1 COR 8:12 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. οὕτως
2. houtōs
3. thus
4. -
5. 37790
6. D·······
7. thus
8. thus
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116227
1. Δέ
2. de
3. And
4. and
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y59
11. 116228
1. ἁμαρτάνοντες
2. hamartanō
3. sinning
4. -
5. 2640
6. VPPA·NMP
7. sinning
8. sinning
9. -
10. Y59; R116189
11. 116229
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. against
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. against
8. against
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116230
1. τούς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116231
1. ἀδελφούς
2. adelfos
3. brothers
4. believers
5. 800
6. N····AMP
7. brothers
8. brothers
9. -
10. Y59; F116235
11. 116232
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116233
1. τύπτοντες
2. tuptō
3. wounding
4. wounding
5. 51800
6. VPPA·NMP
7. wounding
8. wounding
9. -
10. Y59; R116189
11. 116234
1. αὐτῶν
2. autos
3. of them
4. their
5. 8460
6. R···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y59; R116232
11. 116235
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116236
1. συνείδησιν
2. suneidēsis
3. conscience
4. consciences
5. 48930
6. N····AFS
7. conscience
8. conscience
9. -
10. Y59; F116238
11. 116237
1. ἀσθενοῦσαν
2. astheneō
3. faltering
4. -
5. 7700
6. VPPA·AFS
7. faltering
8. faltering
9. -
10. Y59; R116237
11. 116238
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. against
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. against
8. against
9. -
10. Y59
11. 116239
1. Χριστόν
2. χristos
3. chosen one messiah
4. Messiah
5. 55470
6. N····AMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Christ
9. WN
10. Y59; Person=Jesus
11. 116240
1. ἁμαρτάνετε
2. hamartanō
3. you all are sinning
4. -
5. 2640
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ sinning
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ sinning
9. -
10. Y59; R116189
11. 116241

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:1–13: Paul answered questions about eating meat that had been offered to idols

In this section Paul wrote about something else the Corinthians had asked him in their earlier letter. They had asked him whether it was acceptable for them to eat the meat of an animal that had been sacrificed to an idol. The primary context for eating such meat was at an idol’s temple. Sometimes an animal would be offered to a false god in connection with a celebration such as a birthday or wedding to seek the god’s blessing and presence at the celebration. The animal would be butchered by a priest and a portion of the meat would be burned on an altar as an offering to the false god. Some of the remaining meat would be returned to the person who offered it and could be eaten together with family or other invited guests at a private banquet room at the temple. (Some of the remaining meat might be sent to the meat market to be sold, a situation that Paul addresses in 10:25–26.)

There were two opinions in the Corinthian church about whether this meat could be eaten by a believer in Christ. Some of the Corinthian believers, including those who wrote the letter, understood that idols were only things that people have made or imagined. They were hoping Paul would agree with them that it was acceptable to eat this meat. However, some other believers thought that it was wrong to enter a temple and eat such meat. They still believed the false gods were real and believed that eating meat offered to them in sacrifice was an act of worship or fellowship with these gods.

Paul agreed in this chapter that the idols worshiped at these temples were not real gods. But he did not give permission to eat this meat at their temple. Doing so might influence other believers to also eat the meat, even though they believed it was wrong. Paul asked the Corinthians believers to act in love toward these brothers rather than selfishly demanding the right to eat this meat.

In chapter 10, Paul will continue to answer the question about eating meat sacrificed to idols. He says that a believer can have no part in the worship of idols and also that demons are active in the sacrifices to idols. He also addresses the separate situations of buying and eating meat sold in the meat market and what to do when someone invites you to eat meat in their home. Before this, in chapter 9, he uses himself as an illustration of the principle he set down at the end of chapter 8 of giving up your rights in love. He had the right to be paid for his work as an apostle, but he gave up his right so that the good news of Jesus would be better accepted.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul gave instructions about eating meat of/from animals that had been sacrificed to false gods

Believers should not eat anything that causes other believers to sin

Paragraph 8:7–13

In this paragraph Paul discussed a problem related to the knowledge that an idol is nothing. The problem is that not all believers have this knowledge. When those without this knowledge eat food sacrificed to idols, they think they are participating in rites to real gods. They know this is wrong, but being weak they are easily influenced to do it anyway. So believers who know that idols are nothing should not think only about what they have freedom to do, but rather should think about how what they do may influence other believers toward idolatry. They should not do anything that would cause another believer to do something he thinks is wrong.

