ thinks” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) +1CO 3 intro g6ku 0 # 1 Corinthians 3 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n2. Against divisions (1:10–4:15)\n * Paul identifies the divisions (3:1–5)\n * Farming metaphor (3:6–9a)\n * Building metaphor (3:9b–15\n * Temple metaphor (3:16–17)\n * Wisdom and folly (3:18–20)\n * All things are yours (3:21–23)\n\nSome translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page to make them easier to read. The ULT does this with the quoted words of verses 19 and 20. Verse 19 quotes from Job 5:13, and verse 20 quotes from Psalm 94:11.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Fleshly people\n\nIn [3:1–4](../03/01–04.md), Paul calls the Corinthian believers “fleshly.” In [3:3](../03/03.md), he defines “fleshly” as “walking according to men.” The word “fleshly” thus refers to people who think and behave from a merely human point of view, without thinking and behaving from God’s perspective. The opposite of “fleshly” is “spiritual,” which refers to those who think and behave by the power of the Spirit (see [3:1](../0/01.md)). (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/flesh]], [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/spirit]])\n\n### Fire and judgment\n\nIn Paul’s culture, fire was commonly associated with the day when God would come to judge everyone. Paul uses this association when he makes use of the metaphor of a building. When a building catches on fire, it shows how well it was built. Similarly, when the fire of God’s judgment comes, it will show who has taught the gospel correctly. Fire fits within the metaphor of a building, but it is not just a part of that metaphor. If it is possible, retain the language of fire for God’s judgment. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/judgmentday]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/fire]])\n\n### Wisdom and foolishness\n\nThroughout this chapter, Paul continues to speak of both wisdom and foolishness. Just as in chapters one and two, these words do not refer primarily to how much or how little education someone has. Rather, they refer to how well or how poorly someone plans actions and knows how the world works. Continue to use the words you chose in chapters one and two. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/wise]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fool]])\n\n## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter\n\n### Infants and food metaphor\n\nIn [3:1–2](../03/01–02.md), Paul speaks as if the Corinthians are infants who were, and still are, unable to eat any solid food, but can only drink milk. By speaking about them as if they were infants, Paul wishes to tell the Corinthians that they are spiritually immature enough that they can only drink milk. Paul uses “milk” to refer to the very basic teachings about Christ, while he uses “solid food” to refer to the more advanced teachings. In translating this metaphor, use words that identify what very small children can eat (milk) and what they cannot eat (solid food). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### Farming metaphor\n\nIn [3:6–9a](../03/06–09.md), Paul speaks as if he and Apollos were farmers. Paul first proclaimed the gospel to the Corinthians, so he is like a farmer who plants seeds. Apollos taught the Corinthians more about the gospel, so he is like a farmer who waters the plants when they start to grow. However, God is the one who makes seeds grow into plants and the one who enables believers to accept and learn more about the gospel. With this metaphor, Paul wishes to emphasize that he and Apollos are equal in that they both teach about the gospel. However, neither one of them is significant in comparison to God, who is the one who actually enables people to accept and believe in the gospel. If possible, preserve the farming metaphor, even if you need to adjust some of the details. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### Building metaphor\n\nIn [3:9b–15](../03/09–15.md), Paul speaks of the Corinthians as if they were a house. Paul is the one who laid the house’s foundation, because he was the one who first proclaimed the gospel to them. Other people, whom Paul does not name, build on the foundation. They are the ones who are teaching the Corinthians more, whether what they teach is correct or not. Paul then says that the building will catch on fire, and what each of these builders used to construct the house will become evident. If they built with durable materials, they will be rewarded, but if they built with materials that burn, they will suffer loss, and the builders themselves will barely escape from the fire. In speaking this way, Paul is warning those who teach more about the gospel that God himself will judge whether what they teach is correct or not. If it is incorrect, those teachers will lose everything and barely be saved themselves. If it is correct, God will honor and reward those teachers. If possible, preserve the building metaphor, even if you need to adjust some of the details. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### Temple metaphor\n\nIn [3:16–17](../03/16–17.md), Paul speaks as if the Corinthians were God’s temple. By speaking this way, he identifies the Corinthian believers as a place where God is specially present. Paul then notes that anyone who does anything to harm God’s temple will be punished by God. Since the Corinthians are like God’s temple, God will punish anyone who does anything to harm them, including if anyone tries to divide them up into different groups. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### Rhetorical questions\n\nPaul asks many questions in this chapter ([3:3–5](../03/03–05.md); [16](../03/16.md)). He is not asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to provide him with information. Rather, he is asking these questions because he wants the Corinthians to think about how they are acting and what they are thinking. The questions encourage them to think along with Paul. For ways to translate these questions, look for the notes on each verse that includes these kinds of questions. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])\n\n## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter\n\n### Christ is God’s\n\nIn [3:23](../03/23.md), Paul says that “Christ is God’s.” He does not mean that Christ is a person who belongs to God but is not God. Rather, he means that Christ is part of who God is. Christ belongs to the being of God. In your translation, you should to try to preserve this meaning. However, if possible, do not make your translation into a statement about the divinity of Christ, since that is not the main point that Paul is trying to make. 1CO 3 1 zfdg grammar-connect-words-phrases κἀγώ 1 The word translated **And I** is the same word that appears at the beginning of [2:1](../02/01.md). Just as there, Paul uses **And I** here to introduce how his own experience visiting the Corinthians fits into the general pattern he has outlined at the end of chapter 2. Here, however, his experience with the Corinthians is the opposite of what he would have liked. Therefore, the words **And I** introduce a contrast with what he said in [2:16](../02/16.md) about having the mind of Christ. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of **And I**, you could express the idea by using a word or phrase that introduces a specific example or a word or phrase that introduces a contrast. Alternate translation: “But I” or “As for me, I” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 3 1 r4iw figs-gendernotations ἀδελφοί 1 brothers Although **brothers** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to any believer, whether man or woman. If your readers would misunderstand **brothers**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 3 1 jn0q figs-infostructure οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ. 