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The First Epistle to the Corinthians — Interlinear: Themes, Outlines & Translation Notes

A consolidated companion to the 1 Corinthians data set: every chapter of 1 Corinthians (1–16) rendered as a six-tier Greek reverse-interlinear (Greek · gloss · parsing/case · syntax · semantic force · lexical note), with per-verse discourse analysis and a chapter argument-outline.

This document gathers, in one place, the theme, the argument outline (the outline movements authored into each data file), and the translation / textual / exegetical notes (the text_note of each file, reproduced verbatim) for all sixteen chapters — followed by a cross-chapter summary of the major translation and interpretive cruxes that were deliberately annotated rather than silently resolved. It is part of the same project as the Romans, Ephesians, and Philippians volumes.

Scope

Chapter Verses Words annotated Outline movements
1 Corinthians 1 31 499 5
1 Corinthians 2 16 288 4
1 Corinthians 3 23 340 5
1 Corinthians 4 21 345 5
1 Corinthians 5 13 221 4
1 Corinthians 6 20 336 6
1 Corinthians 7 40 687 8
1 Corinthians 8 13 225 4
1 Corinthians 9 27 450 6
1 Corinthians 10 33 465 4
1 Corinthians 11 34 531 6
1 Corinthians 12 31 471 6
1 Corinthians 13 13 196 4
1 Corinthians 14 40 607 7
1 Corinthians 15 58 845 6
1 Corinthians 16 24 323 6
Total 437 6829 —

Each annotated word carries Greek, a working gloss, color-coded grammatical case, parsing (Tense·Voice·Mood·Person·Number + lemma), a Wallace-style syntactic-function label, an aspectual semantic-force label (verbal forms), and a condensed lexical note. The Greek follows the standard critical text (uniform across NA28 / SBLGNT / THGNT in its main wording, and itself an ancient public-domain text); the copyrighted NA28 apparatus is not reproduced.

The argument of the book

The macro-structure of the whole book — its major movements — under which the chapter-by-chapter detail below unfolds. (Section divisions are interpretive; the more common analysis is generally followed.)

Chapter-by-chapter

1 Corinthians 1 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Α′

Theme. The word of the cross as God's wisdom and power, over against worldly wisdom and party divisions.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 1, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.8 the antecedent of ὃς (Christ or God) is interpretive; at v.14 the editions divide over εὐχαριστῶ ('I thank', read here) versus the bare χάρις, and some witnesses omit τῷ θεῷ; at v.28 the connective καί before τὰ μὴ ὄντα is bracketed in some editions. The chapter has 31 verses; none is legitimately omitted by the critical text.

1 Corinthians 2 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Β′

Theme. God's secret wisdom, revealed by the Spirit and discerned spiritually, not by human eloquence.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 2, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.1 the editions divide between μυστήριον ('mystery', read here with NA28/THGNT) and μαρτύριον ('testimony'); at v.4 the precise wording of πειθοῖ[ς] σοφίας [λόγοις] is textually unstable, and the more widely printed text is followed. The OT citations at v.9 (echoing Isa 64:4; 65:17) and v.16 (Isa 40:13 LXX) are printed as continuous text. The syntactic, semantic-force, and discourse tiers are interpretive throughout; where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis is given.

1 Corinthians 3 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Γ′

Theme. God's field and temple; building on the one foundation, Christ; no boasting in leaders.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 3, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse and clause punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.1 the earliest text reads σαρκίνοις ('fleshly, made of flesh') rather than the later σαρκικοῖς; at v.3 σαρκικοί is read (with some witnesses adding 'and division'); at v.4 the better-attested οὐκ ἄνθρωποί ἐστε ('are you not merely human?') is followed over the later οὐχὶ σαρκικοί. The chapter has 23 verses; orthographic and minor word-order variants are not noted.

1 Corinthians 4 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Δ′

Theme. Apostles as stewards and a spectacle; a father's appeal against the Corinthians' arrogance.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 4, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse and clause punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.2 the better-attested ὧδε λοιπόν ('here, moreover') is read over the later ὃ δὲ λοιπόν; at v.6 μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται ('not beyond what is written') is read without the later-inserted φρονεῖν; at v.17 the order Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ is followed. The chapter has 21 verses; orthographic and minor word-order variants are not noted.

1 Corinthians 5 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Ε′

Theme. Judgment on the incestuous man; purge the old leaven — discipline within the church.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 5, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. The critical text reads ὅλως ('actually') in v.1 and prints the divine name as 'Lord Jesus' in v.4 (the longer reading 'our Lord Jesus Christ' is a known variant not reproduced here); in v.5 the object of destruction is 'the flesh' and the goal 'the day of the Lord' (the variant 'the Lord Jesus' is not reproduced). Where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis was chosen, and the lexical notes are condensed orientation rather than a substitute for a lexicon.

1 Corinthians 6 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Ϛ′

Theme. Lawsuits among believers, and the body bought for the Lord: flee sexual immorality.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 6, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation and paragraphing (including the rhetorical question marks) are editorial and conventional. In v.20 the critical text closes with ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν ('in your body'), without the later liturgical addition 'and in your spirit, which are God's'; that longer reading is a known variant not reproduced here. Where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis was chosen, and the lexical notes are condensed orientation rather than a substitute for a lexicon.

