Translating “psychikos” and “pneumatikos” in 1 Corinthians

During our 1 Cor exegesis class the other day I thought of a fresh way to translate these two terms, that attempts to do something equivalent in English to what Paul was doing in Greek.

It’s well-known that a problem in translating these terms is that they are both used elsewhere in opposition to the material – they are on the same team. So, for example, 4 Maccabees 1:32 says:

It is moderation that rules over the desires. And of these desires, some are soulish [ψυχικαί] and others are bodily; and reason clearly rules over both of these.

But Paul puts them on opposing teams, so that there is a dichotomy between the psychikos person and the pneumatikos person. So what’s my suggestion? Well I wouldn’t put this in an official Bible translation, but it struck me that it might be helpful – at least for the sake of provoking thought – to hear them as follows:

• psychikos: “spiritual”
• pneumatikos: “Spiritual”

Get the distinction? No? Neither did the Corinthians!