OET interlinear 1 COR 6:7

6:7a

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already: This verse part indicates that Paul totally disapproved of believers using the legal system to attack one another. He considered that in a situation like this neither party could truly be the winner. Ultimately, both lost; that is, they harmed themselves and the church. Other ways to translate this include:

The fact that you have lawsuits against each other shows that you are already defeated. (NCV)

When one of you takes another to court, all of you lose. (CEV)

In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. (NRSV)

lawsuits: The Greek word that the BSB translates as lawsuits is a different word from the words translated as “disputes” in 6:1a and 6:4a, but the meaning is about the same. The word Paul uses here is a more technical word for a court case or lawsuit.

you are thoroughly defeated: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as you are…defeated is more literally “is a failure for you.” Paul was saying that a lawsuit between believers is a spiritual and moral failure. Even if the person who takes his fellow believer before an ungodly judge wins the case, both he and the whole church have failed in their Christian lives. They did not let God’s Spirit guide and control how they lived.

The BSB translates this as a passive clause. There are two ways of translating it:

• with a passive verb. For example:

  you have been defeated

• with an active verb. For example:

  you have failed

If you must show the one who has caused the defeat or loss, you could say the devil is the one who has caused it. For example, this could be translated as:

you have been defeated by the devil.

thoroughly: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as thoroughly:

1. It goes with the verb “defeated.” For example:

   The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely. (GNT) (BSB, GNT, NIV, KJV, GW, CEV)

2. It goes with the word “lawsuits.” For example, the RSV says;

   To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. (RSV, REB, NJB, ESV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is supported by the majority of commentators.

6:7b-8b

In 6:7b-d Paul talked mostly to the persons in the Corinthian church who were wronged or cheated and who took their fellow believers to court. In 6:8a Paul talked to the persons who did wrong and cheated others. But in the whole passage Paul was also talking to the whole group. He wanted them all to listen to what he said and learn from it. He used the plural pronoun meaning “you.”

6:7b-c

Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?: These are both rhetorical questions. Paul was talking mainly to those who accuse others, that is, those who took their fellow believers to court. He wanted those who accuse others to understand that, even though they had been wronged, it would have been better to not take their Christian brothers to court. Paul was using these questions to make strong statements that it was better to be wronged or cheated than to take other believers to court. There are therefore two ways of translating these verse parts:

• as rhetorical questions. For example:

  Why not let yourselves be wronged? Why not let yourselves be cheated? (NCV)

• as statements. For example:

  It would be better/preferable to be wronged. It would be better/preferable to be cheated.

6:7b

Why not rather be wronged?: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as be wronged means to submit to or accept/suffer injustice. This is a passive clause. There are two ways to translate it:

• with a passive verb. For example:

  Would it not be better to be treated unjustly?

• with an active verb. For example:

  Why not rather suffer wrong? (ESV)

  Why not rather submit to wrong? (REB)

  It would be better to allow your Christian brother to wrong you.

6:7c

Why not rather be cheated?: The Greek word that the BSB translates as be cheated refers to a situation in which someone has lost money or possessions because another person has deceived them. This is another passive clause. There are two ways to translate it: