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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 ESA 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 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23
OET (OET-LV) If anyone the temple of_ the _god is_destroying, will_be_destroying this one the god, because/for the temple of_ the _god holy is, which are you_all.
OET (OET-RV) If anyone destroys God’s temple, then God will destroy that person because his temple is sacred, as are all of you.
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
Paul now explained that the building the workers were helping to make is the church, the community of God’s people. It is like a holy/sacred building, a place for God to live in. Some workers were causing divisions in the church by trying to get people to follow their own teachings. They were causing believers to give up trusting in Christ alone as their leader. It was as though they were causing the church to fall apart instead of building it up. Paul warned that God will severely punish such false workers.
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
If any person destroys this temple of/for God,
If some workers cause you who are like God’s temple to become disunited/disunified,
If anyone destroys God’s temple: Paul continued the metaphor. He warned people against destroying, that is, ruining or harming, the church, the holy place where God is present. He did not say how someone might destroy it. It might be through causing division over leadership or doctrine. Or it might be by giving false teaching, by adding to God’s message or taking away from God’s message.
God will destroy him;
then God will punish that person severely,
God will ruin those workers completely.
God will destroy him: This verse part indicates that God will judge and punish anyone who does harm to the church. Try to translate the verb destroy using the same or a related verb to the verb you used in 3:17a. For example:
God will bring him to ruin
Paul gave a condition in 3:17a and a consequence in 3:17b. In English a condition is usually introduced by the word “If” as the BSB has done. It is possible to state a condition without using “If.” The CEV has done this by reversing the order of the condition and the consequence.
17bGod will destroy 17aanyone who destroys his temple.
You should translate this in a way that is natural for your language.
Paul was talking about anyone and everyone who might harm God’s church. So in some languages it may be more natural to use plural forms. For example:
17aAs for those who destroy God’s temple, 17bGod will destroy them.
for God’s temple is holy,
because the temple/place where God lives is holy,
God’s dwelling place is set apart for God himself,
for God’s temple is holy: Paul now gave the reason why God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple.
holy: The word that the BSB has translated as holy refers to something dedicated to God. Here is another way to translate this:
sacred (NIV)
and you are that temple.
and you yourselves as a group are that very holy temple/place.
and you(plur) are God’s dwelling place.
and you are that temple: The clause that the BSB translates as and you are that temple is literally “who you are” in the Greek. The pronoun you is plural. This clause probably emphasizes that the believers in Corinth were indeed a temple for God, and so by implication they were holy/sacred. Another way to translate this is:
You are that holy temple! (GW)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor
εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός; ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τὶς τόν ναόν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός ὁ γάρ ναός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιος ἐστίν οἵτινες ἐστέ ὑμεῖς)
Here Paul finishes the metaphor about the temple that he began in [3:16](../03/16.md). He notes that, because God’s temple is holy, God will destroy anyone who destroys the temple. He then again repeats that the Corinthians are the temple. By speaking in this way, Paul wishes to remind everyone among the Corinthian believers that “destroying” the unity of the believers is like “destroying” the temple, and God will act in response to this like he would if someone “destroyed” his temple. 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 desecrates God’s sacred shrine, God will punish that person. For the sacred shrine is holy, and you are God’s sacred shrine] or [If anyone divides the place of God’s presence, God will punish that person. For wherever God’s presence can be found is holy, and you are the place where God’s presence can be found]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical
εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τὶς τόν ναόν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός ὁ γάρ ναός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιος ἐστίν οἵτινες ἐστέ ὑμεῖς)
Here Paul uses If to introduce a true possibility. He means that a person might destroy God’s temple, or that person might not. He then specifies the consequence if someone does destroy God’s temple. 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: [God will destroy anyone who destroys the temple of God]
Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns
οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τὶς τόν ναόν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός ὁ γάρ ναός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιος ἐστίν οἵτινες ἐστέ ὑμεῖς)
Here, which could refer to: (1) the temple of God. Alternate translation: [which temple you are]; (2) holy. Alternate translation: [and you too are holy]
OET (OET-LV) If anyone the temple of_ the _god is_destroying, will_be_destroying this one the god, because/for the temple of_ the _god holy is, which are you_all.
OET (OET-RV) If anyone destroys God’s temple, then God will destroy that person because his temple is sacred, as are all of you.
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.
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