The word For at the beginning of this sentence indicates that Paul is about to develop the theme which he has just announced, namely, that of the father-children relationship with his readers. The words For though introduce a condition which is not met: the readers do have guides or “guardians” (Good News Bible) such as Apollos, but not “ten thousand” of them as in Good News Bible. The translator should either put in the equivalent of Revised Standard Version‘s countless here or any large round number which gives the same meaning.
The Greek word for guides or “guardians” (Good News Bible) is difficult to translate, because in modern societies there is no one who fulfills the same function as that of a “guardian” in ancient Greek and Roman society. A guardian was a slave who accompanied a child to school. In Gal 3.24-25 Paul uses this same Greek word in comparing the Old Testament Law to a “guardian,” but in this verse he is referring to other evangelists who came after him (see 3.6). The Law in Gal 3.24 is a guardian “to Christ.” Here in this verse the other evangelists are guardians in Christ, that is, for those who are already Christians. Here, the metaphor of a “guardian” is appropriate because it has to do with children by implication. It is obvious that Paul considers the readers to be like children, not yet mature Christians (see 3.1-2).
In Christ is the same Greek expression in both appearances in this verse. Good News Bible translates it as “in your Christian life” in the first instance and “in your life in union with Christ” in the second, but the meaning is much the same. Bible en français courant keeps the same meaning in the second place: “as far as your life in Jesus Christ is concerned, it is I who became your father by bringing you the Good News.” Paul adds the phrases in Christ Jesus and through the gospel to help the readers to understand the bold claim I became your father.
A positive English rendering of Revised Standard Version‘s you do not have many fathers is Good News Bible‘s translation, “you have only one father.” Either way of expressing this is natural in English. Translators need to find the most natural way in their languages to render this clause.
If the literal rendering of the clause I became your father gives the impression in the translator’s language that there was a “spiritual mother” in Corinth too, it would be better to say, for example, “I became like a father to you.”
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 .