The Apostle Paul Instructs Us To Pray To Jesus

Formal Equivalence (Word-For-Word)

  • Received Text (Textus Receptus)

    Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

    2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 KJV (48.83% / 66.58%)

    –

    Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

    2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are [a]sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NKJV (60.32% / 65.21%)

    –

    Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother,

    2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their Lord and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 MEV (Modern English Version)

  • Majority Text

    Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 to the assembly of God which is at Corinth—those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 WEB (World English Bible)

  • Critical Text

    Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 LSB (NASB ‘95 61.65% / 67.99%)

    Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

    2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 ESV (62.36% / 68.74%)

Dynamic Equivalence (Thought-For-Thought)

  • Critical Text

    This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

    2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth,[a] to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus,[b] just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NLT (70.08% / 39.90%)

    –

    Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

    2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NIV (67.20% / 53.10%)

    –

    From Paul,[a] called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus[b] by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, 2 to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.[c] — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NET (66.28% / 53.94%)

  • NET Bible Translator Notes

    a. 1 Corinthians 1:1 NET tn Grk “Paul.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

    b. 1 Corinthians 1:1 NET tc Many significant mss, as well as several others (א A Ψ 1739 1881 M sy), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (P46 B D F G 33 it). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred both because it has somewhat better attestation and because it is slightly more difficult and thus more likely the earlier reading (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus.” As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, “Christ Jesus” is the preferred reading here.

    c. 1 Corinthians 1:2 NET tn Grk “theirs and ours.”

Messianic Bible translations

  • Critical Text

    Paul, called as an emissary of Messiah Yeshua by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

    2 To God’s community in Corinth—having been made holy in Messiah Yeshua, called as kedoshim—with all who everywhere call on the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, both theirs and ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 TLV (Tree of Life Version, Formal Equivalent)

    –

    From: Sha’ul, called by God’s will to be an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua; and from brother Sosthenes

    2 To: God’s Messianic community in Corinth, consisting of those who have been set apart by Yeshua the Messiah and called to be God’s holy people — along with everyone everywhere who calls on the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, their Lord as well as ours: — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 CJB (Complete Jewish Bible, Dynamic Equivalent)

Highly Idiomatic Translation / Paraphrase

  • Critical Text

    1-2 I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God’s plan, along with my friend Sosthenes. I send this letter to you in God’s church at Corinth, believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus, wherever they live. He’s their Master as well as ours! — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 MSG (The Message)

Conclusion

The phrase, “to call upon the name of the Lord” is a phrase used to designate prayer.

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered and said, “That is a good word.” — 1 Kings 18:24 LSB (NASB ‘95 61.65% / 67.99%)

And I will bring the third part through the fire
And refine them as silver is refined
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
And they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’” — Zechariah 13:9 LSB (NASB ‘95 61.65% / 67.99%)