1 Corinthians 8:1

Food Sacrificed to Idols

8:1 With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that “we all have knowledge.” ¹  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

1 Corinthians 14:3-5

14:3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, ²  encouragement, and consolation. 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, ³  but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 14:5 I wish you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be strengthened.

1 Corinthians 14:12

14:12 It is the same with you. Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, ⁴  seek to abound in order to strengthen the church.

1 Corinthians 14:17

14:17 For you are certainly giving thanks well, but the other person is not strengthened.

1 Corinthians 14:26

Church Order

14:26 What should you do then, brothers and sisters? ⁵  When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church.

Romans 14:19

14:19 So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.

Romans 15:1-2

Exhortation for the Strong to Help the Weak

15:1 But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves. ⁶  15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

Romans 15:2

15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

Colossians 1:19

1:19 For God ⁷  was pleased to have all his ⁸  fullness dwell ⁹  in the Son ¹⁰ 

Ephesians 4:29

4:29 You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, ¹¹  that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:1

Live in Unity

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ¹²  urge you to live ¹³  worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ¹⁴ 

Ephesians 5:11

5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather ¹⁵  expose them. ¹⁶ 

Ephesians 5:1

Live in Love

5:1 Therefore, be ¹⁷  imitators of God as dearly loved children

Ephesians 1:4

1:4 For ¹⁸  he chose us in Christ ¹⁹  before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished ²⁰  in his sight ²¹  in love. ²² 

[8:1]  ¹ sn “We all have knowledge.” Here and in v. 4 Paul cites certain slogans the Corinthians apparently used to justify their behavior (cf. 6:12-13; 7:1; 10:23). Paul agrees with the slogans in part, but corrects them to show how the Corinthians have misused these ideas.

[14:3]  ² tn Grk “edification.”

[14:4]  ³ sn The Greek term builds (himself) up does not necessarily bear positive connotations in this context.

[14:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “eager for spirits.” The plural is probably a shorthand for the Spirit’s gifts, especially in this context, tongues.

[14:26]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.

[15:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “and not please ourselves.” NT Greek negatives used in contrast like this are often not absolute, but relative: “not so much one as the other.”

[1:19]  ⁷ tn The noun “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but since God is the one who reconciles the world to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:19), he is clearly the subject of εὐδόκησεν (eudokhsen).

[1:19]  ⁸ tn The Greek article τό (to), insofar as it relates to God, may be translated as a possessive pronoun, i.e., “his.” BDAG 404 s.v. εὐδοκέω 1 translates the phrase as “all the fullness willed to dwell in him” thus leaving the referent as impersonal. Insofar as Paul is alluding to the so-called emanations from God this is acceptable. But the fact that “the fullness” dwells in a person (i.e., “in him”) seems to argue for the translation “his fullness” where “his” refers to God.

[1:19]  ⁹ tn The aorist verb κατοικῆσαι (katoikhsai) could be taken as an ingressive, in which case it refers to the incarnation and may be translated as “begin to dwell, to take up residence.” It is perhaps better, though, to take it as a constative aorist and simply a reference to the fact that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. This is a permanent dwelling, though, not a temporary one, as the present tense in 2:9 makes clear.

[1:19]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the Son; see v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:29]  ¹¹ tn Grk “but if something good for the building up of the need.” The final genitive τῆς χρείας (th" creia") may refer to “the need of the moment” or it may refer to the need of a particular person or group of people as the next phrase “give grace to those who hear” indicates.

[4:1]  ¹² tn Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

[4:1]  ¹⁴ sn With which you have been called. The calling refers to the Holy Spirit’s prompting that caused them to believe. The author is thus urging his readers to live a life that conforms to their saved status before God.

[5:11]  ¹⁵ tn The Greek conjunction καὶ (kai) seems to be functioning here ascensively, (i.e., “even”), but is difficult to render in this context using good English. It may read something like: “but rather even expose them!”

[5:11]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “rather even expose.”

[5:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “become.”

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “just as.” Eph 1:3-14 are one long sentence in Greek that must be broken up in English translation. Verse 4 expresses the reason why God the Father is blessed (cf. BDAG 494 s.v. καθώς 3).

[1:4]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “in him.”

[1:4]  ²⁰ sn The Greek word translated unblemished (ἀμώμους, amwmous) is often used of an acceptable paschal lamb. Christ, as our paschal lamb, is also said to be unblemished (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19). Since believers are in Christ, God views them positionally and will make them ultimately without blemish as well (Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22).

[1:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “before him.”

[1:4]  ²² tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agaph, “in love”) may modify one of three words or phrases: (1) “chose,” (2) “holy and unblemished,” both in v. 4, or (3) “by predestining” in v. 5. If it modifies “chose,” it refers to God’s motivation in that election, but this option is unlikely because of the placement of the prepositional phrase far away from the verb. The other two options are more likely. If it modifies “holy and unblemished,” it specifies that our holiness cannot be divorced from love. This view is in keeping with the author’s use of ἀγάπη to refer often to human love in Ephesians, but the placement of the prepositional phrase not immediately following the words it modifies would be slightly awkward. If it modifies “by predestining” (v. 5), again the motivation of God’s choice is love. This would fit the focus of the passage on God’s gracious actions toward believers, but it could be considered slightly redundant in that God’s predestination itself proves his love.