Now follows an eloquent description of Paul’s sense of self-sufficiency. This verse expands what is said in the second half of verse 11. The repetition of “I know” and the use of five infinitives in the Greek make this verse most impressive.
I know refers to what Paul has experienced (New American Bible “I am experienced”). What it is to be in need (literally, “to be abased”; see 2.8) does not mean “to live humbly,” as some translations seem to suggest. The antithesis of what is said here is to be abundant or prosperous, as indicated in the next infinitive. This Greek word may be used of the dropping of water level in a river, and the reference here is to the needs in one’s daily life (Barclay “I know how to live with less than enough”). The idea is vividly brought out in Bruce’s idiomatic rendering, “I know what it is to scrape the bottom of the barrel.” In this context I know points clearly to experience, for example, “I know by experience.” In fact, it may be better to translate the beginning of this verse as “I have experienced what it is to be in need,” or “… to lack what is necessary.”
As in Greek, I know may be repeated here for emphasis before what it is to have more than enough. This clause translates a Greek infinitive which means literally “to overflow.” The idea is “to have enough and to spare” in the needs of daily life. It may be rendered as “to have more than I need,” to “to have more than what is necessary for me.”
I have learned this secret renders a single Greek verb which means literally “I have been initiated” or “I have been instructed.” Used only here in the New Testament, it is a technical expression often used in the pagan mystery cults to denote the act of initiation into the secrets of those religions. Paul’s initiation was not a secret affair; he learned from the hard experiences in life (New American Bible “I have learned to cope with”). This secret refers back to Paul’s being satisfied with what he had (v. 11). This was really not a “secret” in the sense that it was hidden information. Hence one may translate I have learned this secret simply as “I have learned how to be satisfied,” or “… to be content.”
“In everything and in all things” (American Standard Version) can be taken in the general sense of “in any and all circumstances” (Revised Standard Version; cf. Moffatt “for all sorts and conditions of life,” Goodspeed “in any and all conditions,” New English Bible “whatever my circumstances”). But it is also possible to understand it in the sense of “anything anywhere” (Jerusalem Bible), or anywhere, at any time (Good News Translation), giving the preposition “in” both a local and a temporal sense. Thus, anywhere, at any time may be rendered as “regardless of where I am and regardless of when something happens.” It is also possible to render these expressions as “wherever I happen to be, at any time,” or “it makes no difference where I am, or when I experience such things.”
Since the secret that Paul has learned is to be satisfied with whatever he has, Good News Translation makes this information explicit: I am content.
The kind of life which Paul experienced is described in two pairs of infinitives, literally “both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.” It appears that the focus is not on “how” but on “whether,” not “how to eat well” (which may give a misleading meaning), but “whether I am full.” So Good News Translation renders explicitly whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. The verb rendered I am full is often used of the feeding and fattening of animals, but the context makes clear that what is meant here is simply to have plenty of food. I have too much renders the same verb used in the phrase what it is to have more than enough. I have … too little renders a verb cognate with the word rendered I feel neglected in verse 11. The basic meaning of the term is “to fall behind”; here it is falling behind in the needs of daily life.
Whether I am full or hungry may be expressed as “if I have plenty to eat or if I am hungry, it makes no difference.” Similarly, whether I have too much or too little may be rendered as “if I have too many things or if I do not have enough to fill my need, that makes no difference.”
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 .