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Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) So brothers and sisters, because you were baby Christians when I visited, I wasn’t able to speak to you all like spiritual people, but only like worldly people.![]()
OET-LV And_I, brothers, not was_able to_speak to_you_all as to_spiritual men, but as to_fleshy men, as to_infants in chosen_one/messiah.
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SR-GNT Κἀγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν ˚Χριστῷ. ‡
(Kagō, adelfoi, ouk aʸdunaʸthaʸn lalaʸsai humin hōs pneumatikois, allʼ hōs sarkinois, hōs naʸpiois en ˚Ⱪristōi.)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, cyan:dative/indirect object, magenta:vocative, red:negative.
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 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ.
UST My fellow believers, when I visited you, I was unable to teach you in the way I would teach people who have God’s Spirit. Rather, I had to teach you in the way I would teach people who think only in human ways. I had to do this because you believed in the Messiah in an immature way.
BSB Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
MSB Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
BLB And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as fleshly--as to infants in Christ.
AICNT And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as spiritual people, but as {people of the flesh},[fn] as infants in Christ.
3:1, people of the flesh: Some manuscripts read “carnal people.”
OEB But I, my friends, could not speak to you as people with spiritual insight, but only as worldly-minded – mere infants in the faith of Christ.
WEBBE Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
WMBB Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Messiah.
NET So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
LSV And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly—as to babies in Christ;
FBV My brothers and sisters, I couldn't talk[fn] with you as spiritual believers, but as worldly people—like baby Christians.
3:1 Presumably while he was visiting them previously.
TCNT And so, brothers, I could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
T4T My fellow believers, when I was with you previously, I was not able to teach you as I would teach people who are controlled by the Holy Spirit {whom the Holy Spirit controls}. Instead, I had to teach you as I would teach people whom their self-directed nature controls. I taught very simple concepts to you who had recently believed in Christ, as a parent would speak very simple words to a baby.
LEB And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly people, as to infants in Christ.
BBE And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.
Moff But I could not discuss things with you, my brothers, as spiritual persons; I had to address you as worldlings, as mere babes in Christ.
Wymth And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings—mere babes in Christ.
ASV And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
DRA And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. As unto little ones in Christ.
YLT And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ;
Drby And I, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ.
RV And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
(And I, brethren/brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. )
SLT And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ.
Wbstr And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.
KJB-1769 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
(And I, brethren/brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. )
KJB-1611 ¶ And I, brethren, could not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
(¶ And I, brethren/brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spirituall, but as unto carnall, even as unto babes in Christ.)
Bshps And I coulde not speake vnto you brethren, as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall eue as vnto babes in Christe.
(And I could not speak unto you brethren/brothers, as unto spirituall, but as unto carnal eve/even as unto babes in Christ.)
Gnva And I could not speake vnto you, brethren, as vnto spirituall men, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
(And I could not speak unto you, brethren/brothers, as unto spiritual men, but as unto carnall, even as unto babes in Christ. )
Cvdl And I brethren, coulde not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
(And I brethren/brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spirituall, but as unto carnall, even as unto babes in Christ.)
TNT And I coulde not speake vnto you brethren as vnto spretuall: but as vnto carnall even as it were vnto babes in Christ.
(And I could not speak unto you brethren/brothers as unto spretuall: but as unto carnal even as it were unto babes in Christ. )
Wycl And Y, britheren, myyte not speke to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleischli men;
(And I, brethren/brothers, might not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men;)
Luth Und ich, liebe Brüder, konnte nicht mit euch reden als mit Geistlichen, sondern als mit Fleischlichen, wie mit jungen Kindern in Christo.
(And I, love(v) brothers, could not with you talk as with spiritlichen, rather as with fleshlichen, as/like with young/youthful children in Christo.)
ClVg Et ego, fratres, non potui vobis loqui quasi spiritualibus, sed quasi carnalibus. Tamquam parvulis in Christo,
(And I, brothers, not/no potui to_you(pl) to_speak as_if spiritual, but as_if carnal. Tamquam little_ones in/into/on to_Christ/Messiah, )
UGNT κἀγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.
(kagō, adelfoi, ouk aʸdunaʸthaʸn lalaʸsai humin hōs pneumatikois, all’ hōs sarkinois, hōs naʸpiois en Ⱪristōi.)
SBL-GNT Κἀγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ⸂λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν⸃ ὡς πνευματικοῖς ἀλλʼ ὡς ⸀σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.
(Kagō, adelfoi, ouk aʸdunaʸthaʸn ⸂lalaʸsai humin⸃ hōs pneumatikois allʼ hōs ⸀sarkinois, hōs naʸpiois en Ⱪristōi.)
RP-GNT Καὶ ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς σαρκικοῖς, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν χριστῷ.
(Kai egō, adelfoi, ouk aʸdunaʸthaʸn humin lalaʸsai hōs pneumatikois, all' hōs sarkikois, hōs naʸpiois en ⱪristōi.)
TC-GNT [fn]Καὶ ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην [fn]ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς [fn]σαρκικοῖς, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.
