1 COR 1:12 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) What I am talking about is how many of you are claiming that you belong to Paul’s group, for example, or that you belong to Apollos’ group, or that you belong to Cephas’ group, or that you belong to Messiah’s group.[ref]

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”

UST What I am talking about is how many of you are claiming that you belong to Paul’s group, for example, or that you belong to Apollos’ group, or that you belong to Cephas’ group, or that you belong to the Messiah’s group.

BLB Now I mean this, that each of you says, "I indeed am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."

AICNT What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”

OEB I mean this: that every one of you says either “I follow Paul,” or “I Apollos,” or “I Cephas,” or “I Christ.”

WEBBE Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” and, “I follow Christ.”

WMBB Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Kefa,” and, “I follow Messiah.”

NET Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.”

LSV and I say this, that each one of you says, “I, indeed, am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”

FBV Let me explain what I mean. You're all making different claims: “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow Christ.”

TCNT What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul,” while another says, “I follow Apollos,” or, “I follow Cephas,” or, “I follow Christ.”

T4T That is, some of you say, “Paul is the one to whom we are loyal,” and others say, “Peter is the one to whom we are loyal,” and still others say, “Christ is the one to whom we are loyal.”

LEB But I say this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” and “I am with Apollos,” and “I am with Cephas,” and “I am with Christ.”

BBE That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.

Moff By "quarrelling" I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."

Wymth What I mean is that each of you is a partisan. One man says "I belong to Paul;" another "I belong to Apollos;" a third "I belong to Peter;" a fourth "I belong to Christ."

ASV Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

DRA Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I am of Cephas; and I of Christ.

YLT and I say this, that each one of you saith, 'I, indeed, am of Paul' — 'and I of Apollos,' — 'and I of Cephas,' — 'and I of Christ.'

Drby But I speak of this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.

RV Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
(Now this I mean, that each one of you saith/says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. )

SLT And this I say, that each of you says, I truly am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Wbstr Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

KJB-1769 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
(Now this I say, that every one of you saith/says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. )

KJB-1611 Now this I say, that euery one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollo, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
(Now this I say, that every one of you saith/says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollo, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.)

Bshps Nowe this I saye, that euery one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollo, and I am of Cephas, and I am of Christe.
(Now this I say, that every one of you saith/says, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollo, and I am of Cephas, and I am of Christ.)

Gnva Nowe this I say, that euery one of you saith, I am Pauls, and I am Apollos, and I am Cephas, and I am Christs.
(Now this I say, that every one of you saith/says, I am Pauls, and I am Apollos, and I am Cephas, and I am Christs. )

Cvdl which euery one of you sayeth: I holde of Paul. Another, I holde of Apollo. The thirde, I holde of Cephas. The fourth, I holde off Christ.
(which every one of you saith/says: I hold of Paul. Another, I hold of Apollo. The third, I hold of Cephas. The fourth, I hold off Christ.)

TNT And this is it that I meane: how that comelie amonge you one sayeth: I holde of Paul: another I holde of Apollo: the thyrde I holde of Cephas: the four ye I holde of Christ.
(And this is it that I meane: how that comelie among you one saith/says: I hold of Paul: another I hold of Apollo: the third I hold of Cephas: the four ye/you_all I hold of Christ. )

Wycl And Y seie that, that ech of you seith, For Y am of Poul, and Y am of Apollo, and Y am of Cefas, but Y am of Crist.
(And I say that, that each of you saith/says, For I am of Poul, and I am of Apollo, and I am of Cefas, but I am of Christ.)

Luth Ich sage aber davon, daß unter euch einer spricht: Ich bin paulisch; der andere: Ich bin apollisch; der dritte: Ich bin kephisch; der vierte: Ich bin christisch.
(I said but of_that, that under you one/a speaks/says: I am paulisch; the/of_the other/different: I am apollisch; the/of_the dritte: I am kephisch; the/of_the fourte: I am christisch.)

