What I mean is that is literally “but I say this.” This phrase introduces in greater detail an explanation of what Paul has just said in verses 10-11. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this as “you know what I mean.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “I (will) explain myself.”

Each one of you is probably an exaggeration (see the comment on 1 Cor. 1.5). The Corinthian readers would have understood it in this way. If, however, readers of a modern translation are likely to understand such a phrase literally, translators should use an expression such as “you are saying many different things.”

There is a similar problem in John 2.10, where the Greek is just “everyone,” but Good News Bible correctly translates “Everyone else serves the best wine first….”

I belong to Paul: Good News Bible shows clearly that this clause means “Paul is my leader (or, teacher),” or “I follow Paul,” rather than “Paul owns me.”

Or “I belong to Christ”: this is the meaning given by all translations that we have consulted. Some commentaries think that here Paul is speaking in his own name. If so, the translation would be “but I belong to Christ.” However, the translation given by Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible is more likely, and Good News Bible‘s rendering “I follow” is more natural English. In the Gospels the words “follow Christ” literally mean “walking about with Jesus wherever he led his followers.” Pupils often did this with their teacher. So the word “follow” also has the wider meaning “acknowledge someone as teacher.” That is what Paul means here. These words could be translated, “I have Christ as my teacher” or “Christ is my teacher.” In the ancient world the relationship between a teacher and his followers was often closer and more personal than in a western school today. It was similar to the relationship between an Indian guru and his followers.

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 .