1 COR 3:9 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, 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 We who proclaim the good news all work for God, but you belong to God. It is as if you were farmland that God owns, in which we planted and watered seeds. Indeed, it is as if you were a house that God owns.

AICNT For we are God's coworkers; you are God's field, God's building.

OEB For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s harvest field, God’s building.

WEBBE For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.

LSV for we are fellow-workmen of God; you are God’s tillage, God’s building.

FBV We are workers together with God—and you are God's field, his building.

TCNT For we are fellow workers of God; you are God's field, God's building.

T4T Remember that Apollos and I are both working together for God. You do not belong to us. Just like a field belongs to its owner, not to those who work in it, you belong to God, not to us who work for him.
¶ Also, a house belongs to its owner. It does not belong to the man who built it. Similarly, God is the one to whom you belong.

LEB For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

BBE For we are workers with God: you are God's planting, God's building.

Moff We work together in God's service; you are God's field to be planted, God's house to be built.

Wymth Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are *God's* field— *God's* building.

ASV For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building.

DRA For we are God’s coadjutors: you are God’s husbandry; you are God’s building.

YLT for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are.

Drby For we are [fn]God's fellow-workmen; ye are [fn]God's husbandry, [fn]God's building.

3.9 Elohim

RV For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building.
(For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye/you_all are God’s husbandry, God’s building. )

SLT For we are workers together with God: the agriculture of God, ye are the building of God.

Wbstr For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

KJB-1769 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
(For we are labourers together with God: ye/you_all are God’s husbandry, ye/you_all are God’s building. )

KJB-1611 For wee are labourers together with God, ye are Gods [fn]husbandry, yee are Gods building.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes))

3:9 Or, tillage.

Bshps For we together are Gods labourers, ye are Gods husbandrie ye are Gods buyldyng.
(For we together are Gods labourers, ye/you_all are Gods husbandrie ye/you_all are Gods buylding.)

Gnva For we together are Gods labourers: yee are Gods husbandrie, and Gods building.
(For we together are Gods labourers: ye/you_all are Gods husbandrie, and Gods building. )

Cvdl For we are Gods labourers, ye are Gods hussbandry, ye are Gods buyldinge.
(For we are Gods labourers, ye/you_all are Gods hussbandry, ye/you_all are Gods building.)

TNT We are goddis labourers ye are goddis husbandrye ye are goddis byldynge.
(We are gods labourers ye/you_all are gods husbandrye ye/you_all are gods bylding. )

Wycl For we ben the helperis of God; ye ben the erthetiliyng of God, ye ben the bildyng of God.
(For we been the helpers of God; ye/you_all been the earthtiliing of God, ye/you_all been the building of God.)

Luth Denn wir sind Gottes Mitarbeiter; ihr seid Gottes Ackerwerk und Gottes Gebäu.
(Because we/us are God’s Mitarbeiter; you(pl)/their/her are God’s fieldwerk and God’s Gebäu.)

ClVg Dei enim sumus adjutores: Dei agricultura estis, Dei ædificatio estis.[fn]
(of_God because we_are helperes: of_God fieldscultura you_are, of_God buildsio you_are. )

3.9 Adjutores. In colendo agro dominico; non depravatores, ut quidam aiunt. Quod inde patet, quia vos estis agricultura. Agricultura. Quia colit vos ad fructum. Ædificatio, quia qui colit habitat in vobis. Et ita idem est ager et ædificium, quod non in rebus visibilibus. Nos colimus Deum adorando, non ornando. Ille autem sic nos colit, quod meliores nos reddit.

3.9 Adyutores. In colendo field masterco; not/no depravatores, as some they_say. That therefore/from_there clear, because you(pl) you_are fieldscultura. Agricultura. Because cultivates you(pl) to fruit. Ædificatio, because who/which cultivates he_lives in/into/on to_you(pl). And so/thus the_same it_is ager and building, that not/no in/into/on things visibilibus. We colimus God adorando, not/no ornando. He/That_one however so us cultivates, that betteres us returns.

UGNT Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί; Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.
(Theou gar esmen sunergoi; Theou geōrgion, Theou oikodomaʸ este.)

SBL-GNT θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί· θεοῦ γεώργιον, θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.
(theou gar esmen sunergoi; theou geōrgion, theou oikodomaʸ este.)

RP-GNT Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί· θεοῦ γεώργιον, θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.
(Theou gar esmen sunergoi; theou geōrgion, theou oikodomaʸ este.)

TC-GNT Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί· Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.
(Theou gar esmen sunergoi; Theou geōrgion, Theou oikodomaʸ este. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (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 3:5–9

Paul told why the Corinthians should not divide into groups and following their favorite Christian workers. It was because all Christian workers are working for God. He and Apollos were not important in themselves. They were just servants of God whom God sent to help the Corinthians to believe.

3:9

In the Greek text of 3:9, the word “God” is emphasized three times. The workers belong to God. The church in Corinth belongs to God, not to Paul or Apollos. The church is like a building which God is making for himself to live in. Paul was trying tried to help the Corinthians understand that God is the important one. It was foolish to divide into competing groups following different workers, for the workers were all serving God..

