SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002 – Page 12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:20

3:20a

But: In 3:20, Paul contrasted Christians with the people he had just been talking about in 3:18–19. These people were only interested in things affecting life on earth, but Christians do not belong to earth, they are citizens of heaven, and so they focus on things in heaven.

our citizenship is in heaven: This implies that those who believe in Christ really belong to heaven, not earth. The way they act on earth should show that heaven is their homeland, not earth.

our: Paul meant “as for us….” He was contrasting the true believer’s attitude with the attitude of those he described in 3:18–19. The word our includes Paul and those he was writing to.

citizenship: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as citizenship can have several meanings:

(1) It means “citizenship”; (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means “state,” “commonwealth,” “homeland”; (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Paul was reminding the Philippians that all believers were citizens of heaven, not earth. When you translate the word citizenship, think of how you would normally say that you are loyal citizens of your country.

In some languages there may be no word that means “citizen.” If this is true in your language, you could translate this part of the verse:

Heaven is where we(incl.) really belong.

3:20b

we eagerly await: Paul and the Philippians were looking forward to something that they very much wanted and expected to happen. So they were eager and impatient to see it happen.

a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ: This was whom Paul and the Philippians were eagerly awaiting. They were impatiently looking forward to the day when Christ would return from heaven.

Savior: This refers to someone who would come and save God’s people.

from there: That is, from heaven.

© 2002 by SIL International®
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:18

1:18a

What then is the issue?: The Greek here is an idiomatic expression something like the English slang “So what?” It does not expect an answer. In the Berean Standard Bible it is translated as a rhetorical question implying the answer “It doesn’t really matter.” Paul meant that he was not disturbed and troubled (as his rivals expected he would be) because some believers were preaching the gospel out of envy. Instead, he was just glad that they were preaching the good news.

If you have rhetorical questions in your language and you can use one here, make sure the answer is clear to the reader. If it is not clear, you may need to add an explicit answer, such as “It doesn’t matter.” Or, you may need to avoid the rhetorical question (see the third Meaning Line in the Display).

1:18b

that in every way: If your language uses different words to distinguish between two alternatives and more than two alternatives, you should choose the word indicating two alternatives.

whether by false motives or true: Some people were preaching the gospel for the wrong reasons and some for the right reasons.

false motives: The Greek word translated by the Berean Standard Bible as false motives means doing something just for appearance or show, or hiding the real reason for doing something. This refers to the people mentioned in 1:15a and 1:17.

true: The Greek word translated by the Berean Standard Bible as true is literally “in truth.” It refers to doing something for the reason you say you are doing it; that is, genuinely or sincerely. This refers to the people mentioned in 1:15b and 1:16.

1:18c

Christ is preached: In some languages it will be necessary to use an active verb and supply a subject for the verb “preach.” If this is necessary for you, you should choose something that clearly refers back to those about whom Paul had just been speaking. See second and third Meaning lines in the Display.

General Comment on 1:18a–d

In some languages it may be necessary to alter the order of the parts of the verse. Here are two sample translations:

a But this is not important. c What is important is that people are preaching the good news about Christ, b whether they have the right reason or not. d And I am very glad about that.
-or-

a They are doing this, but I am not upset. b Maybe they are preaching because they want to help me, or maybe they are preaching because they don’t want to help me. But either way d I am happy, c because they are preaching the good news about Christ.

Section 1:18e–26

Paul rejoiced because he expected that what was happening would lead to good, whether he lived or died

Paul wanted to bring honor to Christ whether he lived or died. He knew that dying and being with Christ would be the supreme good, but he also wanted to be with the Philippians to help them grow in their faith. And he expected that God would let him continue living and helping others.

Paragraph 1:18e–20

Paul rejoiced because he knew that the result of what was happening to him would be good, whether he continued to live or he died.

1:18e

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice: This phrase connects this section with the previous one. Paul was happy, not only because people were preaching the gospel, but also because he believed that what was happening to him would turn out for good.

Some translations put the phrase Yes, and I will continue to rejoice at the beginning of 1:19 rather than at the end of 1:18 (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible). You should consider making this adjustment to the verse numbers if this is what your national language version does.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:29

2:29

In this verse Paul strongly exhorted the Philippians to accept Epaphroditus back happily. It is not clear why Paul had to encourage them to do this. It is possible that he thought that the Philippians might have been angry at Epaphroditus for returning so soon. They had expected him to stay and care for Paul. Thus Paul tried to assure them of how valuable Epaphroditus had been to him, and to convince them that the change of plans was truly what God wanted. Or Paul may simply have been encouraging them to joyfully accept Epaphroditus back, which he expected they would do, as 2:28b implies.

2:29a

Welcome him in the Lord with great joy: The Philippians should receive Epaphroditus back very happily as their Christian brother.

in the Lord: There are several ways to understand this phrase. The two main ones are:

(1) The Philippians should receive Epaphroditus as a brother in the Lord, because he too belonged to the Lord. (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible)

(2) They should welcome Epaphroditus as they should welcome another Christian, in an appropriate manner. (See SSA). (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)

Most English versions are ambiguous and it may be possible for you to leave this phrase ambiguous in your translation too. The Display illustrates interpretation (1). If you wish to follow the second interpretation (2), you could say:

Welcome him with great joy in the way you should welcome another believer.

