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^a The Greek phrase hina me epibaro literally means “so that I not burden [them]” and comes from epibareo, which refers to placing a weight or pressure on someone. Some translations render it as something like “not to exaggerate” or “not to put too much weight [seriousness of words],” taking it metaphorically. The common uses are literal weight and emotional burden. In this context, Paul seems to be expressing pastoral restraint, acknowledging the community’s grief without intensifying it or laying guilt on the person involved.

^b “Manipulated” translates the Greek verb pleonekteo, which means to exploit or take advantage of someone for selfish gain. Paul’s concern is that if the community fails the test of genuineness by refusing to forgive and restore, then the Adversary can manipulate their unresolved conflict into deeper division. In this view, forgiveness isn’t just an act of grace, but a form of spiritual resistance that protects the community from being used against itself.

^c The word satanas was not a name. It meant ‘adversary’ in the sense of prosecutor or opponent. It carries the meaning of someone who is against another, trying to sabotage their efforts and their wellbeing, and against someone as a plaintiff in court. It is an enemy, but also someone accusing another of wrongdoing, whether truly or falsely. It’s not just about pointing out something bad, but actively moving to cause adversity for someone else. The concept of Ha Shatan in the Hebrew Bible was not the evil archnemesis of God that Christian teaching has turned it into. It was described as a member of the council of spiritual beings whose role was to test people to see how genuine they were. The clearest example of this is in the book of Job.

^d “Their” is used here because the Adversary is shown as having intentions, suggesting thought or purpose. While satanas isn’t a name but a word meaning opponent or accuser, it’s sometimes presented like a character in a story. Using “their” reflects that person-like role without treating the Adversary as a literal being or assigning a gender.

^e Traditionally, ‘gospel’ or ‘good news.’ The word ‘gospel’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, which means ‘good story.’ The Greek euangelion literally means ‘good message’ and was used specifically of a message announced publicly, which fits the use of the word ‘news.’ The historical context comes from when rulers and military leaders returned to a city after victory in battle, and a herald would be sent ahead to announce the victory and the ruler’s impending arrival. The writers of the Bible took this word and applied it to Jesus’ victory of a different kind. The use of “triumphant message’ here is intended to communicate the full meaning of the word in context and not the narrow dictionary definition.

^f Traditionally, ‘Lord.’ The Greek word kurios, when applied to Jesus, can be translated in several ways, including ‘sir,’ ‘master,’ or ‘sovereign.’ Rendering it as “Lord” reflects the feudal, patriarchal, and imperial assumptions embedded in early English translations, which often reinforced hierarchical power structures. In both Greco-Roman and American history, kurios and “lord” were titles used for slaveowners. As Dr. Wilda C. Gafney notes, “Lord is a slavery word,” and when used without theological and historical framing, it risks reinscribing the very systems of domination that Jesus came to upend (A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year A, Introduction). In the Roman imperial context, kurios was also a title for Caesar—as was soter (‘savior’ or ‘liberator’). The New Testament’s application of kurios to Jesus is thus not only theological but also politically subversive. The Christ of the Christian scriptures is not an overlord but a radically different kind of sovereign—one who liberates through justice, solidarity, and self-giving love. Rendering kurios as “Liberating Sovereign” preserves the subversive edge of the title while resisting the hierarchical and enslaver connotations embedded in the English word “Lord.”

^g The grammatical structure here indicates that the knowledge of Christ is what the fragrance is referring to. Another way to put it is that the fragrance is a symbol for knowledge of Christ.

^h This is a poetic way of saying that they provide knowledge of Christ.

ⁱ Or ‘being destroyed’; however, the source of destruction is not God or punishment but rather the hardships and oppressions from which the others are being liberated.