ClVg Hoc autem dico, quod unusquisque vestrum dicit: Ego quidem sum Pauli: ego autem Apollo: ego vero Cephæ: ego autem Christi.[fn]
(This however I_mean/say, that each_one/everybody of_you he_says: I indeed I_am Pauli: I however Apollo: I indeed/however Cephæ: I however Christi. )

1.12 Hoc autem dico. Hic contra baptistas agere incipit, de quibus illi gloriabantur. Ego quidem. Sub suo nomine et apostolorum notat pseudo, ne si diceret: in nomine ipsius vel illius, videretur eis invidere, et sibi velle attribuere. Vel posuit nomina bonorum apostolorum ut ostendat quod si in nomine majorum non est gloriandum, nec in nomine illorum quorum doctrina prava est, gloriandum est.

1.12 This however I_mean/say. Here/This on_the_contrary baptistas to_act begins, from/about to_whom them glorybantur. I indeed. Under his_own by_name and of_the_apostles notes pseudo, not when/but_if would_say: in/into/on by_name of_his/her_own or of_that, it_would_seem to_them to_envy, and to_himself to_want attribuere. Or put names of_goods of_the_apostles as show that when/but_if in/into/on by_name of_elders not/no it_is gloryndum, but_not in/into/on by_name of_them whose teaching/instruction wicked it_is, gloryndum it_is.

UGNT λέγω δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει, ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ.
(legō de touto, hoti hekastos humōn legei, egō men eimi Paulou, egō de Apollō, egō de Kaʸfa, egō de Ⱪristou.)

SBL-GNT λέγω δὲ τοῦτο ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει· Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, Ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, Ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, Ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ.
(legō de touto hoti hekastos humōn legei; Egō men eimi Paulou, Egō de Apollō, Egō de Kaʸfa, Egō de Ⱪristou.)

RP-GNT Λέγω δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει, Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, Ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλώ, Ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, Ἐγὼ δὲ χριστοῦ.
(Legō de touto, hoti hekastos humōn legei, Egō men eimi Paulou, Egō de Apollō, Egō de Kaʸfa, Egō de ⱪristou.)

TC-GNT Λέγω δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει, Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, Ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλώ, Ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, Ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ.
(Legō de touto, hoti hekastos humōn legei, Egō men eimi Paulou, Egō de Apollō, Egō de Kaʸfa, Egō de Ⱪristou. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:10–2:16: Believers should not divide up into competing factions. They should be united by true wisdom, the message of the cross.

In this section Paul wrote about a serious problem in the Corinthian church. The Corinthian believers were dividing up into competing groups. They were following whichever human leader they admired the most. Paul tried to solve this problem by reminding the Corinthians of the message of the cross. He wanted them to stop following human wisdom and to follow God’s wisdom.

Paragraph 1:10–17

There were divisions among the believers at Corinth. They divided into groups according to which leader they thought was the best one to follow. Paul taught them that Christ was not divided, so neither should his church be divided. His message was that all believers are united in Christ.

1:12a

What I mean is this:

Here is what I mean:
I am talking about:

What I mean is this: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as What I mean is this is literally “But I say this.” Here this phrase introduces a detailed explanation of the previous verse part. Paul explained what sort of quarrels he meant/was talking about. Some English versions omit this phrase (see NLT, CEV). Some other ways to translate this are:

I am referring to this:

I am talking about

1:12b-e

Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”: Here Paul quoted what the Corinthian believers were saying to each other. Paul did not actually hear them say this. Chloe’s relatives/workers told Paul what the believers in Corinth were saying.

The phrase that the BSB translates as Individuals among you are saying is more literally “Each of you says.” This phrase does not mean that each person said each of these things. Paul was giving examples of the kinds of things that many people in the group were saying. In some languages it is necessary to translate this phrase in the plural, as the BSB does. Here is another way to translate this:

Some of you say, “We^(excl) are followers of Paul.” Some others say, “We are followers of Apollos” or “We are followers of Cephas.” Still others say, “We follow Christ.”

In some languages it is more natural to use direct quotes, as Paul does here. However, it is also possible to translate this verse using indirect quotes. For example:

Some of you claim to be my followers. Some others say that they follow Apollos. Others say that they follow Peter. Still others say they are followers of Christ.

The Corinthian believers were proud of their differences. Those who said that they followed Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or Christ, all said this with a proud attitude. They thought that they were better than the others who followed someone else.

