FOOTNOTES:

^a 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.

^b Traditionally, ‘spiritual things’

^c Traditionally, ‘Gentiles.’ The word ethnoi literally means ‘nations’ (like ‘nationalities,’ not ‘countries’) or ‘people groups’ and is where the English word ‘ethnicity’ comes from. It is usually—but not always—used in the Bible to refer to people groups other than the one to which the speaker belongs. Typically, it refers to people who are not Jewish; however, in this context the audience is largely not Jewish, so it is being used to refer to people who do not follow either Christ or Torah.

^d Literally, “I make it known to you”

^e Anathema is traditionally translated as ‘accursed.’ Here it is translated as ‘designated for destruction.’ It literally means ‘placed upon.’ It is the word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint) to translate the Hebrew word Herem, which means ‘a thing devoted to God,’ including the animals that were to be sacrificed on the altar—what was to be ‘placed upon’ the altar. Robert Alter translates Leviticus 27:28-29 this way, with ‘anything proscribed’ being used to translate herem: “But anything proscribed, that a man may proscribe for the LORD, of anything he has, whether of humans or animals or of the field of his holding, shall not be sold and shall not be redeemed. Anything proscribed is holy of holies to the LORD. No human who has been proscribed may be ransomed. He is doomed to die.” Alter (2019) also writes in the footnotes for those verses: “The Hebrew term is herem, which in martial contexts means the ‘ban’ of total destruction to which a conquered population and its possessions are subjected” (1:464).

^f In the Roman world, the phrase "Jesus is Lord" (Iēsous Kurios) was not merely a statement of personal faith but a direct challenge to the dominant political and social order. The title "Lord" (Kurios) was widely used for Caesar, who was venerated as the supreme ruler and even as a divine figure. Roman subjects were expected to declare "Caesar is Lord" (Kaisar Kurios), signifying allegiance to the empire and its structures of power. For early Jesus-followers in Corinth, proclaiming "Jesus is Lord" was an act of resistance against imperial ideology. It signaled that their ultimate loyalty was to Jesus, not to Rome, and that the Reign of God was fundamentally opposed to the exploitative and hierarchical systems of the world. This confession carried significant risks, as it implied a rejection of the empire’s claim to ultimate authority.

^g Traditionally, ‘Spirit.’ The Greek word pneuma could be used to refer to ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’ or an animating energy within people, thought to be perceptible in the breath. Hebrew and Latin also use the same word for all these concepts. In scripture, it typically calls back the image to Genesis 1 and 2: “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 NASB) and “the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into [its] nostrils. The human came to life.” (Genesis 2:7 CEB).

^h The Greek preposition en is translated ‘in’ when it is locative (indicating location) or temporal (indicating time or duration). Neither of those are the case here. It is a preposition of means here, indicating that God is doing the work by means of the people who receive various gifts, doing it “through” them.

ⁱ The word phenrosis has to do literally with something upon which a light is shined, meaning that something is made visible or clear or easily perceived.

^j This is the same word for ‘beneficial’ (sumphero) as in 1 Corinthians 10:23, 33.

^k Or ‘discussion of understanding’

^l Traditionally, ‘faith.’ The Greek word pistis carries a reciprocal relationship between the concepts of trust and following through on a commitment based on that trust. The full meaning is difficult to capture in one English word. Sometimes, the concept of ‘trust’ seems to be the most prominent part, other times ‘commitment’ and other times ‘faithfulness’ or ‘allegiance.’ ‘Faithfulness’ is the closest word to carrying the full meaning, but it should be understood that these other meanings are all in the background, informing what kind of faithfulness is in view, and in this case, the context suggests trust plays a prominent role, warranting a combination of the words, ‘faithful trust.’

^m Traditionally, ‘performance of miracles’ but literally, ‘working powers’ or ‘effecting abilities.’ It does not inherently imply supernatural activity, though they would be included.

ⁿ The Greek word prophēteía, traditionally translated as "prophecy," does not mean predicting the future, as many Westerners think of it. The biblical sense emphasizes speaking a message inspired by God for the encouragement, strengthening, and instruction of the community. It connects with the biblical portrayal of prophets as God’s spokespersons, rather than mere predictors of future events.

