1 COR 3:14 Parallel Verse View

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

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).

UST Any builders who constructed a building that survives a fire gain honor and money. In the same way, God will honor and reward all those who teach more about the good news in a way that God accepts when he judges everyone.

BLB If the work of anyone that he built up will remain, he will receive a reward.

AICNT If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, they will receive a reward.

OEB If anyone’s work, which they have built on that foundation, still remains, they will gain a reward.

WEBBE If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward.

LSV if the work of anyone remains that he built on [it], he will receive a wage;

FBV Those whose building survives will be rewarded.

TCNT If the work that anyone has built remains, he will receive a reward.

T4T When a fire starts burning a house, it becomes clear whether the builders used materials in their work that will burn, or materials that will not burn. Similarly [MET], when God judges us, it will be clear whether we taught others things that were long-lasting and valuable or not. If the materials that are used to build a house are materials that do not burn, the builder will receive a reward [MET]. Similarly, if we have taught others things that are valuable and long-lasting, God will give us a reward.

LEB If anyone’s work that he has built upon it remains, he will receive a reward.

BBE If any man's work comes through the test, he will have a reward.

Moff If the structure raised by any man survives,
⇔ he will be rewarded;

Wymth If any one's work—the building which he has erected—stands the test, he will be rewarded.

ASV If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

DRA If any man’s work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

YLT if of any one the work doth remain that he built on [it], a wage he shall receive;

Drby If the work of any one which he has built upon [the foundation] shall abide, he shall receive a reward.

RV If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

SLT If the work of any shall remain which he built upon, he shall receive a reward.

Wbstr If any man's work abideth which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward.

KJB-1769 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
(If any man’s work abide which he hath/has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. )

KJB-1611 If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon, he shal receiue a reward.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps If any mans worke that he hath built vpon abyde, he shall receaue a reward.
(If any mans work that he hath/has built upon abide, he shall receive a reward.)

Gnva If any mans worke, that he hath built vpon, abide, he shall receiue wages.
(If any mans work, that he hath/has built upon, abide, he shall receive wages. )

Cvdl Yf eny mans worke that he hath buylde theron, abyde, he shal receaue a rewarde:
(If any mans work that he hath/has build thereon, abide, he shall receive a rewarde:)

TNT Yf eny mannes worke that he hath bylt apon byde he shall receave a rewarde.
(If any mannes work that he hath/has bylt upon bide/stay he shall receive a reward. )

Wycl If the werk of ony man dwelle stille, which he bildide aboue, he schal resseyue mede.
(If the work of any man dwell still, which he built above, he shall receive mede.)

Luth Wird jemandes Werk bleiben, das er darauf gebauet hat, so wird er Lohn empfangen.
(Wed someone work remain/stay, the he on_it built has, so becomes he wage/salary received.)

ClVg Si cujus opus manserit quod superædificavit, mercedem accipiet.[fn]
(When/But_if whose work/need manserit that superædificavit, a_reward will_receive. )

3.14 Mercedem. Non solum post finem, sed et in hac vita habet requiem suæ animæ contemnentis omnia.

3.14 Mercedem. Not/No only after the_end, but and in/into/on this_way life has rest/repose his/her_own soul contemnentis everything.

UGNT εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ, ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήμψεται.
(ei tinos to ergon menei, ho epoikodomaʸsen, misthon laʸmpsetai.)

SBL-GNT εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήμψεται·
(ei tinos to ergon menei ho epoikodomaʸsen, misthon laʸmpsetai;)

RP-GNT Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μένει ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήψεται.
(Ei tinos to ergon menei ho epoikodomaʸsen, misthon laʸpsetai.)

TC-GNT Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον [fn]μένει ὃ [fn]ἐποικοδόμησε, μισθὸν [fn]λήψεται.
(Ei tinos to ergon menei ho epoikodomaʸse, misthon laʸpsetai. )

3:14 μένει ¦ μενεῖ ANT NA PCK SBL WH

3:14 εποικοδομησε ¦ επωκοδομησε ANT PCK TR

3:14 ληψεται ¦ λημψεται CT

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–23: Christian workers serve the Lord by building his church together

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

Paragraph 3:10–15

In this paragraph Paul used an extended metaphor. This is about constructing a building. Paul said that he was an expert builder who laid a foundation. This means that he started the church in Corinth. He was the one who first preached the gospel in Corinth and first taught the people there to believe in Jesus.

Paul said that other people were building on the foundation that he had laid. This means that other Christian workers were continuing the work in Corinth. They were teaching the believers. God will reward such workers if they do their work faithfully.

In these verses Paul talked about a building, housebuilders, the materials used to build the building, and about fire. It is best if you can keep this metaphor in your translation. But if the people who read your translation will not understand what Paul was saying, you may need to change how you translate it. There are several ways to translate these verses:

literally, as a metaphor. For example:
I was the expert builder who laid the foundation.
as a simile. For example:
I was like an expert builder who laid a foundation.
giving both the metaphor and the meaning. For example:
I began God’s work among you. I was like an expert builder who laid the foundation.
giving the meaning of the metaphor without the metaphor. For example:
I began God’s work among you.

