Philemon 1:1 - 3 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Philemon 1:1-3 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Yo Pablo estuve predicando en el servicio de Jesucristo, cuando fui arrestado y encarcelado.

Mi hermano en Cristo, Timoteo, vino a me visitarme en la cárcel, y ahora yo Pablo le escribo una carta a Filemón.

Nosotros dos te enviamos saludos cordiales a ti, Filemón, que ayudaste a mi y a mi compañero Timeoteo cuando predicabamos. A todos que se reunen en tu casa, a la iglesia, saludos,y también a todos los hermanos en Cristo, al igual que a Apia amada, y a Arquipo compañero nuestro en la predicación.

Nuestro Dios y Padre y el Señor Jesucristoles den gracia, amor, y paz.


I, Paul, was preaching in service of Jesus Christ when I was arrested and put in prison.

My brother in Christ, Timothy, came to visit me in prison and now I, Paul, write a letter to Philemon.

Both of us send you cordial greetings, Philemon, you who helped me and my companion Timothy as we preached. Greetings to all who meet in your house, the church, and to all the brothers in Christ, and also to the beloved Apphia and our fellow preacher Archippus.

May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace, love, and peace.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Philemon 1:4-7 in Mexican Sign Language >>

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Phlm. 1:2)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the reader of the letter).

In Huautla Mazatec, however, the translators selected the inclusive we.

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

church

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The Greek that is often translated as “church” in English is translated into Avaric as imanl’urazul ahlu: “the community of believers” or “the believing people.”

Magomed-Kamil Gimbatov and Yakov Testelets (in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 434ff. ) talk about the genesis of this term (click or tap here to read more):

“The word ‘Church’ presents particular difficulties, as we might expect when we think that even many Christians do not understand it correctly. When people today say ‘church,’ they often mean a particular building, or an organization consisting chiefly of clergy (priests and monks). It is even harder to find a word or combination of words which adequately translates the meaning for people unfamiliar with Christianity. Surprisingly, the Greek word ekklesia, indicating in the classical language ‘an assembly of the people,’ ‘a gathering of citizens,’ has come into Avar and other Dagestani languages in the form kilisa. This, like the word qanch (‘cross’), is an ancient borrowing, presumably from the time before the arrival of Islam, when Dagestan came under the influence of neighboring Christian states. In modern usage, however, this word indicates a place of Christian worship. Thus it is completely inappropriate as a translation of its New Testament ancestor ekklesia.

“We were obliged to look at various words which are closer to the meaning of the Greek. Some of these words are dandel’i (‘meeting’), danderussin (‘assembly’), the Arabic-derived mazhlis (‘meeting, conference’), zhama’at (‘society, community’), ahlu (‘race, people, family, group of people united by a common goal or interest’, as in the Arabic phrase ahlu-l-kitab ‘people of the Book’ or ‘people of the Scriptures’), which describes both Jews and Christians, and ummat (‘people, tribe’). In Islamic theology the phrase ‘Mohammed’s ummat’ means the universal community of Muslims, the Muslim world, in the same way as the Christian world is known as ‘Isa’s ummat.’ None of these descriptions on their own, without explanation, can be used to translate the word ‘Church’ in the New Testament. Thus, after long consideration, we adopted the phrase imanl’urazul ahlu, meaning ‘the community of believers,’ ‘the believing people,’ This translation corresponds closely to New Testament teaching about the Church.

“It is interesting that the same word ahlu with the meaning ‘tribe, community’ has been used by translators for different reasons in the introduction to the Gospel of Luke in order to translate the expression in the original Greek pepleroforemenon en hemin pragmaton (πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων), which the Russian Synodal translation renders ‘about the events well-known amongst us’ (Luke 1:1). The expression ‘amongst us’ cannot be translated literally into Avar, but has to be rendered ‘among our people’; and here the same term was used as for the word ‘church’, literally ‘among our tribe, community (ahlu).'”

In Kamo “church” is fang-balla (“owners of writing-people”) when referring to the church community and “house of writing-people” when referring to a church building. David Frank explains: “In Kamo culture, Christianity was associated with writing, so Christianity is called balla, which they say means ‘people who write.’ Christianity is balla, and Christians are called fang-balla, which means ‘owners of Christianity.’ That is the term that is used for the church, in the sense of people, rather than a building. In Philemon 1:1b-2a, Paul says he is writing ‘To our friend and fellow worker Philemon, and to the church (fang-balla ‘owners of Christianity) that meet in your house.’ The word fang “owner’ is very productive in the Kamo language. A disciple is an ‘owner of learning,’ an apostle is an ‘owner of sending,’ a believer is an ‘owner of truth,’ a hypocrite is an ‘owner of seeing eyes.’ The expression ‘house of writing-people’ is used in Matthew 16:18, which reads in Kamo, ‘And so I tell you Peter, you are a rock, and on top of this rock foundation I will build my house of writing-people, and never even death will not be able to overcome it.” (See also Peter – rock)

In Bacama there also is a differentiation between the building (vɨnə hiutə: “house of prayer”) and the community (ji-kottə: “followers”) (source: David Frank in this blog post ).