^o Or “careful consideration” in the sense of separating out what is true and helpful or harmful

^p The Grammatical gender of ‘spirit’ (ruach) in Hebrew is feminine. Pronouns are surprisingly complex to deal with in translation since gender means different things and is used in different ways in different languages. English does not use a grammatical gender, only a gendering that is supposed to reflect something of the ontological nature of a person or animal of a determined sex. Many other languages have grammatical gender, which confuses the translation process even more. Hebrew, for example, has no concept of ‘it.’ Neuter gender for any noun does not exist. Every object, place, concept, or being is grammatically ‘he’ or ‘she’ regardless of whether it is inherently male or female.

^q Or ‘with’ or ‘through’

^r The Greek word nun is an emphatic or heightened form of "now," used to draw special attention to the present moment. It often implies a sense of urgency, immediacy, or significance. The use of nuni can signal a shift in tone or indicate a decisive turning point in an argument, narrative, or theological reflection. It might also contrast the present with what has been said about the past or anticipated in the future.

^s Or ‘seem to be’

^t Or ‘more sickly’ or ‘more feeble’ or ‘more powerless’ or ‘weaker.’

^u Or ‘necessary’ or ‘indispensable’ or ‘required’

^v Or ‘wrap’

^w Or ‘honor’

^x Or ‘unshapely’ or ‘without a way of being’

^y Or ‘exceeding shapeliness’ or ‘an abundantly beneficial way of being.’ See 1 Corinthians 7:35-36 and 1 Corinthians 14:40 for other instances of this word.

^z Or ‘exceeding shapeliness’ or ‘an abundantly beneficial way of being.’

^aa The word mélē specifically refers to a body part.

^bb The word méros refers to parts of a whole, which can refer to roles within a group or organization or parts of a body or any context of parts.

^cc The Greek word prophēteía, traditionally translated as "prophecy," does not mean predicting the future, as many Westerners think of it. The biblical sense emphasizes speaking a message inspired by God for the encouragement, strengthening, and instruction of the community. It connects with the biblical portrayal of prophets as God’s spokespersons, rather than mere predictors of future events.

^dd Traditionally translated as "helps," "helping," or "assisting." These English terms can imply a subordinate role, such as administrative assistance, but antilēmpsis does not inherently suggest hierarchy. Instead, it refers to providing aid to those in need, offering mutual support among peers, or coming to the aid of those who are more vulnerable than the one providing assistance.

^ee Literally, this word means ‘steering’ a ship. It is used figuratively to refer to providing guidance and direction to people or groups.

^ff Traditionally, ‘apostles.’ The word means ‘someone who is sent to carry out a purpose’ and while it became used in a particular way in the church, it was not an inherently religious word in the Greek language.

^gg The Greek word prophētas, traditionally translated as "prophets," often conjures images of individuals who predict the future or hold an exalted status as divine seers. However, in the New Testament, prophētas refers more broadly to those who speak inspired messages for the encouragement, instruction, and strengthening of the community. Rendering prophētas as "speakers of inspired messages" emphasizes the act of delivering Spirit-led speech rather than implying an exclusive office or predictive role. Paul presents these speakers as part of a participatory practice where multiple members of the community may share insights, and their messages are subject to communal discernment.

^hh The Greek word glōssa primarily means "language" in both ancient and contemporary Greek. While many traditional translations render it as "tongues," this archaic term can obscure the plain meaning of the text. Translating it as "other languages" clarifies that Paul is referring to spoken human languages rather than an abstract or mystical concept or ecstatic experience. The addition of "other" reflects the context in which these languages are distinct from the speaker’s native language. This is consistent with Acts 2:4-11, where glōssai refers to languages spoken by various people groups. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul stresses the importance of intelligibility within the Called Community (vv. 9-11, 19, 27-28), implying that these languages were different from the primary language of the gathered assembly. The phrase "other languages" ensures clarity, aligning with Paul's emphasis on communication and interpretation rather than unintelligible speech.

ⁱⁱ Traditionally, ‘greater’

^jj The phrase kath’ huperbolēn literally means "according to excess" or "beyond measure." This verse, rather than summarizing the previous chapter, points ahead in anticipation of chapter 13.