brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 14:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 14:20:

  • Uma: “Relatives! Don’t keep thinking like small children, your hearts must be clear like adults. But like small children don’t yet know to do evil behavior, so also I hope/expect you won’t do evil behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My brothers, don’t think like small children think. If it is about bad, you should be like newborn children because they don’t think bad things. But if it is about what I have said to you about the expertise from God, your thinking should be like the thinking of grown-ups.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s necessary, brethren, that your thinking about this be not like the thinking of children. The only activity of a child which is good to imitate is that they don’t know how to think about evil things. But your thinking about these things must be like the thinking of a grown person.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My brothers, the way you think about this shouldn’t be like children. Concerning evil admittedly, it’s good if you will become like children, but as concerns your thoughts, you should be thoughtful/reflective (mature doesn’t collocate with thoughts).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My siblings in believing, hopefully you will now change your mind/thinking concerning these thines. For your minds/thinking now/today are only like the mind/thinking of a child. Admittedly concerning wanting to do evil, you should be like infants who don’t yet have this-kind-of-thing in their mind/inner-being. But concerning understanding the will of God, it’s necessary that your mind/thinking be complete/mature.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, no longer do like children who have little thought. But it is good if you be like children who do not know much about evil, yes be like that. But now you are adults, so think well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:20

Brethren begins a new paragraph. It refers to “fellow Christians,” not actual family members. The connection with what precedes this word is not entirely clear, but Paul appears to mean that the Corinthian Christians were “immature” in giving too much importance to speaking in tongues. This first sentence may be rephrased as “Fellow Christians, do not think like children” or “… like immature people.”

The verb translated be babes is not related in form to children in the first part of the verse, but the meaning is the same. As elsewhere, Paul, a good writer, varies his language where possible. This sentence may be translated in some languages as “you must be innocent like babies in the ways of evil.”

The word for evil refers to general activity that is wrong or sinful, rather than to evil persons or things. The sentence be babes in evil may be rendered in some languages as “You must be innocent like children in the ways of evil” or “… in not knowing evil doings.”

Mature or “grown up” (Good News Bible) was translated “spiritually mature” (Good News Bible) in 2.6, and that is what mature means here. If verse 20b stood alone, it could be translated “become grown up…,” but this translation is not possible in verse 20a, so be mature is correct.

The whole verse may thus be translated: “My brothers, do not think in a spiritually immature way; you must be innocent like children, as far as evil is concerned, but think as people who are spiritually mature.”

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 .