1 Corinthians 7 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Ζ′

Theme. Marriage, singleness, and remaining in one's calling before the Lord.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 7, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. At v.3 the critical text reads ὀφειλήν ('what is due') rather than the later εὐνοιαν ('benevolence'). At v.5 σχολάσητε ('you may devote yourselves') is read without the appended τῇ νηστείᾳ ('to fasting'), a later expansion. At v.34 the division of the clause (whether μεμέρισται belongs with v.33 or opens v.34) is interpretive; the punctuation followed groups it with the unmarried-vs-married contrast. The chapter has 40 verses, none of which the critical text omits.

1 Corinthians 8 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Η′

Theme. Food offered to idols: knowledge puffs up, but love builds up the weak conscience.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 8, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. All thirteen verses are present in the critical text; none is bracketed or omitted. At v.7 the better-attested reading is τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου ('by their habituation to the idol until now'), printed here, against the Byzantine τῇ συνειδήσει ('by their conscience'); at v.8 the order and particles of the two clauses (οὔτε … οὔτε) vary among witnesses but the sense is stable.

1 Corinthians 9 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Θ′

Theme. Paul's apostolic rights freely surrendered for the gospel; self-discipline for the prize.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 9, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing are editorial and conventional; the dense run of rhetorical questions in vv.1–13 is punctuated by interpretation. All twenty-seven verses are present in the critical text; none is bracketed or omitted. At v.1 the order of the first two questions ('Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?') is reversed in part of the tradition; the printed order follows the earliest witnesses. At v.9 the better-attested φιμώσεις ('you shall not muzzle') is printed against the Byzantine οὐ φιμώσεις/κημώσεις. At v.10 'in hope' (ἐπ' ἐλπίδι) is repeated in some witnesses; the shorter, well-attested wording is followed. At v.15 the anacoluthon 'than that anyone should make my boast void' (ἢ … οὐδεὶς κενώσει) is left as the harder, original reading rather than smoothed. At v.20 the clause 'though not myself under the law' (μὴ ὢν αὐτὸς ὑπὸ νόμον) is part of the earliest text. At v.21 'of God … of Christ' (θεοῦ … Χριστοῦ) is the well-attested genitive form, against the Byzantine datives. At v.22 the article before ἀσθενέσιν and the absence of ὡς in 'I became weak' vary; the well-attested reading is printed. At v.23 'all things' (πάντα) is read against the variant 'this' (τοῦτο).

1 Corinthians 10 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ Ι′

Theme. Israel's wilderness as warning; flee idolatry; the one table; do all to God's glory.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 10, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. All thirty-three verses are present in the critical text; none is bracketed or omitted. At v.9 the critical text reads τὸν Χριστόν ('Christ'), with the variants τὸν κύριον and τὸν θεόν attested; at v.20 the words ἃ θύουσιν are printed once with the better witnesses (the Byzantine tradition repeats θύει τὰ ἔθνη); v.28 reads ἱερόθυτον ('offered in sacrifice') with the early witnesses against the Byzantine εἰδωλόθυτον, and the closing clause of v.28 borrowed from Ps 24:1 (τοῦ κυρίου γὰρ ἡ γῆ …) is a later harmonizing addition omitted here.

1 Corinthians 11 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙΑ′

Theme. Head and headship; the Lord's Supper rightly examined and discerned.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 11, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. All thirty-four verses are present in the critical text; none is bracketed or omitted. A few places carry well-known variation not reproduced here: at v.24 the critical text reads τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ('which is for you'), the later witnesses adding κλώμενον ('broken'); at v.29 the critical text reads ὁ ... ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων (without ἀναξίως) and τὸ σῶμα (without τοῦ κυρίου), the Byzantine tradition expanding both. Verse 1 ('Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ') closes the argument of chapter 10 (10:23–11:1) and is printed here as the first verse of the chapter division while functioning as the hinge between the two units.

1 Corinthians 12 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙΒ′

Theme. The diversity of spiritual gifts and the unity of the one body with many members.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 12, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.3 the editions read λέγει 'Ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς' and 'Κύριος Ἰησοῦς'; the punctuation of the acclamations is editorial. At v.9 some witnesses read τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι and others τῷ ἑνὶ πνεύματι; the wording given follows the main critical text. At v.31 the editions are uniform in ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα (some witnesses τὰ κρείττονα); whether ζηλοῦτε is indicative or imperative is interpretive, and is taken here as imperative. The syntactic, semantic-force, and discourse tiers are interpretive throughout; where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis is given.

1 Corinthians 13 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙΓ′

Theme. The supremacy and permanence of love, the more excellent way.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 13, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.3 the editions divide between καυχήσωμαι ('that I may boast', read here with NA28/THGNT) and καυθήσομαι/καυθήσωμαι ('that I may be burned'), a famous one-letter variant; the better-attested reading is followed. At v.3 the participle is printed παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι. The chapter is a self-contained unit (the celebrated 'hymn to love'), framed by 12:31b and resumed at 14:1. The syntactic, semantic-force, and discourse tiers are interpretive throughout; where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis is given.

