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OET (OET-LV) For/Because I am the least of_the ambassadors, who not am worthy to_be_being_called an_ambassador, because I_persecuted the assembly of_ the _god.
OET (OET-RV) because I’m the least of the ambassadors—quite unworthy of that title because I persecuted God’s assembly.
In this section Paul reminded the Corinthian believers about the gospel and showed them that the resurrection from the dead was an important part of the gospel. First (15:1–11) he wrote about the evidence showing that God raised Christ from the dead. Then (15:12–34) he taught that God will raise believers from the dead. Finally (15:35–58) he taught about what the resurrection body will be like.
Here are some other possible section headings:
The resurrection
People who die will live again
Christ has risen and his people will rise also
In this paragraph Paul wrote how God chose him and made him an apostle. He emphasized that the gospel he preached and the gospel the other apostles preached was the same.
For I am the least of the apostles
¶ I say this because I am the least important of the apostles.
¶ I am the lowest/smallest of the apostles.
For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces an explanation of what Paul meant when he referred to himself as “one abnormally born.”
I am the least of the apostles: The clause I am the least of the apostles means “I am the least important of the apostles.” Paul is one of the apostles, but said that the other apostles were greater than him.
and am unworthy to be called an apostle,
In fact, I do not qualify for people to call me an apostle,
I am not worthy of the title “apostle,”
and am unworthy to be called an apostle: The phrase am unworthy to be called an apostle can also be translated:
I am not worthy to be called an apostle
I am not qualified to be called an apostle
God should not have made me be an apostle
In some languages it may be natural to begin a new sentence:
I do not deserve to be called an apostle
to be called an apostle: The verb phrase to be called an apostle is in the passive. There are two ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
to be called an apostle (RSV)
Use an active verb. For example:
for people to call/consider me an apostle
because I persecuted the church of God.
because I acted/behaved harshly to God’s people.
because I treated the people badly/brutally who believe in God.
because I persecuted the church of God: This is the reason why Paul felt that he did not deserve to be an apostle. Before he was converted, he put Christians in prison and treated them badly. He tried to make them stop following Jesus.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
I acted harshly to the church of God
I made lots of trouble for the church of God
I caused the church of God to suffer before I believed
the church of God: The phrase the church of God refers to all the people who together form the church.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
God’s people
those who believe in God
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
ἐγὼ & εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Γάρ εἰμί ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων ὅς οὐκ εἰμί ἱκανός καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος διότι ἐδίωξα τήν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)
If your language would state the reason before the result, you could move the clause because I persecuted the church of God earlier in the sentence. It could give the reason for: (1) who am not worthy to be called an apostle. Alternate translation: [I am the least of the apostles, who, because I persecuted the church of God, am not worthy to be called an apostle] (2) the whole sentence. Alternate translation: [because I persecuted the church of God, I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὁ ἐλάχιστος
the least
Here, least implies least in importance and honor. If your readers would not infer that importance and honor are what Paul is least in, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [the least important] or [the least valuable]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
καλεῖσθαι
˓to_be_being˒_called
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Since Paul uses the passive to avoid stating who is doing the “calling,” you can use a vague or indefinite subject if you must state who does the action. Alternate translation: [for people to call me] or [for them to call me]
Note 4 topic: translate-unknown
τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Γάρ εἰμί ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων ὅς οὐκ εἰμί ἱκανός καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος διότι ἐδίωξα τήν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)
Here, the church of God refers to everyone who believes in the Messiah. It does not refer to just one church or group of believers. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the church of God to make it clear that this phrase refers to all believers Alternate translation: [the churches of God] or [the whole church of God]
OET (OET-LV) For/Because I am the least of_the ambassadors, who not am worthy to_be_being_called an_ambassador, because I_persecuted the assembly of_ the _god.
OET (OET-RV) because I’m the least of the ambassadors—quite unworthy of that title because I persecuted God’s assembly.
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.