Paul’s language here suggests that he is dealing with an actual case at Corinth. This impression is given more clearly here than in verse 36.

Firmly expresses the meaning of the Greek perfect tense of the verbal expression established in his heart, which refers to a state of being rather than to a single past event. The clause firmly established in his heart may be expressed as “has set his heart strongly.”

Being under no necessity uses the word that was translated “distress” in verse 26, but there is no suggestion in this verse of events in the “last days.” This phrase may also be rendered as “nobody is making him do it” or “without anything forcing (or, compelling) him.”

The clause having his desire under control may be rendered as “but if he is able to control his desires (or, will) completely….”

To keep her as his betrothed is literally “to go-on-keeping his own virgin,” certainly implying that she will stay unmarried and still a virgin.

He will do well translates a Greek text that requires expansion in many languages, including English. Well is the adverb that corresponds to the adjective “good” in 5.6, and “well” in 7.1 and 7.8. An expanded translation such as Good News Bible‘s “he does well not to marry the girl” will bring out the meaning clearly here.

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 .

If we consider Paul’s general theme in this chapter, the first part of this verse implies “It is not the fact I am preaching the gospel that in itself gives me the reason for boasting.” The rest of the verse then explains that to preach the gospel is an obligation, not a matter of free choice.

The first For may be expanded to “The truth is” or “Truly.”

For ground of boasting see comments on verse 15.

The clause For necessity is laid upon me may be rendered as “God has commanded me to do so.”

Is laid refers by implication to the action of God in calling Paul to be an apostle (see 1.1).

Woe to me is more than an interjection expressing sorrow; it refers implicitly to future judgment. In that case one can translate this as “How terrible it will be for me.” Paul does not use this expression elsewhere, but the translator may compare, for example, Matt 23.13-23; Luke 6.24-26; and Rev 18.10-19.

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 .

Most modern translations put quotation marks around the phrase All things are lawful to indicate that it was probably a saying used in Corinth. A similar saying was quoted in 6.12, with an additional word in the Greek that Revised Standard Version translates “for me.” The first sentence, then, may be translated as “There is a saying that says, ‘We…’ ” or “Some people say, ‘We…’ ” or “You say ‘We….’ ” Here “We” (Good News Bible) is implicit and may be added in translation to make the meaning clearer. The Greek does not explicitly refer to law, though this Greek word translated lawful is often used where Jewish rules and regulations are involved (see, for example, Mark 6.18; 10.2). The verb means “it is permitted” or “is proper.”

If we understand Paul to be quoting a current saying in Corinth, it may be necessary in translation to state by whom the saying is spoken. Good News Bible has the impersonal “they,” and Bible en français courant has “certain (people).” It is also possible to have “You say….” Such a translation can be justified by Paul’s use of an indirect imperative “Let no one” in verse 24, and a direct imperative “You are free to eat” in verse 25 (see the comments on these verses).

On not all things are helpful, see comments on 6.12.

The second half of the verse closely parallels the first. However, build up (Good News Bible “is helpful”) in this second half probably refers to the act of strengthening the Christian community as a whole. Paul uses here the common metaphor of constructing a building to mean adding strength to the common life of the church. Compare 8.1, 10 where the same word is used in a similar sense. So Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this as “but not everything helps the (Christian) community.”

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 .

In the same way: here, as in verse 24, attention is focused on the actions of Jesus rather than on the bread and wine themselves. Bruce comments: “as he had taken the bread and given thanks for it, so he took the cup and gave thanks for it.”

The in front of cup shows that Paul is referring to a particular cup, either the cup of wine drunk after the Passover meal, or the cup, well known to the readers, which formed part of their regular celebration of the Lord’s supper. Translators need to find a natural way in the receptor language to indicate this.

As in verse 20, supper should be translated in such a way as to make it clear that a real meal was in progress, both at the Last Supper itself, and in the Lord’s Supper as it was celebrated at Corinth and elsewhere.

The idea of the new covenant can best be understood in the light of Jer 31.31-34; the words in my blood recall Exo 24.8. New covenant is found also in Luke 22.20. The basic meaning of covenant is that of an agreement, normally between two parties. In the Old Testament the term covenant was specially used of the inevitably one-sided agreement by which God claimed Israel as his special people and gave himself to Israel as their God. In many languages there is no parallel to this idea apart from language based on the Bible. Good News Bible and some other common language translations try to bring out the meaning by adding “God’s,” but covenant is not used in modern secular English except in the sense of a financial arrangement. An American Translation and Phillips translate “agreement,” which has a somewhat wider range of meaning in English than covenant. Barclay translates “This cup stands for the new relationship with God made possible at the cost of my death.” Whatever expression the translator chooses, he or she must carefully examine its meaning in common language to avoid misunderstanding or lack of understanding by the readers of the translation. See A Translator’s Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews Appendix B, on “The Translation of ‘Covenant.’ ”

In my blood (Good News Bible‘s “sealed in…”): the Greek may mean “by means of” or “at the cost of my blood”; compare Bijbel in Gewone Taal “ratified by,” Bible en français courant “guaranteed by,” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente “established with,” Translator’s New Testament “made by my blood.” The grammar of this sentence is understood in different ways. The two most likely meanings are (1) to take my blood with This cup, meaning “if the cup is a cup of the covenant, it is because of my blood”; and (2) to take the phrase “sealed with my blood” (Good News Bible) with new covenant. Good News Bible and most translations and commentaries favor the second.

