All the letters by Paul start with the same expression in Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay with the same expression: Amtena ipuhfwas or “It has been time but now it is.”
Bill Mitchell (in Omanson 2001, p. 437) explains: “Languages have their own ways of marking different genres. When the Wichí of Argentina send a message by way of a third person it begins with a particular expression, which, if taken literally, would say: ‘it has been time but now it is.’ It may not communicate a whole lot in English, but it is indispensable in Wichí. In the Wichí New Testament the letters of Paul begin with this word.”
The Greek that is typically translated as “will” in English is translated in Warao as obojona, a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. .) See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
In Mairasi, it is translated with “throat.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
In the instances where the Greek New Testament says Christos Iēsous (Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς) rather than the more common Iēsous Christos and English translations typically translate as “Christ Jesus,” the Bokyi translation says Jisos Karâs or “Jesus Christ.”
“Bokyi is a rather small language in the Cross River State of Nigeria. In one Bokyi village named Bansan the oldest man’s name is Otu Obyi. There is another man in another Bokyi village named Obyi Otu. Even though these two men share the same names every Bokyi person knows that they are two different people because of the order in which their names are used.
“If you are a translator and your language uses this same method of naming people, you can not sometimes write Jesus Christ in your translation and sometimes write Christ Jesus, and still refer to the same person. It will refer to two different people. You should always write Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, but not both. You will have to decide which order is the most natural in your language.”
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
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, Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan (in: Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.) recommend the use of the inclusive form (including the reader of the letter) but SIL International (1999) recommends the exclusive form, referring to Paul and the Christians only.
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), 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 Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 1:1:
Uma: “This letter is from me Paulus, and from Sostenes, we (excl.) send it to you Kristen people in Korintus, whom God has called to be his portion. He has made-you-holy in your connection with Kristus Yesus, together with all people everywhere who call on Yesus Kristus, our Lord and their Lord. I write this letter, because God has appointed me to become the apostle [messenger] of Yesus Kristus according to his desire.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This letter is from me Paul. From God’s wish I was chosen and I was commissioned by Isa Almasi, told to proclaim his message. And this letter is from Sostenes also, a certain brother of ours (incl.) trusting in Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am Paul, appointed by God as an apostle of Jesus Christ, because God wanted it. I and Sosthenes, one of our (incl.) brothers by means of believing, we write to you, the believers in God in the town of Corinth. You have been made to be those who belong to God by means of your becoming one with Jesus Christ. God chose you, and because of this, you are now companions of all the people everywhere who have believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, because Jesus is the one whom all of us who worship him, look to as a leader.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I am Pablo whom Cristo Jesus (henceforth Cristo Jesus) chose as his apostle according to what God wanted. My companion here is our sibling/cousin (henceforth brother) Sostenes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “(To) the Corinthians(taga Corinto) who are trusting and believing/obeying God, there (with you) is our (excl.) letter, I who am Pablo whom Cristo Jesus appointed as one of his apostles according to the determined-plan of God, and Sostenes who is our sibling in believing. We(excl.) are writing to you whom God separated-out as his people because of your being-united/tied-together with Cristo Jesus. Yes indeed, he now regards you as no longer having sin and he has determined that you always live in accordance with his will. Like that also are all in no matter what place who have submitted themselves to our Lord Jesu-Cristo who is now their Lord also.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “I am Paul, whom God appointed to be a representative of Jesus Christ. Along with our brother Shorteners here.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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