The teachers themselves were not trying to form these groups/parties. Rather, the believers separated into groups according to which leader they thought was best.

1:12b

Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,”

One believer says, “I belong to Paul.”
Some of you claim/say that you are following Paul’s/my teaching,
Some believers among you are saying, “As for us^(excl), Paul is our^(excl) teacher.”

I follow Paul: The pronoun I is emphatic: “As for me, I follow Paul.” The Greek literally says “I am of Paul.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I belong to Paul (NJB)

I am a follower of Paul (NLT)

We^(excl) are in Paul’s group.

You should translate each of the verse parts 12b-e in the same way. Use the form that you choose here for each of the verse parts.

In many languages it is acceptable for Paul to use his own name here, since he was only quoting what someone else said. However, in many other languages it is not natural for Paul to use his own name here. Readers may think that Paul was talking about someone else who was also named Paul, or that Paul did not write this letter. In these languages it is necessary to translate 1:12b as an indirect quote. Then Paul can refer to himself as “I/me.” For example:

Some of you say that you are followers of me.

1:12c

“I follow Apollos,”

Someone else says, “I am follow Apollos’s teaching.”
but others of you claim/say that you are on Apollos’s side.
But other believers among you are saying, “Apollos is our^(excl) teacher.”

I follow Apollos: The story about Apollos and his visit to Corinth is in Acts 18:24–28. Apollos was a Jew like Paul. He was well educated and a good speaker and teacher.

1:12d

“I follow Cephas,”

Another believer says, “I am Peter’s disciple.”
Still otheres of you claim/say that you are following Peter’s teaching.
And other believers among you are saying, “Peter is our^(excl) teacher.”

I follow Cephas: Cephas is the name of the apostle Peter in the Aramaic language. Aramaic was the language spoken in the Judean and Syrian provinces. “Peter” and Cephas both mean “a stone.” The first time Peter met Jesus, Jesus gave him that name (John 1:42). Some English versions use the name “Peter” here. For example:

I follow Peter (NCV) (CEV, NCV, NLT, GNT)

You may wish to use the name “Peter” in order to make it more clear who Paul referred to. If you choose to use the name Cephas, explain in a footnote that Cephas was another name for Peter.

1:12e

or “I follow Christ.”

And yet another believer says, “It is Christ’s teaching that I obey.”
And still others of you claim/say that you are the ones who follow Christ.
And still other believers among you say, “Christ is our^(excl) teacher.”

I follow Christ: You should use the same form here as you used in verse parts 12b-d.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγω Δέ τοῦτο ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει Ἐγώ μέν Εἰμί Παύλου ἐγώ Δέ Ἀπολλῶ ἐγώ Δέ Κηφᾶ ἐγώ Δέ Χριστοῦ)

Here, Now introduces a further explanation of what Paul started talking about in [1:11](../01/11.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could leave the word untranslated or use a word that introduces an explanation. Alternate translation: [Indeed,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

λέγω & τοῦτο,

˱I˲_˓am˒_saying & this

Here Paul uses the phrase I say this to explain what he meant in the previous verse when he mentioned “factions” ([1:11](../01/11.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of this phrase with a comparable idiom for explaining what has already been said or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [what I mean is this]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

τοῦτο, ὅτι

this that

Having both this and that in this sentence may be redundant in your language. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with a simpler way to introduce what Paul wants to say. Alternate translation: [that]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει

each ˱of˲_you_all ˓is˒_saying

Here Paul uses each of you to emphasize that many individuals within the Corinthian congregation are saying these kinds of things. He does not mean that each person says all four of these things. He also does not mean that every single person in the church is making these kinds of claims. Finally, he does not mean that these are the only four claims that they are making. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the form that Paul uses with an expression that singles out many individuals within a group, and you could add a phrase that indicates that these are examples of what they are saying. Alternate translation: [people in your group are saying things like]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ

If you cannot use this quotation form in your language, you could translate these statements as indirect quotes instead of as direct quotes. Alternate translation: [that you are of Paul, or you are of Apollos, or you are of Cephas, or you are of Christ]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession