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1 Cor 16 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24
In this final section of the book, Paul wrote briefly about several topics. He wrote about collecting money for poor Christians in Jerusalem, and he wrote about the travel plans of him and his companions. Then he concluded his letter with some short exhortations, warnings, blessings, and greetings.
Here are some other possible section headings:
The conclusion of the letter
Final topics
In this paragraph Paul wrote five general warnings and encouragements. Each of these is given as a brief command.
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith.
¶ Do not(plur) fall asleep. Stand firm(plur) in the Christian faith.
¶ Be on guard against spiritual danger. Continue to believe in the good news.
Be on the alert: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Be on the alert is more literally “Be awake.” This is a figure of speech. It is a command to be on guard against anything that would hinder them spiritually. There are two ways to translate this figure of speech:
Keep the metaphor of staying awake. For example:
stay awake
do not fall asleep
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
Be watchful (ESV)
be on guard against spiritual danger
See also how you translated this Greek word in Mark 13:35.
Stand firm in the faith: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Stand firm in the faith is literally “stand in the faith.” The BSB has supplied the word firm. There are two ways to interpret this phrase:
It refers to Christian doctrine and teaching. For example:
Be firm in the Christian faith (GW) (BSB, GW, NIV, GNT, NET, NJB,NABRE, KJV, NCV, NASB, ESV, REB, NLT)
It refers to one’s personal faith in God. For example:
stand firm in your faith (RSV) (RSV, CEV)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is supported by many English versions and by many commentaries.See, for example, Fee, p. 827–828; and Thiselton p. 1336.
The phrase “stand in the faith” is a figure of speech. It is a command to continue to believe the gospel message.
Here are some ways to translate this figure of speech:
Keep the metaphor of standing. For example:
stand firm in the faith (ESV)
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
continue to believe in the good news
continue believing
never stop trusting God (EASY)
Translate this figure of speech in the way that is most natural in your language.
Be men of courage. Be strong.
Be(plur) courageous. Be(plur) strong.
Don’t be afraid of anything. Be strong in your faith.
Be men of courage: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Be men of courage is more literally “be men” or “act like men.” This is a figure of speech. It means “be brave.” Paul wanted both men and women to be brave.
Here are some other ways to translate this Greek word:
Be courageous. (NLT)
Be brave people.
Don’t be afraid of anything.
Be strong: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Be strong refers to being strong in faith.
Here are some other ways to translate this Greek word:
be strong in holding to your faith
make your faith be strong
have strength in mind and heart
It is possible to combine the two commands of 16:13b like this:
be brave and strong in your faith
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
γρηγορεῖτε, στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἀνδρίζεσθε, κραταιοῦσθε
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Γρηγορεῖτε στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει ἀνδρίζεσθε κραταιοῦσθε)
Here Paul gives four short commands without any connecting words. All the commands are related to persevering in Christian belief and living. Use a form in your language that would be used for short commands in a row. Alternate translation: [Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, and be strong!]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
γρηγορεῖτε
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Γρηγορεῖτε στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει ἀνδρίζεσθε κραταιοῦσθε)
Here, Stay alert refers to keeping oneself from falling asleep. Paul speaks in this way to command the Corinthians to be watchful and pay attention to what is going on around them rather than “falling asleep.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express Stay alert with a comparable figure of speech or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [Keep your eyes open] or [Pay attention]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει
˓be˒_standing_firm in the faith
Here Paul speaks as if the faith were something solid in which the Corinthians could stand firm. He speaks in this way because he wants them to persevere in the faith as much as people stand firm on the ground. People trust the ground to hold them up, and they can stand on it for a long time. In the same way, Paul wants the Corinthians to trust and persevere in the faith. 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: [persevere in the faith]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἐν τῇ πίστει
in the faith
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind faith, you can express the idea in another way. Here, faith could refer primarily to: (1) the act of believing. Alternate translation: [as you believe] or [in how you believe] (2) what they believe. Alternate translation: [in what you believe]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἀνδρίζεσθε
˓be˒_masculine
Here, act like men is a way to urge someone to be brave and courageous. The opposite of acting like men is acting like cowards. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this idiom with a comparable figure of speech or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [be stouthearted] or [act with courage]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
κραταιοῦσθε
˓be_being˒_strengthened
Here, be strong does not refer to physical strength but rather to mental strength or determination. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express be strong with a word or phrase that urges mental strength or determination. Alternate translation: [keep persevering]
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.