The first part of this verse is rather awkward in Greek, so that two possibilities of translation result. One may understand the Greek to mean “but I reckon my life of no value, as though it were precious to me,” and so translate as the Good News Translation has done: but I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me. On the other hand, it is possible to understand “reckon to be of no value” as meaning “not worth speaking of,” and so translate as the Jerusalem Bible has done: “but life to me is not a thing to waste words on” (see also Zürcher Bibel and Luther). These two different renderings, however, amount essentially to the same thing. In many languages it is impossible to speak of one’s “life” being “worth anything.” One may, however, say “it is not important to me whether I live or die.” This may then be followed by a clause stating “it is, however, important that I complete my mission…”
The first word of the next part of this verse has also caused difficulty for translators. Normally it is used as a particle of comparison, indicating the manner in which something is done, and is generally translated “as” or “like.” It is also used, though admittedly rather infrequently, to denote purpose, and that is what seems best in the present context. It is interesting to observe the different ways by which this particle appears in the various translations: “provided that” (Jerusalem Bible), “so long as” (Phillips), “if only” (Revised Standard Version). The New English Bible combines this particle with the verb that follows and so translates: “I only want to finish….”
The word translated mission is literally “race” (that is, athletic contest; see 2 Timothy 4.7), but in the present context it is evidently used in a figurative sense of the mission to which God has called Paul. Work is the same word that appears in 1.17. If mission and work have essentially the same meaning in this passage, the last clause, which is to declare the Good News of the grace of God, refers back to both of these activities; otherwise this clause may be taken to refer only to work.
In a number of languages it is not possible to make a distinction between complete my mission and finish the work. These are therefore coalesced into a single expression: “in order that I may complete the task that the Lord Jesus gave me to do.”
The final clause may be difficult to render in some languages, since which must refer to the work as a whole. Therefore, it may be useful to break the sentence at this point and say “the work which I was given to do is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.”
As in so many contexts, the grace of God may be rendered as “the goodness of God” in the sense of “the kindness or goodness of God toward people.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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