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Philippians Chapter 2

Philippians Chapter 2

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Unity and the Anointed’s Attitude
  1. Therefore, if there’s any encouragement in the Anointed, if any ^loving comfort, if any partnership of the Spirit, if any affections and compassions,
  2. fulfill my joy so you might have the same understanding, having the same ^love, united in your souls with one understanding,
  3. doing nothing from selfish ambition nor from baseless pride, but from humility, esteeming one another far more than yourselves,
  4. each not only considering their own interests, but also each others’.
  5. Have this understanding in you which was also in Jesus the Anointed:
  6. Who, being in the form of God, didn’t consider being equal with God something to be grasped,
  7. but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a slave and having come in the likeness of men.
  8. And having been found as a man in form, He humbled Himself by having become obedient even to death, and even death on a cross.
  9. Therefore, God also exceedingly exalted Him and graced Him with the name above every name,
  10. so at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow,fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 45:23 in the heavens and on the earth and under the earth,
  11. and every tongue confessfnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 45:23.  It should also be noted that verses 6-11 have thematic and structural echoes of the servant songs of Isaiah, especially the 4th servant song in Isaiah 52:13–53:12, though not direct enough to be underlined. that Jesus the Anointed is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Obedient and blameless
  1. So then my beloved, just as you always obeyed – not only as in my presence, but now much more in my absence – work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 2:11
  2. For God is the One working in you, for you to both desire and to work for His good pleasure.
  3. Do all things without grumbling and disputing,fnquotation/allusion to Exodus 16:1-8 (especially 7-8), Numbers 14:27, and possibly Psalm 106:25
  4. so that you might become blameless and pure children of God, unblemished in the midst of a crooked and *perverted generationfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 32:5 among whom you shine like lights in the world,fnquotation/allusion to Daniel 12:3
  5. holding fast to the word of life, so my boast on the day of the Anointed might be that I didn’t run in vain and didn’t exhaust myself working in vain.
  6. But even if I’m poured out as a drink offeringfnquotation/allusion to Numbers 15:5-10, where the drink offering procedure is described on the sacrifice and ministry of your faith, I’m glad and rejoice with all of you.
  7. And you also do the same, be glad and rejoice with me.
Sending Timothy
  1. Now, I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so I also might be encouraged by knowing the news concerning you,
  2. for I have no one like-minded who will genuinely care for the matters concerning you.
  3. For all seek their own interests, not the interests of Jesus the Anointed.
  4. But you know his proven worth, that like a father with a child he served with me in the gospel.
  5. Therefore, I indeed hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see to the things which concern me.
  6. And I’m *confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.
Commending Epaphroditus
  1. Now, I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus backfn“back” Philippians 4:18 makes it clear that the church at Philippi sent Epaphroditus to Paul with gifts, and thus he was sending him back.  This context would’ve been obvious to the original readers and adds significant clarity to the next few verses, so was included. to you (my brother, and fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and a minister in my need)
  2. since he was longing [to see] all of you and distressed because you heard that he was sick.
  3. For he was also sick almost to death, but God had mercy on him.  And not only on him, but also on me so I wouldn’t have grief upon grief.
  4. Therefore I sent him more eagerly, so having seen him again you might rejoice and I might be less grieved.
  5. Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy, and hold such men in honor
  6. because he even came near to death for the work of the Anointed, having disregarded his life so he might fill up your deficit towards my ministry.

 

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