“Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.”
What does this really mean?
Thanks, God Bless!
In the Greek the text does
not read “do not
go beyond what is written.” The words “go” or “to go” are added due to the demands of English syntax.
In the Greek the text reads: “I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, so that you may learn from us
not beyond what is written.”
Scholars agree on only one thing with this text, namely that no one can say precisely what St. Paul was referring to.
Some feel that he could be referring to the context of his argument (which he states in saying that he has “applied all this [his previously **written argument] to” himself and Apollos. If that is the case, then Paul is merely saying there is nothing more to the argument or issue at hand beyond what he has written here.
It could be that Paul is referring to something else that is written, perhaps previous instruction or even a direct lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures that only the Corinthians know Paul is referring to (perhaps a previous homily or letter), but this cannot be definitively said.
Some translations render the expression similar to the NRSV: “So that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, ‘Nothing beyond what is written.’” It is very ambiguous when rendered this way, but it may be more precise because the specific subject isn’t mentioned. No one can say for sure.
While some religions that hold to a Sola Scriptura theology might use this to impress their belief that Paul was instructing Christians to follow only what is written in the Scriptures for authoritative doctrine, as can be seen by the NRSV translation most Protestant scholars do not subscribe to this (the majority of translators were Protestant and subscribe to Sola Scriptura). The text is hard to understand because we are clearly left without a definitive subject.
Whatever your take on what it may be, the fact that it is ambiguous shows it is not the main point of the subject matter at this point of the epistle. The NABRE states in the footnote regarding this scripture: “It probably means that the Corinthians should avoid the false wisdom of vain speculation, contenting themselves with Paul’s proclamation of the cross, which is the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament (what is written).”
