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1 Corinthians Chapter 12

1 Corinthians Chapter 12

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Spiritual Gifts

(Parallel teachings: Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11)

  • 1 Now brothers, I don’t want you to be unaware about spiritual things.
  • 2 You *know that when you were gentiles,fn“gentiles” is literal. Many translations translate it “pagans” here, and that’s a contextually defensible choice. you were being led to mute idolsfnquotation/allusion to Psalm 115:5,7; Psalm 135:16; Habakkuk 2:18-19 (also quoted/alluded to by Rev 9:20) as you were being led astray.
  • 3 Therefore, I declare to you that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says: “Jesus is anathemafn“anathema” this Greek word literally means to curse someone, specifically with a curse to devote them to God’s destruction. In the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) it was used of items placed under the divine ban for total destruction (e.g. Deuteronomy 7:26; Joshua 6:17-18). It can also carry the sense of being separated from the sphere of God’s blessing or from God Himself (e.g. Romans 9:3), and being abominable and/or detestable.“, and no one is able to say: “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
  • 4 Now, there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit.
  • 5 And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord.
  • 6 And there are varieties of effective workings but the same God, the One effectively working all things in all men.
  • 7 And to each man, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.
  • 8 For indeed, a word of wisdom is given to one man through the Spirit; but to another man, a word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
  • 9 to a different man, faith is given by the same Spirit; but to another man, gifts of healing by the one Spirit.
  • 10 And to another man, the effective working of miracles; and to another man, prophecy; and to another man, discernment of spirits; to a different man, various kindsfn“kinds” this Greek word typically refers to the offspring of a common ancestor, such as families, races, or nations.  In this context, it can also indicate “kinds” in a more general sense. of tongues; but to another man, the interpretation of tongues.
  • 11 But one and the same Spirit effectively works all these things, distributing to each individually just as He wills.
Many Parts, One Body

(Parallel teachings: Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16)

  • 12 For just as the body has many parts and is one body, and just as all the parts of the body are one body though being many parts, so also is the Anointed.
  • 13 For also we were all immersed into one body by one Spirit, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free.  And we were all given one Spirit to drink. CFParallel teachings: Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:13-18; Colossians 3:11
  • 14 For also, the body isn’t one part, but many.
  • 15 If the foot says: “Because I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body.” it doesn’t stop beingfn“it doesn’t stop being” is literally “it isn’t not” a part of the body because of this.
  • 16 And if the ear says: “Because I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body.” it doesn’t stop beingfn“it doesn’t stop being” is literally “it isn’t not” a part of the body because of this.
  • 17 If the whole body was an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body was an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
  • 18 But now, God placed the parts in the body – each one of them – just as He willed.
  • 19 But if all were one part, where would the body be?
  • 20 But now, there are indeed many parts, but only one body.
  • 21 And the eye isn’t able to say to the hand: “I don’t have need of you”.  Or again, the head isn’t able to say to the feet: “I don’t have need of you”.
  • 22 But rather,fn“rather” is literally “much rather” the parts of the body seeming to be weaker are essential.
  • 23 And parts of the body which we deem to be less honorable, we clothe these with far greater honor, and our indecent parts have far greater modesty.
  • 24 But our presentable parts have no need of that.  But God orchestratedfn“orchestrated”  The Greek word used here means to mix disparate elements together to produce a unified and harmonious whole. the body, having given far greater honor to the parts that lack honor,
  • 25 so that there might not be division in the body, but the parts might have the same concern for one another.
  • 26 And if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.  And if one part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.
  • 27 Now, you are the body of the Anointed and parts of the body individually.
  • 28 And to those in the church assembly, God indeed appointed emissaries initially,fn“initially” is more literally “first”, but not in the sense of importance or authority, since the Greek word used here only carries the sense of time, not primacy or authority. prophets second, teachers third, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administration,fn“administration” is literally “administrations”.  This Greek word properly refers to the pilot (though not the captain) of a sailing ship, who guides the ship under the captain’s direction.  This has the idea of directing day-to-day affairs to keep the ship on course; hence “administration”. and various kindsfn“kinds” see note on verse 10 of tongues.
  • 29 All aren’t emissaries, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t work miracles, do they?
  • 30 All don’t have gifts of healing, do they?  All don’t speak in tongues, do they?  All don’t interpret, do they?
  • 31 But zealously desire the greater gifts.  And further, I’m showing you an extraordinary way.

 

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