3:9a

For we are God’s fellow workers;

Apollos and I work together for God (CEV)
For we^(excl) are workers/servants who do together what God orders us^(excl) to do.
for we^(excl) are both workers who do his work.

For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces the grounds for what Paul has been saying. It is a very general connection and it may not be necessary to translate this word explicitly.

we are God’s fellow workers: There are two ways of understanding the Greek clause that the BSB translates as we are God’s fellow workers:

It indicates that Paul and Apollos were working together for God. For example:
we are fellow workers in God’s service (REB) (NRSV, NET, REB, NLT, NCV, GNT)
It indicates that Paul and Apollos were doing the same task as God. For example:
we are labourers together with God (KJV) (BSB, KJV, NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, GW)

The NJB is ambiguous: “We do share in God’s work.” It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This fits better with the context of 3:7, where Paul and Apollos are said to be insignificant in comparison with God. Other ways to translate this include:

We are coworkers belonging to God. (NRSV)

We are God’s workers, working together. (NCV)

we are both God’s workers (NLT)

3:9b

you are God’s field,

and you believers in Corinth are a field/plot/garden that belongs to God.
You are like the field that God has ordered us^(excl) to work in.
God is the one you belong to, just like a field belongs to the owner.

you are God’s field: This is a metaphor. Paul compared the Corinthian church to a field that God owned. This is a reference to a field used for growing crops, a field in which people plant and water seeds. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a simile:

you are like a field that belongs to God

3:9c

God’s building.

You are a house that belongs to God.
Also, I can compare you to a house/building that God is building.
Or think about yourselves in this way: All of you believers are like a building which God is constructing/making.

God’s building: This is another metaphor. It is a short way of saying “you are also God’s building.” The phrase God’s building means “a house/building that belongs to God.” The Corinthian church as a whole was like a house that God was building for himself. God was causing this house to be built by using/ordering Paul and others to work for him. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a simile:

you are like a house belonging to God

In 3:6–9b, Paul used one metaphor: he talked about planting seeds and watering seeds and God making plants to grow. But here in 3:9c Paul changed to a new metaphor: he compared the Corinthian believers to God’s building. This metaphor continues through 3:15. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this new metaphor with a word meaning “or” (as the JBP does)

or God’s building

Most English versions begin a new paragraph at 3:10. (See 3:10 in the BSB, NASB, RSV, ESV, CEV, NJB, NIV, NLT, and the NCV). But some versions begin a new paragraph at 3:9c. (See 3:9 in the REB and the GNT).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γάρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θεοῦ Γάρ ἐσμέν συνεργοί Θεοῦ γεώργιον Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστέ)

Here, For introduces a summary statement that concludes the whole section in which Paul compares those who proclaim the gospel to farmers ([3:5–8](../03/05.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind Forby using a word or phrase that introduces a summary statement. Alternate translation: [Thus,] or [In the end,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἐσμεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θεοῦ Γάρ ἐσμέν συνεργοί Θεοῦ γεώργιον Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστέ)

Here, we refers to Paul, Apollos, and others who proclaim the gospel; we does not include the Corinthians.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

Θεοῦ & συνεργοί

˱of˲_God & fellow-workers

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe: (1) fellow workers who work for God. Alternate translation: [coworkers under God’s leadership] (2) workers who join God in God’s work. Alternate translation: [people who work with God]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.

˱of˲_God ˱of˲_God ˓the˒_field ˱of˲_God ˓the˒_building (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Θεοῦ Γάρ ἐσμέν συνεργοί Θεοῦ γεώργιον Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστέ)

Here Paul switches from a metaphor about farming to a metaphor about building. He makes this switch without using any connecting words, and he makes the switch within one sentence. Consider whether your language would include the introduction of a new topic at the end of the previous section or at the beginning of a new section, and put God’s building where it would be understood as introducing a new section. Include you are again if it would be necessary. Additionally, if your language would not begin a new section without using a connecting word or phrase, you could use such a word or phrase here. Alternate translation: [you are God’s field. In fact, you are also God’s building]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

Θεοῦ γεώργιον

˱of˲_God ˱of˲_God ˓the˒_field

Here Paul concludes the farming metaphor he began in [3:6](../03/06.md). He identifies the Corinthians as a field that is owned by God. It is in this field that those who proclaim the gospel “plant” and “water” the crop. By calling the Corinthians a God’s field, Paul means to say that they belong to God and that they are the people among whom those who proclaim the gospel labor. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [people who belong to God and among whom we work]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή

˱of˲_God ˱of˲_God ˱of˲_God ˓the˒_building

Here Paul introduces a new metaphor that compares the Corinthians to a building. This building belongs to God, and those who proclaim the gospel, including Paul, help to construct the building. He uses this metaphor and variations of it in [3:9–17](../03/09.md). Here, he calls the Corinthians God’s building, by which he means basically the same thing as when he calls them God’s field. They belong to God, and he and others who proclaim the gospel work among them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of this metaphor with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [people who belong to God and among whom we work]

Parallel 1 COR 3:9

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

Paragraph 3:5–9

3:9

3:9a

3:9b

3:9c

Parallel 1 COR 3:9