1 COR 3:13 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–23: Christian workers serve the Lord by building his church together

In this section Paul told the believers in Corinth that they had not become spiritually mature. That was why they were dividing into separate groups and arguing with one another about teachers. They needed to learn about God’s plan for Christian workers and leaders. Christian workers and leaders all belong to God and are all building God’s church together.

Other possible section headings include:

Paul and all the other apostles were the Lord’s servants

All believers belong to the Lord and should remain united

Paragraph 3:10–15

In this paragraph Paul used an extended metaphor. This is about constructing a building. Paul said that he was an expert builder who laid a foundation. This means that he started the church in Corinth. He was the one who first preached the gospel in Corinth and first taught the people there to believe in Jesus.

Paul said that other people were building on the foundation that he had laid. This means that other Christian workers were continuing the work in Corinth. They were teaching the believers. God will reward such workers if they do their work faithfully.

In these verses Paul talked about a building, housebuilders, the materials used to build the building, and about fire. It is best if you can keep this metaphor in your translation. But if the people who read your translation will not understand what Paul was saying, you may need to change how you translate it. There are several ways to translate these verses:

literally, as a metaphor. For example:
I was the expert builder who laid the foundation.
as a simile. For example:
I was like an expert builder who laid a foundation.
giving both the metaphor and the meaning. For example:
I began God’s work among you. I was like an expert builder who laid the foundation.
giving the meaning of the metaphor without the metaphor. For example:
I began God’s work among you.

This metaphor is an important part of Paul’s teaching in 3:10–15. Because of this, it is best if you translate these verses using one of the first three methods above. You should remove the metaphor only if the people in your language group cannot understand the metaphor when it is translated in any of the first three ways. In the footnote is a sample translation of 3:10–15 that follows the third method.Here is a sample translation of 3:10–16 that translates the extended metaphor as a simile and also gives the meaning:“(10a) God graciously gave me ability to do his work. So, using that ability, (10b) I began God’s work among you. I was like a wise house builder who begins building a house by laying the foundation. (10c) Now, other workers are continuing God’s work among you. they are like house builders who are building on top of the foundation that I already laid. (10d) But I warn each of those who are doing God’s work: Be careful what you do! (11) No one should teach any other way to be saved, except the way that God has given us. Jesus Christ is the only Savior that God has given us. He is like the foundation to the house.(12a) Some workers do God’s work well. They are like house builders who build on the foundation using good quality materials like gold, silver and valuable stones. (12b) Other workers do not do God’s work well. They are like house builders who build on the foundation using poor-quality materials like wood, hay and straw. (13a) In the future it will become clear what kind of work each worker has done, (13b) because when Jesus returns, he will make this all clear. (13c) When he returns he will judge what everyone has done. When he judges people, it will be like a fire. (13d) It will be like a person who tests different materials by putting them in a fire to see if they are good quality or not. (14a) When Jesus judges the works of some workers, he will say/declare that their works are good. Their works will be like good quality materials that do not burn up in the fire. (14b) He will reward those workers. (15a) But when he judges the works of other workers, he will declare/say that their work was not good. Their works will be like poor-quality materials that burn up in the fire. (15b) These workers will not get any reward. (15c) God will still save them from the punishment of their sins, (15d) but all of the work they have done will be of no value. They will be like a person who has run out of a burning house: he did not die but everything he had was burned up.”

3:13a

his workmanship will be evident,

Someday everyone will see the quality/kind of work each one has done,
In the future it will become clear/obvious whether or not a person worked well.

his workmanship will be evident: This refers to what will happen in the future, when Christ returns. At the present time it is not always obvious whether the work that each person has done for God is good or not. When Christ returns and judges everything, it will become obvious.

There are at least two ways to translate the clause his workmanship will be evident:

using a passive verb. For example:
each builder’s work will be plainly seen (NET)
their work will be clearly seen (NCV)
using an active verb. For example:
one/they/you will be able to see clearly what kind of work he has done
God will show everyone/others what kind of work he has done

3:13b

because the Day will bring it to light.

because when Jesus returns, he will make these things clear/obvious.
I say that because Jesus Christ will clearly make these things known when he returns.

because the Day will bring it to light: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Day here refers to the future time when Jesus will return to earth and judge people. He will examine the way believers worked for him. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear what Day Paul was referring to. For example:

the Day of Judgment will make it visible (NCV)

In many languages it is not natural to talk about a Day bringing something to light. Since the Day here means the time when Jesus return and judges people, you can make Jesus the subject of the sentence in your translation:

because Christ Jesus will make it visible on the Day when he returns/judges

General Comment on 3:13a-b

These two verse parts are talking about the same thing in different words. So in some languages it may be natural to combine them. For example:

On the day/time when Christ judges all things, he will expose the quality of every person’s work.

The day will make what each one does clearly visible. (GW)

3:13c

It will be revealed with fire,

The day will come/arise/dawn with fire.
That day will be a time of fiery testing.
For that time will be like a time when materials are put in a fire to test them.
In that day Christ is going to judge the work of people. It will be like putting it through fire.