In 16th-century Classical Nahuatl, a transliteration from Spanish (Santa Yglesia or Santa Iglesia) is typically used rather than a translation, making the concept take on a personified meaning. Ottman (p. 169) explains: “The church building, or more precisely the church complex with its associated patio, has a Nahuatl name in common usage — generally teopan, something like ‘god-place,’ in contradistinction to teocalli, ‘god-house,’ applied to a prehispanic temple — but the abstract sense is always Santa Iglesia, a Spanish proper name like ‘Dios’ or ‘Santa María’, and like ‘Santa María’ often called ‘our mother.’ As a personified ‘mother,’ in the European tradition as well as in Nahuatl, She instructs Her children or chastises them; as Bride of Christ, She both longs for Her heavenly rest and bears witness to it, in the ‘always-already’ of eschatological time; as successor to the Synagogue, the blindfolded, broken-sceptred elder sister who accompanies Her in painting and sculpture, She represents the triumphant rule of truth. ‘The Church’ can mean the clerical hierarchy; it can also, or simultaneously, mean the assembly of the faithful. It dispenses grace to its members, living and dead, yet it is also enriched by them, living and dead, existing not only on earth but in purgatory and in heaven.”

In Lisu the building (“church”) is called “house of prayer” (source: Arrington 2020, p. 196) whereas in Highland Totonac the community is referred as “those who gather together” (source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. ), in Huehuetla Tepehua as “those who gather together who have confidence in Christ” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Uma as “Christian people” (source: Uma Back Translation), in Kankanaey as “the congregation of God’s people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation), and in Tagbanwa as “you whom God separated-out as his people because of your being-united/tied-together with Jesus Christ” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

In American Sign Language, “church” (as in the community of believers) is made up of the combination of the signs for “Jesus-into-heart” (signifying a believer), followed by the sign for “group.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Church” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

While British Sign Language also uses a sign that focuses on a group of people believing in Jesus (see here ), another sign that it uses combines the signs for “ringing the (church) bells” and a “group of people.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Church” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Ekklesia .

complete verse (Philemon 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Philemon 1:2:

  • Uma: “and we (excl.) send also to Apfia, our (excl.) mother whom we (excl.) love, and to Arkhipus, our (excl.) companion of one-work, and to all the Kristen people who meet in your (pl.) house.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (excl.) also send this letter to Appiya our (incl.) sister because she trusts and to Arkippus, our (incl.) companion (who is) figuratively like a soldier working for Almasi and to the ones who trust in Isa Almasi gathering there at your (sing.) house.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Our dear friend and partner Philemon. As for me, Paul, the one in prison because of my faith in Jesus Christ, and as for Timothy, our (incl.) brother, we write to you and to Apphia, our sister because of believing, and to Archippus our fellow soldier of Christ, and we also write to the believers who worship in your house.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We (excl.) also direct this letter to Apia our (excl.) woman-companion and to Arkippus our (excl.) companion who is Cristo’s soldier and also all those who believe who join-in-congregating at your house.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) are also writing to our sibling in believing Apia, and Arquipo who is my good friend in standing up for the Good News even though many are opposing. And all the believers who gather there at your house, we (excl.) greet them too.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I send greetings to the believers who gather at your house. Also to my sister Apphia and Archippus who help me to spread the word, all of them we greet.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Philemon 1:1 – 1:2

In a number of languages, it is not possible to speak of oneself in the third person, and therefore it may be necessary to employ a first person pronoun, together with the name “Paul”; hence, “from me, Paul” or “I Paul write to…”

Paul begins this letter by identifying himself as a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus (also verse 9), which means be was in jail because of his Christian work (verses 10, 13), or, in a figurative sense, that he was “a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” that is, he was held captive by him. The latter is possible, but not very probable, since Paul usually identifies himself as an apostle of Christ (Rom 1.1, 1 Cor 1.1, 2 Cor 1.1, Gal 1.1, Eph 1.1, Col 1.1) or as a slave of Christ (Rom 1.1, Phil 1.1). The phrase a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus must often be made into an entire clause, for example, “I am now in prison for the sake of Christ Jesus.”

A literal rendering of the phrase for the sake of Christ Jesus might be understood in the sense of Paul being a prisoner in order to advance the cause of Christ Jesus, but what is meant is that he became a prisoner because of what he had already done to advance the cause of Christ Jesus. Therefore, it may be necessary to introduce a more explicit statement concerning the reasons for Paul being in prison, for example, “I am in prison because of what I have done for the sake of Christ Jesus” or “… to serve Christ Jesus.”

Brother is used of Timothy in the Christian sense of a fellow believer in Christ. Paul associates Timothy with himself in writing the letter, but in the letter itself Paul speaks for himself alone. Since the role of Timothy in the sending of this letter is secondary, it may be important to indicate this fact by translating “our brother Timothy joins me in sending greetings” or “… in sending this letter.” In this way one may indicate that Paul is the principal author of the letter.

In a number of languages, it is impossible to use a term meaning literally “brother,” since this would refer only to an individual who is a member of the same family. Therefore, “fellow believer” may be the most satisfactory equivalent. In certain instances, this relationship of Timothy to the Christian faith can only be expressed by a relative clause, “who also believes in Christ Jesus” or “… has put his trust in Christ Jesus.”

Philemon is addressed as our friend and fellow worker (Good News Translation) or “our beloved fellow worker” (Revised Standard Version). Either translation of the phrase is possible.

It may be necessary to introduce a second person singular pronoun in order to identify the relationship of Paul to Philemon, for example, “to you, Philemon, our friend and fellow worker.”

Fellow worker must not, however, be translated in such a way as to suggest that Paul and Philemon were both day laborers. What is meant is that Philemon also helped in advancing the cause of Christ. Therefore, one may translate “one who works with us to help Christ,” or “… to serve Christ,” or “… to make Christ known.”

And the church that meets in your house (on which see Col 4.15) is placed by Good News Translation (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Bible en français courant Barclay) immediately following Philemon’s name in order to make it clear that your refers to Philemon and not to Archippus, as might be understood when placed at the end of verse 2. Although some believe that Archippus is the main addressee of the letter, the vast majority hold that the first-named of the three persons is the main recipient of the letter, and that the person addressed by the second person singular pronoun in all the requests in verses 4-23 is in fact Philemon, even though his name as such does not appear. If it is judged better to keep the church in your house at the end of verse 2, in order to avoid misunderstanding, it might be well to say, as do Twentieth Century New Testament Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Translator’s New Testament, “in Philemon’s house.”

In the same way that Philemon must be identified in some languages with a second person singular pronoun, it may also be necessary to use a similar pronoun in speaking of the church, for example, “and to you who are members to the church that meets in the house of Philemon.” On the other hand, the letter is so predominantly addressed to Philemon that it may be misleading to suggest that the church that met in Philemon’s house, Apphia, and Archippus are all on the same level as recipients of the letter. Therefore, one may be obliged to translate as follows, “to you, Philemon, our friend and fellow worker, and will you extend greetings to the church that meets in your house and to our sister Apphia and to our fellow soldier Archippus.”

Apphia is called our sister, a phrase used also in the Christian sense of a fellow believer. There is no way of determining what was the relation between her, Philemon, and Archippus. Some may think that she was Philemon’s wife, which is quite possible, and that Archippus was their son; but all of this is purely conjectural. Some later manuscripts add the adjective “beloved” to Apphia (see King James Version).

A literal rendering of our sister Apphia can be misleading, not only because “sister” might be taken in the literal sense, but also because the possessive pronoun “our” might suggest some kind of possessive relationship. To avoid this misunderstanding, one may translate, for example, “Apphia, who also believes in Christ Jesus even as we do.”

Archippus is addressed as our fellow soldier, in a figurative sense of one who “fights” for the Christian cause (used also in Phil 2.25 of Epaphroditus). A literal rendering of soldier can be misleading. In some instances this metaphorical or figurative meaning may be identified satisfactorily as a simile, for example, “who is like a soldier.” The essential meaning may also be supplied by a non-figurative expression, for example, “who strives so hard to serve” or “who faces so much opposition in serving.” The phrase our fellow may be expressed as “even as we do” or “who together with us.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philemon 1:2

2

to Apphia…Archippus…the church: Paul included these people’s names in the list of the people he was greeting, but he wrote the letter mainly to Philemon. Beginning at verse 4, Paul wrote directly to Philemon. Even if your translation addresses Philemon in the second person (“to you, Philemon”), perhaps you should refer to these people in the third person. For example, “We send greetings to Apphia…,” or “Give our greetings to Apphia….”

2a

sister: Paul also greeted Apphia. The phrase “Apphia our sister” means that Apphia was a believer in Christ as Paul was. She did not have the same father or mother as Paul and Philemon. See the note on “brother” in verse 1b.

2b

fellow soldier: Paul also greeted Archippus. The phrase Archippus our fellow soldier implies that Archippus spoke out bravely for Christ when people were against the Good News, like a soldier fights to protect his country. (Colossians 4:17, 1 John 2:14) But there is nothing to indicate that Archippus was a soldier in any earthly army.

2c

church: Paul also greeted the believers that met in Philemon’s house. They met together with Philemon regularly to worship the Lord. Christians didn’t have church buildings in those days. They met in homes. See “church”, sense 1 in Key Biblical Terms.

your house: This refers to Philemon’s home.

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Sung version of Philemon

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