uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι

this and ˱I˲_/am/_saying brothers that

Connecting Statement:

Here, Now this I say introduces a new topic that Paul wishes to discuss. Because of that, this refers to what Paul says in the rest of this verse, not to what he has already said. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express Now this I say with a word or phrase that introduces and refers forward to a new topic. Alternate translation: “Next, I am going to say something important, brothers:”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀδελφοί

brothers

Connecting Statement:

Although brothers is in masculine form, Paul is using it to refer to any believer, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express brothers with a non gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ, τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ

flesh and blood /the/_Kingdom ˱of˲_God /to/_inherit not /is/_able nor ¬the corruption ¬the indestructibility /is/_inheriting

Here Paul makes two very similar statements in which flesh and blood goes with perishable and the kingdom of God goes with imperishable. These two statements could: (1) be basically synonymous, and Paul repeats himself to emphasize the point. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine the two sentences into one to show why Paul uses two parallel sentences. Alternate translation: “perishable flesh and blood are not able to inherit the imperishable kingdom of God” (2) refer first to people who are alive (flesh and blood) and then to people who are dead (perishable). In this case, you should preserve some distinction between the two sentences. Alternate translation: “flesh and blood are not able to inherit the kingdom of God, and the perishable are not able to inherit the imperishable”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys

σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα

flesh and blood

This phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with and. The words flesh and blood together describe the human body as it currently exists. 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: “the fleshly” or “the things that exist now”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα

flesh and blood

Here, flesh and blood represents a body that is made out of flesh and blood. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express flesh and blood with an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “flesh and blood bodies”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κληρονομῆσαι & κληρονομεῖ

/to/_inherit & /is/_inheriting

Here Paul speaks of the kingdom of God that is imperishable as if it were property that a parent could pass on to their child when the parent dies. He speaks in this way to indicate that believers will eventually receive and live in the3 kingdom of God that God has promised to them. 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: “to live in … does … live in”

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

ἡ φθορὰ, τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν

¬the corruption ¬the indestructibility

Here, perishable and imperishable identify whether people or things last or fall apart. These words are the same ones translated as “decay” and “immortality” in 15:42. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express perishable and imperishable with two words or phrases that refer to how long things last. Alternate translation: “what passes away … what never passes away”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

ἡ φθορὰ, τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν

¬the corruption ¬the indestructibility

Paul is using the adjectives perishable and imperishable as nouns in order to refer to perishable bodies and the imperishable kingdom. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with appropriate noun phrases. Alternate translation: “a perishable body … the imperishable kingdom”