1 If your language would not naturally state the negative before the positive, you could reverse the order of the **not** statement and the **but** statements. Alternate translation: “had to speak to you as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ, not as to spiritual” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) 1CO 3 1 jx17 figs-nominaladj πνευματικοῖς…σαρκίνοις 1 spiritual people Paul is using the adjectives **spiritual** and **fleshly** as nouns in order to describe groups of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with noun phrases. Alternate translation: “to spiritual people … to fleshly people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) -1CO 3 1 r5w5 figs-ellipsis ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις 1 fleshly people Here Paul leaves out some words that might be required in your language to make a complete thought. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could supply the needed words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: “but I spoke to you as to fleshly, I spoke to you as to infants” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) -1CO 3 1 ja6t figs-metaphor νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ 1 as to little children in Christ Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians were **infants**. He wants the Corinthians to think about how **infants** are immature, do not have much knowledge, and are unable to understand most things. By calling the Corinthians **infants in Christ**, he means that in their relationship with Jesus, they were immature, had little knowledge, and were unable to understand very much. If your readers would misunderstand why Paul calls the Corinthians **infants**, you could a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “to beginners in Christ” or “to those who could understand very little about their faith in Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 3 1 m588 figs-metaphor ἐν Χριστῷ 1 Paul uses the spatial metaphor **in Christ** to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being **in Christ**, or being united to Christ, explains in what area of their lives they were like **infants**. They acted like **infants** in their relationship with Christ. If your readers would misunderstand **in Christ**, you could express the idea by referring to their “faith” in **Christ** or their “relationship” with **Christ**. Alternate translation: “in their faith in Christ” or “in their relationship with Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 3 2 vg2v figs-metaphor γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα 1 I fed you milk, not solid food Paul refers to **milk** because it is the food of “infants,” whom Paul already mentioned in [3:1](../03/01.md). The **milk** is the only thing that the “infants” can eat, and Paul thus uses **milk** to refer to the very simplest things that the Corinthians were able to understand about the Gospel. “Infants” do not eat **solid food**, because they are not yet able to properly chew or digest it. So, Paul uses **solid food** to refer to the more complex things about the Gospel that he could not teach the Corinthians because they were “infants,” that is, people who could not understand such complex teachings. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I taught you the basics, not the full picture” or “I taught you things that are easy to understand, not things that are hard to understand” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 3 1 r5w5 figs-ellipsis ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις 1 fleshly people Here Paul leaves out some words that might be required in your language to make a complete thought. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could supply the needed words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: “but I spoke to you as to fleshly; I spoke to you as to infants” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) +1CO 3 1 ja6t figs-metaphor νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ 1 as to little children in Christ Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians were **infants**. He wants the Corinthians to think about how **infants** are immature, lack knowledge, and are unable to understand most things. By calling the Corinthians **infants in Christ**, he means that in their relationship with Jesus, they are immature, have little knowledge, and are unable to understand very much. If your readers would misunderstand why Paul calls the Corinthians **infants**, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “to beginners in Christ” or “to those who could understand very little about their faith in Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 3 1 m588 figs-metaphor ἐν Χριστῷ 1 Paul uses the spatial metaphor **in Christ** to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being **in Christ** or being united to Christ explains in what area of their lives they were like **infants**. They acted like **infants** in their relationship with Christ. If your readers would misunderstand **in Christ**, you could express the idea by referring to their “faith” in **Christ** or their “relationship” with **Christ**. Alternate translation: “in their faith in Christ” or “in their relationship with Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 3 2 vg2v figs-metaphor γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα 1 I fed you milk, not solid food Paul refers to **milk** because it is the food of “infants,” whom Paul already mentioned in [3:1](../03/01.md). The **milk** is the only thing that the “infants” can eat, and Paul thus uses **milk** to refer to the very simplest things that the Corinthians were able to understand about the gospel. “Infants” do not eat **solid food**, because they are not yet able to properly chew or digest it. So, Paul uses **solid food** to refer to the more complex things about the gospel that he could not teach the Corinthians because they were “infants,” that is, people who could not understand such complex teachings. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I taught you the basics, not the full picture” or “I taught you things that are easy to understand, not things that are hard to understand” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1CO 3 2 fujt figs-ellipsis οὐ βρῶμα 1 Here Paul has omitted some words that may be necessary to make a complete thought in your language. If your language needs these words, you could add a phrase such as “to eat.” Alternate translation: “not solid food to eat” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 3 2 d2x5 figs-ellipsis οὔπω…ἐδύνασθε…οὐδὲ νῦν δύνασθε 1 Here Paul has omitted some words that may be necessary to make a complete thought in your language. If your language needs these words, you could add them here, supplying the idea from earlier in the verse. Alternate translation: “you were not yet able to eat solid food … even now, you are not able to eat solid food” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) -1CO 3 2 i3r5 grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλ’ 1 Here, **Indeed** functions to contrast the time when Paul visited the Corinthians with the time when Paul is writing this letter. He speaks of these two different times to say that the Corinthians could not to eat the **solid food** at either time. If your readers would misunderstand **Indeed**, you could use a word or phrase that contrasts two times or a word that introduces additional information. Alternate translation: “But” or “In fact” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) +1CO 3 2 i3r5 grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἀλλ’ 1 Here, **Indeed** functions to contrast the time when Paul visited the Corinthians with the time when Paul is writing this letter. He speaks of these two different times to say that the Corinthians could not to eat the **solid food** at either time. If your readers would misunderstand **Indeed**, you could use a word or phrase that contrasts two times or a word that introduces additional information. Alternate translation: “In fact” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1CO 3 3 m712 figs-nominaladj σαρκικοί -1 still fleshly Paul is using the adjective **fleshly** as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this adjective with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “fleshly people … fleshly people” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) 1CO 3 3 o618 figs-abstractnouns ὅπου…ἐν ὑμῖν ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις 1 If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind **jealousy** and **strife**, you could express the ideas by using verbs such as “being jealous” and “fighting.” Alternate translation: “where you are jealous and fight with one another” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 3 3 s1uy figs-metonymy ὅπου 1 Here, **where** often refers to space. However, here Paul uses it to refer to time. Instead of identifying a specific location, it identifies a specific time. If your readers would misunderstand **where**, you could express the idea by using a word that refers to time. Alternate translation: “when there is” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 3 3 k5ll figs-rquestion οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε? 1 are you not living according to the flesh, and are you not walking by human standards? Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information or for agreement or disagreement. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “yes.” If your readers would misunderstand this question, you could express the idea with a statement that draws a conclusion from the **jealousy** and the **strife**. Alternate translation: “you are fleshly and walking according to men” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) -1CO 3 3 oz5v figs-hendiadys καὶ 2 Here Paul uses **and** to introduce a definition of what **fleshly** means. It means **walking according to men**. If you cannot use **and** to introduce a definition or explanation, you could use another word or phrase that does introduce a definition or explanation. If you use one of the following alternate translations, you may need to add a comma before it. Alternate translation: “that is, are you not” or “which means” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys]]) +1CO 3 3 oz5v figs-hendiadys καὶ 2 Here Paul uses **and** to introduce a definition of what **fleshly** means. It means **walking according to men**. If you cannot use **and** to introduce a definition or explanation, you could use another word or phrase that does introduce a definition or explanation. If you use one of the following alternate translations, you may need to add a comma before it. Alternate translation: “that is, are you not” or "which means" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys]]) 1CO 3 3 as2u figs-metaphor κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε 1 Paul speaks of behavior in life as if it were **walking**. If **walking** would not be understood as a description of a person’s way of life in your language, you could express the idea with a comparable metaphor or non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “behaving as men do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 3 3 ljri figs-idiom κατὰ ἄνθρωπον 1 Here Paul speaks of behavior that is **according to men**. By using this phrase, he wishes to identify behaviors that people who think and act in only human ways do. These people do not have God’s Spirit, so they “walk” according to the values and goals of this world. If your readers would misunderstand **according to men**, you could express the idea by using a word or phrase that refers to things and behaviors that people who do not believe value. Alternate translation: “according to what mere humans value” or “according to this world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1CO 3 3 ljri figs-idiom κατὰ ἄνθρωπον 1 Here Paul speaks of behavior that is **according to men**. He uses this phrase to refer to behaviors done by people who think and act in only human ways. These people do not have God’s Spirit, so they “walk” according to the values and goals of this world. If your readers would misunderstand **according to men**, you could express the idea by using a word or phrase that refers to things and behaviors valued by people who do not believe. Alternate translation: “according to what mere humans value” or “according to this world” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1CO 3 3 y8b4 figs-gendernotations ἄνθρωπον 1 Although **men** is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If your readers would misunderstand **men**, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “humans” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) -1CO 3 4 cidr grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces further evidence for Paul’s argument that the Corinthians in acting in merely humans ways. If your readers would misunderstand **For**, you could leave **For** untranslated or express the idea using a word or phrase that introduces more evidence or examples. Alternate translation: “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 3 4 g8zt writing-pronouns λέγῃ τις…ἕτερος 1 Here Paul uses the pronouns **one** and **another** to give two examples of some people in the Corinthian church who are sayings these kinds of things. He does not mean that only two people are saying these things. He also does not mean that these are the only things that people in the church are saying. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use words that introduce examples of a larger pattern, and you could add a phrase that indicates that the words **I am of Paul** and **I am of of Apollos** are two examples of the kinds of things that they are saying. Alternate translation: “some people among you say things like … other people among you say things like” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1CO 3 4 cidr grammar-connect-words-phrases γὰρ 1 Here, **For** introduces further evidence for Paul’s argument that the Corinthians are acting in merely humans ways. If your readers would misunderstand **For**, you could leave **For** untranslated or express the idea using a word or phrase that introduces more evidence or examples. Alternate translation: “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) +1CO 3 4 g8zt writing-pronouns λέγῃ τις…ἕτερος 1 Here Paul uses the pronouns **one** and **another** to give two examples of some people in the Corinthian church who are saying these kinds of things. He does not mean that only two people are saying these things. He also does not mean that these are the only things that people in the church are saying. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could use words that introduce examples of a larger pattern, and you could add a phrase that indicates that the words **I am of Paul** and **I am of of Apollos** are two examples of the kinds of things that they are saying. Alternate translation: “some people among you say things like … other people among you say things like” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 3 4 rmtq figs-quotations ἐγὼ…εἰμι Παύλου…ἐγὼ Ἀπολλῶ 1 If you cannot use this form in your language, you could translate these statements as indirect quotes instead of as direct quotes. Alternate translation: “that he or she is of Paul … that he or she is of Apollos” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]]) 1CO 3 4 g68p figs-possession ἐγὼ…εἰμι Παύλου…ἐγὼ Ἀπολλῶ 1 Just as in [1:12](../01/12.md), Paul uses the possessive form to indicate that people are claiming to be part of a specific leader’s group. If your readers would misunderstand this form, you could express this idea with a word such as “belong” or “follow.” Alternate translation: “‘I follow Paul’ … ‘I follow Apollos’” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1CO 3 4 zsby translate-names Παύλου…Ἀπολλῶ 1 **Paul** and **Apollos** are the names of two men. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) @@ -323,45 +323,45 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1CO 3 5 edod figs-explicit διάκονοι δι’ ὧν ἐπιστεύσατε 1 When **Paul** says that he and **Apollos** are those **through whom** the Corinthians **believed**, he is implying that the Corinthians believed in someone other than **Paul** and **Apollos**. That is, they believed in Christ. If your readers would not make this inference about **whom** the Corinthians **believed** in, you could make it explicit by including what the Corinthians **believed** in, which is “Christ” and not **Apollos** or **Paul**. Alternate translation: “Servants through whom you believed in Christ” or “Servants through whom you believed in Christ, not in us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1CO 3 5 h2jv grammar-connect-words-phrases καὶ…ὡς 1 Here, the words translated **even as** introduce the way in which **Apollos** and **Paul** act as **servants**. If your readers would misunderstand this connection, you could use a word or phrase that would introduce the ways in which **Apollos** and **Paul** are servants. Alternate translation: “who do what” or “serving just as” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) 1CO 3 5 f6wm figs-ellipsis καὶ ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν 1 Servants through whom you believed, to each of whom the Lord gave tasks Here Paul omits what **the Lord gave** because it would be clear that he means that **the Lord gave** a specific job or task **to each one** of them. If your readers would misunderstand **the Lord gave to each one**, you could add a word or phrase that indicates that **the Lord gave** a specific job or task. Alternate translation: “even as the Lord gave a task to teach one” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) -1CO 3 5 e8tb writing-pronouns ἑκάστῳ 1 Here, **to each one** directly refers back to **Apollos** and **Paul**. However, it also probably refers to everyone who serves the Lord. If you can refer to multiple individuals considered separately in your language, you could use that form here. Alternate translation: “to each and every one who serves him” or “per person” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) -1CO 3 6 iah7 figs-exmetaphor ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν. 1 I planted Paul speaks about the roles that God gave to him and to **Apollos** as if they were farmers who **planted** and **watered** their crops. The one who “plants” is the person who begins the farming process, just like Paul first introduced the Corinthians to the gospel. The one who “waters” is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like **Apollos** continued to proclaim the gospel to the Corinthians. It is a well-known fact in Paul’s culture that plants grow because God enables them to do so, just like God enabled to the Corinthians to receive the gospel and learn more about God. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how the Corinthians received the Gospel, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I invested the money, Apollos managed the portfolio, but God gave the return on investment” or “I introduced you to the gospel, Apollos taught you more about the gospel, but God enabled you to believe” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) -1CO 3 6 ic6x figs-ellipsis ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν. 1 Paul never states what it is that he **planted**, that **Apollos watered**, and that **God caused to grow**. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is **planted** and **watered**, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “I planted the seeds, Apollos watered the plants, but God caused the them to grow” or “I planted the crop, Apollos watered it, but God caused it to grow” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) +1CO 3 5 e8tb writing-pronouns ἑκάστῳ 1 Here, **to each one** directly refers back to **Apollos** and **Paul**. However, it also probably refers to everyone who serves the Lord. If you can refer to multiple individuals considered separately in your language, you could use that form here. Alternate translation: “to each and every one who serves him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1CO 3 6 iah7 figs-exmetaphor ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν. 1 I planted Paul speaks about the roles that God gave to him and to **Apollos** as if they were farmers who **planted** and **watered** their crops. The one who “plants” is the person who begins the farming process, just like Paul first introduced the Corinthians to the gospel. The one who “waters” is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like **Apollos** continued to proclaim the gospel to the Corinthians. It was well-known in Paul’s culture that plants grow because God enables them to do so, just like God enabled to the Corinthians to receive the gospel and learn more about God. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how the Corinthians received the gospel, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I introduced you to the gospel, Apollos taught you more about the gospel, but God enabled you to believe” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 6 ic6x figs-ellipsis ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν. 1 Paul never states what it is that he **planted**, that **Apollos watered**, and that **God caused to grow**. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is **planted** and **watered**, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “I planted the seeds, Apollos watered the plants, but God caused the crop to grow” or “I planted the crop, Apollos watered it, but God caused it to grow” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 3 6 gyi5 translate-names Ἀπολλῶς 1 Apollos watered **Apollos** is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]]) 1CO 3 6 iq9n grammar-connect-logic-contrast ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς 1 but God gave the growth Here Paul uses **but** to contrast himself and **Apollos** with **God**. The point is that what he did and what **Apollos** did are at the same level of importance, but God’s work is the most important. Another way to understand this contrast is to notice that Paul and **Apollos** assist in the process of plants growing, but **God** is the only one who actually makes them grow. Again, the main point is that Paul and **Apollos** are simply “servants” of God ([3:5](../03/05.md)) in a process that God oversees. If your readers would misunderstand **but**, you could use a word or phrase that puts Paul and **Apollos** together in contrast with **God**. Alternate translation: “planted, and Apollos watered. However, it was God who” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) -1CO 3 7 g78n grammar-connect-logic-result ὥστε 1 Here, **so then** introduces a conclusion or inference from what Paul has said about watering, planting, and growth in [3:6](../03/06.md). He wishes to explain that the difference between **God** who **causes the growth** and anyone who **plants** or **waters** is about their importance in the process. It is **God** who is important, because he is the only one who **causes the growth**, just as he stated in [3:6](../03/06.md). If your readers would misunderstand **so then**, you could use a comparable word or phrase that introduces a conclusion or an inference. Alternate translation: “Therefore” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 3 7 c4wy figs-exmetaphor οὔτε ὁ φυτεύων ἐστίν τι, οὔτε ὁ ποτίζων, ἀλλ’ ὁ αὐξάνων, Θεός. 1 Paul now speaks in general about the tasks that God has given to those who proclaim the gospel. He continues to speak as if those who proclaim the gospel were farmers who planted and watered their crops. The **one who plants** is the person who begins the farming process, just like the person who first proclaims the gospel. The **one who waters** is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like the person who continues to teach the gospel. It is a well-known fact in Paul’s culture that plants grow because God enables them to do so, just like God enables those who believe to receive the gospel and learn more about God. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how people proclaim the gospel and how God enables others to receive it, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “neither the one who invests the money nor the one who manages the portfolio is anything, but God {is} the one who gives the return on investment” or “neither the person who introduces believers to the gospel nor the person who teaches believers more about the gospel is anything, but God {is} the one who enables believers to have faith” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 7 g78n grammar-connect-logic-result ὥστε 1 Here, **so then** introduces a conclusion or inference from what Paul has said about watering, planting, and growth in [3:6](../03/06.md). He wishes to explain that the difference between **God**. who **causes the growth**. and anyone who **plants** or **waters** relates to their importance in the process. It is **God** who is important, because he is the only one who **causes the growth**, just as Paul stated in [3:6](../03/06.md). If your readers would misunderstand **so then**, you could use a comparable word or phrase that introduces a conclusion or an inference. Alternate translation: “Therefore” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 3 7 c4wy figs-exmetaphor οὔτε ὁ φυτεύων ἐστίν τι, οὔτε ὁ ποτίζων, ἀλλ’ ὁ αὐξάνων, Θεός. 1 Paul now speaks in general about the tasks that God has given to those who proclaim the gospel. He continues to speak as if those who proclaim the gospel were farmers who planted and watered their crops. The **one who plants** is the person who begins the farming process, just like the person who first proclaims the gospel. The **one who waters** is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like the person who continues to teach the gospel. It is well-known in Paul’s culture that plants grow because God enables them to do so, just like God enables those who believe to receive the gospel and learn more about God. