In verses 10 and 12 the foundation may refer to Paul’s first preaching about Christ rather than to Christ himself (2.1-2). But in this verse Paul is saying that Christ himself is the foundation. This verse may well be a nonfigurative aside that is inserted by Paul into a passage otherwise full of figurative language.

In this verse Paul’s thought moves from his elementary teaching about Christ to Christ himself. For may be understood as marking this change in his argument. Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible retain this word, though many translations such as Revised English Bible and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch omit it. Bible de Jérusalem uses “indeed,” and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “as for the foundation, no one can lay another….” “No one,” like “another” in verse 10, is grammatically masculine but refers to people generally.

Good News Bible reverses the order of Revised Standard Version to show that the second statement is a basis for the first. Is laid means “is already there,” “already in place,” permanently, not simply “the foundation I laid when I first came to Corinth.” The foundation in this sense cannot be laid twice in different places.

In languages that do not normally use a passive, one may restructure this verse as “For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation. So no one can lay any other foundation.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .