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OET (OET-LV) Otherwise if you_may_be_blessing in_spirit, the one fulfilling the place of_the inquirer, how he_will_be_saying, the amen, at the your thanksgiving, since what you_are_saying, not he_has_known?
OET (OET-RV) Otherwise, if you speak outa blessing in the spirit, how can the ordinary listeners say ‘May it be so’ after you give thanks, since they wouldn’t know what you’ve been saying.
In this section Paul instructed the Corinthian believers about how they should worship God together. First, he compared prophecy and tongues. He stressed the value of prophecy for building up the church. Then he said they should conduct their worship services in an orderly and harmonious way. They were not to speak all at once. People who spoke in tongues should have someone to interpret, and women were to remain silent in the assembly.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Good order in worship
The spiritual gifts of prophecy and tongues
Use spiritual gifts to help the church grow
In this paragraph Paul discussed the importance of using one’s understanding while worshiping God. He told people who speak in tongues in church to interpret what they say, so that other people can understand and benefit from it.
This verse is a long rhetorical question. For suggestions on ways to make shorter sentences, see the General Comment at the end of verse 16.
Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit,
If you(sing) praise God in unknown tongues with your spirit,
If you use new languages to praise God from your heart/liver,
Otherwise: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Otherwise introduces the reason one should use both spirit and mind. Paul considered what will happen if people do not do as he said they should. Some English versions do not explicitly translate this conjunction.
Here are some ways to translate this conjunction:
After all (CEB)
Else (KJV)
if you speak a blessing in spirit: There is some implicit information here. Paul referred to someone who spoke in tongues with the spirit alone, and not with the mind. It may be helpful to make this clear. For example:
If you speak a blessing only with the spirit
you speak a blessing: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as you speak a blessing is singular. Paul wrote as though he were addressing one of the Corinthians. However, his words apply to all people. In some languages it may be clearer to use a plural. For example:
If you(plur) speak blessings
If anybody speaks a blessing
If people speak blessings
in spirit: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as in spirit refers to the person’s own spirit, praising God in tongues.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
If you speak a blessing by speaking in tongues in your spirit
If you speak a blessing with your spirit while you speak in tongues
how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving,
how can someone who does not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving prayer to God?
those who do not understand will not be able to agree when you thank God.
how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used it as a strong statement. He said that it is impossible for other people to express agreement to a prayer uttered in tongues.
Here are some ways to translate this statement:
Use a question. For example:
how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving? (ESV)
Use a strong statement. For example:
those people there without understanding cannot say amen to your prayer of thanks (NCV)
Translate this statement in the way that is most natural in your language.
someone who is uninstructed: This Greek phrase is more literally “one occupying the place of the ignorant.” It is not clear to whom Paul was referring. There are several views:
It refers to everyone there who did not understand what was said. For example:
those who don’t understand you (NLT) (BSB, NLT, NIV, NCV, GNT, REB)
It refers to the Christians there who did not have the gift of understanding tongues. For example:
someone without the gift (NET) (NET, NASB, NJB)
It refers to the people there who were not part of the Christian community. For example:
some strangers (CEV) (CEV, RSV, ESV, GW)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). There is reasonably strong commentarySee, for example, Thiselton, pp. 1115. and translation support for it. Translate this in a way that could include both Christians and non-Christians. Use the singular or plural, whichever is most natural in your language.
say “Amen” to your thanksgiving: It was the custom to say Amen at the close of a prayer. The word Amen is a Hebrew word which expresses that the listeners agree with the prayer. Consider how worshipers in your churches express agreement at the end of a prayer.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
how can they agree with your thanksgiving
your thanksgiving: The phrase that the BSB translates as your thanksgiving can also be translated as:
your prayer of thanksgiving (GNT)
when you give thanks to God
since he does not know what you are saying?
For he will not know what you(sing) are saying.
They will have no idea what you have said.
since he does not know what you are saying: This states the reason why the person who does not understand cannot say “Amen.”
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
because he does not know what you have said
In some languages it may be helpful to break this up into more than one sentence and perhaps reorder some of the information. For example:
16bCould an ordinary person who is present say “Amen” to your thanksgiving prayer? Of course not! 16cFor they do not know what you have been saying.