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how people proclaim the gospel and how God enables others to receive it, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “neither the person who introduces believers to the gospel nor the person who teaches believers more about the gospel is anything, but God {is} the one who enables believers to have faith” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) 1CO 3 7 dl3z figs-genericnoun ὁ φυτεύων…ὁ ποτίζων 1 neither he who plants is anything … but God is the one who causes the growth When Paul speaks of **the one who plants**, he has himself in mind. When he speaks of **the one who waters**, he has Apollos in mind. This is clear from what he says in the last verse ([3:6](../03/06.md)). However, he is now speaking in more general terms. He does not mean just **one** person who does “planting” and one person who does “watering.” Rather, he wishes to refer to anyone who does either of these tasks. If the phrase **the one who** would not be understood to mean that in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to any person who does the task. Alternate translation: “any person who plants … any person who waters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) -1CO 3 7 uutk figs-ellipsis ὁ φυτεύων…ὁ ποτίζων 1 Paul never states what it is that someone **plants** and that someone else **waters**. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is planted and watered, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “the one who plants the seeds … the one who waters the plants” or “the one who plants the crop … the one who waters it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) -1CO 3 7 jrb1 figs-hyperbole τι 1 Here, **anything** is an exaggeration the Corinthians would have understood as emphasis on how unimportant the people who plant and water are. It is as if they are nothing, as if they do not exist. Paul does not mean that they do not exist. Instead, he uses this exaggeration to show how unimportant the people who plant and water are compared to God. If your readers would misunderstand **anything**, you could use a word or phrase that indicates “importance.” Alternate translation: “important” or “significant” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) -1CO 3 7 hmk6 figs-ellipsis ἀλλ’ ὁ αὐξάνων, Θεός. 1 Here Paul does not directly finish the contrast between the people who plant and water and **God**. What he means is that **God** is the one who is important because he **causes the growth**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this contrast, you could supply the words that Paul omits, including a word or phrase about how God is “important.” Alternate translation: “but God, who is the one who causes the growth, is the important one” or “but God is the significant one because he causes the growth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) +1CO 3 7 uutk figs-ellipsis ὁ φυτεύων…ὁ ποτίζων 1 Paul never states what it is that someone **plants** and what someone else **waters**. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is planted and watered, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “the one who plants the seeds … the one who waters the plants” or “the one who plants the crop … the one who waters it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) +1CO 3 7 jrb1 figs-hyperbole τι 1 Here, **anything** is an exaggeration the Corinthians would have understood as emphasis on how unimportant the people who plant and water are. It is as if they were nothing, as if they did not exist. Paul does not mean that they do not exist. Instead, he uses this exaggeration to show how unimportant the people who plant and water are compared to God. If your readers would misunderstand **anything**, you could use a word or phrase that indicates “importance.” Alternate translation: “important” or “significant” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]]) +1CO 3 7 hmk6 figs-ellipsis ἀλλ’ ὁ αὐξάνων, Θεός. 1 Here Paul does not directly finish the contrast between the people who plant and water and **God**. What he means is that **God** is the one who is important, because he **causes the growth**. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this contrast, you could supply the words that Paul omits, including a word or phrase about how God is “important.” Alternate translation: “but God, who is the one who causes the growth, is the important one” or “but God is the significant one because he causes the growth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 3 7 c68g figs-abstractnouns αὐξάνων 1 but God is the one who causes the growth If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind **growth**, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “grow.” Alternate translation: “who makes it grow” or “who causes things to grow” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1CO 3 8 dmfs grammar-connect-words-phrases δὲ 1 Here, **Now** introduces the next step in Paul’s argument. If your readers would misunderstand **Now**, you could leave it untranslated or use a word or phrase that introduces the next step in an argument. Alternate translation: “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 3 8 s16b figs-exmetaphor ὁ φυτεύων…καὶ ὁ ποτίζων, ἕν εἰσιν; ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήμψεται, κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον. 1 he who plants and he who waters are one Here Paul continues to speak as if those who proclaim the gospel were farmers who planted and watered their crops. The **one who plants** is the person who begins the farming process, just like the person who first proclaims the gospel. The **one who waters** is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like the person who continues to teach the gospel. The **one who plants** and the **one who waters** will receive **wages** that match the kind of **labor** they did. In the same way, those who first proclaim the gospel and those who teach more about the gospel will receive rewards from God that match the task they accomplished. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how people proclaim the gospel and how God rewards those who do so, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “the one who invests the money and the one who manages the portfolio are one, and each will receive his own paycheck according to his own job” or “the person who introduces believers to the gospel and the person who teaches believers more about the gospel are one, and each will receive his own reward from God according to his own task” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 8 s16b figs-exmetaphor ὁ φυτεύων…καὶ ὁ ποτίζων, ἕν εἰσιν; ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήμψεται, κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον. 1 he who plants and he who waters are one Here Paul continues to speak as if those who proclaim the gospel were farmers who planted and watered their crops. The **one who plants** is the person who begins the farming process, just like the person who first proclaims the gospel. The **one who waters** is the person who continues the farming process by making sure the plants receive what they need to grow, just like the person who continues to teach the gospel. The **one who plants** and the **one who waters** will receive **wages** that match the kind of **labor** they did. In the same way, those who first proclaim the gospel and those who teach more about the gospel will receive rewards from God that match the task they accomplished. If your readers would misunderstand the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how people proclaim the gospel and how God rewards those who do so, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “the person who introduces believers to the gospel and the person who teaches believers more about the gospel are one, and each will receive his own reward from God according to his own task” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) 1CO 3 8 ydx8 figs-genericnoun ὁ φυτεύων…ὁ ποτίζων 1 Just as in [3:7](../03/07.md), when Paul speaks of **the one who plants**, he has himself in mind. When he speaks of **the one who waters**, he has Apollos in mind. This is clear from what he says in [3:6](../03/06.md). However, he is now speaking in more general terms. He does not mean just **one** person who does “planting” and one person who does “watering.” Rather, he wishes to refer to anyone who does either of these tasks. If the phrase **the one who** would not be understood to mean that in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to any person who does the task. Alternate translation: “any person who plants … any person who waters” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]]) 1CO 3 8 fsj6 figs-ellipsis ὁ φυτεύων…ὁ ποτίζων 1 Paul never states what it is that someone **plants** and that someone else **waters**. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is planted and watered, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “the one who plants the seeds … the one who waters the plants” or “the one who plants the crop … the one who waters it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1CO 3 8 za43 figs-metaphor ἕν εἰσιν 1 are one Paul here speaks as if the **one who plants** and the **one who waters** are the same person. He speaks in this way in order to: (1) show that the **one who plants** and the **one who waters** do the same kind of work with the same goal in mind. Alternate translation: “share a common goal” or “do the same kind of work” (2) state that the **one who plants** and the **one who waters** have equal status. Alternate translation: “are of equal importance” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1CO 3 8 dfhn figs-gendernotations τὸν ἴδιον -1 Here, the words translated **his** are written in masculine form, but they refer to anyone, no matter what their gender might be. If your readers would misunderstand **his**, you could express the idea by using a word that does not have gender or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: “his or her own … his or her own” or “that person’s own … that person’s own” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) 1CO 3 9 vphl grammar-connect-words-phrases γάρ 1 Here, **For** introduces a summary statement that concludes the whole section in which Paul compares those who proclaim the gospel to farmers ([3:5–8](../03/05–08.md)). If your readers would misunderstand **For**, you could express the idea by using a word or phrase that introduces a summary statement. Alternate translation: “Thus,” or “In the end,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 3 9 gj26 figs-exclusive ἐσμεν 1 we are brutally beaten Here, **we** refers to Paul, Apollos, and others who proclaim the gospel. It does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1CO 3 9 gj26 figs-exclusive ἐσμεν 1 we are brutally beaten Here, **we** refers to Paul, Apollos, and others who proclaim the gospel; **we** does not include the Corinthians. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1CO 3 9 r9sn figs-possession Θεοῦ…συνεργοί 1 God’s fellow workers Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe: (1) **fellow workers** who work for **God**. Alternate translation: “coworkers under God’s leadership” (2) **workers** who join **God** in God’s work. Alternate translation: “people who work with God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1CO 3 9 iaan figs-infostructure Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. 1 Here Paul switches from a metaphor about farming to a metaphor about building. He makes this switch without using any connecting words, and he makes the switch within one sentence. Consider whether your language would include the introduction of a new topic at the end of the previous section or at the beginning of a new section, and put **God’s building** where it would be understood as introducing a new section, including **you are** again if it would be necessary. Additionally, if your language would not begin a new section without using a connecting word or phrase, you could use such a word or phrase here. Alternate translation: “you are God’s field. In fact, you are also God’s building” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) -1CO 3 9 lqg1 figs-metaphor Θεοῦ γεώργιον 1 God’s garden Here Paul concludes the farming metaphor he began in [3:6](../03/06.md). He identifies the Corinthians as a **field** that is owned by **God**. It is in this field that those who proclaim the gospel “plant” and “water” the crop. By calling the Corinthians a **God’s field**, Paul means to say that they belong to God and that they are the people among whom those who proclaim the gospel work. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “God’s portfolio” or “people who belong to God and among whom we work” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1CO 3 9 l2fq figs-exmetaphor Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή 1 God’s building Here Paul introduces a new metaphor that compares the Corinthians to a building. This building belongs to God, and those who proclaim the gospel, including Paul, help to construct the building. He uses this metaphor and variations of it in [3:9–17](../03/09–17.md). Here, he calls the Corinthians **God’s building**, by which he means basically the same thing as when he calls them **God’s field**. They belong to God, and he and others who proclaim the gospel work among them. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “God’s movie” or “people who belong to God and among whom we work” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) -1CO 3 10 iln9 figs-activepassive τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι 1 According to the grace of God that was given to me If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **grace** that **was given** rather than the person doing the “giving.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “that God gave me” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 3 10 a69q figs-exmetaphor ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω, πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ. 1 I laid a foundation Paul began using the metaphor of a house in [3:9](../03/09.md). Here he continues that metaphor by speaking about himself as a **wise master builder** who lays **a foundation**. By speaking in this way, he means that he is the one who first introduced them to the gospel, just like a **master builder** first lays **a foundation**. He then speaks of people who build **on** that foundation. By speaking in this way, he means that others who proclaim more about the gospel can only do this by using and continuing from the good news that Paul already proclaimed. If your readers would misunderstand this extended metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “I proposed an idea for a movie as a skilled script writer, and another is filming that movie, but let each person be careful how they film that movie” or “as a wise church planter, I first proclaimed the gospel to you, and another is teaching you more about that gospel, but let each one be careful how he teaches you more” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 9 iaan figs-infostructure Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. 