(Kai egō, adelfoi, ouk aʸdunaʸthaʸn humin lalaʸsai hōs pneumatikois, all hōs sarkikois, hōs naʸpiois en Ⱪristōi. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
3:1 The Corinthians’ behavior was not that of the spiritual people whom Paul described in 2:15, but like that of unbelievers who are attracted to the wisdom and values of this world.
• infants in Christ: Though they were converted, their lives and thinking did not reflect maturity in Christ and the transforming perspective of his Spirit.
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 introduced the problem by pointing out to the Corinthians that they were not acting like people controlled by God’s Holy Spirit. They were quarreling among themselves and being jealous of one another. They were behaving just like unbelievers.
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual,
¶ My Christian friends, when I was in Corinth, I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people.
¶ My fellow believers, when I came to visit you, I was not able to teach/talk to you as I talk to people who have the Holy Spirit guiding/controlling them.
Brothers: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Brothers refers to all the believers in the church in Corinth. Here as elsewhere (e.g., 1:10a), the GNT translates it as:
My friends (GNT)
I could not address you as spiritual: The clause I could not address you as spiritual means “I could not talk to you as I would have talked to spiritual people.” Paul could not teach the Corinthians in the same way that he would have taught spiritual people.
Paul was referring to a time that was two or three years in the past. He was talking about how he taught the Corinthians when he was in Corinth. You may need to make this explicit in your translation. For example:
When I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. (NLT)
I: As in 2:1a, the Greek text begins with a word that can be translated “And I (emphatic),” or “And I, for my part.” Paul used it here to start to talk about himself. Here is another way to translate this:
As a matter of fact,…I… (GNT)
as spiritual: The Greek word that the BSB translates as spiritual describes people who are controlled and guided by God’s Holy Spirit. Here Paul used this word to refer to mature believers, those who trusted Christ and lived as followers of Christ.
but as worldly—
Rather, I was only able to talk to you as I talk to people of this world.
No, I had to talk to you as I talk to people who follow their own desires.
but as worldly: The phrase but as worldly is a short way of saying “instead I had to address you as worldly people.” The GNT translates this as a separate clause:
I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world. (GNT)
worldly: The Greek word that the BSB translates as worldly comes from the noun meaning “flesh.” Here it refers to people who live as most people do, following their own natural human desires. These are people who are not living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Other ways to translate this include:
people of the flesh (NET)
acting like the people of this world (CEV)
as though you belonged to this world (GNT)
as infants in Christ.
It was as though you were babies for you had just begun to trust in Christ.
I had to speak to you that way because at that that time you had just begun to believe in Christ.
as infants in Christ: The word infants here is a figure of speech called a metaphor. Paul used this metaphor to show what new believers are like. They are like very young children in the sense that they cannot understand difficult things. They need to be taken care of by others. Some English versions make the metaphor more clear:
You were infants in your faith in Christ. (GW)
as though you were infants in the Christian life (NLT)
You were like babies as far as your faith in Christ was concerned.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
κἀγώ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Κἀγώ ἀδελφοί οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ)
The word translated And I is the same word that appears at the beginning of [2:1](../02/01.md). Just as there, Paul uses And I here to introduce how his own experience visiting the Corinthians fits into the general pattern he has outlined at the end of chapter 2. Here, however, his experience with the Corinthians is the opposite of what he would have liked. Therefore, the words And I introduce a contrast with what he said in [2:16](../02/16.md) about having the mind of Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the meaning of And Iby using a word or phrase that introduces a specific example or a word or phrase that introduces a contrast. Alternate translation: [But I] or [As for me, I]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
ἀδελφοί
brothers
Although brothers is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to any believer, 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: [brothers and sisters]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.
not ˓was˒_able ˓to˒_speak ˱to˲_you_all as ˱to˲_spiritual_‹men› but as ˱to˲_fleshy_‹men› as ˱to˲_infants in Christ
If your language would not naturally state the negative before the positive, you could reverse the order of the not statement and the but statements. Alternate translation: [had to speak to you as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ, not as to spiritual]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
πνευματικοῖς & σαρκίνοις
˱to˲_spiritual_‹men› & ˱to˲_fleshy_‹men›
Paul is using the adjectives spiritual and fleshly as nouns in order to describe groups of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with noun phrases. Alternate translation: [to spiritual people … to fleshly people]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
ἀλλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις
but as ˱to˲_fleshy_‹men› as ˱to˲_infants
Here Paul leaves out some words that might be required in your language to make a complete thought. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply the needed words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: [but I spoke to you as to fleshly; I spoke to you as to infants]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ
˱to˲_infants in Christ
Here Paul speaks as if the Corinthians were infants. He wants the Corinthians to think about how infants are immature, lack knowledge, and are unable to understand most things. By calling the Corinthians infants in Christ, he means that in their relationship with Jesus, they are immature, have little knowledge, and are unable to understand very much. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express why Paul calls the Corinthians infants with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [to beginners in Christ] or [to those who could understand very little about their faith in Christ]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐν Χριστῷ
in Christ
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 in what area of their lives they were like infants. They acted like infants in their relationship with Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind in Christby referring to their “faith” in Christ or their “relationship” with Christ. Alternate translation: [in their faith in Christ] or [in their relationship with Christ]