2 COR 12:12 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Indeed, I persevered to deliver missionary results among you all, as well as signs, wonders, and miracles.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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 Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with all endurance—both signs and wonders and miracles.

UST I persevered in acting in the ways that prove to you that I really am one whom the Messiah sent to represent him. I did powerful and amazing things.

BLB For the signs of the apostle were performed among you in all perseverance, and in signs, and wonders, and miracles.

AICNT Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, {by}[fn] signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

12:12, by: Later manuscripts read “in.” BYZ TR

OEB The marks of the true apostle were exhibited among you in constant endurance, as well as by signs, by marvels, and by miracles.

WEBBE Truly the signs of an apostle were worked amongst you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

WMBB Truly the signs of an emissary were worked amongst you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

NET Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance by signs and wonders and powerful deeds.

LSV The signs, indeed, of the apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,

FBV Yet the marks of an apostle were patiently demonstrated among you—signs, wonders, and powerful miracles.

TCNT The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with great perseverance, with signs, wonders, and miracles.

T4T You should have done that, because when I was with you I repeatedly did the things that showed you that I am truly an apostle, such as performing many [DOU] miracles.

LEB Indeed, the signs of an apostle have been done among you with all patient endurance, both signs and wonders and deeds of power.

BBE Truly the signs of an Apostle were done among you in quiet strength, with wonders and acts of power.

Moff You had all the miracles that mark an apostle done for you fully and patiently--miracles, wonders, and deeds of power.

Wymth The signs that characterize the true Apostle have been done among you, accompanied by unwearied fortitude, and by tokens and marvels and displays of power.

ASV Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.

DRA Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

YLT The signs, indeed, of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,

Drby The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance, signs, and wonders, and works of power.

RV Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.
(Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought/done among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works. )

SLT Surely the signs of one sent was wrought in you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and powers.

Wbstr Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

KJB-1769 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
(Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought/done among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. )

KJB-1611 Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signes and wonders, and mightie deeds.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you, in all patience, and signes, and wonders, and myghtie deedes.
(Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought/done among you, in all patience, and signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.)

Gnva The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you with all patience, with signes, and wonders, and great workes.
(The signs of an Apostle were wrought/done among you with all patience, with signs, and wonders, and great works. )

Cvdl yet are ye tokens of an Apostle wrought amoge you, with all paciece, with signes, & with woders & with mightie dedes.
(yet are ye/you_all tokens of an Apostle wrought/done among you, with all paciece, with signs, and with wonders and with mighty deeds.)

TNT yet the tokens of an apostle were wrought amonge you with all pacience: with signes and wonders and myghty dedes.
(yet the tokens of an apostle were wrought/done among you with all patience: with signs and wonders and mighty deeds. )

Wycl Thouy Y am nouyt, netheles the signes of myn apostilhed ben maad on you, in al pacience, and signes, and grete wondris, and vertues.
(Though I am naught/nothing, nevertheless the signs of mine apostilhed been made on you, in all patience, and signs, and great wonders, and virtues.)

Luth Denn es sind ja eines Apostels Zeichen unter euch geschehen mit aller Geduld; mit Zeichen und mit Wundern und mit Taten.
(Because it are ya one/a apostless sign under you happen with all Geduld; with sign and with miracle/wonder and with actions.)

ClVg signa tamen apostolatus mei facta sunt super vos in omni patientia, in signis, et prodigiis, et virtutibus.[fn]
(signs nevertheless apostolatus my/mine facts are over you(pl) in/into/on all patience/endurance, in/into/on signs, and prodigiis, and virtues. )

12.12 In omni patientia. Patientiam primam memorat, quæ ad mores pertinet: quia diu illos portavit, quasi impatientes ægros, ut adhibita potestate signorum, quasi medicina curaret vulnera eorum. Et virtutibus. Virtus est genus signorum et prodigiorum, id est omne miraculum. Signum, quod in quocunque tempore aliquid significat, et est prodigii genus. Prodigium quod in futuro. Vel signum et prodigium in his quæ contra naturam, virtus in his quæ non contra naturam, ut per impositionem manus et orationem a morbo liberare.

12.12 In all patience/endurance. Patientiam the_first memorat, which to mores belongs: because long_time those carried, as_if impatientes sick, as adhibita power sign/seal(v)rum, as_if medicina to_take_care_oft vulnera their. And virtues. Virtue it_is kind/class sign/seal(v)rum and prodigiorum, that it_is everything miracle. Signum, that in/into/on wherever at_the_time something means, and it_is prodigii kind/class. Prodigium that in/into/on future. Or sign/signal and prodigium in/into/on his which on_the_contrary nature, virtue in/into/on his which not/no on_the_contrary nature, as through imposition hands and speech from morbo to_free.