1 Here Paul switches from a metaphor about farming to a metaphor about building. He makes this switch without using any connecting words, and he makes the switch within one sentence. Consider whether your language would include the introduction of a new topic at the end of the previous section or at the beginning of a new section, and put **God’s building** where it would be understood as introducing a new section. Include **you are** again if it would be necessary. Additionally, if your language would not begin a new section without using a connecting word or phrase, you could use such a word or phrase here. Alternate translation: “you are God’s field. In fact, you are also God’s building” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) +1CO 3 9 lqg1 figs-metaphor Θεοῦ γεώργιον 1 God’s garden Here Paul concludes the farming metaphor he began in [3:6](../03/06.md). He identifies the Corinthians as a **field** that is owned by **God**. It is in this field that those who proclaim the gospel “plant” and “water” the crop. By calling the Corinthians a **God’s field**, Paul means to say that they belong to God and that they are the people among whom those who proclaim the gospel labor. If your readers would misunderstand this figure of speech, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “people who belong to God and among whom we work” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1CO 3 9 l2fq figs-exmetaphor Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή 1 God’s building Here Paul introduces a new metaphor that compares the Corinthians to a building. This building belongs to God, and those who proclaim the gospel, including Paul, help to construct the building. He uses this metaphor and variations of it in [3:9–17](../03/09–17.md). Here, he calls the Corinthians **God’s building**, by which he means basically the same thing as when he calls them **God’s field**. They belong to God, and he and others who proclaim the gospel work among them. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “people who belong to God and among whom we work” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 10 iln9 figs-activepassive τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι 1 According to the grace of God that was given to me If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on the **grace** that **was given** rather than on the person doing the “giving.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “that God gave me” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 3 10 a69q figs-exmetaphor ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω, πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ. 1 I laid a foundation Paul began using the metaphor of a house in [3:9](../03/09.md). Here he continues that metaphor by speaking about himself as a **wise master builder** who lays **a foundation**. By speaking in this way, he means that he is the one who first introduced the Corinthian believers to the gospel, just like a **master builder** first lays **a foundation**. He then speaks of people who build **on** that foundation, meaning that others who proclaim more about the gospel can only do this by using and continuing from the good news that Paul already proclaimed. If your readers would misunderstand this extended metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “as a wise church planter, I first proclaimed the gospel to you, and another is teaching you more about that gospel, but let each one be careful how he teaches you more” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) 1CO 3 10 nw8f figs-infostructure ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα 1 The phrase **as a wise master builder** could describe: (1) the way in which Paul **laid a foundation**. If you use the following alternate translation, you may need to add a comma before it. Alternate translation: “I laid a foundation as a wise master builder” (2) the specific **grace** that God gave to Paul. Alternate translation: “to be a wise master builder, I laid a foundation” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure]]) -1CO 3 10 mpxl translate-unknown σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων 1 Here, **master builder** refers to the person who is in charge of an entire construction project, including designing it and making sure that the building is constructing according to the design. If your readers would misunderstand **master builder**, you could use a comparable word or phrase. Alternate translation: “a wise architect” or “a wise construction manager” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) +1CO 3 10 mpxl translate-unknown σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων 1 Here, **master builder** refers to the person who is in charge of an entire construction project, including designing it and making sure that the building is constructed according to the design. If your readers would misunderstand **master builder**, you could use a comparable word or phrase. Alternate translation: “a wise architect” or “a wise construction manager” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 3 10 mqb8 writing-pronouns ἄλλος…ἐποικοδομεῖ 1 Here, **another** refers to anyone who **is building on** the foundation, including Apollos. However, Paul does not mean to identify one specific person who **is building**. If your readers would not infer that **another** refers to any builder, you could use a word or phrase that identifies any person who does a specific task. Alternate translation: “other people are building on it” or “someone else is building on it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 3 10 pwi7 figs-imperative ἕκαστος…βλεπέτω 1 another is building on it Here Paul uses a third person imperative. If you have third person imperatives in your language, you could use one here. If you do not have third person imperatives, you could express the idea using a word such as “should.” Alternate translation: “each one should be careful” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative]]) 1CO 3 10 px9c writing-pronouns ἕκαστος 1 each man Here, **each one** refers to any person who **builds** on the **foundation**. If your readers would misunderstand **each one**, you could use a word or phrase that identifies any person who falls into a certain category. Alternate translation: “every person who builds on it” or “each builder” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1CO 3 10 krd6 writing-pronouns ἐποικοδομεῖ 2 Here, **he** is written in masculine form, but it refers to anyone, no matter what their gender might be. If your readers would misunderstand **he**, you could express the idea by using a word that does not have gender or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: “he or she builds on it” or “each one builds on it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations]]) -1CO 3 11 m4j2 grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Here, **for** introduces the reason why the people who build on the foundation should “be careful how” they build “on it” ([3:10](../03/10.md)). They need to “be careful” because what they build must match the only **foundation** that exists, which is **Jesus Christ**. If **for** would not indicate this connection in your language, you could express the idea with a word that gives a reason or basis for a command. Alternate translation: “This is because” or “because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) -1CO 3 11 qd1o figs-exmetaphor θεμέλιον…ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι, παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. 1 In this verse, Paul continues the metaphor about houses by continuing to speak about a **foundation**. Here, he reminds the Corinthians that each house has only one **foundation**, and once that **foundation** has been **laid**, no one lays another **foundation** for the house. He speaks in this way to remind them that only one person can introduce them to the gospel, and anyone who tries to introduce them to another gospel is building a different house, not the same house. Paul then directly states that the **foundation** refers to the message about **Jesus Christ** that he preached to them. Paul speaks in this way to indicate that the message about **Jesus Christ** that he proclaimed to them should be the starting point and basis for everything else they learn about the gospel. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “no one can write a script other than the one that has already been written, that is, Jesus Christ” or “no one can first proclaim a gospel to you other than the one that I already proclaimed to you, which is Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) -1CO 3 11 jt2b figs-activepassive τὸν κείμενον 1 no one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what **has been laid** rather than the person doing the “laying.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that he himself does it. Alternate translation: “the one that I already laid” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) -1CO 3 11 yh1f ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. 