16bEveryone else will be in a position of ignorance. 16cThey will have no idea of what you are saying, 16band so they will not be able to express their agreement with your prayer of thanksgiving.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical
ἐὰν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι & πῶς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
Here Paul uses the conditional form to show that blessing with the spirit leads to the one filling the place of the ungifted being unable to say the “Amen”. If the conditional form does not indicate a cause-and-effect relationship like this in your language, you could express the if statement in a way that does show the relationship. Alternate translation: [whenever you bless with the spirit, how] or [Suppose that you bless with the spirit. Then, how]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
εὐλογῇς & τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ & λέγεις
˱you˲_˓may_be˒_blessing & ¬the your thanksgiving & ˱you˲_˓are˒_saying
Here Paul switches from using himself as an example to using one of the Corinthians as an example. Because of this, every you in this verse is singular. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the second-person singular as a second-person plural, or explicitly state that you functions as an example. Alternate translation: [you, for example, bless … your thanksgiving … you are saying]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
εὐλογῇς πνεύματι
˱you˲_˓may_be˒_blessing ˱in˲_spirit
Here Paul is speaking about someone who is using thespirit only and not the “mind” to speak in “tongues.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could state explicitly that this is what Paul is talking about. Alternate translation: [you bless in tongues with the spirit only]
πνεύματι
˱in˲_spirit
Just as in [4:14–15](../04/14.md), spirit could refer to: (1) the inner part of a person, a part that contrasts with the mind but that is not somehow superior or closer to God. Alternate translation: [with your inner spiritual being] or [with your heart] (2) the Holy Spirit directing the spirit of a person. Alternate translation: [by the power of the Holy Spirit] or [as the Holy Spirit directs your inner spiritual being]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου, πῶς ἐρεῖ, τὸ ἀμήν, ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ, ἐπειδὴ τί λέγεις, οὐκ οἶδεν?
the_‹one› fulfilling (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
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. Here, the answer to the question is “he cannot.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question by using a strong negation. Alternate translation: [the one who fills the place of the ungifted will not be able to say the “Amen” at your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying.]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου
the_‹one› fulfilling (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
Here Paul speaks as if there were a place for the ungifted which they would “fill.” He speaks in this way to characterize the person by the place they “fill.” In other words, a person filling the place of the ungifted is characterized as ungifted. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [the one who is ungifted] or [the ungifted person]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
ὁ ἀναπληρῶν
the_‹one› fulfilling
Paul is speaking of people who “fill” the place of the ungifted in general, not of one particular person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with a form that refers to people in general. Alternate translation: [anyone who fills]
Note 7 topic: translate-unknown
τοῦ ἰδιώτου
˱of˲_the inquirer
Here, the ungifted could refer to: (1) any person who does not understand the “tongue” in which the person is speaking. Alternate translation: [of the one who does not understand tongues] or [of the uninitiated] (2) a person who is not part of the Christian group. Alternate translation: [of the outsider]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐρεῖ, τὸ ἀμήν, ἐπὶ
˱he˲_˓will_be˒_saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
Here, to say the “Amen” refers to responding in agreement to something that someone has said. This is because, in Christian gatherings, the word Amen was a common way to affirm or agree with someone. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind Amen or why people would say it by using a word that indicates agreement or by referring simply to agreement. Alternate translation: [will … agree with] or [will … say that he agrees with]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
Here, your thanksgiving refers back to what the person said when they were “blessing” with the spirit. Paul uses a different word here, but they mean basically the same thing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express thanksgiving by translating this phrase so that it clearly refers back to bless with the spirit. Alternate translation: [at what you said] or [at your blessing]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐπεί ἐάν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τόν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τό Ἀμήν ἐπί τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδή τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind thanksgiving, you can express the idea by using a verb such as “thank.” Alternate translation: [at how you thanked God] or [at what you thanked God for]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
οὐκ οἶδεν
not ˱he˲_˓has˒_known
Although he is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express he with a non gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [he or she does not know]
14:1-25 Having emphasized the supreme importance of love (ch 13), Paul returns to the subject of spiritual gifts. Their relative value is defined by the benefit they give to others, which is characteristic of love (ch 13). In that light, Paul contrasts the over-valued gift of tongues with the more beneficial gift of prophecy.
OET (OET-LV) Otherwise if you_may_be_blessing in_spirit, the one fulfilling the place of_the inquirer, how he_will_be_saying, the amen, at the your thanksgiving, since what you_are_saying, not he_has_known?
OET (OET-RV) Otherwise, if you speak outa blessing in the spirit, how can the ordinary listeners say ‘May it be so’ after you give thanks, since they wouldn’t know what you’ve been saying.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.