1 Corinthians 14 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙΔ′

Theme. Prophecy over tongues: intelligibility, edification, and order in worship.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 14, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization are editorial and conventional. At v.34 the manuscript tradition varies: a block of Western witnesses places vv.34–35 after v.40, and many scholars judge the verses (or their present position) text-critically uncertain; they are printed here in their traditional sequence, which is the placement of the great majority of witnesses (so NA28/THGNT/SBLGNT), without reproducing the apparatus. At v.38 the editions divide between ἀγνοεῖται ('he is not recognized', read here) and ἀγνοείτω ('let him be ignorant'). The OT citation at v.21 (Isa 28:11–12) is printed as continuous text. The syntactic, semantic-force, and discourse tiers are interpretive throughout; where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis is given.

1 Corinthians 15 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙΕ′

Theme. The resurrection of Christ and of the dead — the gospel's ground and the believer's hope.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 15, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. The chapter has 58 verses; none is omitted by the critical text. A few well-known variants (e.g. φορέσομεν / φορέσωμεν at v.49; the form of the Hosea citation at vv.54–55) are not annotated here.

1 Corinthians 16 — ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α′ ΙϚ′

Theme. The collection for the saints, travel plans, and closing greetings.

Outline.

Translation & textual notes. The Greek follows the standard critical text of 1 Corinthians 16, uniform in its main wording across the modern editions (NA28, SBLGNT, THGNT) and itself an ancient, public-domain text; NA28's distinctively copyrighted critical apparatus is not reproduced. Verse punctuation and paragraphing are editorial and conventional. The chapter has twenty-four verses; none is omitted in the critical text. Minor orthographic and itacistic variants (e.g. the spelling of proper names, εὐοδῶται / εὐοδωθῇ at v.2, the presence or absence of ἀμήν at v.24) are not noted.

Major translation & exegetical cruxes

Throughout the project, points where the Greek legitimately admits more than one rendering or reading were flagged in the lexical notes and chapter text_notes rather than decided silently. Where a choice had to be made for the running translation, the more common analysis was generally taken and the alternative noted. The principal cruxes in 1 Corinthians:

Reference Crux Discussion
7:1 'It is good for a man not to touch a woman' Whether the words are Paul's own counsel or a Corinthian slogan he is quoting and qualifying; punctuation (quotation marks) is interpretive and decides the sense of much of the chapter.
7:36–38 the παρθένος ('virgin') passage Whether Paul addresses a man and his betrothed, a father and his unmarried daughter, or a 'spiritual marriage' partnership; and whether γαμίζω means 'give in marriage' or simply 'marry.' Annotated, not resolved.
11:10 ἐξουσίαν … διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους — 'authority on her head, because of the angels' Both the sense of the woman's 'authority' (her own, or a sign of one over her) and the reference to 'the angels' are debated; rendered literally with the options noted.
11:24 τοῦτό μού ἐστιν τὸ σῶμα — 'this is my body' The dominical words of institution; their force ('is' as identity, representation, or presence) is doctrinally weighty and left to the reader.
13:3 καυχήσωμαι / καυθήσομαι — 'that I may boast' vs. 'to be burned' A one-letter manuscript split; the better-attested 'boast' (καυχήσωμαι) is printed, the famous 'be burned' noted.
14:34–35 the silence-of-women verses Their authenticity and placement are disputed — some witnesses move vv.34–35 after v.40; the verses are printed in place with the textual question flagged.
15:29 οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν — 'baptized for the dead' One of the NT's most obscure phrases; many explanations exist. Rendered literally, the interpretive crux noted rather than decided.
15:44 σῶμα ψυχικόν / σῶμα πνευματικόν — 'natural' vs. 'spiritual' body The contrast turns on ψυχικός/πνευματικός: a body animated by the soul versus one animated/transformed by the Spirit, not 'physical vs. immaterial.'
16:22 μαράνα θά — 'Our Lord, come!' An Aramaic liturgical cry transliterated into Greek; the word-division (maranā thā 'our Lord, come' vs. maran athā 'our Lord has come') is itself the crux.

Other recurring features noted in the lexical tier include the Corinthian slogans Paul quotes and qualifies ('all things are lawful,' 6:12; 10:23; 'we all have knowledge,' 8:1), the σοφία ('wisdom') word-group that drives chs. 1–4, the διαιρέσεις/χαρίσματα vocabulary of chs. 12–14, and the formulaic 'now concerning' (περὶ δέ) that marks Paul's replies to the Corinthians' letter (7:1, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12).

How the data set is organized

The interpretive tiers (syntactic function, semantic force, discourse structure, and the proposed argument outlines) are interpretive by nature; where readings legitimately differ, the more common analysis was generally chosen, and the lexical notes are condensed orientation rather than a substitute for a lexicon (e.g. BDAG) or a full commentary.