1 If you use the second alternate translation, you may need to add period before it. Alternate translation: “which is Jesus Christ” or “That foundation is Jesus Christ” +1CO 3 11 m4j2 grammar-connect-logic-result γὰρ 1 Here, **for** introduces the reason why the people who build on the foundation should “be careful how” they build “on it” ([3:10](../03/10.md)). They need to “be careful” because what they build must match the only **foundation** that exists, which is **Jesus Christ**. If **for** would not indicate this connection in your language, you could express the idea with a word that gives a reason or basis for a command. Alternate translation: “because” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) +1CO 3 11 qd1o figs-exmetaphor θεμέλιον…ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι, παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. 1 Paul continues the metaphor about houses, again speaking about a **foundation**. Here, he reminds the Corinthians that each house has only one **foundation**, and once that **foundation** has been **laid**, no one lays another **foundation** for the house. He speaks in this way to remind them that only one person can introduce them to the gospel, and anyone who tries to introduce them to another gospel is building a different house, not the same house. Paul then directly states that the **foundation** refers to the message about **Jesus Christ** that he preached to them and which should be the starting point and basis for everything else they learn about the gospel. If your readers would misunderstand the meaning of this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “no one can first proclaim a gospel to you other than the one that I already proclaimed to you, which is Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 11 jt2b figs-activepassive τὸν κείμενον 1 no one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what **has been laid** rather than on the person doing the “laying.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that he himself does it. Alternate translation: “the one that I already laid” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) +1CO 3 11 yh1f ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. 1 If you use the second alternate translation, you may need to change the comma to a period before it. Alternate translation: “which is Jesus Christ” or “That foundation is Jesus Christ” 1CO 3 11 azm0 figs-metonymy Ἰησοῦς Χριστός 1 Here Paul uses the words translated **Jesus Christ** to refer to the message he proclaimed to them about **Jesus Christ**. If your readers would misunderstand **Jesus Christ**, you could include a word or phrase that refers to Paul’s message about **Jesus Christ**. Alternate translation: “the good news about Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1CO 3 12 nuza grammar-connect-words-phrases δέ 1 Here, **Now** introduces the next step in Paul’s argument. If your readers would misunderstand **Now**, you could leave it untranslated or use a word or phrase that introduces the next step in an argument. Alternate translation: “Indeed,” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases]]) -1CO 3 12 nbu2 figs-exmetaphor εἰ…τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην 1 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. He compares those who teach more about the gospel with builders who construct a house on its foundation. These builders can use a variety of different materials to construct the house, and Paul lists six. The first three, **gold, silver, precious stones**, are more durable, while the last three, **wood, hay, straw**, are less durable. It is clear that Paul is interested in durability because of the next verse, where he states that all of these materials will be tested with fire ([3:13](../03/13.md)). By speaking this way, he indicates that those who proclaim more about the gospel can teach things that are more or less true and acceptable to God. If your readers would misunderstand this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “if anyone films the movie with expensive and sturdy cameras and film or with cheap and fragile cameras and film” or “if anyone teaches you more about the gospel with words that are acceptable to God or words that are not acceptable to God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) +1CO 3 12 nbu2 figs-exmetaphor εἰ…τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην 1 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. He compares those who teach about the gospel with builders who construct a house on its foundation. These builders can use a variety of different materials to construct the house, and Paul lists six. The first three, **gold, silver, precious stones**, are more durable, while the last three, **wood, hay, straw**, are less durable. It is clear that Paul is interested in durability, because of the next verse, where he states that all of these materials will be tested with fire ([3:13](../03/13.md)). By speaking this way, he indicates that those who proclaim more about the gospel can teach things that are more or less true and acceptable to God. If your readers would misunderstand this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “if anyone teaches you more about the gospel with words that are acceptable to God or words that are not acceptable to God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]]) 1CO 3 12 f8oa grammar-connect-condition-fact εἰ…τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον 1 Here Paul uses a conditional **if**, but he does not think that this is a hypothetical situation or something that is likely not true. Instead, Paul thinks that people are “building” on the foundation, and he wants to talk about how they are doing so. Additionally, the “then” part of the **if** statement does not begin until the next verse. If your readers would misunderstand this form and structure, you could rephrase the condition into a circumstance or an assumption. Alternate translation: “whenever people build on the foundation, using” or “when anyone builds on the foundation” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-fact]]) 1CO 3 12 tzgf translate-unknown χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην, 1 These six things are all materials that could be used in constructing buildings. The first three will survive if the building catches on fire, but the last three will not (for the fire, see [3:13–15](../03/13–15.md)). In your culture, you may not use all of these materials for constructing buildings. In that case, you could include just some of these materials or include materials that you do use for constructing buildings in your culture, making sure to include some materials will not burn up and others that will burn up. Alternate translation: “steel, concrete, lumber, or cloth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1CO 3 13 ndu3 figs-exmetaphor ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται; ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται; καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον, ὁποῖόν ἐστιν, τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ δοκιμάσει 1 For it will be revealed in fire. The fire will test the quality of what each one had done Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. He speaks as if **the day** of God’s judgment is like a fire that **will test** the building and show what kind of building materials the builders used. Paul speaks in this way to illustrate how God’s judgment will reveal whether what those who proclaim more about the gospel teach is pleasing to him or not. If your readers would misunderstand this metaphor, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea non-figuratively. Alternate translation: “the work of each one will become evident, for opening night will display it; for opening night always draws critics, and the critics will test of what value is the work of each one” or “the truth of what each one has taught you will become evident, for God will show how true it is when he comes to judge everyone; when he comes, he will judge everyone, and his judgment will reveal whether what each person has taught is true or not” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])