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.)
Stewards of God's mysteries — judged only by the Lord 4:1–5
vv. 1–2 — the right estimate, and the one thing required
1
Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωποςindependent — the thesis — Οὕτως points forward to the ὡς phrase
ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ.comparative — the estimate — under-rowers and household managers, not party-heads
2
ὧδε λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοιςindependent — reading ὧδε λοιπόν (over the later ὃ δὲ λοιπόν) — the standing demand
ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ.content — content-ἵνα, not telic — fidelity the steward's single criterion
vv. 3–5 — examined by no court before the Day
3
ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστινindependent — ἐμοὶ δέ fronted — Paul's own weighing of their verdict
ἵνα ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας·content — substantival ἵνα (the subject of ἐστιν) — 'human day' = tribunal, against the Lord's Day
ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω·independent — ascensive οὐδέ — no self-tribunal either
4
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα,cause — γάρ — the clear conscience grounding the refusal
ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι,cause — the adversative rider within the ground — conscience is not acquittal
ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με κύριός ἐστιν.independent — the competent examiner named — the master, not fellow servants
5
ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε,independent — ὥστε + imperative — the inference: κρίνω reserved, where ἀνακρίνω was preliminary
ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ κύριος,phrase modifier — temporal ἕως ἄν — the καιρός defined as the parousia
ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότουςrelative — καὶ … καί — the first floodlight: what darkness concealed
καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν·relative — coordinate relative — motives, not just deeds, exposed
καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.independent — τότε — the verdict at last, and strikingly it is praise
Not beyond what is written — all you have is gift 4:6–7
6
Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλῶν δι' ὑμᾶς,independent — μετασχηματίζω — the rhetorical figure disclosed: the lesson worn by Paul and Apollos
ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητεpurpose — the aim of the figure — the apostles as the object-lesson
τὸ Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται,content — the elliptical slogan, nominalized by τό — read without the later-inserted φρονεῖν
ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου.purpose — the climactic second ἵνα, chained on the learning — φυσιόω, the chapter's disease-word
7
τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει;independent — diatribe — singular σε presses each conscience; the implied answer: God
τί δὲ ἔχειςindependent — the second question — possession probed
ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες;relative — the decisive verb — all is received, hence gift
εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες,conditional — protasis — leans on the question below; first-class, granted for argument
τί καυχᾶσαιindependent — apodosis — the boast made absurd
ὡς μὴ λαβών;comparative — ὡς μή + participle — the false pose of the self-made
Last of all — the spectacle of the apostles 4:8–13
vv. 8–9 — enthroned already vs. exhibited last
8
ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ,independent — the first ἤδη — irony at an over-realized eschatology
ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε,independent — the second drumbeat — ingressive aorist
χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε·independent — the climax and the barb — χωρὶς ἡμῶν, reigning without your founders
καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε,independent — ὄφελον — the unattainable wish; sarcasm softens into longing
ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν.purpose — the wish's aim — co-reigning is future hope, not present possession
9
δοκῶ γάρ,independent — the wry δοκῶ — governing the content clause without ὅτι
ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους,content — asyndetic content — the procession's doomed finale, and God the exhibitor
ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις.cause — ὅτι-causal — θέατρον: the cosmic audience, heavenly and earthly
v. 10 — three antitheses, flush-left and verbless
10
ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν,independent — verbless — the world's verdict on the cross-preachers (1:18–25)
ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ·independent — the pointed swap of prepositions — fools διὰ Χριστόν, wise ἐν Χριστῷ
ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς,independent — the second pair — strength in weakness
ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί·independent — the Corinthians' supposed potency
ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι,independent — the third pair reverses the order — ὑμεῖς now first
ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι.independent — ἄτιμοι — the column ends on the apostles' shame
vv. 11–13 — the hardship catalogue, to this very hour
11
ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμενindependent — the catalogue opens — present tenses, polysyndeton
καὶ διψῶμενindependent — the second privation
καὶ γυμνιτεύομενindependent — γυμνιτεύω — threadbare destitution, not nudity
καὶ κολαφιζόμεθαindependent — κολαφίζω — struck with fists
καὶ ἀστατοῦμενindependent — ἀστατέω — the rootless, wandering life
12
καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν·independent — self-support — the participle of means kept inline (cf. Acts 18:3)
λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν,independent — first participle-pair — each blow answered with its opposite (cf. Lk 6:28)
διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα,independent — second pair — forbearance under pursuit
13
δυσφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν·independent — third pair — gentle appeal for defamation
ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν,independent — the harshest image — περικάθαρμα, the filth scoured away
πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι.phrase modifier — verbless apposition — περίψημα; ἕως ἄρτι seals the catalogue as unrelieved
A father's appeal — rod or love 4:14–21
vv. 14–17 — not shame but admonition: the one father and his envoy
14
Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα,independent — the negated purpose-participle kept with its verb — the disclaimer after the sarcasm
ἀλλ' ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶ.independent — νουθετέω — correction in a father's key; ὑμᾶς understood
15
ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ,conditional — concessive protasis — leans on the line below; the paidagogos a custodian, not a parent
ἀλλ' οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας·independent — elliptical apodosis — ἔχετε understood; myriads of tutors, one father
ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα.independent — emphatic ἐγώ — the begetting, with sphere and instrument fronted; order Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ read
16
παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς,independent — οὖν — the inference from fatherhood
μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε.content — the appeal's content — asyndetic imperative (cf. 11:1)
17
διὰ τοῦτο ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον,independent — epistolary aorist — the envoy who carries the appeal
ὅς ἐστίν μου τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν κυρίῳ,relative — the credential — πιστός, the steward's word of v. 2, embodied
ὃς ὑμᾶς ἀναμνήσει τὰς ὁδούς μου τὰς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,relative — second coordinate relative — the mission: remembrance of the 'ways'
καθὼς πανταχοῦ ἐν πάσῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ διδάσκω.comparative — on τὰς ὁδούς — the consistency claim: Corinth gets no special version
vv. 18–21 — the coming visit: talk, power, rod or love
18
ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου δέ μου πρὸς ὑμᾶςparticipial — genitive absolute, ὡς of alleged reason — protasis-style, leaning on the clause below
ἐφυσιώθησάν τινες·independent — φυσιόω again — v. 6's disease come to a head in Paul's absence
19
ἐλεύσομαι δὲ ταχέως πρὸς ὑμᾶς,independent — the flat contradiction of their assumption
ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ,conditional — trailing protasis — anchored back on the promise; the pious proviso (cf. Jas 4:15)
καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν·independent — the test — λόγος vs. δύναμις; the perfect participle: chronically inflated
20
οὐ γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει.cause — verbless aphorism — the criterion behind the test (cf. 2:4–5)
21
τί θέλετε;independent — the choice put squarely to them
ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς,independent — deliberative subjunctive — the father's rod of correction
ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραΰτητος;independent — the alternative — elliptical, ἔλθω carried over; the tenor of the visit is theirs to decide
Analysis. 1 Corinthians 4 reads as four distinct textures, and the layout lets each show. Verses 1–5 are judicial and measured: two short main clauses each carrying one hanging content line (the ὡς-estimate under λογιζέσθω, the ἵνα-of-fidelity under ζητεῖται), then Paul's own case — the ἵνα of being examined hanging as the subject of ἐστιν, the twin γάρ-lines of v. 4 (clear conscience / but not acquitted) sharing one anchor on ἀνακρίνω, and the section closing on flush-left verdicts: the Lord is the examiner, judge nothing before the time, then praise. Verses 6–7 shift to diatribe: the disclosed figure (μετεσχημάτισα) with the quoted slogan τὸ Μὴ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται dashed and suspended under μάθητε, then three rapid flush-left questions with one forward-leaning protasis. Verses 8–13 are the ironic column: three ἤδη-exclamations, the ὄφελον wish with its ἵνα, the spectacle sentence stepping down δοκῶ → content → ὅτι-causal, six verbless antithesis lines at depth 0 (the eye sees the seesaw ἡμεῖς/ὑμεῖς), and the hardship catalogue as coordinate one-verb lines with the three participle-pairs kept whole so each blow and its gospel answer sit on a single line, ending in the verbless περίψημα apposition. Verses 14–21 are the father's appeal, ending in three flush-left question lines. Choices the layout takes a side on: ὧδε λοιπόν is read (v. 2) over ὃ δὲ λοιπόν; the ἵνα-clauses of vv. 2 and 3 are content/subject, not purpose; the slogan of v. 6 is kept elliptical without the later φρονεῖν, and the second ἵνα of v. 6 is chained on μάθητε as the climactic aim rather than made parallel to the first; δοκῶ (v. 9) is treated as governing an asyndetic content clause with the following ὅτι causal, not as content-ὅτι; the genitive absolute of v. 18 is laid out protasis-style, leaning forward without an anchor; ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ (v. 19) trails and anchors back on ἐλεύσομαι; and the kingdom-maxim of v. 20 hangs as a verbless γάρ-ground on δύναμιν, the very word it defines.