inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Cor. 4:6)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form, only referring to Paul.

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” (in the sense of a fellow believer), 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 Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

See also brothers.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 4:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 4:6:

  • Uma: “Relatives, what I have said concerns [lit., hits] myself and Apolos. The two of us (excl.) I have taken-as-examples, in order to teach you to follow the commands that are written and not to honor your leaders beyond what is appropriate. My purpose is that none of you will be proud and say: ‘I, I follow so-and-so, you just follow so-and-so.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My brothers, I have mentioned Apollos and myself so that you take us (excl.) as an example and that you learn the meaning of this that says, ‘Don’t go beyond what is written in the holy-book.’ It is not good if you honor/make great one and criticize/put down another.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Brethren, in all of this that I’ve said, I have used Apollos and myself as examples, so that you might be taught what is the proper thing to do according to what the word of God teaches. And what teaches is: you must stop making more important the teaching of any one of us, because as for us who teach, none of us is higher than the others because we are all the same.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Brothers, in all these-things that I have said, Apollos and I are the ones I have used as illustrations from-which-you -can-learn so that you will not break the written advice. Because if you follow that correctly, you won’t be proud (lit. make-high your bodies) saying that you have the right to boast-about one and look-down-on/ridicule another (lit. one).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My siblings in believing, for your benefit I have used Apolos and myself as examples, so that you would understand by our following/obedience that it’s necessary to not go-beyond what is written in the word of God. Nobody among you should boast of any one teacher and belittle another.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, understand well this word I tell you about me and Apollos. I tell you this word which I make comparisons with in order that you may know that you should not do more than what word is written in the Holy Book, in that you should not elevate your teachers. And now, concerning all the teachers, all are of value. You should not say some are higher than others.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 4:6

On the word brethren see the discussion in the introduction to this section. Paul does not specify here, as he did in 3.10-17, whether he is speaking to all the Corinthian Christians or only some of them. None of you may suggest the first.

Although all this clearly refers to something mentioned previously, commentators are not sure to what all this refers. Many translations and commentators think it refers to the figurative language about planting and building in 3.5-17. If so, Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible are right to translate applied (so Fee), though the Greek does not have this meaning elsewhere in the New Testament. In Philippians 3.21, the only other place in the New Testament where the active voice of the verb metaschēmatizō is used, it means “change (the form of)”; in 2 Corinthians 11.13-15 the middle voice is used with the meaning “disguise.” Barrett translates: “I have … made these things seem to apply to Apollos and myself…,” the thought being “In all that I have said up to now, it may seem that I have been talking only about Apollos and myself; but what I have said can be applied more widely, namely to you readers.” This would make good sense of the phrase for your benefit, which is emphatic in Greek because it comes at the end of a clause. Another suggested translation which is closer in meaning to Good News Bible is “I have applied these figures of speech (referring to those used in chapter 3) to myself and Apollos…” (so generally Fee). Good News Bible produces this same effect by putting the phrase at the beginning of the verse.

Good News Bible‘s rendering “using the two of us as an example” brings out the full meaning of a phrase which literally means “in (or, by) us.” The translation of “the two of us” does not add anything to the meaning, since the preceding words show that at this point Paul is speaking of Paul and Apollos alone.

Good News Bible‘s construction “… me, using” will be difficult to translate in many languages. In such cases one may begin a new sentence after “me”; for example, “… me. I have used….”

The next few words are so difficult to understand that some scholars have thought that they were not part of the original text. However, there is no manuscript evidence to back up their claim. These words are also not Paul’s normal style, but it seems likely that he is quoting a current saying, as Good News Bible indicates. The article in the Greek before the phrase “Not above (or, beyond) the things that are written” suggests that this phrase is such a quotation.

What is written renders a Greek phrase which may be translated literally as “the things that are written” (see 1.19). Paul may be thinking especially about parts of scripture he has already quoted in this letter. On the other hand he may be speaking generally, as Good News Bible‘s “the proper rules” suggests. Other possible translations are “I wanted you to learn from our example what the proverb, ‘Remain within the limits fixed by what is written,’ means” (Bible en français courant); “… what the principle, ‘Not beyond the measure which God has set,’ means” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch); “the true meaning of ‘Nothing beyond what stands written’ ” (Revised English Bible); “the meaning of the saying, ‘Nothing beyond what is written’ ” (New Revised Standard Version; similarly New International Version, Fee). Others leave out any reference to what is written and say “Learn not to go beyond certain limits” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente); “learn to ‘keep within the rules,’ as they say” (New English Bible); or more specifically, “Keep close to Scripture” (Translator’s New Testament).

The last part of the sentence none of you may be puffed up … may be linked either with the beginning of the verse (“I have applied this … so that no one may be puffed up”) or with the middle (“so that you may learn … [and] so that no one may be puffed up”). The middle section of this verse seems to be a general statement which the last part of the verse develops and applies to the readers. Revised Standard Version follows this ordering. Good News Bible, though, puts the phrase none of you may be puffed up into a separate sentence.

The Greek verb translated puffed up refers basically to pride. It may also be rendered as “proud,” “have a high heart (or, liver),” or “consider oneself to be important.” This verb is also used in verses 18-19; 5.2; 8.1; 13.5, but appears nowhere else in the New Testament except in Col 2.18. It seems to have been a special temptation of the Corinthians, rather like the “boasting” of 1.29, 31; 3.21; 4.7; 13.4. But in this verse it has the added element of self-deception (compare 3.18). Paul seems to be thinking at this point about two things: (1) the inflated idea which the Corinthian Christians, or some of them, had of themselves, and (2) their attachment to one leader over against another (so Barrett, Fee). The two matters were probably connected: people were proud of a party leader, and at the same time were proud of themselves. The language, though, is not clear at this point. In translation it is probably best to concentrate on (2), which fits the immediate context more closely. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “Do not become enthusiastic about one person by undervaluing another”; Bible en français courant “None of you must become proud by taking sides for one man against another.” There have been attempts to combine (1) and (2) in translation, but these have been usually clumsy; for example, “puffed up with rivalry” (Moffatt). The meaning in this verse is not simply that the Corinthian Christians value one leader more than another, but that they praise one leader in order to attack another.

The Greek for none of you and another is literally “the one” and “the other,” but this does not mean that only two people are involved. It is referring to all those in the Corinthian church who were guilty of pride.

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 .