UGNT τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ— σημείοις τε, καὶ τέρασιν, καὶ δυνάμεσιν.
(ta men saʸmeia tou apostolou kateirgasthaʸ en humin en pasaʸ hupomonaʸ— saʸmeiois te, kai terasin, kai dunamesin.)

SBL-GNT τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ⸀ὑπομονῇ, σημείοις ⸀τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ δυνάμεσιν.
(ta men saʸmeia tou apostolou kateirgasthaʸ en humin en pasaʸ ⸀hupomonaʸ, saʸmeiois ⸀te kai terasin kai dunamesin.)

RP-GNT Τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ, ἐν σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν καὶ δυνάμεσιν.
(Ta men saʸmeia tou apostolou kateirgasthaʸ en humin en pasaʸ hupomonaʸ, en saʸmeiois kai terasin kai dunamesin.)

TC-GNT Τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ, [fn]ἐν σημείοις καὶ τέρασι καὶ δυνάμεσι.
(Ta men saʸmeia tou apostolou kateirgasthaʸ en humin en pasaʸ hupomonaʸ, en saʸmeiois kai terasi kai dunamesi. )

12:12 εν σημειοις 91.2% ¦ σημειοις τε NA SBL WH 4.5% ¦ σημειοις TH 2.3%

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:11–21: Proof that Paul was an apostle and his concern for the believers

In this section, the attitude of some believers in Corinth forced Paul to act foolishly and boast (12:11a). Paul knew he deserved praise from them and was better than the false teachers even though humanly speaking he deserved nothing (12:11b–d). Paul reminded the believers of all that he had done among them that proved he was an apostle (12:12). He asked them if they were angry at him with a rhetorical question and, using irony, told them that they should not be angry (12:13).

He told them that he would continue to avoid accepting their money for his support and explained why (12:14). He told them of his great love for them (12:15).

Using irony, Paul told them that he had not deceived them (12:16) and that his colleagues had not exploited them either (12:17–18). He explained that he had not been defending himself, but rather he was teaching them to be strong in their faith (12:19). He told them of some of his fears about them (12:20–21).

Other examples for this section heading are:

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church (NRSV)

Paul loved the believers in Corinth

Paul reminded the believers in Corinth about his deeds and explained his worry for them

Paul defended his apostleship and spoke about his concern for the believers

12:12a–c

The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance: The list signs, wonders, and miracles appears at the end of the verse in the Greek. For example:

The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works. (NRSV)

In some languages it is more natural to have the list at the end of the sentence, rather than interrupting the sentence as the BSB does.

12:12a–b

The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles: There are several ways to interpret the connection of these two phrases. Two of the main ones are:

The signs, wonders, and miracles are examples of The true marks of an apostle. For example:
the things that prove I am an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles (NCV) (BSB, NIV, GNT, NJB, NRSV, NABRE, NLT, GW, CEV, NCV)
The signs, wonders, and miracles are the means of making The true marks of an apostle evident. They are not The true marks of an apostle. For example:
The signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance by signs and wonders and powerful deeds (NASB) (NASB, NET, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Thrall (p. 837) says “he has produced the recognised signs of apostleship.” Bruce (p. 250) seems to equate “the signs of a true apostle” with “signs and wonders and mighty works.” Hodge (pp. 291–292) says the “signs, wonders, and mighty deeds…are different designations for the same thing” (referring to the “signs of an apostle”).

12:12a

The true marks of an apostle—

Truly/Indeed, the deeds that indicate someone is an apostle,
The characteristic acts of an apostle

12:12a begins with the Greek conjunction that probably means “indeed” here. It emphasizes that Paul did things that apostles do and the believers saw them. Some ways to translate this conjunction are:

Truly (KJV)

certainly (NLT)

Indeed (NET)

In some languages it is more natural to omit the conjunction.

