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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
1 Cor C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
1 Cor 1 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31
OET (OET-LV) but to_them the called ones, to_the_Youdaiōns both and to_the_Hellaʸns, chosen_one/messiah of_god the_power, and of_god the_wisdom.
OET (OET-RV) Yet to those who God calls, whether Jews or Greeks, Messiah is both God’s power and his wisdom,
In this section Paul wrote about a serious problem in the Corinthian church. The Corinthian believers were dividing up into competing groups. They were following whichever human leader they admired the most. Paul tried to solve this problem by reminding the Corinthians of the message of the cross. He wanted them to stop following human wisdom and to follow God’s wisdom.
In this paragraph Paul talked more about foolishness and wisdom. The gospel message expresses God’s power and wisdom. For different reasons, both Jewish people and Greek people may reject it. However, to those who believe the message/gospel, it brings salvation from sin and death.
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks,
Yet to the people God has called, both Jews and non-Jews,
But God has chosen some people to believe in him. Some of them are Jews, and some are Greeks/non-Jews.
but: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as but indicates a contrast between believers and non-believers. Those people whom God called thought differently about the Gospel message than other people. That was true for both Jewish people and Greek people. There were both Jewish and Greek believers.
to those who are called: Here the phrase who are called refers to people whom God had chosen to become his own, to become believers. See the Notes on called at 1:1a and 1:9.
This clause is passive. Some ways to translate it are:
Use a passive verb. For example:
to those who are the called (NRSV)
Use an active verb. The implied subject is “God.” For example:
to those whom God has called (NIV)
both Jews and Greeks: These believers included both Jewish people and the Greek/Gentile people.
Christ the power of God
Christ is the power of God
Believers realize/know that Christ is God’s powerful way to save them,
and the wisdom of God.
and also the wisdom of God
and that God showed he is truly wise by sending Christ to save them.
and that God’s plan to save them through Christ is truly wise.
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God: There is an implied verb here. The complete sentence would be: “Christ is the power and wisdom of God.” Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God in the sense that he reveals God’s power and wisdom. Some other ways to translate this are:
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (NET)
Christ reveals the power of God and the wisdom of God
this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God (GNT)
Paul indicated that in/through Christ God demonstrated/showed his power and wisdom. In some languages it is more natural to translate the abstract nouns power and wisdom as adjectives. For example:
Christ shows/demonstrates how powerful and how wise God is
Christ has shown that God is both powerful and wise
the power of God and the wisdom of God: Paul used the words of God twice here to add emphasis: “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Both the power and the wisdom are from God. Paul showed how different people respond to the gospel message very differently.
A Jew or Greek, whom God has not called, thinks only human thoughts. Thus, they reject the gospel message when they hear it. But when people whom God has called hear it, they think like God does. They understand and believe God’s message.
the power of God: Paul used the same phrase, the power of God, in 1:18b. Here Paul indicated that Jesus Christ reveals God’s power. God worked powerfully through Christ’s death and resurrection to save men and women. When Christ died on the cross, he appeared weak, but he was actually demonstrating God’s power. Through Christ’s death on the cross, God saves people powerfully.
the wisdom of God: The phrase the wisdom of God here indicates that Christ reveals God’s wisdom. God’s way/plan of saving people through the death of Christ appears foolish, but it is actually wise. Christ was crucified to take/pay the punishment for our sins.
Another way to translate 1:24 is:
But God has called some people, both Jewish people and Gentiles, to be his own. When these people hear our message, they hear a message about Christ who reveals God’s power and wisdom.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: αὐτοῖς δέ τοῖς κλητοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τέ καί Ἕλλησιν Χριστόν Θεοῦ δύναμιν καί Θεοῦ σοφίαν)
Here Paul uses But to contrast the called and the “Jews” and “Gentiles” in [1:23](../01/23.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this connection with a word or phrase that contrasts people and their thinking. Alternate translation: [In contrast with them,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
αὐτοῖς & τοῖς κλητοῖς, Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν, Χριστὸν Θεοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφίαν
˱to˲_them & the called_‹ones› ˱to˲_˓the˒_Jews (Some words not found in SR-GNT: αὐτοῖς δέ τοῖς κλητοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τέ καί Ἕλλησιν Χριστόν Θεοῦ δύναμιν καί Θεοῦ σοφίαν)
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 the 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 the 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]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person
αὐτοῖς & τοῖς κλητοῖς
˱to˲_them & the called_‹ones›
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 it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this form with the first person. Alternate translation: [to those of us who are called]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
τοῖς κλητοῖς
the called_‹ones›
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. 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]
Note 5 topic: translate-unknown
Ἕλλησιν
˱to˲_˓the˒_Greeks
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 it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of this word with 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]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
Χριστὸν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: αὐτοῖς δέ τοῖς κλητοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τέ καί Ἕλλησιν Χριστόν Θεοῦ δύναμιν καί Θεοῦ σοφίαν)
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]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
Θεοῦ δύναμιν
˱of˲_God ˓the˒_power
Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of power that comes from God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by clarifying that God is the source of the power. Alternate translation: [power from God] or [God acting powerfully]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
Θεοῦ σοφίαν
˱of˲_God ˱of˲_God ˓the˒_wisdom
Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak of wisdom that comes from God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by clarifying that God is the source of the wisdom. Alternate translation: [wisdom from God] or [God giving wisdom]
1:18-31 Paul contrasts eloquence and human wisdom, which were highly valued by some of the Corinthians, with the foolish message of the cross—the expression of God’s wisdom. The followers of Apollos, in particular (see 1:12), were probably attracted by his rhetorical abilities and intellectual approach to ministry (see Acts 18:24-28). In contrast, Paul emphasizes that the real power lies in the simple message of the cross of Christ.
OET (OET-LV) but to_them the called ones, to_the_Youdaiōns both and to_the_Hellaʸns, chosen_one/messiah of_god the_power, and of_god the_wisdom.
OET (OET-RV) Yet to those who God calls, whether Jews or Greeks, Messiah is both God’s power and his wisdom,
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.