1 COR 3:15 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.”

3:15a

If it is burned up,

But if his work is burned up,
But if/when Christ says/declares that what a certain worker has done is not good,

If it is burned up: Fire is a metaphor for judgment as a testing time (see the note on 3:13c). The picture of work being burned up illustrates a situation in which Christ declares that a worker has not done his work faithfully. His work did not help the church as God meant it to. Just as a fire burns up poor-quality materials like wood or straw, so when Christ judges these people, he will show that the work they have done is of no value.

The verb is burned up is in the passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:

using a passive verb. For example:
if it is destroyed by the fire (CEV)
The one whose work is burned down… (NJB)
using an active verb. For example:
If the fire destroys/consumes someone’s work

Use the verb form that is most natural in your language in this context.

3:15b

he will suffer loss.

that worker will get nothing.
he/Christ will not reward that worker/person.

he will suffer loss: The clause he will suffer loss here means “the builder/worker will lose his reward,” that is, “the builder/worker will not receive his reward.” This verse part continues the metaphor. Its literal meaning is that a worker will lose (that is, not receive) what his boss had planned to give him as his pay. This figure of speech means that Christ will withhold some blessings or benefits which otherwise he would have given to his worker. Other ways to translate this include:

the builder will suffer great loss (NLT)

he will lose that reward

3:15c

He himself will be saved,

He himself, however, will be saved,
Yet God will save him personally.
He will receive salvation,

In the Greek text 3:15c connects to 3:15b with a conjunction that the GNT translates as “but.” The BSB does not translate this conjunction. Here the conjunction indicates contrast: what happens to the worker is different from what happens to his work. The RSV translates this conjunction as “though.”

You should indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

He himself will be saved: This clause literally indicates that the builder will not die, that is, perish in the fire that consumed his work. The metaphor indicates that a Christian worker will not fail to receive salvation even if he has not worked well. This is a passive clause. There are two ways to translate it:

Use a passive verb. For example:
the builder will be saved
Use an active verb. For example:
he himself will not lose his life
They/God will save the worker himself

himself: The Greek word that the BSB translates as himself here probably has a intensive meaning. It emphasizes the contrast between what happens to work done by the worker versus what happens to the worker himself.

3:15d

but only as if through the flames.

but only like somebody escapes though fire/flames.
But he will be like a person who has to be saved from a fire.
but only in the way a person is rescued from a burning building.

but only as if through the flames: There are two ways to interpret the Greek expression that the BSB translates as through the flames.

It means through flames or through fire. The person must escape by passing through fire, or like someone passing through fire. For example:
though it will be like going through a fire (GW) (BSB, NIV, REB, GW, NLT, NASB, RSV, ESV, NET)
It means from flames or from fire. The person escapes the fire and does not necessarily have to pass through it. For example, the NJB says;
as someone might expect to be saved from a fire (NJB, CEV, NCV)

The KJV has “by fire,” which could mean either. If you must choose between the interpretations, it is recommended that you choose interpretation (1). The person is indeed saved from the fire, but he has to go through the flames, like a worker who is rescued from his burning building. This figure of speech shows how serious it is if a worker for God does not faithfully carry out his task. Paul was emphasizing how important it is for a worker to build well. Other ways to translate this include:

though only by passing through the fire (REB)

but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames (NLT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

Here, just as in [3:14](../03/14.md), Paul uses if to introduce a true possibility. He means that a person’s work might remain, or it might not. He then specifies the result for each possibility. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the if statement by using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [Anyone whose work will be burned up will suffer loss]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται; αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός.

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. In this verse, those who proclaim more about the gospel are like builders whose structures do not survive a fire. They suffer loss, but they are saved, almost as if they were in the fire but escaped. Paul means that those who teach others wrongly about God will not receive honor or reward from God, but God will still accept them, although only just barely. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this metaphor with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [If anyone teaches you more about the gospel with words that are not acceptable to God, he will receive no honor or blessing when God judges everyone, but he himself will be accepted by God, although just barely]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

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 is burned up rather than on what does the “burning up.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that the fire does it. Alternate translation: [fire burns up anyone’s work]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

τὸ ἔργον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

Here Paul uses work to refer 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: [project] or [house]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τινος & ζημιωθήσεται & αὐτὸς & σωθήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

Here, the words translated he and himself are written in masculine form, but they refer to anyone, no matter which their gender might be. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind he and himselfby using words that do not have gender, or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: [anyone’s … he or she will suffer loss … he himself or she herself will be saved] or [people’s … they will suffer loss … they themselves will be saved]

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

ζημιωθήσεται

˱he˲_˓will_be_being˒_lost

The phrase he will suffer loss expresses the opposite of “receiving a reward.” Instead of gaining honor and money, the person loses honor and money. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind he will suffer lossby using a phrase that refers to losing honor and money. Alternate translation: [he will lose honor and money] or [he will be deprived of any reward]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

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 he who will be saved rather than the person doing the “saving.” you can express the idea with he saving himself or he not perishing. Alternate translation: [but he will not perish] or [but he will save himself]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

αὐτὸς & σωθήσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται οὕτως δέ ὡς διά πυρός)

Here, himself focuses attention on he. If himself would not draw attention in this way in your language, you could express the attention or focus in another way. Alternate translation: [he will be saved] or [he indeed will be saved]

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 3:15

SR Greek word order

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

Paragraph 3:10–15

3:15a

3:15b

3:15c

3:15d

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

OET interlinear 1 COR 3:15

SR Greek word order

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

Paragraph 3:10–15

3:15a

3:15b

3:15c

3:15d

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

OET interlinear 1 COR 3:15