And so I am sure that is literally “being sure of this very thing” and may be rendered as “and therefore I am sure of what follows,” or “… this that I am going to say.” It may, however, be better in some languages to combine the first part of verse 6 with the substance of what is referred to, as in Good News Translation. From the context it is clear that the one who initiated the good work among the Philippians and who would carry it to completion is God. Therefore Good News Translation translates explicitly God, who began this good work. The expression good work may refer to the part taken by the Philippians in the work of the gospel, but more naturally it points to the activity of God at the time of their conversion. The outward cooperation in the work of the gospel is, of course, the outcome and expression of the inward change made at the time of conversion.

It may be necessary to restructure rather radically the clause who began this good work in you. The verb began simply indicates an aspect of the more central activity indicated by the noun work. Therefore one may need to render this clause as “who began to work in you in this good way,” or even “… for good.” One may also express the proper relations by a rendering such as “who began to do in you what was good.”

A single Greek word meaning “will complete” (future tense), in combination with a preposition, is rendered in Good News Translation as a verbal phrase will carry it on until it is finished. The verb, as used in this particular context, has the sense of continuance and consummation (Moffatt “will go on completing”; Bruce “will go on bringing it to completion”). It may also be possible to render this verbal clause as “will continue to work in you until he has finished what he has planned,” or “… accomplished his purpose.”

The Day of Christ Jesus is not a reference to the day of one’s death, but to the Parousia, or the return of Christ (Knox the day when Jesus Christ comes), and so Good News Translation capitalizes the word Day. It is the Day of judgment as well as the Day of salvation (1 Thes 1.10). Apparently the early return of Christ is very much in the apostle’s mind as he writes this letter. In some languages literal translation of the Day of Christ Jesus may be quite misleading; one may need to indicate clearly the idea of Parousia and so render this expression as “on that Day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse concludes the first stanza of the hymn. It reaches the climax in Christ’s supreme humility and obedience. It is this act of humility which is urged on the Philippian Christians (vv. 3-5).

Note the word order in Greek: in 2.7 we have “but himself he emptied,” with the emphasis on the person; whereas here we have “he humbled himself,” with the emphasis on the act. Note also that the Greek verb is in the aorist tense, describing an act, not a disposition. To reflect this emphasis, he was humble is best taken in the sense of “he abased himself” or “he humiliated himself” (Knox “he lowered his own dignity”). To indicate the role of Jesus in “humbling himself,” one may say in some languages “he caused himself to be humble,” “he himself lowered his own status,” or “he caused himself to become low.” (For the meaning of “humility,” see the discussion under Pp. 2.3.)

Walked the path of obedience all the way to death translates a participial phrase which means literally “becoming obedient to the extent of death.” The action of the aorist participle “becoming” is simultaneous or contemporaneous with the main verb “he humbled,” and it is also explanatory. Christ humbled himself “by becoming” obedient even to the extent of death; in other words, “obedient to death” defines the measure of Christ’s humbling himself (cf. also John 10.17; Heb 5.8; 12.2). The obedience is rendered to God, as implied in verse 9. A contrast with Adam appears to be in the author’s mind (Rom 5.12-21). The act of self-humbling and obedience sums up the whole course of Christ’s life on earth. Good News Translation attempts to make this fact explicit by rendering walked the path of obedience all the way to death. Christ humbled himself by living a life of complete obedience which culminated in death (cf. Phillips). Paul hastens to add that Christ’s death was not a normal death, but the cruel, torturous, shameful death on the cross. It was an accursed death, the death of a common criminal (Gal 3.13).

Two principal problems are involved in the expression walked the path of obedience all the way to death. In the first place, many languages do not permit the metaphorical use of such an expression as walked the path. In the second place, some languages require an indication of the person to whom another is obedient. It may be more satisfactory to render walked the path simply as “becoming,” although one can also say “in what he did he became obedient.” When it is necessary to indicate the person to whom Christ was obedient, that person must, of course, be God. Therefore one may say “he was obedient to God even to the point of dying,” or “… giving his life.”

The final phrase in verse 8, his death on the cross, may be introduced as an explanation of precisely what kind of dying was meant, for example, “He was obedient to God even to the point of dying, that is to say, dying on a cross” or “… that is to say, being crucified.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In verse 10 and 11 there is another instance of the rhetorical device called “chiasmus”:

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul begins his greetings by saying literally “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.” The verb “greet,” a common word in the New Testament, is the word regularly used to convey greetings at the end of a letter. Its modern equivalent is “give my greetings to” (New English Bible New American Bible), “give my good wishes to” (Barclay), “remember me to” (Goodspeed), or simply greetings to. In some instances one may translate greetings to each one of God’s people as “I send these words to each one of God’s people,” or “I want each one of God’s people to know that I remember them.”

