FOOTNOTES:

^a Or “I don’t want you not to know”

^b The word adelphos, literally means ‘brother’ or ‘sibling.’ It was also frequently used to refer to ‘cousin’ or ‘relative,’ and even for members of the same ideological or ethnic group. With Jesus’ insistence on a radically inclusive understanding of God’s instruction, it is always pushing further than what already seems to be the most wide-sweeping view people hold. In the New Testament letters, it comes to be used of anyone who has joined the Christ community, regardless of gender.

^c Reference to Exodus 14:19-20

^d Reference to Exodus 14:13-22.

^e Traditionally, ‘baptism.’ The act of ritual submersion was an affirmation of a sacred calling, a preparation for sacred purposes. In English, most translations have simply taken the Greek word baptizo and put it in English letters: ‘baptize.’ The historical reason for this was that the first translators of the Bible into English practiced infant baptism, which is done by sprinkling water over the infant, and the Greek word literally means ‘dip,’ so it didn’t fit with their doctrine and practice. Other languages don’t do the same thing, so in Dutch, for example, John the Baptizer is known as ‘John the Dipper.’

^f Reference to Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13

^g The translation of Tauta de typoi hēmōn egenēthēsan as "These things became examples for us" highlights the verb egenēthēsan (aorist form of ginomai, "to become"). Unlike alternative renderings such as "happened" or "occurred," this choice preserves the nuance of transformation inherent in ginomai. The events described did not take place in order to be come examples; they actively took on the character of examples after the fact, shaping understanding and moral insight for Paul's audience as a byproduct of their occurrence, not the purpose of it. This distinction is significant, as it would be inconsistent with the value of human life to suggest that entire people groups were forced to endure suffering and death merely to serve as teaching illustrations for future generations. Instead, the events are understood as becoming examples through reflection and interpretation within the context of sacred history.

^h Traditionally, ‘evil.’ The word kakos does not have to do with being ‘bad’ in the sense of breaking the rules or being noncompliant to an authority figure. It has to do with causing harm to others, often with a sense of malice or hostility.

ⁱ As in English, the word paizo can literally be used for children playing, or it can mean to make music or dance to music. It can mean to play games or sports. It can also be used euphemistically for sex. It had a wide range of uses as the English does. The context is a reference to creating and worshiping the golden calf in Exodus 32.

^j Quotation of Exodus 32:6

^k Traditionally, ‘indulge in sexual immorality.’ In literature outside of Jewish and Christian writings, it was used exclusively for commercial sex trade. Porneuo shares a root with perneimi, which means ‘to sell.’ Porne is the word for a female sex worker, which in the cultural context would always have been someone exploited and failed by the patriarchal society. Jewish and Christian writers seem to expand the meaning to refer to approaches to sex that objectify and exploit people in a variety of ways.

^l Meaning ‘died’

^m Reference to Numbers 25:1-9

ⁿ Reference to Numbers 21:5-9

^o Reference to Numbers 16:41-50

^p Literally, ‘happened together,’ indicating that they were paired or ‘coincided’ or ‘converged.’

^q Or ‘has stood firm’ or ‘has stood up’

^r This sentence is awkward with to translate literally. It would read “A trial has not taken hold of you except human.” ‘Human’ here is the adjective, a human experience or human behavior.

^s Or ‘trustworthy’

^t The shift here from the traditional ‘let you’ to ‘leave you’ is a significant change to the meaning of the verse. Both are valid translations of the Greek. However, the translation of ‘leave you’ makes more sense in the context. Rather than it meaning that testing won’t happen by the use of ‘let you,’ it is stating that when testing does happen, God will not leave those being tested to face it alone. The way to endure without succumbing and diverging from the path of Christ is provided by God’s presence with us, whether through other faithful members of the Family of God or prayer or any number of ways.

^u The word for endure does not imply ‘tolerate’ in the sense of psychological wellbeing. It is about ‘carrying’ under a burden. It implies remaining steadfast, faithful in the face of hardship rather than turning away from faithfulness in order to escape the hardship. This verse has often been misused to say that nothing so bad that it overwhelms a person’s ability to handle it will ever happen, which is just observably untrue and happens frequently.

^v More literally, ‘way out.’ It has a range of applications, including the more traditional sense of escaping or getting away from something; however, it often was also used in the sense of a ship finding a ‘way out’ of the storm by finding a safe harbor to wait out the storm, without actually escaping the storm entirely. It implies a sense of getting through the storm in a protected place rather than avoiding the storm altogether.

^w Or ‘seek safety’

^x Or ‘judge’ or ‘determine’ or ‘decide on’ or ‘discern’

^y Traditionally, ‘cup of blessing that we bless.’ The word for ‘bless’ here can mean to ‘praise’ or ‘speak well of’ or it can mean to ‘speak well over’ as in ‘speak a benediction.’ It is an entirely unrelated word to the Greek that is translated traditionally as ‘bless’ in places like Matthew 5:3-10 which refers to a received circumstance that inspires gratitude.

^z Or ‘partnership’ or ‘being a community’ or ‘sharing.’

^aa Literally, ‘Look at Israel according to the flesh.’

^bb Or ‘partners’ or ‘members of a community’ or ‘sharers.’

^cc Literally, ‘are something’

^dd Or ‘partners’ or ‘members of a community’ or ‘sharers.’

^ee The Greek word parazeloo is traditionally translated as "provoke to jealousy." The verb arazeloo is built from the root zelos, often translated as "zeal" or "envy," and the prefix para-, which indicates an origin or cause. In this context, the term does not suggest that God experiences jealousy in a petty or begrudging sense (as could be captured by the Greek word phthonos, which conveys resentment at another's possession). Rather, zelos carries the idea of a competitive desire for what another has—either to join in possessing it or to surpass them. Here, parazeloo highlights the act of causing or instigating a state of rivalry, rather than eliciting an emotional reaction from God. By participating in practices associated with idols while also claiming loyalty to God, the readers position themselves in opposition to God’s exclusive claim on their allegiance. This action effectively acts as if God were one rival among competing powers. God becomes a rival in this scenario, not because God engages in competition, but because the audience’s divided allegiances imply that God must contend with idols for their commitment.

^ff See 1 Corinthians 6:12

^gg The phrase "Don’t anyone seek this idea for yourself but rather seek it for the other person" departs from traditional renderings like "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" to better reflect the Greek text and context. The original Greek uses an open-ended term (“τῴ” or "the thing") without specifying an object. Traditional translations often insert "good" or "well-being," but this translation connects "the thing" to the preceding statement, "Everything is allowed for me."

Paul’s focus is not on generic selflessness but on how the Corinthians apply their slogan of freedom. This version reframes the verse as a critique of self-serving uses of freedom, urging readers to prioritize others’ benefit from this freedom over personal entitlement. The translation emphasizes relational care and mutual responsibility.

^hh Reference to Psalm 24:1 and 89:11

ⁱⁱ Implied ‘to Christ,’ or it could be translated as ‘trusts’ implying the trust would be for Christ.

^jj Traditionally, this is rendered as ‘blamed.’ The Greek word is blasphemeo, where the English word ‘blaspheme’ comes from and it carries the meaning of demeaning or insulting.