8:12a,c

By sinning against your brothers in this way

When/if you^(plur) sin like that against other Christian brothers and sisters
And not only that, by doing wrong to other believers,

By sinning against your brothers in this way…, you sin against Christ: Paul strengthens his warning against eating idol meat at the temple by saying that sinning against your Christian brothers by doing this (8:12a) is the same as sinning against Christ (8:12c). Some ways to express the relation between 8:12a and 8:12c could be:

When/if you sin against your brothers by doing those things…, you sin against Christ.

By sinning in this way against your brothers…, you also sin against Christ.

Sinning like that against your brothers…is the same as sinning against Christ.

In 8:12, Paul states another consequence of the strong believers eating food in an idol’s temple. Not only do they cause significant spiritual harm to their Christian brothers (8:11), sinning against them in this way is the same as sinning against Christ. The words “in this way” connect the consequence stated in 8:12 to the actions described in 8:10–11. See the note below on “in this way.”

By sinning against your brothers: The believers who considered themselves strong and wise were harming other Christians. They were sinning against them in the sense that they were causing them to sin.

in this way: In Greek the word that the BSB translates as in this way refers back to the way in which the strong believers would harm the weak believers if they were seen eating meat offered to idols as described in 8:10–11. You may want to make the relationship between 8:11 and 8:12 clear at the beginning of 8:12 with a connecting word or phrase. For example:

And in this way (GNT)

Thus, sinning against your brothers… (ESV)

And so, by sinning against the brethren… (NASB)

Another way to translate this is:

by doing this/that

8:12b

and wounding their weak conscience,

by hurting/injuring/weakening their ability to know and do what is right,
and making it even harder for them to know and do what is right,

and wounding their weak conscience: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as wounding literally means to strike or hit something. If what is being hit is soft and tender, the hitting causes real harm or injury. Paul used this verb here as a figure of speech to describe how a strong believer might injure other believers by making them even weaker. This happens when the actions of the strong believer cause the weak believer to do something he thinks he should not do. Other ways to translate this include:

cause them to do what they think is wrong (NCV)

hurting a follower with a weak conscience (CEV)

8:12c

you sin against Christ.

you^(plur) are also sinning against Christ himself.
you are doing wrong to Christ himself.

you sin against Christ: Paul was probably referring to what Jesus himself had said, that when anyone does something to help or hurt one who belongs to him, they are helping or hurting him also (Matthew 25:40, 25:45; Acts 9:1–5).

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

οὕτως

thus

Here, thus refers back to the series of actions and results in [8:10–11](../08/10.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express what thus refers to by clarifying that it refers to the previous two verses. Alternate translation: [through your knowledge]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous

οὕτως & ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν, εἰς Χριστὸν ἁμαρτάνετε

thus & sinning against (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὕτως Δέ ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς τούς ἀδελφούς καί τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τήν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν εἰς Χριστόν ἁμαρτάνετε)

Here Paul means that whenever the Corinthians “sin against” and “wound” their brothers, they at the same time sin against Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the relationship between sinning against your brothers and wounding their weak consciences and sin against Christ by clarifying that they happen at the same time. Alternate translation: [any time you thus sin against your brothers and wound their weak consciences, you at the same time sin against Christ]

καὶ τύπτοντες

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὕτως Δέ ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς τούς ἀδελφούς καί τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τήν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν εἰς Χριστόν ἁμαρτάνετε)

Alternate translation: [by wounding] or [because you wound]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς

Although brothers is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express brothers with a non=gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [your brothers and sisters]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν

wounding ˱of˲_them (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὕτως Δέ ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς τούς ἀδελφούς καί τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τήν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν εἰς Χριστόν ἁμαρτάνετε)

Here Paul speaks as if consciences were body parts that could be wounded. By speaking in this way, he emphasizes that the Corinthians who have knowledge are hurting the weak consciences of other believers as surely as if they had wounded their arms or bodies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express wounding their weak consciences by clarifying that Paul means that the Corinthians who have knowledge are hurting weak consciences or making the weak consciences feel guilty. Alternate translation: [hurting their weak consciences] or [making their weak consciences feel guilty]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν

Here, weak identifies consciences that easily lead people to feel guilty. These weak consciences condemn some things that are probably acceptable before God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express weak with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [sensitive consciences] or [consciences, which often condemn them]

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 8:12

SR Greek word order

Section 8:1–13: Paul answered questions about eating meat that had been offered to idols

Paragraph 8:7–13

8:12a,c

8:12b

8:12c

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

OET interlinear 1 COR 8:12

SR Greek word order

Section 8:1–13: Paul answered questions about eating meat that had been offered to idols

Paragraph 8:7–13

8:12a,c

8:12b

8:12c

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

OET interlinear 1 COR 8:12