The word “saint” is not a description of the moral character of Christians; it refers rather to the fact that they belong to God. It is therefore usually best to render it as God’s people (New English Bible; cf. Barclay “God’s dedicated people”). (See the discussion under 1.1.) Notice that the greetings are addressed to each one of God’s people. Paul is careful to include the whole Philippian community in his expression of love and care.

The expression “in Christ Jesus” can be taken with greetings, so “give my greetings, in Christ Jesus” (New American Bible cf. Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), or “give my greetings in the fellowship of Christ” (New English Bible). It appears better, however, to connect it with God’s people, thus God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus, “all the people of God, fellow members of Christ Jesus” (Bruce cf. Moffatt Jerusalem Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The word brothers (Barclay “fellow Christians”) is often used synonymously with God’s people (“saints”). It is impossible to determine who are included in this expression, but certainly Timothy would be one of them (cf. 1.1).

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Good News Translation restructures this sentence to present the thoughts in a more logical order and to make the contrast with the previous verse more apparent. The others refers to the preachers mentioned in verse 15a (Revised Standard Version; Bruce “the former”). This phrase must be rendered in a way that will show clearly that it refers to those who preached Christ out of jealousy and quarrelsomeness. It may be possible in some languages to use such an expression as “the former,” but frequently one must repeat part of the identifying elements in verse 15, for example, “the others, who are jealous, do not proclaim Christ sincerely.”

Not … sincerely is literally “not purely,” in the sense of “from mixed motives” (New English Bible). The translator must make certain that the negative not qualifies the sincerity with which the preaching is done. A literal rendering of the others do not proclaim Christ sincerely may suggest that they do not proclaim Christ at all. Those persons did, in fact, proclaim Christ, but they did not do so with pure motives. One must often translate the first part of verse 17 as “the others proclaim Christ, but they do not do so sincerely.” Not … sincerely may be rendered in some instances as “with bad motives,” “but what they want to accomplish is not right,” or “but their purposes are personal.” This meaning is brought out more clearly in the phrase which follows; from a spirit of selfish ambition is an amplification of not … sincerely.

From a spirit of selfish ambition is literally “out of partisanship.” The word “partisanship” originally meant “working for pay.” Since a man who works solely for pay works from a low motive, the term later acquired a bad sense—describing a person who serves in an official position for his own selfish purposes and to that end creates a “partisan spirit” (Phillips; Moffatt “for their own ends”). From a spirit of selfish ambition may be rendered as “because they simply want things for themselves,” “because they themselves want to get ahead,” or “because they want to surpass.”

Good News Translation changes a participle with a force of purpose into a finite verb, they think (Moffatt “intending”; Phillips “hoping”; New English Bible “meaning”; Goodspeed “imagining”). The word translated think occurs only here in the Pauline letters. It connotes the sense of thinking with a purpose which is based on wrong judgment or conceit (cf. the context of James 1.7).

They will make more trouble for me translates an infinitive construction meaning literally “to raise up affliction.” Good News Translation supplies for me, making explicit the goal of their malicious action (New English Bible “meaning to stir up fresh trouble for me”). They will make more trouble for me is clearly causative, and the closest natural equivalent, in many instances, is “they will cause me to suffer more,” or “they will cause me to have more difficulties.”

Since while I am in prison refers to Paul’s condition at the time, it may be useful to add an adverbial expression such as “here,” for example, “while I am here in prison.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul’s hope for sending Timothy is governed by the Lord’s will (literally, “I hope in the Lord Jesus”). He apparently has a confident expectation that the Lord will favor his plans. The word hope here has the components of “expectation” and “confidence,” and may often be rendered as “I look forward with trust,” or “I want to and think it will happen.” If it is the Lord’s will may be rendered as “if the Lord wishes it to be so,” or “if that is what the Lord wants.”

In selecting the equivalent for send, one must make certain that the proper components of meaning are present. For example, in some languages a verb meaning “send” may suggest that Paul wishes to get rid of Timothy. Other terms may suggest sending Timothy back home permanently. The meaning in this context is that Paul wishes to send Timothy to be of some help to the people in Philippi, but not on a permanent basis.

