In this verse Paul continues to use commercial language. Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me is literally the simple statement: “and I have everything.” The particle “and” here is better taken as a connective then, rather than as an adversative “but” (Revised Standard Version) or “however” (New English Bible).

The verb “I have” is often used in the sense of “I have received” as a technical expression for the drawing up of a receipt in financial transactions. This is the third of the three current business terms referred to under verse 17. It is therefore possible to render this phrase as “I have received full payment” (Revised Standard Version), “here I give you my receipt for everything,” or, even more explicitly, as in Good News Translation, here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me. In languages where commercial transaction involving bills and receipts is unknown, it may be necessary to modify my receipt for everything you have given me to read “my written statement acknowledging everything you have given me,” or “these words which express thanks for everything you have given me.”

Paul hastens to add and it has been more than enough! This clause translates a single verb which means literally “I abound.” The same verb occurs twice in verse 12, where it is rendered to have more than enough and have too much. The clause may be rendered as “it has been more than I needed,” or “I could have gotten along on less.”

The clause I have all I need (Goodspeed “I am fully supplied”) brings out the meaning of a single Greek verb in the perfect passive tense, but with a present meaning in English: “I am full.” It is sometimes suggested that this verb is to be taken with what precedes, as the climax of a series of verbs describing the generosity of the Philippians. However, it is more natural to take it with the following clause, and hence introducing what follows.

Paul further explains what he means by I have all I need by using a participial phrase, literally “having received from Epaphroditus the things from you.” Since the agent is specifically mentioned, it is best in many languages to change this pseudopassive construction into an active one as Good News Translation does: now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. This clause states a type of causal condition, but it is rarely possible to introduce such a clause by a literal rendering of now that. In some languages the closest equivalent is “since Epaphroditus has now brought me all that you have given me,” or “… all that you have sent me.”

In the remainder of this verse Paul shifts from the language of commerce to that of sacrifice. The gifts of the Philippians are compared to an offering laid on the altar. Since the language is used metaphorically, Good News Translation has the word like.

The gifts are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, literally “an odor of a sweet smell.” The phrase is taken from the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) and was originally used of burnt offerings. The idea is that God takes pleasure in the smell of the sacrifices offered by men (Gen 8.21; Exo 20.41; Ezek 20.41). It signifies the quality which a sacrificial offering should have in order to be acceptable to God. Good News Translation explicitly indicates that the offering is to God.

In some languages it is not possible to speak of a sweet-smelling offering without indicating precisely who smells the offering. One can, of course, render this as “an offering to God which is sweet to his smell,” or “… which he smells as being very sweet.” However, in many languages the idea of smelling something which is “sweet” is very strange, since a term such as “sweet” would relate only to taste, not to smell. Because of the difficulties involved, some translators prefer to use such an expression as “agreeable to,” “pleasing to,” “acceptable to,” or even “fine,” for example, “these gifts are like a fine offering to God.”

The focus in the word sacrifice is not on the act of sacrificing, but on the thing sacrificed. Notice that Paul compares the Philippian’s gifts to him to a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God, for the help rendered to God’s servant is really help rendered to God. From this perspective we can understand why in verse 17b Paul wants to see profit added to the Philippians’ account.

A sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him can be rendered “the sort of sacrifice that he approves and welcomes” (Moffatt), “the sacrifice that he accepts and finds pleasing” (Jerusalem Bible), “a sacrifice which he receives and which pleases him,” or “… which he regards as good.”

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 .

The particle which connects this verse with the preceding can be rendered in two ways. (1) It can be taken as an adversative “but” (King James Version) with focus on the loss incurred in helping the apostle. The implication is that God will not fail to repay their need. If so, the force can be brought out with “in return” (Jerusalem Bible; “in turn” New American Bible). On the basis of this view, God’s supply to the Philippians is seen as an act of compensation. (2) Most modern translators, however, take it as a copulative “and,” with the possible meaning of “so” (Knox). In this case, God’s supply to the Philippians is considered a natural consequence of their generosity.

The phrase my God suggests an intimate relationship that Paul has with God, but this relationship should not be understood as “the God whom I possess” but as “the God whom I serve” (Knox Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). It can also have the sense of “God on my behalf.” Paul could not repay the debt, but God whom he serves would repay it on his behalf.

With all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus is literally “according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (American Standard Version Revised Standard Version). The preposition “according to” can be taken in several ways. (1) It can be understood in the sense of “in a worthy way of” (New American Bible), “according to the measure of,” or “on the scale of,” focusing on the extent to which God will supply his wealth (Jerusalem Bible “as lavishly as only God can”). (2) It can have the force of “from” (Moffatt Phillips New English Bible) or “out of” (Barclay), emphasizing God as the source of abundant wealth. (3) One can also render it as with (Good News Translation), highlighting the nature and quality of God as the one who has abundant wealth. On the whole, (3) and (2) appear to fit the context better than (1).

With all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus is best treated as a clause of cause or attendant circumstance, for example, “since my God has so much wealth through Christ Jesus,” or “in view of the fact that God is so very rich through Christ Jesus.” There is a difficulty, however, in rendering the phrase through Christ Jesus, for this might imply that it is Christ Jesus who made God wealthy. The meaning, of course, is that God’s wealth may be shared with others by means of Christ Jesus. In some languages it may be essential to combine the phrase through Christ Jesus with the expression will supply all your needs, or to make the phrase through Christ Jesus into a separate clause, for example, “wealth which God gives through Christ Jesus.”