The true marks of an apostle: This phrase refers to deeds that show a person is a true apostle of Jesus. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

The signs of a true apostle (RSV)

the things that prove I am an apostle (NCV)

The characteristic acts of an apostle

In some languages it is more natural to put the list “signs, wonders, and miracles” before the phrase true marks of an apostle. For example:

the signs, wonders, and miracles that mark an apostle’s life/ministry

the signs, wonders, and miracles which prove that I’m an apostle (GW)

12:12b

signs, wonders, and miracles—

for example, miraculous signs, marvels, and miracles,
are things such as deeds/miracles of showing that someone is an apostle, miracles of awe, and miracles of power.

signs, wonders, and miracles: This list includes examples of the things that mark an apostle. It is not a complete list, because Paul lists other examples in other verses. You may want to indicate in your translation that this list offers some (but not all) examples of the things that mark an apostle. For example:

such as signs, wonders, and miracles

for example, signs, wonders, and miracles

signs: The word signs refers to unusual events that people regard as having special meaning. A sign suggests or points to a meaning other than its own. Here the word probably refers to miracles that clearly indicated that Paul was an apostle of Jesus. Other ways to translate this word are:

miraculous signs

miracles of proof

wonders: This word refers to miracles that amaze people. Other ways to translate this word are:

marvels (NJB)

miracles of awe

awesome miracles

miracles: The Greek word that the BSB translates here as miracles is literally “powers.” A miracle is an action that requires great power to accomplish. When a human being does a miracle, he must use greater power than human beings normally have. Paul used God’s power to do miracles, and these miracles demonstrated that God was working through him. Other ways to translate this word are:

mighty works

amazing acts done with/by God’s power

wonderful actions that only God can empower

supernatural deeds

12:12c

were performed among you with great perseverance.

were done with patient endurance when I was with you^(plur).
God did those things among you through me as I was very patient with you.

were performed: The clause “things…were performed” is passive. Paul probably implied that God performed the signs, wonders, and miracles. He did them through Paul. But Paul may be humbly referring to himself by using the passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

God did through me

I did

among you: God (through Paul) did the signs, wonders, and miracles so that the believers in Corinth saw them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

When I was with you (CEV)

You saw

perseverance: This word refers to continuing to follow God even though there are hardships or opposition. The attitude of patience is included in the meaning. Other ways to translate this word are:

patient endurance

patiently (NLT)

See how you translated this Greek word in 1:6 (where the BSB translates it as “patient endurance”) or 6:4 (where the BSB translates it as “endurance”).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

μὲν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τά μέν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ σημείοις τέ καί τέρασιν καί δυνάμεσιν)

Here, the word translated Indeed could: (1) connect this sentence to the previous claim that Paul is equal to the “super-apostles.” You could use a word or phrase that links two statements, or you could leave Indeed untranslated. Alternate translation: [In fact] (2) introduce the first part of a contrast. In this case, Paul does not directly state the second half of the contrast. He would be implying that they did not pay attention to these signs. Alternate translation: [Although you did not pay attention to them]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὰ & σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου

Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe signs that prove that someone is an apostle. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the signs that show that someone is an apostle] or [signs that go along with true apostles]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὰ & σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, Paul could be implying that: (1) he performed the signs. Alternate translation: [I performed the signs of an apostle] (2) God performed the signs through him. Alternate translation: [God performed the signs of an apostle through me]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ

among in all endurance

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of endurance, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [consistently] or [without ceasing]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑπομονῇ— σημείοις τε, καὶ τέρασιν, καὶ δυνάμεσιν

endurance ˱in˲_signs (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τά μέν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ σημείοις τέ καί τέρασιν καί δυνάμεσιν)

Here, the list, both signs and wonders and miracles, could be: (1) examples of what the signs of an apostle were. Alternate translation: [endurance, which included both signs and wonders and miracles] (2) the ways in which Paul demonstrated the signs of an apostle. Alternate translation: [endurance, shown through signs and wonders and miracles] or [endurance with both signs and wonders and miracles]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

σημείοις τε, καὶ τέρασιν, καὶ δυνάμεσιν

˱in˲_signs (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τά μέν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ σημείοις τέ καί τέρασιν καί δυνάμεσιν)

Here Paul uses three similar words to describe supernatural acts that God empowered Paul to do. The word signs emphasizes that these acts reveal something; the word wonders emphasizes that these acts are amazing or unusual; the word miracles emphasizes that these acts are powerful. Paul uses these three words to show that he performed various acts that showed that he was an apostle. If your language does not have different words that emphasize these three aspects of the supernatural acts, you could combine two or all three of these words into one word or phrase and emphasize the variety in another way. Alternate translation: [many and various miracles] or [both many signs and various miracles]