complete verse (1 Corinthians 12:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 12:25:

  • Uma: “So also we who believe in the Lord Yesus: we all are like parts of just one body, and we must take care of each other, so we won’t have any disagreements [same word used in 1:10].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “so that the different things in the body don’t oppose each other, but all help each other.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “God made the parts of our body so that their function might be only one, and by means of that, they might help each other.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “so that the parts of the body will not oppose-one-another but rather will harmoniously help-one-another.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He did this so that all the parts would be-just-one and would be harmonious, helping one another.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore now, the parts of a person’s body are not separated from each other, rather all the parts of the person’s body are each necessary.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:25

That there may be is probably closer to the meaning of the Greek than Good News Bible‘s “And so there is.” One can also say “in order that there may be.”

Some Greek manuscripts wrongly have “divisions” instead of “division” (Good News Bible), under the influence of 1.10 and 11.18, where the plural of the same Greek word occurs. Discord is probably a better translation in this context. It may be expanded to “be no quarreling among the members….”

The word translated care here has a positive meaning. The phrase may have the same care for one another may be rendered as “may exist for the good of all (parts)” or “may have love and concern for each other.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• God did this so that the parts of the body may not quarrel with each other, but that they should have the same care (or, concern) for each other.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Corinthians 12:25

12:25a so that there should be no division in the body,

in order that the body should not be divided/split up,
-or-

⌊God has done this⌋ so that the body ⌊parts⌋ will not divide/split ⌊into factions⌋.

12:25b but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.

but that its parts should care about one another equally.
-or-
Instead they will all help each other in the same way.

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