In the Greek text 3:13c begins with a conjunction that is generally translated as “because.” 3:13c gives the reason why the Day will bring the quality of everyone’s work to light. The BSB does not explicitly translate this conjunction, but the RSV translates it as “because” and the GNT as “For.” You should connect 3:13c to 3:13b in the way that is most natural in your language.

It will be revealed with fire: There are two ways of interpreting this clause. The subject, It, could refer to:

the day, that is, the day Christ returns, judgment day. For example:
That day will appear with fire. (NCV) (NJB, REB, NCV)
each man’s work, that is, the quality of what each worker did. For example:
The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. (GW) (GNT, GW, NLT)

Several English versions translate literally and do not explicitly say to what It refers: BSB, KJV, RSV, NASB, ESV, NIV.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is the interpretation recommended by the majority of commentators. The Greek word for be revealed usually means that in the future someone will come or an event will take place. It does not normally refer to something being made clear by testing it.

with fire: In both the OT and NT, fire is a common metaphor for judgment. For example, see 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8: “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire…he will punish…” Here also in 1 Corinthians 3:13 the fire probably refers to testing and judgment. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

with the fire of judgment

3:13d

and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.

The fire will test/show whether each worker has done good work.
Just as fire makes clear/apparent which building materials are good/strong/valuable, so Christ will declare whether or not each worker has worked well.

the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work: In this verse part Paul indicated that the fire would test how all the builders had done their work. It would check if they had used good materials. Here is another possible way to translate this:

the fire will test everyone’s work to see what sort of work it was (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται; ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται; καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον, ὁποῖόν ἐστιν, τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ δοκιμάσει

˱of˲_each ˱of˲_each (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἑκάστου τό ἔργον φανερόν γενήσεται ἡ γάρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει ὅτι ἐν πυρί ἀποκαλύπτεται καί ἑκάστου τό ἔργον ὁποῖον ἐστίν τό πῦρ αὐτό δοκιμάσει)

Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. He speaks as if the day of God’s judgment is like a fire that will test the building and show what kind of building materials the builders used. Paul speaks in this way to illustrate how God’s judgment will reveal whether what those who proclaim more about the gospel teach is pleasing to him or not. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this metaphor with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [the truth of what each one has taught you will become evident, for God will show how true it is when he comes to judge everyone; when he comes, he will judge everyone, and his judgment will reveal whether what each person has taught is true or not]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον

Here, work refers to the product or result of the work, not the action of “working.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind workwith a word or phrase that refers to the product of the work. Alternate translation: [what each one has made]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται

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 the work that will be evident rather than the person doing making it evident. If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: [God will make the work of each one evident]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἡ & ἡμέρα δηλώσει

the & day ˓will_be˒_making_evident_‹it›

Here Paul uses day in the same way the Old Testament uses it: to refer to an event in which God saves his people and punishes his enemies. Paul specifically refers to the event in which Jesus returns to judge everyone. If it would be helpful in your language, you could include more words that clarify what Paul means by day. Alternate translation: [the day of Christ’s return will display] or [when Christ returns, he will display it]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται

in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἑκάστου τό ἔργον φανερόν γενήσεται ἡ γάρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει ὅτι ἐν πυρί ἀποκαλύπτεται καί ἑκάστου τό ἔργον ὁποῖον ἐστίν τό πῦρ αὐτό δοκιμάσει)

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 what is revealed rather than the person doing the “revealing.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: [God reveals it in fire]

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

ἀποκαλύπτεται

˱it˲_˓is_being˒_revealed

Here, it is revealed refers to the day. It does not refer to the work. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify that it refers to the day. Alternate translation: [that day is revealed]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture

ἀποκαλύπτεται

˱it˲_˓is_being˒_revealed

Here Paul speaks as if the day is revealed right now. In his language, he can use the present tense to speak about the way in which something happens in general, even if it is not happening in the present moment. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this use of the present tense by using the future tense. Alternate translation: [it will be revealed]

ἐν πυρὶ

Alternate translation: [with fire] or [in a fiery way]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἑκάστου τό ἔργον φανερόν γενήσεται ἡ γάρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει ὅτι ἐν πυρί ἀποκαλύπτεται καί ἑκάστου τό ἔργον ὁποῖον ἐστίν τό πῦρ αὐτό δοκιμάσει)

Here, itself focuses attention on the fire. If itself would not draw attention in this way in your language, you could express the attention or focus in another way. Alternate translation: [that fire] or [the fire indeed]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear 1 COR 3:13

SR Greek word order

Section 3:1–23: Christian workers serve the Lord by building his church together

Paragraph 3:10–15

3:13a

3:13b

General Comment on 3:13a-b

3:13c

3:13d

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 3:13

SR Greek word order

Section 3:1–23: Christian workers serve the Lord by building his church together

Paragraph 3:10–15

3:13a

3:13b

General Comment on 3:13a-b

3:13c

3:13d

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 3:13