The purpose of Timothy’s mission is stated as that I may be encouraged by news about you. The verb be encouraged (literally, “be well in the soul”) is found only here in the New Testament. Its imperative form is very common in gravestone inscriptions, representing a pious wish for the dead: “Farewell!” or “Be it well with your soul!” The meaning in this context is “to be encouraged” or “to be cheered up.” The subject I in this purpose clause is emphatic and is preceded by a coordinating conjunction used adverbially in the sense of “also.” This particle is often left untranslated, but its implication is that the Philippians will be heartened by the visit of Timothy.

The passive expression of purpose, so that I may be encouraged by news about you, may be expressed in an active form as “so that information about how you are will encourage me.” In this type of context encouragement may be expressed in a negative manner, for example, “take away my anxieties,” or “remove my worries about you.”

By news about you represents a participial phrase in Greek which means literally “knowing the things concerning you.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In this verse Paul explains the purpose of the Savior’s coming. Most probably the reason for mentioning the subject of the transformation of the body is to introduce a contrast to what is said in verse 19.

There is a close parallel in the words and thoughts of this verse with those of 2.5-11. The verb rendered will change (New English Bible Jerusalem Bible “will transfigure” Barclay “will change the form” New American Bible “will give a new form”) is related to the noun translated likeness in 2.7. This compound verb focuses on the unstable outward shape and appearance, as against the inner stable nature (see the discussion under 2.5-11).

There is nothing in our weak mortal bodies (literally, “the body of our humiliation”) to suggest that our bodies are inherently evil. It simple means that they are subject to change, weakness, death, and decay. In the Greek text the term rendered as bodies is singular (see Revised Standard Version; New English Bible “body”), but in English the plural forms seem more natural. The attributives weak and mortal must be expressed in some languages as restrictive relative clauses, for example, “he will change our bodies which are weak and which will die.” In some cases it may be best to render change our … bodies as “cause us to have different bodies.”

Make them like translates a Greek adjective (literally, “conformed”) whose cognate noun is rendered nature in 2.6. It suggests that the conformity is not simply a superficial and outward change of form, but a complete change of inward nature and quality.

His own glorious body (literally, “the body of his glory” American Standard Version) obviously refers to Christ’s resurrected and glorified body, in contrast to our weak mortal bodies. At Christ’s coming, according to Paul, true Christians will enter into a new state of existence, and their bodies will be similar in quality and nature to the body of the exalted Christ. The word, “glory” is often used to express the active and radiant presence of God, and in Pauline usage it often refers to the resurrection life. The body, as Paul uses it here, signifies not the outward form, but the whole person. Salvation is not considered in terms of the immortality of the soul apart from the body, but of the total person. For a clearer picture of Paul’s idea about the transformation of human existence, see 1 Cor 15.42-57 and 2 Cor 5.1-5.

In some languages glorious body is rendered as “shining body.” In this way a reference is introduced to the type of body which Jesus had at the transfiguration. However, the focus in this particular passage seems to be, not upon the shining appearance of Christ’s body, but upon its wonderful qualities as a resurrected body, and therefore it is somewhat better to translate glorious body as “wonderful body.”

The process of transformation is accomplished by using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule (literally, “according to the working of his being able even to subdue all things to himself”). The word for power is used only of suprahuman power in the New Testament. In 2 Thes 2.9-11 it refers to the power of the Wicked One, but in all other occurrences it refers to divine power (Eph 1.19-20; 3.7; 4.16; Col 1.29; 2.12). This transforming power is inherent in the Lordship of Christ, which is conferred on him by God at the time of his resurrection (see 2.10-11; cf. 1 Cor 15.20-28).

In this context power is not a reference to “authority,” but rather is suggests personal ability or capacity. This final clause may be rendered as “he will use that ability by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.” In some cases the term “strength” may suggest such personal power, for example, “he will use his strength so as to be able to….”

The expression all things appears also in 3.8, where it is rendered everything, meaning the sum total of what one did, has, or could have. The same expression is sometimes used in Paul’s letters to mean the entire universe (Rom 11.36; Eph 1.10; 3.9; Col 1.15-20 etc.). Since it is this latter sense which occurs in the present context, one can render the clause as “he is able to bring the whole universe under his rule” (Jerusalem Bible “he can subdue the whole universe”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “has the power to subject all things to his Lordship”). The thoughts here correspond closely with those in 2.10-11, where all beings in the universe are brought under Jesus’ rule with an open confession of his Lordship. There God takes the initiative, but here Christ is the originator of this power. To bring all things under his rule may be rendered as “to cause all things to be controlled by him,” “to extend his control over all things,” “to have everything under his control,” or “to cause everything to happen as he determines it should happen.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .