2 COR 11:8 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, 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 In fact, I received money from other groups of believers. I accepted their money so that I could serve you.

AICNT I robbed other churches by taking support from them for your service,

OEB I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!

WEBBE I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!

LSV I robbed other assemblies, having taken wages, for your ministry;

FBV I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.

TCNT I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve you!

T4T Some people might say that it was as though [IRO] I was robbing other congregations because I accepted money from them in order that I might work among you.

LEB I robbed other churches by[fn] accepting support from them for the ministry to you.

11:8 *Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“accepting”) which is understood as means

BBE I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;

Moff I made a levy on other churches, I took pay from them so as to minister to you;

Wymth Other Churches I robbed, receiving pay from them in order to do you service.

ASV I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

DRA I have taken from other churches, receiving wages of them for your ministry.

YLT other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

Drby I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

RV I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

SLT I stripped other churches, having received pay, for your service.

Wbstr I robbed other churches, taking wages of them , to do you service.

KJB-1769 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

KJB-1611 I robbed other Churches, taking wages of them to doe you seruice.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps I robbed other Churches, takyng wages of them, to do you seruice.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Gnva I robbed other Churches, and tooke wages of them to doe you seruice.
(I robbed other Churches, and took wages of them to do you service. )

Cvdl and robbed other cogregacions, and toke wages of the, to preach vnto you.
(and robbed other congregations, and took wages of them, to preach unto you.)

TNT I robbed other congregacions and toke wages of the to do you service with all.
(I robbed other congregations and took wages of the to do you service with all. )

Wycl Y made nakid othere chirchis, and Y took sowde to youre seruyce.
(I made naked other churches, and I took sowde to your(pl) service.)

Luth und habe andere Gemeinden beraubet und Sold von ihnen genommen, daß ich euch predigte.
(and have other/different communities robbed and Sold from to_them taken, that I you preached.)

ClVg Alias ecclesias expoliavi, accipiens stipendium ad ministerium vestrum.
(Alias assemblies/churches expoliavi, accepting stipendium to ministry of_you. )

UGNT ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα, λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν;
(allas ekklaʸsias esulaʸsa, labōn opsōnion pros taʸn humōn diakonian;)

SBL-GNT ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν,
(allas ekklaʸsias esulaʸsa labōn opsōnion pros taʸn humōn diakonian,)

RP-GNT Ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα, λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν·
(Allas ekklaʸsias esulaʸsa, labōn opsōnion pros taʸn humōn diakonian;)

TC-GNT Ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα, λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν·
(Allas ekklaʸsias esulaʸsa, labōn opsōnion pros taʸn humōn diakonian; )

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:1–15: Paul spoke against the false teachers

In 11:1, Paul prepared his readers for what he would say in 11:7–10 and 11:16. He described the way he would speak as “foolishness.” Paul used the term “foolishness” here in a special way. In this chapter Paul said he was “foolish” because he praised himself for his own good character, attitudes, and actions. He called this praise “foolish” especially because he had just said in 10:17–18 that believers should not praise themselves.

Paul was very concerned for the believers in Corinth, like a father wanting his daughter to be faithful to the man whom she would marry one day (11:2). In the same way he worried that the false teachers might have led the believers away from following Jesus (11:3–4).

Since the false teachers had deceived some of the believers in Corinth, Paul had to defend himself to the believers (11:5–6). The false teachers had praised themselves and some of the believers had believed them, so Paul had to praise himself. He reminded them that he had not allowed them to support him. He wanted them to know that he was serving them because he truly loved them and wanted to help them, unlike the false teachers.

In Greek culture, a teacher expected those whom he taught to support him. It was an honor to support a well-known teacher. But Paul had not let the believers in Corinth support him. Using irony, Paul asked them if they were upset about his not letting them support him (11:7). Using irony again, he told them that churches in other cities had supported him while he lived in Corinth so that he could serve them full time (11:8–9). But the false teachers probably did the culturally expected thing and accepted money from the believers. Paul explained that he loved the believers in Corinth and therefore had not accepted their money (11:10–11). This example of love showed that the false teachers were not equals with Paul as apostles (11:12). He described the false teachers as claiming to be apostles while actually following Satan (11:13–15).

Other examples for this section heading are:

Paul Contrasts Himself With False Apostles (GW)

Paul and His Opponents (NET)

11:8

I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.

I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. (NLT)
I received money from other churches so I could help you more of the time. Do not call that robbery!
It was certainly not wrong when other churches gave money to me so I could minister to you more!

I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you: Paul used irony here. He wrote as if he had stolen money from other churches. But actually the other churches had given money to Paul willingly. He had accepted this money so that he could spend more time preaching and teaching in Corinth rather than working to earn money.

Paul probably used irony here to show the believers that it was proper for him to preach free of charge in Corinth (11:7b). He did not accept their money, so they did not have the honor of supporting him. In that way some people may have claimed he robbed the believers in the other churches. If possible, show the irony clearly. For example:

I was robbing other churches, taking wages from them in order to work for you (NJB)

It was an act of robbery when I received support from other churches so as to serve you

While I was working among you, I was paid by other churches. I was robbing them, so to speak, in order to help you (GNT)

I became like a thief, taking money from other churches in order to serve you

In some languages the irony must be explained in your translation to indicate the correct meaning. Your translation should indicate that Paul was trying to correct their wrong attitude. For example:

I accepted contributions from other churches so I could serve you at no cost. Do not call that robbery!

I received support from other churches so as to serve you. You should not say that doing so is wrong!

It was certainly not wrong when I received support from other churches so as to serve you!

churches: Here the Greek word that the BSB translates as churches refers generally to more than one gathering of people. Here, as almost always in the New Testament, it refers to groups of believers. See how you translated this word in 1:1 or 8:18.

support: This word refers to money that the other churches gave to Paul so that he could pay for his needs. Other ways to translate this word are:

contributions (NLT)

money (CEV)

serve: This word refers to the work of helping or caring for others. Here the word refers to Paul preaching, teaching, and helping them to believe well in Jesus. For example:

help (GNT)

minister to (JBP)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλᾶς ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβών ὀψώνιον πρός τήν ὑμῶν διακονίαν)

Here Paul refers to receiving money from other churches to support himself as he served the Corinthians as if it were robbery. He means that he received money from these churches and did not give them anything in return, which some people would consider robbery. He uses this strong language to indicate how much he and the other churches sacrificed to help the Corinthians. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that clearly indicates that Paul is speaking from another person’s perspective and overstating what he means. Alternate translation: [It was as if I robbed other churches] or [Some might say that I robbed other churches]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλᾶς ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβών ὀψώνιον πρός τήν ὑμῶν διακονίαν)

Here Paul implies that the other churches paid him a wage, but so that he could serve the Corinthians, not them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [having accepted a wage from them but used it for the ministry to you]

Parallel 2 COR 11:8

Section 11:1–15: Paul spoke against the false teachers

11:8

Parallel 2 COR 11:8