independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase 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 collection for the saints 16:1–4
vv. 1–2 — the standing rule: weekly, proportional, in advance
1
Περὶ δὲ τῆς λογείας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους,phrase modifier — the περὶ δέ topic formula (cf. 7:1; 8:1; 12:1) — leans on ποιήσατε below
ὥσπερ διέταξα ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας,comparative — fronted comparison — the Galatian precedent; leans forward
οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιήσατε.independent — the standing order — οὕτως answers ὥσπερ
2
κατὰ μίαν σαββάτου ἕκαστος ὑμῶν παρ' ἑαυτῷ τιθέτωindependent — the rule — weekly (the first day), individual, at home (παρ' ἑαυτῷ)
θησαυρίζων ὅ τι ἐὰν εὐοδῶται,participial — manner — with the indefinite relative ὅ τι ἐὰν εὐοδῶται: giving scaled to gain
ἵνα μὴ ὅταν ἔλθω τότε λογεῖαι γίνωνται.purpose — negative purpose — the embedded ὅταν ἔλθω: everything ready before arrival
vv. 3–4 — the transmission: approved delegates, letters, perhaps Paul himself
3
ὅταν δὲ παραγένωμαι,conditional — indefinite temporal (ὅταν + subj.) — leans on πέμψω below
οὓς ἐὰν δοκιμάσητε,relative — conditional relative, resumed by τούτους — the church chooses its own delegates; leans forward
δι' ἐπιστολῶν τούτους πέμψωindependent — the commissioning — δι' ἐπιστολῶν, letters of accreditation
ἀπενεγκεῖν τὴν χάριν ὑμῶν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ·purpose — purpose infinitive — the relief fund dignified as χάρις (cf. 2 Cor 8:4)
4
ἐὰν δὲ ἄξιον ᾖ τοῦ κἀμὲ πορεύεσθαι,conditional — protasis — the contingency of Paul's own going; leans forward
σὺν ἐμοὶ πορεύσονται.independent — apodosis — Paul joining the delegation
Paul's travel plans 16:5–9
vv. 5–7 — the route: through Macedonia, then a real stay, not a stopover
5
Ἐλεύσομαι δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶςindependent — the itinerary opens — the announced visit (its later changes defended in 2 Cor 1)
ὅταν Μακεδονίαν διέλθω,conditional — indefinite temporal — the visit set after the Macedonian leg
Μακεδονίαν γὰρ διέρχομαι·cause — parenthesis — the route stated as settled (futuristic present)
6
πρὸς ὑμᾶς δὲ τυχὸν παραμενῶ ἢ καὶ παραχειμάσω,independent — the hoped-for stay — τυχόν, 'perhaps'; the coordinate futures kept together
ἵνα ὑμεῖς με προπέμψητεpurpose — προπέμπω — the quasi-technical outfitting of a traveler (cf. Rom 15:24)
οὗ ἐὰν πορεύωμαι.relative — indefinite local clause — the destination left open
7
οὐ θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἄρτι ἐν παρόδῳ ἰδεῖν,cause — why the longer stay — no ἐν παρόδῳ stopover
ἐλπίζω γὰρ χρόνον τινὰ ἐπιμεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς,cause — the positive ground beneath the refusal
ἐὰν ὁ κύριος ἐπιτρέψῃ.conditional — trailing protasis — anchored, not forward-leaning; the plan submitted to the Lord (cf. Jas 4:15)
vv. 8–9 — meanwhile Ephesus: an open door, many adversaries
8
ἐπιμενῶ δὲ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἕως τῆς πεντηκοστῆς·independent — the present base — fixing the letter's own time and place
9
θύρα γάρ μοι ἀνέῳγεν μεγάλη καὶ ἐνεργής,cause — the perfect ἀνέῳγεν — the door stands open (cf. 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3)
καὶ ἀντικείμενοι πολλοί.cause — verbless — the opposition a confirmation, not a deterrent (cf. Acts 19)
Timothy and Apollos 16:10–12
vv. 10–11 — receive Timothy without fear, send him back in peace
10
Ἐὰν δὲ ἔλθῃ Τιμόθεος,conditional — protasis — leans on the charge below (Timothy sent ahead, 4:17)
βλέπετεindependent — apodosis — the one-word imperative of care
ἵνα ἀφόβως γένηται πρὸς ὑμᾶς,content — content of βλέπετε — ἀφόβως, at ease among the contentious
τὸ γὰρ ἔργον κυρίου ἐργάζεταιcause — Timothy's warrant — the same ἔργον κυρίου
ὡς κἀγώ·comparative — elliptical comparison — κἀγώ ranks his work with Paul's own
11
μή τις οὖν αὐτὸν ἐξουθενήσῃ.independent — prohibitive subjunctive — no contempt for the envoy (cf. 1 Tim 4:12)
προπέμψατε δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ,independent — the same courtesy Paul asked for himself (v. 6)
ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρός με,purpose — the goal — Timothy's safe return
ἐκδέχομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν.cause — the ground — μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν read with ἐκδέχομαι: Paul and the brothers watch for him
v. 12 — Apollos: urged, unwilling now, coming in season
12
Περὶ δὲ Ἀπολλῶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ,phrase modifier — the περὶ δέ formula again — 'the brother' binds Apollos to Paul against party rivalry; leans on παρεκάλεσα below
πολλὰ παρεκάλεσα αὐτὸνindependent — πολλά adverbial — Paul pressed him; no rivalry on Paul's side
ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν·content — content of the urging — with the traveling party, perhaps this letter's bearers
καὶ πάντως οὐκ ἦν θέλημαindependent — θέλημα — read as Apollos's own will, though some take it of God's
ἵνα νῦν ἔλθῃ,content — epexegetic ἵνα — the present timing declined
ἐλεύσεται δὲindependent — the visit deferred, not refused
ὅταν εὐκαιρήσῃ.conditional — indefinite temporal — εὐκαιρήσῃ, when the moment is right
The watchwords 16:13–14
13
Γρηγορεῖτε,independent — the staccato imperatives begin — eschatological wakefulness (cf. Mark 13:37)
στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει,independent — the sphere of standing — hold your ground in the faith
ἀνδρίζεσθε,independent — the LXX summons to courage (Josh 1:6–7; Ps 31:24)
κραταιοῦσθε.independent — passive — be strengthened, i.e. by God (cf. Eph 3:16)
14
πάντα ὑμῶν ἐν ἀγάπῃ γινέσθω.independent — the capstone — chapter 13 set over the whole watchword
Submit to such workers 16:15–18
vv. 15–16 — the appeal: rank yourselves under the household of Stephanas
15
Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί·independent — the appeal opens — its content held back until the ἵνα of v. 16
οἴδατε τὴν οἰκίαν Στεφανᾶ,independent — parenthesis — appeal to shared knowledge (baptized by Paul, 1:16)
ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀχαΐαςcontent — ἀπαρχή — the region's first converts, pledge of a harvest
καὶ εἰς διακονίαν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἔταξαν ἑαυτούς·content — ἔταξαν ἑαυτούς — self-appointed to serve; the echo ὑποτάσσησθε follows
16
ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑποτάσσησθε τοῖς τοιούτοις καὶ παντὶ τῷ συνεργοῦντι καὶ κοπιῶντι.content — the appeal resumed past the parenthesis — rank yourselves under the self-ranked (τάσσω → ὑποτάσσω)
vv. 17–18 — the delegation that refreshed Paul's spirit
17
χαίρω δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ Στεφανᾶ καὶ Φορτουνάτου καὶ Ἀχαϊκοῦ,independent — the three envoys — likely bearers of the Corinthians' letter
ὅτι τὸ ὑμέτερον ὑστέρημα οὗτοι ἀνεπλήρωσαν,cause — ὑστέρημα — your absence made good; no reproach intended
18
ἀνέπαυσαν γὰρ τὸ ἐμὸν πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὑμῶν.cause — ἀνέπαυσαν — the refreshment counted as the church's own
ἐπιγινώσκετε οὖν τοὺς τοιούτους.independent — the inference — ἐπιγινώσκετε, due esteem for proven workers
Greetings, autograph, curse and grace 16:19–24
vv. 19–20 — the web of greetings and the holy kiss
19
Ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τῆς Ἀσίας.independent — the provincial greeting — the congregations around Ephesus
ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ πολλὰ Ἀκύλας καὶ Πρίσκα σὺν τῇ κατ' οἶκον αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ.independent — the old Corinthian hosts (Acts 18) — with their house-church
20
ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς οἱ ἀδελφοὶ πάντες.independent — the blanket greeting
ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ.independent — the holy kiss — the family sign of the gathered church (cf. Rom 16:16)
vv. 21–24 — the autograph: anathema, Marana tha, grace and love
21
Ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου.independent — verbless — the pen taken from the amanuensis (cf. Gal 6:11; 2 Thess 3:17)
22
εἴ τις οὐ φιλεῖ τὸν κύριον,conditional — protasis — εἰ + indicative, the case put as real; φιλεῖ, personal affection; leans forward
ἤτω ἀνάθεμα.independent — apodosis — ἤτω ἀνάθεμα, the solemn ban (cf. 12:3; Gal 1:8–9)
μαρανα θα.independent — Aramaic cry — read as imperative petition (cf. Rev 22:20; Did. 10.6); 'our Lord has come' also possible
23
ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ μεθ' ὑμῶν.independent — the verbless grace-benediction — balancing the anathema
24
ἡ ἀγάπη μου μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.independent — the personal close — love for the whole quarrelsome church, in Christ; πάντων excludes no faction
Analysis. 1 Corinthians 16 is business prose after the resurrection chapter, and the shape is correspondingly flat and clipped: purple main clauses dominate, with only short one- or two-step dependents hanging beneath them. What structure there is comes largely from the forward-leaning lines — the chapter opens with a fronted topic (Περὶ δὲ τῆς λογείας) and a fronted comparison (ὥσπερ διέταξα) leaning on the single imperative ποιήσατε, and the same protasis-first rhythm returns at ὅταν δὲ παραγένωμαι with its conditional relative οὓς ἐὰν δοκιμάσητε (resumed by τούτους), at ἐὰν δὲ ἄξιον ᾖ, at Ἐὰν δὲ ἔλθῃ Τιμόθεος, and at the closing εἴ τις οὐ φιλεῖ τὸν κύριον. The travel plans chain a little deeper — Ἐλεύσομαι carries the ὅταν clause and its γάρ parenthesis, and οὐ θέλω γάρ steps down through ἐλπίζω to the trailing, anchored ἐὰν ὁ κύριος ἐπιτρέψῃ — while vv. 13–14 stand as five flush-left imperatives, the letter's watchword in miniature. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: μαρανα θα is set as an independent Aramaic cry and rendered as an imperative petition ('Our Lord, come!', with Rev 22:20 and Didache 10.6), though the alternative division maran atha ('our Lord has come') is honestly possible; θέλημα in v. 12 is taken as Apollos's own will rather than God's; the λογεία mechanics of v. 2 are read as a standing weekly rule of private storing at home (παρ' ἑαυτῷ) proportioned to gain (ὅ τι ἐὰν εὐοδῶται), so that no gatherings need happen at Paul's arrival; and the v. 15 parenthesis οἴδατε τὴν οἰκίαν Στεφανᾶ is hung beneath Παρακαλῶ, whose real content arrives only with the ἵνα of v. 16.