Translation commentary on Philippians 2:26

Paul now gives his reason for sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi. Since the context makes it clear that what Paul goes on to say is explanatory, it may be necessary to indicate clearly the meaning of the Greek conjunction rendered often as “since,” “because,” or “for.”

He is anxious to see you all is literally, “he was longing for you all.” Some Greek manuscripts read “he was longing to see you all,” but there is really no difference in meaning. In Greek, this construction of connecting a participle with an imperfect predicate verb indicates a continued or constant state. The verb rendered anxious to see is a very strong term, denoting a strong feeling of homesickness (Barclay “he was homesick to see you all”). It is used in 1.8 of Paul’s deep feeling towards the Philippians. Observe the recurring you all; the feeling of Epaphroditus for all the believers in Philippi is emphasized. He is anxious to see you all may be rendered as “he wants very much to see you all,” sometimes expressed idiomatically as “his heart is telling him how much he wants to see you all,” or “his heart is reaching out to you all.”

In Greek is very upset is a participle which goes with the imperfect predicate verb in the preceding clause. This is another strong verb, denoting great mental distress and agitation. It is used in Mark 14.33 to describe Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. Such mental distress may be expressed idiomatically as “his heart is jumping” or “his insides are moving.” It may be necessary to introduce one element which is lacking in the second part of this verse. Epaphroditus’ distress involved the fact that he had learned that the believers in Philippi had heard about his sickness. Therefore it may be necessary to say “he was very distressed because he learned that you had heard about his sickness,” or “… that he was sick.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 4:7

And God’s peace is literally “and the peace of God.” The conjunction and indicates that what follows is the consequence of what precedes; thus it can be rendered “and so” or “then” (Goodspeed New English Bible New American Bible). The phrase “the peace of God” appears only here in the New Testament; elsewhere we often find the expression “the God of peace” (4.9; Rom 15.33; 16.20; 1 Thes 5.23; Heb 13.20). The difference in meaning in these two expressions is a matter of focus. Here the focus is on the “peace” which originates in and comes from God, while in verse 9 it is “God” who causes or gives peace. Peace in the Bible is never merely the absence of strife and trouble. Rather, this term stands for a total well-being associated with the state of salvation (Isa 52.7). It follows from the right relationship with God made possible through Jesus Christ (Rom 5.1) and the resultant friendly relationship with one’s fellow man (Eph 2.14). As such it is a gift from God. In this type of context peace may be rendered in some languages as “sitting down in one’s heart,” or “not running around in one’s mind.” The relation of God to “peace” may be expressed as “this has been caused by God,” or “God causes us to sit down in our hearts.”

The Greek of the next clause (literally, “which rises above all mind”) can be interpreted in two different ways. It can mean that God’s peace can produce far better results than human cleverness and devices can accomplish (New English Bible alternative rendering “of far more worth than human reasoning”). Or the clause can mean that God’s peace is completely beyond all power of human comprehension. Accordingly, Good News Translation renders which is far beyond human understanding (cf. Jerusalem Bible “which is so much greater than we can understand”). There is an implicit contrast between God’s peace and human understanding, and Good News Translation makes this information explicit (so also Phillips). In this particular instance, the context offers little help as to which interpretation is correct, since neither seems to fit well; but on linguistic grounds the second meaning appears to be preferable. Basically, the verb rendered is far beyond means “to rise above,” “to surpass,” or “to excel.” The focus is on the idea of uniqueness rather than relative superiority. Paul is not interested in making a comparison between God’s peace and human ingenuities; rather he is explaining the nature of God’s peace. Furthermore, the basic meaning of the noun translated understanding is “the mind” as the faculty of thinking and reflection, not “cleverness” or “inventiveness.” Which is far beyond human understanding may be rendered as “because we are only people, we are not able to understand how God can do this,” or “people are not able to understand this kind of peace.”

The verb rendered will keep … safe is a military term. It pictures a garrison or a military sentinel “keeping guard over” a city or a fort to maintain peace and to protect against attacks. The city of Philippi in Paul’s time was guarded by a Roman garrison, so the metaphor would probably appeal to his readers. What Paul says to his friends is this: as the result of your prayers God’s peace will stand like a guard to keep your hearts and minds safe from attacks of worries and anxieties.

In biblical understanding the “heart” is not merely the center of feeling (1.7; Rom 9.2; 2 Cor 2.4), but also of willing (Mark 3.5; 1 Cor 7.37; 2 Cor 9.7), and of thinking (Matt 12.34; Rom 1.21; Eph 1.18). In Greek, the form of the word rendered minds indicates that its primary meaning is “thoughts” (New English Bible Jerusalem Bible), yet the thinking faculty, the mind, seems to be meant here. What God’s peace is keeping guard over is the mind rather than the thoughts, which are the product of the mind (2 Cor 3.14; 4.4; 11.3). Most likely Paul brings hearts and minds together to emphasize the whole inner being of the Christian, consisting of his faculties of feeling, willing, and thinking.

It is relatively simple to speak of “God keeping your hearts and minds safe,” but it may be more difficult to introduce peace as the means by which the hearts and minds are kept safe. This relation may be expressed most satisfactorily in some instances as a type of condition. Accordingly, God’s peace … will keep your hearts and minds safe may be rendered as “if you experience the kind of peace that God can cause for you, then your hearts and minds will be kept safe,” “… then there will be no danger to your hearts and minds,” or “… then in all you feel and think there will be no reason for being anxious.”

Paul introduces the important phrase in union with Christ Jesus (literally, “in Christ Jesus”) to close the sentence. It is a solemn reminder to his readers that outside of their closest possible union with Christ there is no protection, no safekeeping by God’s peace. In many languages the phrase may have to be rendered as “through your union with the life of Christ Jesus.” In some instances one may relate the phrase to what precedes it by saying “because of the fact that you are united with Christ Jesus” (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), or “this is true because you are united with Christ Jesus.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 1:3

Although he has included Timothy’s name in the opening greeting, Paul begins his thanksgiving with the first person singular “I,” and the first person singular is maintained throughout the letter. The thanksgiving is offered to my God, reflecting Paul’s profound personal relationship to God (cf. Acts 27.23). In Greek the occasion for this thanksgiving is stated rather ambiguously, literally “upon all remembrance of you.” It is possible to take “you” in a subjective sense, meaning “on the basis of your remembering,” with the resultant rendering “for all your remembrance of me” (Moffatt). On the basis of this view, Paul is expressing appreciation for his Philippian friends’ gift of money. But this interpretation does not seem to represent his real meaning. For one thing, the words “of me” are not found in the Greek text. Furthermore, the word translated “remembrance” occurs frequently in the opening verses of Paul’s letters (Rom 1.9; Eph 1.16; Philemon 4). In every instance it is closely associated with “thanksgiving” and is used in the sense of “mentioning in prayer” or “remembering in prayer.” Consequently, most translations render this clause as every time I think of you (Good News Translation New American Bible cf. New English Bible Jerusalem Bible “whenever I think of you”), correctly suggesting that, whenever Paul thinks of his Christian friends at Philippi, he gives thanks to God.

In many languages an expression such as my God cannot be used, for one cannot really possess God. Accordingly, this expression must be rendered as “the God whom I worship” or “the one who is God to me.”

The phrase for you must be understood in the sense of “because of you” or “because of what you have done.”

In some languages it may be necessary to place every time I think of you at the beginning of verse 3, so as to read “Every time I think of you I thank my God for you.” Every time may be rendered in many languages as “whenever”; every time I think of you must be expressed in some languages as “whenever you come into my thoughts,” “whenever I think about what you have done,” or “whenever what you did speaks to my mind.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 2:5

This verse functions as an introductory formula for the hymn (cf. Eph 5.14; 1 Tim 1.15; 3.16; 2 Tim 2.11).

The Greek of this verse is somewhat cryptic; it is literally “this you think in you which also in Christ Jesus.” “This” does not refer back to what has been said in verses 2-4, but rather introduces what comes after. The verb translated “you think” (which has already appeared in 1.7 and 2.2) connotes more than mere thinking (it is rendered “feel” by Good News Bible in 1.7). It denotes primarily, not an act of thinking, but a state of mind, an inward disposition. It signifies sympathetic interests and concern, reflecting the action of the “heart” as well as the “head.” In this context the verb is best rendered “have the attitude” (Good News Translation Goodspeed New American Bible Barclay). The mood of the verb is present imperative.

“In you” in this context is best taken in the sense of “among you” or “within your Christian community,” not “within you” in the sense of “in your hearts.” The exact sense of the clause can best be brought out by restructuring; thus Good News Translation has the attitude you should have is…, and New American Bible “your attitude must be….” Since the action implied in the verb is continuous, the clause can also be translated “the attitude you should always have is….” Barclay is even more explicit: “try always to have the same attitude…” (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The second half of the verse presents translators with two problems. Since the clause is without a verb, the first problem is to determine what verb to supply. One solution is to supply the main verb used in the first part of the verse, that is, “think among yourselves that which also you think in Christ Jesus.” The resulting meaning then would be “have among yourselves the disposition which you experience in Christ Jesus,” or “adopt toward one another the same attitude you adopt towards Christ Jesus.” This interpretation is followed by Moffatt: “treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus.” Another suggestion is to supply the verb “was,” with the resulting meaning “have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (cf. King James Version American Standard Version). New English Bible appears to adopt the latter interpretation as an alternative rendering: “have that bearing towards one another which was also found in Christ Jesus.” This solution seems to suit the context better.

Closely related to this problem is another: how to interpret the expression “in Christ Jesus.” It is argued by several commentators that the regular Pauline sense of “in communion with Christ Jesus,” or more specifically “in your Christian fellowship,” is the meaning in this context also. Paul would then be urging the Philippian Christians to put into practice in their common life the disposition or attitude (described in vv. 2-4) proper to those who are members of Christ’s church.

However, the context seems to indicate that the characteristic Pauline sense of the expression should not be pressed in this particular instance. It is rather to be interpreted in the sense of “that belonged to Christ Jesus” or, as Good News Translation renders it, that Christ Jesus had (cf. Goodspeed Barclay). With this interpretation, the transition to the Christological hymn becomes natural. Paul is here making an appeal to Christ as the supreme example of humility—an act of utter self-negation. The past tense “Christ Jesus had” is significant, since Christ’s attitude of humility is exemplified in his accomplished saving acts. Note that in Greek all the verbs (except verse 11) and participles (except the first) used in the hymn are in the aorist tense. Christians are only called upon to tread the path already trodden by Christ himself (cf. 1 Peter 2.21-25).

In a number of languages the closest equivalent of attitude is “thinking.” Therefore verse 5 may be rendered as “You should think the same way that Jesus Christ thought.” However, in the hymn which follows more is involved than mere thinking. The emphasis is on what Jesus Christ did, and attitude must be understood in a broader sense than mere thinking. This may be expressed in some languages as “What you do should be the same as what Jesus Christ did.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 3:7

Having stated his qualifications and achievements, Paul now reassesses his spiritual life after his conversion. With the conjunction but he marks the dramatic change of perspective.

I might count as profit is literally “were gains to me.” This clause can also be taken in the sense of “were once gains to me” (New American Bible “I used to consider gain”). The tense of the verb rendered reckon is significant. It is the perfect tense (“have counted”), denoting an action in past time which continues to be effective in the present. The full force of the meaning would be something like “I counted those things as a loss, and I still reckon them as such.” Since the focus is on the present effect, Good News Translation renders the verb in the present tense (cf. 3.8, where Paul uses the same verb again, this time in the present tense). Good News Translation supplies now to strengthen the force of contrast.

Paul here uses the figure of a balance sheet, showing assets and liabilities, profit and loss. All his advantages of birth and upbringing and his personal achievements as a zealous Pharisee, he had formerly set down in the “profit” column; now he has transferred them to the “loss” column. For Christ’s sake supplies the motive for this dramatic revaluation and drastic change.

All those things can best be rendered in some languages as “all that I was and all that I did,” or “… all that I did in obeying the Law.”

It may be necessary in some languages to shift the figurative expressions of “profit and loss” and to speak of “advantage and disadvantage,” for example, “all that I used to do which I might have counted as an advantage to myself I now realize is a disadvantage,” “… has no value,” or “… is of not advantage.”

It is not easy to indicate clearly the relation of the phrase for Christ’s sake to what has preceded. In some instances one may interpret this in the sense of “because of what Christ has done for me.” Or one may render for Christ’s sake as “because of what I want to do for Christ.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 4:18

In this verse Paul continues to use commercial language. Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me is literally the simple statement: “and I have everything.” The particle “and” here is better taken as a connective then, rather than as an adversative “but” (Revised Standard Version) or “however” (New English Bible).

The verb “I have” is often used in the sense of “I have received” as a technical expression for the drawing up of a receipt in financial transactions. This is the third of the three current business terms referred to under verse 17. It is therefore possible to render this phrase as “I have received full payment” (Revised Standard Version), “here I give you my receipt for everything,” or, even more explicitly, as in Good News Translation, here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me. In languages where commercial transaction involving bills and receipts is unknown, it may be necessary to modify my receipt for everything you have given me to read “my written statement acknowledging everything you have given me,” or “these words which express thanks for everything you have given me.”

Paul hastens to add and it has been more than enough! This clause translates a single verb which means literally “I abound.” The same verb occurs twice in verse 12, where it is rendered to have more than enough and have too much. The clause may be rendered as “it has been more than I needed,” or “I could have gotten along on less.”

The clause I have all I need (Goodspeed “I am fully supplied”) brings out the meaning of a single Greek verb in the perfect passive tense, but with a present meaning in English: “I am full.” It is sometimes suggested that this verb is to be taken with what precedes, as the climax of a series of verbs describing the generosity of the Philippians. However, it is more natural to take it with the following clause, and hence introducing what follows.

Paul further explains what he means by I have all I need by using a participial phrase, literally “having received from Epaphroditus the things from you.” Since the agent is specifically mentioned, it is best in many languages to change this pseudopassive construction into an active one as Good News Translation does: now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. This clause states a type of causal condition, but it is rarely possible to introduce such a clause by a literal rendering of now that. In some languages the closest equivalent is “since Epaphroditus has now brought me all that you have given me,” or “… all that you have sent me.”

In the remainder of this verse Paul shifts from the language of commerce to that of sacrifice. The gifts of the Philippians are compared to an offering laid on the altar. Since the language is used metaphorically, Good News Translation has the word like.

The gifts are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, literally “an odor of a sweet smell.” The phrase is taken from the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) and was originally used of burnt offerings. The idea is that God takes pleasure in the smell of the sacrifices offered by men (Gen 8.21; Exo 20.41; Ezek 20.41). It signifies the quality which a sacrificial offering should have in order to be acceptable to God. Good News Translation explicitly indicates that the offering is to God.

In some languages it is not possible to speak of a sweet-smelling offering without indicating precisely who smells the offering. One can, of course, render this as “an offering to God which is sweet to his smell,” or “… which he smells as being very sweet.” However, in many languages the idea of smelling something which is “sweet” is very strange, since a term such as “sweet” would relate only to taste, not to smell. Because of the difficulties involved, some translators prefer to use such an expression as “agreeable to,” “pleasing to,” “acceptable to,” or even “fine,” for example, “these gifts are like a fine offering to God.”

The focus in the word sacrifice is not on the act of sacrificing, but on the thing sacrificed. Notice that Paul compares the Philippian’s gifts to him to a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God, for the help rendered to God’s servant is really help rendered to God. From this perspective we can understand why in verse 17b Paul wants to see profit added to the Philippians’ account.

A sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him can be rendered “the sort of sacrifice that he approves and welcomes” (Moffatt), “the sacrifice that he accepts and finds pleasing” (Jerusalem Bible), “a sacrifice which he receives and which pleases him,” or “… which he regards as good.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 1:14

In Greek the first clause is literally “most of the brothers having confidence in the Lord because of my bonds.” Good News Translation restructures this by changing “because of my bonds” (dative of cause) into the subject and “most of the brothers” (subject of the participle) into the direct object, thus my being in prison has given most of the brothers more confidence in the Lord (cf. Moffatt “my imprisonment has given the majority of the brotherhood greater confidence in the Lord”). My being in prison constitutes the cause for Paul’s fellow believer’s becoming more confident. This relation must be expressed in some languages by a clause of cause, for example, “because I am in prison, most of my fellow believers have more confidence in the Lord.”

The exact relation of the phrase in the Lord to the context is debated. In Greek it lies between “the brothers” and “having confidence,” and it is therefore grammatically possible to connect it with either. King James Version and American Standard Version connect it with “the brothers.” New English Bible favors this construction by rendering “fellow Christians” (Goodspeed “Christian brothers”; New American Bible “brothers in Christ”). But this exegesis is questionable. In 2.24 Paul uses the same verb with “in the Lord.” Besides, whenever he speaks of “brethren” he always means “Christians,” and so to add “in the Lord” is really redundant. Consequently, to connect in the Lord with confidence, as Good News Translation does, makes better sense (cf. Moffatt; Phillips “taking fresh heart in the Lord”). The Lord is the basis of confidence and hope. That being the case, in a number of languages this relation must be expressed as one of cause, for example, “are more confident because of the Lord,” or even of agency, “the Lord has caused them to be more confident.”

They grow bolder may be expressed negatively as “they do not fear so much,” or “they fear less and less.” The fundamental change expressed in grow bolder all the time must be rendered in some languages as “becoming bolder constantly,” or “are constantly more and more bold.”

To preach the message is literally “to speak the word.” The earliest manuscript reading supports the Good News Translation rendering without adding “of God” after “the message” (but see Revised Standard Version New English Bible New American Bible “the word of God”). The fact that the genitive qualifier “of God” appears in different positions in various manuscripts and the fact that it has a variant reading “of Lord” suggest that it was not in the original.

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 .

Translation commentary on Philippians 2:16

As you offer them the message of life should be connected to the preceding clause to form a complete sentence (the verb offer is a participle in Greek). The participial phrase can be expressed in two ways, depending on how one interprets verse 15. Some scholars claim that Paul is there simply speaking of the contrast between the church and the world, and they generally take the participle to mean “holding fast” or “adhering to” (Moffatt Revised Standard Version New American Bible). However, it is more likely that Paul is thinking about the missionary influence of the Philippian church upon the surrounding evil world, as implied in the Good News Translation rendering. It is therefore better to take the participle in the sense of “holding forth” or “offering” (Goodspeed Jerusalem Bible New English Bible). In order to be more explicit, it is desirable to make the message of life the direct object and supply an indirect object, them, hence as you offer them the message of life.

This is the only instance in which Paul uses the phrase the message of life, literally, “the word of life.” There seems to be no need to take this expression in the Johannine sense of “as the very principle of its life” (John 1.1-5), as suggested in the New English Bible footnote. The genitive construction here is better taken in the sense of “the message that brings life,” not “the message concerning life.” Thus “the word of life” is here used synonymously with “the gospel.” Paul calls upon his readers to shine like stars by making their lives a constant demonstration of the Christian gospel.

If one assumes that the message of life is to be understood as “the message that brings life,” one may use a causative expression, for example, “the message that causes people to really live.” Such a causative relation, however, is rather difficult in some languages because it would involve a human agent. Therefore it may be preferable to translate the message of life as “the message that shows people how they can really live.” It may be necessary to use some type of qualification for the term life, for the good news is not merely an explanation about how human existence is to be continued. The life spoken of in the New Testament is characterized as “real life,” in contrast with mere human existence.

The Greek prepositional phrase rendered in Revised Standard Version as “so that in the Day of Christ I may be proud” appears to carry a conditional force. Thus Goodspeed has “then I will have reason to boast of you” (with an “if” clause implied; cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). One can go a step further, as Good News Translation does, and render it explicitly as If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you (Barclay “for, if you do, … I will be able proudly to claim…”). Obviously, Paul is not speaking about the pride he now has in his readers, but he is suggesting a reason for such pride as he expects to have in the future, namely, on the Day of Christ. As in 1.6 and 1.10, the Day of Christ refers to the Parousia, the second coming of Christ (Barclay “on the day when Christ comes”; cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The pronoun it in the expression because it will show must refer to the behavior of the Christians in Philippi. It may be important to make this rather specific, for example, “because what you have done will show,” or “because what you are like will show.”

Paul now proceeds to explain the basis for his pride by picturing himself as looking back on his life from the time of the Day of Christ. He does this by using two aorist tense verbs, literally, “that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain” (American Standard Version). “That” is an added explanation of the preceding clause, thus because it will show that (New English Bible “proof that”).

The verb “run” is a favorite Pauline metaphor. It is taken from the life of an athlete and depicts a runner in the stadium dashing toward the finish line (Acts 13.25; 20.24; 1 Cor 9.24, 26; Gal 2.2). The phrase “in vain” (used in the New Testament only by Paul) is found in the papyri as describing water running to waste. The metaphor can be kept in the translation, thus “I did not run the race in vain” (New American Bible), “I did not run a loser’s race” (Barclay), or “I had not run in the race … for nothing” (Jerusalem Bible). For some languages, it may be best to substitute a nonmetaphor, as Good News Translation does, all my effort and work have not been wasted.

It is possible that the second verb work is a continuation of the metaphor picturing the hard work of the athlete’s training for the race. It means “to work to the point of exhaustion” (Jerusalem Bible “exhausted myself for nothing”).

One may find it difficult to speak of effort and work being wasted. It may be easy enough to speak of wasting a substance, but not of wasting an activity. One may therefore need to restructure the final part of this verse as “what you are like will show that when I engaged in all my hard work I did not do it for nothing,” or “… this was not useless.” In some languages it is important to combine effort and work in a single expression indicating the exhausting nature of the work, for example, “when I worked so hard that I became exhausted,” or “when I worked to the point where I hardly had any more strength.”

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 .