2:29b

honor men like him: The phrase honor men like him means that they should honor him and other men also. Paul reminded the Philippians that they should respect Epaphroditus and other men who were like him.

men like him: This refers to Christians who were faithful to the Lord as Epaphroditus had been. The Greek phrase literally means “such ones.” So you could translate this so as to include women as well as men.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:10

Section 4:10–20

Paul thanked the Philippians for their gift

Paul now began to write about the gift that the Philippians had sent him. He reminded them that when he had been preaching the gospel in their area, they were the only group of believers that had sent gifts to him. He made it clear that Christ enabled him to be content in every situation. But their loving gift made him very happy. He also said that God would also supply all they needed. This should cause God’s people to praise him.

Paragraph 4:10–14

Paul had learned to be content whether he had less than he needed or whether he had more than he needed. But he was very happy that the Philippian believers had sent him a gift to help him when he needed it.

4:10

In this verse, Paul wrote that he was extremely happy because of the gift the Philippians had sent him. He rejoiced because by sending him a gift the Philippians had shown him that they still loved him. They were concerned that he should have the things that he needed.

4:10a

Now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now (de) implies that Paul was starting to write about something different from what he had been writing about. It is not a time word. Many English versions, including the New International Version, do not translate this Greek word. But your language may have a word or phrase that shows when the speaker or writer changes to a different topic. If so, it may be appropriate to use that word or phrase here.

I rejoice: In Greek the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I rejoice is in the past tense. That indicates that Paul was happy when he received the gift. However, most English versions use a present tense. This is probably to make it clear that Paul began rejoicing when he first received the gift and was still rejoicing at the time he wrote the letter to the Philippians. You should use the tense in your language that best gives this meaning.

greatly: In the Greek this word is emphasized. Make sure this is an important word in your translation: Paul rejoiced “exceedingly” or “immensely.”

in the Lord: Paul did not rejoice for selfish reasons (that is, because of the gift alone) but in the Lord, that is, because he belonged to the Lord.

the Lord: That is, the Lord Jesus.

4:10b

that: Paul now gave the reason why he was rejoicing. This can also be translated “because.”

at last: It had apparently been a long time since Paul had heard from the Philippians or received a gift from them. The phrase at last means “now, after a long time.” It does not imply that Paul was angry or irritated that he had not heard from the Philippians earlier.

you have revived your concern for me: Paul meant “You have shown again that you are concerned for me.” The Philippians had never stopped being concerned about Paul (4:10c) but by their gift they also showed this concern.

concern: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as concern literally means “to think about someone.” It implies that the Philippians loved Paul and wanted to help him.

4:10c

You were indeed concerned: This phrase clarifies what Paul said in 4:10a–b. He did not want the Philippians to think he was accusing them of neglecting him.

indeed: The Greek idiom that the Berean Standard Bible translates as indeed literally means “for which.” Here it introduces a phrase to clarify a preceding statement and remove a wrong impression. So it can be translated as “indeed,” “actually” or “I know that.”

4:10d

but you had no opportunity to show it: One reason why Paul had not received a gift from the Philippians for a long time was probably that they had no way until then to send a gift to him. Finally, they had sent the money with Epaphroditus, who traveled from Philippi to Rome to take it to Paul.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:29

1:29

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For joins the text in 1:29 to what Paul said in 1:27–28. It gives the reason for what Paul had just been saying there.

it has been granted to you: Commentators agree that the word granted implies that God had given the Philippian believers a special privilege or favor. God was being good to them by allowing them to suffer for Christ.

Some languages have different words for giving gifts and giving privileges. The choice of words may also depend on how the status (or importance) of the one who gives relates to the status of the one who receives. Consider how your people view the status of God in relation to the status of people.

on behalf of Christ: The phrase on behalf of Christ may relate to 1:29 in three ways. Therefore, there are three possible interpretations:

(1) The phrase relates primarily to the word “suffer.” This can be expressed, for example, as “It has been granted to you to suffer for Christ, not only to believe in him.” Many commentators hold this view.

(2) The phrase relates to both “believe” and “suffer.” This can be expressed, for example, as “It has been granted to you to believe in Christ and to suffer for him.” This is very close in meaning to the first interpretation. In fact, it is not possible to know which of these views a number of English versions follow. (God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(3) The phrase relates to the phrase “it has been granted to you.” This can be expressed, for example. as “For Christ’s sake this has been granted to you : to believe in him and to suffer for him.” (New International Version, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

The first interpretation is recommended (1), but in translation there may be no difference between that and the second.

believe in Him: This means the same as “believe on him” or “put your trust in him.” You could also translate it as “trust him” or “believe what he says.”

suffer for Him: The phrase suffer for Him means that a person is persecuted because he believes in Christ. It means to experience pain (physical or emotional) for Christ’s sake.