This metaphor is an important part of Paul’s teaching in 3:10–15. Because of this, it is best if you translate these verses using one of the first three methods above. You should remove the metaphor only if the people in your language group cannot understand the metaphor when it is translated in any of the first three ways. In the footnote is a sample translation of 3:10–15 that follows the third method.Here is a sample translation of 3:10–16 that translates the extended metaphor as a simile and also gives the meaning:“(10a) God graciously gave me ability to do his work. So, using that ability, (10b) I began God’s work among you. I was like a wise house builder who begins building a house by laying the foundation. (10c) Now, other workers are continuing God’s work among you. they are like house builders who are building on top of the foundation that I already laid. (10d) But I warn each of those who are doing God’s work: Be careful what you do! (11) No one should teach any other way to be saved, except the way that God has given us. Jesus Christ is the only Savior that God has given us. He is like the foundation to the house.(12a) Some workers do God’s work well. They are like house builders who build on the foundation using good quality materials like gold, silver and valuable stones. (12b) Other workers do not do God’s work well. They are like house builders who build on the foundation using poor-quality materials like wood, hay and straw. (13a) In the future it will become clear what kind of work each worker has done, (13b) because when Jesus returns, he will make this all clear. (13c) When he returns he will judge what everyone has done. When he judges people, it will be like a fire. (13d) It will be like a person who tests different materials by putting them in a fire to see if they are good quality or not. (14a) When Jesus judges the works of some workers, he will say/declare that their works are good. Their works will be like good quality materials that do not burn up in the fire. (14b) He will reward those workers. (15a) But when he judges the works of other workers, he will declare/say that their work was not good. Their works will be like poor-quality materials that burn up in the fire. (15b) These workers will not get any reward. (15c) God will still save them from the punishment of their sins, (15d) but all of the work they have done will be of no value. They will be like a person who has run out of a burning house: he did not die but everything he had was burned up.”

3:14a

If what he has built survives,

If the work that a worker has built on the foundation does not burn up,
If Christ says/declares that what a certain worker has done is good,

If what he has built survives: This clause gives the condition that must exist in order for 3:14b to happen. Most English versions use the word If to introduce this condition. The NJB has stated the condition without using the word If.

The one whose work stands up to it [will be given his wages]

You should translate this condition in a way that is natural for your language.

he: The pronoun he here does not refer to any one specific person. It refers to any Christian worker. In some language it may therefore be natural to use plural forms. For example:

If what they have built endures….

The work that some workers have done will survive. In that case…

has built: The Greek word for has built literally means “has built on.” It refers to the way that walls are built on a foundation. So 3:14a can be translated as:

If what he has built on the foundation survives…

survives: The verb survives means “lasts, endures, does not burn up.” If good quality materials like gold, silver or jewels are put in a fire, the fire will not burn them up. These things will “survive.” So also, when Jesus judges the work a person has done and says that it is good, his work has “survived” the judgment.

3:14b

he will receive a reward.

he/Christ will give a reward to that person/worker.
he/Christ will reward that worker.

he will receive a reward: See the note on 3:8b. The Greek word that the BSB translates as reward here refers to the way Christ will do good to a worker because he has done God’s work faithfully. In the metaphor it refers to the pay that a good construction worker receives.The Bible often talks about rewards. In Jesus’ sermons and parables he talked about rewarding people. See, for example, Matthew 5:12, 6:1, 10:42, 25:21. He helps us understand what the rewards will be like, such as praise from a good master (Matthew 25:21), a position of honor with Jesus in the future, and taking part in important responsibilities (Matthew 25:21–23). Other ways to translate this include:

he will be rewarded (REB)

the builder will get a reward (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ, ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήμψεται.

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐποικοδόμησεν μισθόν λήμψεται)

Here and in [3:15](../03/15.md), Paul uses If to introduce a true possibility. He means that a person’s work might remain, or it might not. He then specifies the result for each possibility. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the If statement by using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [Anyone whose work that he built will remain will receive a reward]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ, ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήμψεται.

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐποικοδόμησεν μισθόν λήμψεται)

Here Paul continues the metaphor about building a house. In this verse, he notes that builders whose structures survive a fire receive rewards. He speaks in this way to indicate that God will reward those who proclaim more about the gospel if God finds their teachings to be accurate and acceptable to him when he judges everyone. The reward includes public recognition and other blessings. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this metaphor with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [If anyone teaches you more about the gospel with words that are acceptable to God, he will be honored by God]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

τινος τὸ ἔργον & ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐποικοδόμησεν μισθόν λήμψεται)

Here Paul speaks both of work and what he built. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine the ideas into one expression. Alternate translation: [anyone’s building project] or [what anyone built]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

τὸ ἔργον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐποικοδόμησεν μισθόν λήμψεται)

Here Paul uses work to refer to the product or result of the work, not the action of “working.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind workwith a word or phrase that refers to the product of the work. Alternate translation: [project] or [house]

μενεῖ

˓will_be˒_remaining

Alternate translation: [does not burn up]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τινος & ἐποικοδόμησεν & λήμψεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Εἰ τινός τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐποικοδόμησεν μισθόν λήμψεται)

Here, he is written in masculine form, but it refers to anyone, no matter what their gender might be. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind heby using a word that does not have gender, or you could use both genders. Alternate translation: [anyone’s … he or she built … he or she will receive] or [people’s … they built … they will receive]

Parallel 1 COR 3:14

Section 3:1–23: Christian workers serve the Lord by building his church together

Paragraph 3:10–15

3:14a

3:14b

Parallel 1 COR 3:14