independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The salutation 1:1–3
1
Παῦλος κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ καὶ Σωσθένης ὁ ἀδελφὸςindependent — the superscription — apostleship by divine summons, with a co-sender
2
τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ,phrase modifier — the addressees — God's church, not any party's
ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,phrase modifier — apposition — an accomplished consecration, despite everything
κλητοῖς ἁγίοις,phrase modifier — apposition — their calling echoes Paul's (v. 1)
σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ,phrase modifier — the universal company — local party-spirit deflated in advance
αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν·phrase modifier — one common Lord closes the address
3
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.independent — the blessing — Father and Lord Jesus one source
The thanksgiving — grace given in Christ 1:4–9
4
Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶνindependent — the thanksgiving period opens
ἐπὶ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ δοθείσῃ ὑμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,phrase modifier — ἐπί — the ground of thanks: grace received, not virtue achieved
5
ὅτι ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε ἐν αὐτῷ,cause — the grace specified — divine enrichment
ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει,phrase modifier — the riches named — the very endowments Corinth will misuse
6
καθὼς τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη ἐν ὑμῖν,comparative — the gifts attest a rooted message — τοῦ Χριστοῦ objective
7
ὥστε ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι ἐν μηδενὶ χαρίσματι,purpose — ὥστε + infinitive — result: total sufficiency in the interim
ἀπεκδεχομένους τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·participial — attendant circumstance — the gifts held facing the End
8
ὃς καὶ βεβαιώσει ὑμᾶς ἕως τέλους ἀνεγκλήτους ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.relative — on the nearer κυρίου (Christ) — though v. 9 names God the confirmer; βεβαιώσει picks up ἐβεβαιώθη
9
πιστὸς ὁ θεὸςindependent — the verbless bedrock beneath the whole thanksgiving
δι' οὗ ἐκλήθητε εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.relative — the call into κοινωνία — the shared bond that makes faction absurd
The appeal against divisions 1:10–17
vv. 10–12 — the appeal, the report, the slogans
10
Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,independent — the thesis-appeal of chs. 1–4 — sworn through the one name against the many
ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ λέγητε πάντες,content — ἵνα as content of the appeal — the civic idiom of concord
καὶ μὴ ᾖ ἐν ὑμῖν σχίσματα,content — no σχίσματα — no rips in the congregation's fabric
ἦτε δὲ κατηρτισμένοι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ.content — καταρτίζω — mended like nets: restored cohesion
11
ἐδηλώθη γάρ μοι περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί μου, ὑπὸ τῶν Χλόηςcause — the occasion of the appeal — a named, credible report
ὅτι ἔριδες ἐν ὑμῖν εἰσιν.content — the report's content — ἔριδες, the symptom diagnosed
12
λέγω δὲ τοῦτοindependent — the clarification announced — τοῦτο points forward
ὅτι ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λέγει·content — epexegetic of τοῦτο — the partisanship is pervasive
Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου,content — the first slogan quoted — Paul claimed as patron, to his own dismay
Ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ,content — the second — the eloquent Alexandrian
Ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ,content — the third — Peter's name invoked
Ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ.content — the fourth — even Christ reduced to a party-tag
v. 13 — the slogans detonated
13
μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός;independent — read as an astonished question — Christ cannot be parceled out
μὴ Παῦλος ἐσταυρώθη ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν,independent — μή expects 'no' — the cross is not Paul's
ἢ εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου ἐβαπτίσθητε;independent — nor is the baptismal name — ownership belongs to Christ
vv. 14–17 — baptism marginal, preaching central
14
εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷindependent — a wry second thanksgiving — the slender baptismal record
ὅτι οὐδένα ὑμῶν ἐβάπτισα εἰ μὴ Κρίσπον καὶ Γάϊον,content — the tally — only two names
15
ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃpurpose — the point of the relief — no banner from his hand
ὅτι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα ἐβαπτίσθητε.content — the feared claim — v. 12's partisanship in embryo
16
ἐβάπτισα δὲ καὶ τὸν Στεφανᾶ οἶκον·independent — parenthetical correction of the tally
λοιπὸν οὐκ οἶδαindependent — candid memory — baptizing was never his ledger
εἴ τινα ἄλλον ἐβάπτισα.content — indirect question — the list closed with a shrug
17
οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλέν με Χριστὸς βαπτίζειν ἀλλὰ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι,independent — the commission — ἀποστέλλω echoes ἀπόστολος (v. 1)
οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγου,phrase modifier — the manner renounced — taken with εὐαγγελίζεσθαι
ἵνα μὴ κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ.purpose — why the renunciation — rhetoric would hollow out the cross; the letter pivots here
The word of the cross versus the world's wisdom 1:18–25
vv. 18–20 — the message divides; Scripture and the vanished sages
18
Ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστίν,independent — the thesis — μέν: folly to the perishing
τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστιν.independent — δέ: God's power to the saved — two present-tense processes underway
19
γέγραπται γάρ·cause — the warrant from Scripture
Ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν,content — Isa 29:14 (LXX) — wisdom under sentence; Ἀπολῶ echoes the 'perishing'
καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω.content — Isa 29:14 — the parallel limb: discernment annulled
20
ποῦ σοφός;independent — the taunt-volley begins — echoing Isa 19:12; 33:18
ποῦ γραμματεύς;independent — the Jewish scholar of the Law
ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου;independent — the Greek controversialist — an age already under judgment
οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου;independent — οὐχί expects 'yes' — the verdict already delivered
vv. 21–25 — the strategy: folly that saves, weakness that outmuscles
21
ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν θεόν,cause — ἐπειδή — leans on εὐδόκησεν below; the world's failure inside God's wise design
εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας.independent — the sovereign resolve — salvation through 'foolish' preaching, for believers not the clever
22
ἐπειδὴ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σημεῖα αἰτοῦσινcause — ἐπειδή again — leans on the κηρύσσομεν below; the first demand
καὶ Ἕλληνες σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν,cause — the second demand — the paired appetites of humanity
23
ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον,independent — the emphatic ἡμεῖς against both demands — the perfect: permanently the Crucified
Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον,phrase modifier — the dative column — an outrage to messianic expectation (Deut 21:23)
ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν,phrase modifier — sheer absurdity to the nations
24
αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς, Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν, Χριστὸν θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν·phrase modifier — resumptive — the same preached Christ is, to the called, exactly what both sought
25
ὅτι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν,cause — the clinching maxim — the deliberately incongruous comparative
καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.cause — the parallel limb — ἐστίν elided; God's 'weakness' outmuscles all strength
God's choice of the lowly 1:26–31
vv. 26–29 — look at your calling: the nothings chosen
26
Βλέπετε γὰρ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί,independent — read as imperative — the proof stands in their own ranks
ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα,content — the first 'not many' — not 'none'
οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοί,content — few of the mighty
οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς·content — few of the noble — the triad God's choice ran against
27
ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸςindependent — the first ἐξελέξατο — election as reversal
ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς,purpose — the purposed shaming
καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸςindependent — the second ἐξελέξατο — the refrain repeats verbatim
ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά,purpose — the strong confounded
28
καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός,independent — the third ἐξελέξατο — ἀγενής negates the εὐγενεῖς of v. 26
τὰ μὴ ὄντα,phrase modifier — apposition — election out of nothing, as at creation
ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ,purpose — the world's 'somethings' brought to nothing
29
ὅπως μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.purpose — ὅπως — the ultimate aim capping the whole triple election
vv. 30–31 — from him, in Christ: the only boast
30
ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,independent — the positive counterpart — their very existence from God
ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ,relative — the contested word resolved — wisdom is a person, given
δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις,phrase modifier — the wisdom unpacked — an epexegetic triad
31
ἵνα καθὼς γέγραπται·purpose — elliptical ἵνα — its verb supplied by the citation's imperative
Ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω.content — Jer 9:24 (LXX 9:23) — the chapter's seal: boasting redirected
Analysis. 1 Corinthians 1 opens formulaic and turns polemical, and the shape tracks the turn. The salutation (vv. 1–3) is entirely verbless — dashed lines hanging from Παῦλος, the address swelling out to 'all who call on the name in every place' before the grace-and-peace line. The thanksgiving (vv. 4–9) is one descending chain from Εὐχαριστῶ — grace (ἐπί), enrichment (ὅτι), confirmation (καθώς), the ὥστε result with its waiting participle, down five levels to the promise of v. 8 — before πιστὸς ὁ θεός plants a fresh verbless bedrock at the margin. Παρακαλῶ (v. 10) carries three parallel ἵνα-content lines; the party slogans of v. 12 stand as a quoted column under λέγει; and the three questions of v. 13 snap flush-left. From v. 18 the page becomes antithesis: paired independent cola (folly/power), the Isa 29:14 couplet hanging from γέγραπται, the ποῦ-volley, and the two ἐπειδή grounds laid as forward-leaning, anchor-less lines above their main clauses (εὐδόκησεν, v. 21; ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν, v. 23), with the datives of vv. 23–24 as a suspended column under the one preached Χριστόν. Verses 26–31 show the triple ἐξελέξατο with its ἵνα purposes and the ὅπως cap, resolving into ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε and the Jer 9:24 seal. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: the ὅς of v. 8 is hung on the nearer κυρίου (Christ), though v. 9 shows God as the confirmer; the ἵνα of v. 10 is read as the content of the appeal, not its purpose; μεμέρισται ὁ Χριστός; is printed as a genuine astonished question, not a statement; οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγου is taken with εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, and the ἵνα μὴ κενωθῇ clause is hung on that manner-phrase; Βλέπετε (v. 26) is read as imperative ('consider'), not indicative; and the ἵνα of v. 31 is treated as elliptical, its verb supplied by the citation's own imperative καυχάσθω.