The phrase “in glory” is also open to different interpretations. One can hardly give it a local sense, “in the realm of the heavenly.” Some persons want to give it a temporal sense, meaning “in the glorious life of the coming age.” This suggestion seems equally unsatisfactory, as it is not likely that Paul had in mind only the future heavenly reward of the Philippian believers. Another possibility is to take the phrase adverbially as qualifying the verb “supply.” The resultant meaning is “God will supply your needs in a glorious manner” (Goodspeed “gloriously supply”; cf. Jerusalem Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). But it is probably best to join the phrase closely to the word “wealth,” as the majority of modern translators do—thus abundant wealth, “magnificent riches” (New American Bible Bible en français courant), “glorious wealth” (Bruce), “glorious resources” (Phillips), etc.

The characteristic Pauline phrase “in Christ Jesus” should probably be taken with the verb supply. Accordingly, the preposition “in” would acquire an instrumental sense, thus through Christ Jesus (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch cf. Goodspeed), translated as “Jesus Christ caused this” or “Jesus Christ brought this about.”

The clause will supply all your needs does not tell us whether Paul has in mind here material needs or spiritual needs. He probably means both. The verb will supply (identical with the one rendered I have all I need in verse 18) can mean “will supply fully” (New American Bible), or “will fully meet every need” (Bruce).

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 .

Paul closes his expression of thanks with a doxology, praising God for his greatness and goodness.

The wording of the first clause in Greek (literally, “to God and our Father”) presents some problems. It is possible to take the conjunction “and” in the explanatory sense: thus “to God, that is, our Father,” the latter term defining the former. The resultant rendering would be: “to God our Father” (Jerusalem Bible Bible en français courant Traduction œcuménique de la Bible cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). In view of the fact that both nouns share one article, the pronoun “our” should probably be taken with both nouns: to our God and Father (Good News Translation Revised Standard Version New English Bible New American Bible etc.). In some languages this coordinate construction must be rephrased as “to our God our Father,” deleting the conjunction and repeating the possessive pronoun.

The word glory in this context has the components of “praise” and “honor.” The expression forever and ever describes the duration in which men should praise God. In a number of languages this type of doxology can only be expressed as something which all people should do, for example, “All people should forever praise and honor our God, who is our Father,” In other languages the doxology may be expressed as “We should praise our God and Father forever and ever. Amen,” or “Let us give honor to our God our Father forever and ever. Amen.” “We” should be inclusive.

The expression Amen is a Hebrew form of affirmation meaning “truly” or “so be it.” It indicates solemn assent in prayers. The word may be transliterated if it is already known and used in the receptor language. Otherwise it may be translated as, for example, “surely this is true,” “this is certainly the way it should be,” or “so be it.”

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 .

Paul begins his greetings by saying literally “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.” The verb “greet,” a common word in the New Testament, is the word regularly used to convey greetings at the end of a letter. Its modern equivalent is “give my greetings to” (New English Bible New American Bible), “give my good wishes to” (Barclay), “remember me to” (Goodspeed), or simply greetings to. In some instances one may translate greetings to each one of God’s people as “I send these words to each one of God’s people,” or “I want each one of God’s people to know that I remember them.”

The word “saint” is not a description of the moral character of Christians; it refers rather to the fact that they belong to God. It is therefore usually best to render it as God’s people (New English Bible; cf. Barclay “God’s dedicated people”). (See the discussion under 1.1.) Notice that the greetings are addressed to each one of God’s people. Paul is careful to include the whole Philippian community in his expression of love and care.

The expression “in Christ Jesus” can be taken with greetings, so “give my greetings, in Christ Jesus” (New American Bible cf. Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), or “give my greetings in the fellowship of Christ” (New English Bible). It appears better, however, to connect it with God’s people, thus God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus, “all the people of God, fellow members of Christ Jesus” (Bruce cf. Moffatt Jerusalem Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The word brothers (Barclay “fellow Christians”) is often used synonymously with God’s people (“saints”). It is impossible to determine who are included in this expression, but certainly Timothy would be one of them (cf. 1.1).

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 .

The expression all God’s people here would seem to indicate that Paul has a wide circle of Christians in mind, including those who belong to the Emperor’s palace, literally “Caesar’s household” (Revised Standard Version). The word “household” could refer to the Emperor’s immediate family, but that is not the likely meaning. The reference is probably to functionaries or servants in the palace who were Christian. Moffatt identifies them as “the Imperial slaves,” but a broader rendering like that of Good News Translation seems more suitable. Who belong to the Emperor’s palace may be difficult to translate literally, since in some languages people are not regarded as belonging to a place. One may need to say “those who work in the Emperor’s palace.”

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 .

Paul usually closed his letters with a benediction (1 Cor 16.23; Gal 6.18; Col 4.18; 1 Thes 5.28; 2 Thes 3.18). The central element in all benedictions is the grace. It certainly means more than “favor” (New American Bible), as the term is usually understood. It expresses the love and mercy which God shows and gives through Jesus Christ to people who do not deserve it. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is not to be thought of as something distinct from “the grace of God,” but rather as an expression of it. In Paul’s letters, God and Christ are so identified that he can speak in one breath of the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thes 1.12; cf. Rom 5.15; 1 Cor 1.3). Since grace here refers essentially to an event, the expression the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ must not be interpreted as a character or quality of Jesus, but as something that he shows and does. For this reason, it may be desirable to express this benediction in some languages as “may the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace,” “I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ may continue to show you grace,” “… show you his great kindness,” or “… be so kind to you.”

The phrase be with you is literally “be with your spirit.” Since the word “spirit” is often used in the sense of “person” or “oneself,” the Good News Translation rendering is preferable. In the Greek text the pronoun rendered you all is plural.

Some manuscripts conclude with an “Amen” (King James Version). Most likely it was not present in the original but was added by copyists in accordance with liturgical practice. Otherwise it would be difficult to account for its omission in many early manuscripts.

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 .