In verse 25b the words translated as often as you drink it may mean “as often as you drink wine” (Barrett), suggesting that bread, but not wine, was a normal article of diet. However, the context suggests rather “as often as you drink wine in celebrating the Lord’s Supper.” In many languages, including English, it is not natural to speak of drinking a cup. In such cases it will be necessary for reasons of style to translate “each time you drink wine from it,” that is, “from this cup,” as in verse 26. There is nothing in the Greek to suggest how often the Lord’s Supper was celebrated at Corinth.

The words Do this may be expanded to “You should do this.”

In remembrance: see comments on verse 24.

The final sentence can be translated as “Whenever you drink wine from this cup, you should do it in memory of me.”

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 .

Prophetic powers in most languages will need to be rendered as “have the ability to preach God’s message,” or “… to transmit messages received from God,” or “… to speak messages that God has given to me.” A word such as “preach” should probably be avoided as it gives the impression of modern day preaching from a pulpit.

The word translated mysteries (Good News Bible‘s “secrets”) is sometimes used by Paul to mean that part of Christian truth that can only be understood by mature believers (see comments on 2.1, 7); but here it may refer more generally to hidden truths. Knowledge should be translated in a way that relates the term to earlier use in the letter; see “Detailed Comment” at 1.5.

All faith, so as to remove mountains: the thought is similar to Mark 11.23; compare Matt 17.20; Luke 17.6; but the language is rather different. Good News Bible‘s translation “needed to” is probably better than so as to. The appositional construction in Good News Bible‘s “faith needed” can be expressed as “faith that is needed to” or “… strong enough to.” The whole sentence may be rendered as “If I have strong enough faith in God so that I can move mountains.”

To remove mountains may be rendered as “to cause mountains to move” or “to make mountains move.” In some languages it may be necessary to say “move to another place.”

The phrase I am nothing can be translated “I have no value at all.”

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 .

Law here refers more generally to “scripture,” since the quotation is almost certainly from Isa 28.11-12. The UBS Greek text notes a possible allusion to Deuteronomy 28.49, but this is more remote. “Scriptures” (Good News Bible) clearly refers to what Christians now call the Old Testament. Translators should avoid using the word Bible, as readers may think that the New Testament is included.

It is written: see comments on 1.19.

As in 1.19, Paul quotes a piece of Old Testament poetry in which the same thing is said twice in different words in successive lines. This is called “parallelism.” Revised Standard Version reproduces it, but Good News Bible shows that it is not necessary to reproduce it in languages that do not have this kind of poetry. The quotation in this verse does not correspond exactly either to the Hebrew or to the Septuagint and may be based on another Greek translation. Here as elsewhere, translators should avoid adapting the New Testament quotation to fit in with the Old Testament text. The meaning of the quotation is different from the thought in earlier verses. The Old Testament text means that Israel will not listen obediently to God, even when God sends an invader against them who speaks a foreign language. Paul appears to make the text mean that speaking with tongues is not intended for the believing community, but for those outside it. Even this appears to conflict with what Paul has said earlier. Perhaps his meaning is that the ability to understand speaking with tongues is a sign by which believers may be distinguished from unbelievers.

The words says the Lord are not part of the text in Isaiah. However, it seems more natural to suppose that Paul added this common Old Testament refrain, intending it to be read as part of the quotation, rather than that he used it in his own name. If this is correct, Lord probably means “God,” not “Christ.”

The first part of this verse can be restructured as
• “I will use men who speak strange languages to speak to my people, says the Lord.”

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 .

The clause But if there is no resurrection of the dead largely repeats the content of verse 12b. The form, however, is different. In verse 12 the “if” clause means “if, as is the case, Christ is preached as raised from the dead.” In verses 13, 14, 16, 17, and 19 Paul is speaking about what would happen if things were different, and all the “if” clauses in these verses mean “if…, which is not the case….” Throughout this passage Paul uses repetition to emphasize the different elements of his argument. Good News Bible translates this sentence as “If that is true” to avoid the repetition. This is good style in English, but each group of translators must decide whether in their language repetition of this kind adds emphasis or merely makes the sentence heavier.

No resurrection of the dead: see the comment on verse 12.

Then may be translated as “it means” (Good News Bible). This interpretation is implied by the fact that verse 13b follows logically from verse 13a: “If no one is raised from the dead, then Christ was not raised either.”

Christ has not been raised may be expressed in the active voice: “then God has not raised Christ from death either.”

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 .

This verse must be understood in reference to verse 45 and to the Old Testament text quoted there. In the immediate context Paul says that “God formed man of dust from the ground.” Good News Bible‘s “earth” is a more natural English translation.

Man: as verse 45 and verses 21-22 showed, Paul can use man in place of “Adam” (Good News Bible). Doubtless he was thinking of the Hebrew word that is the same for both man and “Adam.” However, a literal translation such as that of Revised Standard Version creates problems for the reader, since the second man more naturally refers to Cain than to Christ (see Gen 4.1). Good News Bible‘s “the second Adam,” meaning “the second type of man” or “the founder of a new human race,” brings out the sense. Second in this context means the same as “last” in verse 45.

In both halves of the verse, Good News Bible‘s “came” is implied. Paul is thinking of the origins of Adam and Christ, not of movement from a particular place.

After the second man many Greek manuscripts add “the Lord.” However, modern translations are based on the shorter text, which is that of the UBS Greek New Testament.

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 .