Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
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 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
2 Cor C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
2 Cor 12 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V20 V21
OET (OET-LV) Already you_all_are_supposing that to_you_all we_are_defending?
In_front_of god in chosen_one/messiah we_are_speaking.
And the things all, beloved, because/for the of_you_all building are.
OET (OET-RV) Now you’re already supposing that we’re defending ourselves? Actually, we’re speaking as followers of Messiah knowing that God is watching, and dear friends, everything has been with the aim of building you up.
In this section, the attitude of some believers in Corinth forced Paul to act foolishly and boast (12:11a). Paul knew he deserved praise from them and was better than the false teachers even though humanly speaking he deserved nothing (12:11b–d). Paul reminded the believers of all that he had done among them that proved he was an apostle (12:12). He asked them if they were angry at him with a rhetorical question and, using irony, told them that they should not be angry (12:13).
He told them that he would continue to avoid accepting their money for his support and explained why (12:14). He told them of his great love for them (12:15).
Using irony, Paul told them that he had not deceived them (12:16) and that his colleagues had not exploited them either (12:17–18). He explained that he had not been defending himself, but rather he was teaching them to be strong in their faith (12:19). He told them of some of his fears about them (12:20–21).
Other examples for this section heading are:
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church (NRSV)
Paul loved the believers in Corinth
Paul reminded the believers in Corinth about his deeds and explained his worry for them
Paul defended his apostleship and spoke about his concern for the believers
Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you?: This rhetorical question emphasizes the meaning, “You should not have been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you.” Translate in a way that emphasizes that meaning. Some ways are:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Is it possible that all along you have been thinking that we have been defending ourselves to you?
Might you have been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you?
As a statement. For example:
Perhaps you have been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you.
Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No,… (NLT)
Have you been thinking all along that
¶ Is it possible that for a long time now you(plur) have been thinking that
¶ Perhaps you have been thinking the whole time while hearing this letter that
all along: This phrase refers to the whole time that this letter was being read to the believers in Corinth. Some of the believers may have thought from the beginning of the reading that the letter was about Paul defending himself. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
up to now
all the time you have been reading this letter
we were making a defense to you?
we(excl) have been speaking on our own behalf to you?
we have been speaking to you about/against those accusations against us. Not so/true.
we were making a defense: The phrase making a defense refers to people explaining that they have done the right thing, or that they have not done the wrong thing. Paul sometimes explained those things in this letter, but the purpose of doing so was to strengthen the faith of the believers (12:19d). Other ways to translate this are:
we have been pleading our own cause (NJB)
we have been speaking against those accusations against us
we have been explaining that our actions are correct/right instead of what the people who accuse us say
We speak before God in Christ,
We have been speaking before God as followers of Christ.
We have been saying those things as Christ would have us say them and with God hearing all we say.
before God: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates literally as before God indicates that God knew all that Paul said. Paul lived his life as if God was watching him. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
in the presence of God (NJB)
in the sight of God (NIV)
with God as our witness (NLT)
in Christ: This phrase refers to Paul acting in ways that believers should act. The phrase in Christ refers to having a relationship with Jesus. The person behaves as Jesus showed him how to. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
as Christ would have us speak (GNT)
as followers of Christ (CEV)
and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.
And, our loved ones, all of it is to improve your faith.
Loved friends, all we have said/done is for the purpose of helping you believe well.
and all of this, beloved, is to build you up: Here the term of address, beloved, is in the middle of the clause. In some languages it is more natural to have the term of address first. For example:
Dear friends, everything we do is for your strengthening
beloved: The Greek word that the BSB translates as beloved means “those who are loved.” The word indicates that Paul loved the believers in Corinth. Other ways to translate this Greek word are:
dear friends (NIV)
those whom we love
our dear ones
we love you
all of this: The Greek word that the BSB translates as all of this is literally “all things.” Here the Greek word refers to all that Paul and his coworkers said and did for the believers in Corinth. Other ways to translate this Greek word are:
all of it
we did it all (CEV)
build you up: This word refers to helping the believers in Corinth to believe in Jesus without doubting. Other ways to translate this word are:
strengthening of your faith
help you believe well
help you in your spiritual life (JBP)
edifying (KJV)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα Κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν τά Δέ παντᾶ ἀγαπητοί ὑπέρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς)
Paul is using the question form to deny that what he has said is primarily for the purpose of defending ourselves. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Do not think that all of this time we have been defending ourselves to you!] or [I want you to realize that all of this time we have not been defending ourselves to you.]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
πάλαι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα Κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν τά Δέ παντᾶ ἀγαπητοί ὑπέρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς)
Here, the phrase all of this time refers to everything that Paul has written so far in this letter. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [throughout this letter] or [while you listened to what we have said]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
κατέναντι Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα Κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν τά Δέ παντᾶ ἀγαπητοί ὑπέρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς)
Here, just as with the phrase “in the presence of God” in [2:17](../02/17.md), the phrase Before God could indicate that: (1) Paul and his fellow workers speak as they do because they know that God sees or knows what they do. So, they speak in a way that pleases God. Alternate translation: [As God desires] or [With God watching] (2) Paul and his fellow workers speak with God as a witness guaranteeing what they say. Alternate translation: [With God as witness] or [With God guaranteeing it]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐν Χριστῷ
in Christ
Here Paul uses the spatial metaphor in Christ to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being in Christ, or united to Christ, explains that Paul and his fellow workers speak from their perspective as those united to Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that indicates this explicitly. Alternate translation: [and in union with Christ] or [and because of being united to Christ]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὰ & πάντα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα Κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν τά Δέ παντᾶ ἀγαπητοί ὑπέρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς)
Here, the phrase all these things refers primarily to what Paul has written in this letter so far. However, it also includes everything that Paul and his fellow workers say and do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [all the things we say and do, including in this letter]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἀγαπητοί
beloved
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that he himself loves them. Alternate translation: [people whom I love]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα Κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν τά Δέ παντᾶ ἀγαπητοί ὑπέρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς)
Here, Paul is speaking of the Corinthian believers as if they were a building. If it would be clearer in your language, you could use a more natural metaphor for this or you could state the meaning plainly. See how you translated the similar phrase in [10:8](../10/08.md). Alternate translation: [are to help you become more faithful to Christ]
12:19 Paul is not simply offering a defense of his conduct and motives; he wants to assure his dear friends of his genuine love and Christian service for the well-being of the church.
OET (OET-LV) Already you_all_are_supposing that to_you_all we_are_defending?
In_front_of god in chosen_one/messiah we_are_speaking.
And the things all, beloved, because/for the of_you_all building are.
OET (OET-RV) Now you’re already supposing that we’re defending ourselves? Actually, we’re speaking as followers of Messiah knowing that God is watching, and dear friends, everything has been with the aim of building you up.
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.