It is possible to rephrase the whole sentence (1:29) as:

God not only has allowed you to believe in Christ but also has given you the privilege of suffering for Christ.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:10

3:10

This verse begins with the phrase “I want to know Christ.” Paul followed this with three phrases that show three ways that he could know Christ: by the power of Christ’s resurrection, by the fellowship of sharing Christ’s sufferings, and by becoming like Christ in his death.

3:10a

I want to know Christ: This does not mean to know about Christ. It means to know and experience Christ personally. Paul already knew Christ, but he wanted to know him better.

3:10b

and the power of His resurrection: The power of Christ’s resurrection was already influencing Paul’s life, but he wanted to experience it more. This is one of the ways that a person can know Christ better.

There are several ways to understand the phrase the power of His resurrection :

(1) It refers to the power Christ received after God raised him from the dead. This could be translated:

I want to have the power ⌊that⌋ Christ ⌊had⌋ when he rose again.

(2) It refers to the God’s power that raised Christ from the dead. This could be translated:

I want to experience the same power ⌊that God used when he caused⌋ Christ to live again ⌊after he had died⌋. (New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))

Most English versions do not specify how they understand his phrase, but both interpretations have strong support from commentators. It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1). Paul probably meant that knowing Christ included Paul experiencing the power that is now Christ’s.

Paul wanted this power so that he could behave in the way that pleased God and so that he could effectively teach others God’s message.

resurrection: In some languages the word resurrection can mean to come back to life as a different person or as a different living thing. This is not the meaning of resurrection in the Bible. If this is a problem in your language, you need to translate in a way that makes it clear that resurrection means a person becoming alive again as the same person.

General Comment on 3:10a–b

One way to connect 3:10a–b is:

I want to know Christ ⌊better in this way: I want to know⌋ the power of his resurrection.

3:10c

and the fellowship of His sufferings: This is the second way in which a person can know Christ better.

There are two main ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) Paul was already suffering for Christ and he wanted more of the fellowship with Christ that comes from following him. He did not want to suffer, but he wanted to know Christ more and more even though that meant suffering.

(2) Paul wanted to share by faith (mentally) the sufferings that Christ had.

The first interpretation has stronger support. It is recommended that you follow it (1). Paul did not want to suffer. But he knew that everyone who follows Christ faithfully should expect to suffer because those who refuse to follow Christ oppose them (2 Timothy 3:12). And he wanted the fellowship with Christ that would accompany this suffering.

fellowship: In this context this means “sharing in something with someone.” See note on “partnership” in 1:5a, and “fellowship”, sense A2 in Key Biblical Terms. This sense is brought out by the Berean Standard Bible when it supplies the words “sharing in.”

3:10d

being conformed to Him in His death: This is a difficult phrase to understand and most English versions translate it more or less literally. There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It is meant literally. Paul wanted to become like Christ by suffering as Christ did even to the point of death.

(2) It is meant figuratively. Paul wanted to die to sin.

Both interpretations have strong support, but it is more likely that Paul was referring here to physical death, just as he had been referring to physical sufferings in 3:10c. So it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul said that he wanted to become like Christ in every aspect of his life. He even wanted to die like Christ died. This means that he was willing to have people persecute him and kill him for his faith just like people killed Christ.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:21

Section 4:21–23

Paul and those with him sent greetings to all the Philippian believers

With these verses, Paul ended his letter to the Philippian believers. As he did in many of his letters, he sent his greetings and the greetings of the believers who were with him. He ended the letter with a brief prayer or blessing (4:23).

Paragraph 4:21–23

4:21a

Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus: Paul told those who would read or hear his letter to give his greetings to the rest of the believers in Philippi.

Greet: This is a command addressed to more than one person. Probably Paul was addressing the church leaders, who would have read the letter first.

all the saints: See notes on 1:1b for the meaning of saints. Paul wanted to greet every believer in Philippi. In some languages it may be necessary to supply the word “other” to indicate that those who would pass on Paul’s greetings were also Christians.

in Christ Jesus: There are three main ways that this phrase can be understood here:

(1) It explains the word “saints.” The “saints” are those who are united with or are in Christ Jesus. For example:

Greetings to each one of God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus. (Good News Translation) (God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation)

(2) It relates to the verb “greet.” This would mean, “Greet in Christ Jesus’ name all God’s people.” For example:

Give my greetings, in the fellowship of Christ Jesus. (Revised English Bible)

(3) It means “because of Christ Jesus.” For example:

Give my greetings to all who are God’s people because of Christ Jesus. (Contemporary English Version)

The first interpretation is the most likely, and it is recommended that you follow it (1).

4:21b

The brothers who are with me send you greetings: This probably refers to the believers who worked closely with Paul. They also sent their greetings to the believers in Philippi. It does not mean that these believers were with Paul in the Roman prison. But they would have been in the city of Rome. These co-workers were probably all men, and it is not necessary to translate brothers as “brothers and sisters” here.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002