By Dave Armstrong (11-19-13)
The Letter of Paul to
the
PHILIPPIANS
Paul and Timothy, the
servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are
at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.
2 Grace be
unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ.
3 I give
thanks to my God in every remembrance of you,
4 always in
all my prayers making supplication for you all, with joy;
5 for what you
have contributed to the gospel from the very first day down to this
moment;
6 being
confident of this very thing, that he, who has begun a good work in
you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is only
natural for me to be thinking of you all in this way, because I have
you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and
confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace.
8 God will
bear me witness how I yearn over you all with the tenderness of
Christ Jesus.
9 And this I
pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowledge, and in
all understanding;
10 that you may approve the better things, that
you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness,
through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
12 Now I would have you know, brethren, that what
I have gone through has turned out to the advancement of the gospel.
13 It has even become evident,
not only to all the praetorian guard, but to every one else, that it
is for Christ's sake that I am in chains;
14 and the greater part of the brethren, made
confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, now speak the word of
God without fear, more boldly than ever.
15 Some of them, it is true, are actually
preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, others from goodwill.
16 These latter preach Him from love to me,
knowing that I am here for the defence of the gospel.
17 And some out of contention preach Christ not
sincerely: supposing that they add affliction to my bonds.
18 What does it matter,
however? In any case Christ is preached—either perversely or in
honest truth; and in that I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that it will
result in my salvation through your prayers and a bountiful supply of
the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 According to my earnest
expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that
with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified
in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
22 And if to live in the flesh is to me a fruit
of work, then what shall I choose? I know not;
23 I am in a dilemma, my earnest desire being to
depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better.
25 I am convinced of this, and
I know that I shall remain, and shall go on working side by side with
you all, to promote your progress and joy in the faith;
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in
Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
27 Only let your conversation be worthy of the
gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you, or, being absent,
may hear of you, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
labouring together for the faith of the gospel;
28 and not terrified in
anything by those opposing, which to them indeed is a token of
destruction, and to you of salvation, and that from God;
29 For unto you it is given for Christ, not only
to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.
30 You will be engaged in the same hard struggle
as that which you once saw me waging, and which you hear that I am
waging still.
CHAPTER 2
If,
then, any encouragement comes through union with Christ, if there is
any persuasive power in love, if there is any communion with the
Spirit, if there is any tenderness or pity,
2 fulfil my
joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one
accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing
be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility,
let each esteem others better than themselves;
4 and each
with an eye to the interests of others as well as to his own.
6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But emptied
himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of
men.
8 And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore
God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name:
10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth;
11 and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have been
obedient always and not simply when I was present, so, now that I am
absent, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who is working in you, both to
will and to accomplish, according to his good pleasure.
15 That you may be blameless, and sincere
children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world.
16 Hold fast the word of life;
that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither laboured in vain.
17 And yet, even if I be offered upon the
sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send you Timothy
before long, that I may be heartened by news of you.
20 For I have no one but him to send—no one of
kindred spirit who would take the same genuine interest in your
welfare.
21 For all seek the things that are their own;
not the things that are Jesus Christ's;
22 But you know how he has stood the test, how he
has served with me in the gospel, like a son helping his father.
23 I hope to send him, then, as soon as I shall
see how it will go with me.
24 But I trust in the Lord, that I myself also
shall come to you shortly.
25 But I have thought it necessary to send to you
Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow labourer, and fellow soldier, but
your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
26 For he has been yearning for you all. He has
been greatly concerned because you heard he was ill.
27 For indeed he was sick nigh
unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me
also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 Therefore I sent him the more speedily: that
seeing him again, you may rejoice, and I may be without sorrow.
29 Receive him therefore with all joy in the
Lord; and treat with honour such as he is.
30
Because for the work of Christ he came to the point of death:
delivering his life, that he might fulfill that which on your part
was wanting towards my service.
CHAPTER 3
As to the rest,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to
me indeed is not wearisome, but to you it is necessary.
2 Beware of
these dogs, these wicked workmen, the incision-party!
3 For we are
the true circumcision, who worship God in the spirit; and glory in
Christ Jesus, not having confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I
might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks he may
have confidence in the flesh, I more,
5 Being
circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; according to the law, a Pharisee:
6 Concerning
zeal, a persecutor of the church, blameless by the standard of legal
righteousness.
8 Furthermore
I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of
Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ,
9 and be found
in him, not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the law,
but that which arises from faith in Christ—the righteousness which
comes from God through faith:
10 That I may know him, and
the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained this or am
already perfect, but I press forward to appropriate it, because I
have been appropriated myself by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I for one do not consider myself to
have appropriated this; my one thought is, by forgetting what lies
behind me and straining to what lies before me,
15 Therefore let all of us who
are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect
you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.
16 But whatever be the point that we have already
reached, let us persevere in the same course.
17 Brethren, unite in following my example, and
fix your eyes on those who are living by the pattern which we have
set you.
18 For there are many—of whom I have often told
you, and now tell you even with tears—who are living in enmity to
the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, these men of earthly mind!
20 For our citizenship is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ:
21 Who shall transform the body
of our lowness, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the operation of his power, whereby he is able to
subject all things unto himself.
CHAPTER 4
So then, my dear
brethren, whom I am longing to see—you who are my joy and my crown,
stand fast in union with the Lord, dear friends.
2 I beg of
Euodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of one mind in the Lord.
3 And I
entreat you also, my sincere companion, help those women who have
laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my
fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in
the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your
forbearance be known to everyone; the Lord is at hand.
6 Never be
anxious, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever is honest,
whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely,
whatsoever is of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
anything worthy of praise, think on these things.
9 The things
which you have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,
these do, and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 I rejoice in the Lord exceedingly, that now at
length you have revived your thoughtfulness for my welfare. Indeed
you have always been thoughtful for me, but you lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I
have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be brought low, and I know
how to abound: (everywhere, and in all things I am instructed) both
to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to suffer need.
14 But you were kind enough to take your share in
my trouble.
15 You Philippians are well aware that in the
early days of the gospel, when I had left Macedonia, no church but
yourselves had any financial dealings with me;
16 even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent
money more than once for my needs.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire
fruit that may abound to your account.
18 But I have all, and abound: I am filled,
having received from Epaphroditus the things you sent, an odour of
sweetness, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your needs
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
20 Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.
21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The
brethren who are with me greet you.
23
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
* * * * *
Again, I kept track of which versions I utilized (whole verses or most of a verse):
Rheims NT: 34 verses (33% of 104 verses)
King James (AV): 33 (32%)
Moffatt 15 (14%)
Weymouth: 12 (11%)
20th Century NT 8 (8%)
Young's Literal Translation 2 (2%)
Thus, 65% (or almost two-thirds) of the work for this letter remains King James / Rheims (in roughly equal parts), with the remaining 35% is early 20th century revision of Elizabethan language in some fashion ("Victorian" language).
For Mark, chapters 1-4, the "Elizabethan" percentage was a little lower (53%) and the Weymouth / 20th Century percentage considerably higher (31% compared to 19%). So there will be some variability, but the general proportion seems clear: half or more Elizabethan, which is what I'm striving for (maintenance of the grandeur of the Olde English). Here is the grand total of all eight chapters:
King James (AV): 74 verses (29.25% of 253 verses)
Rheims NT: 73 verses (28.85%)
Weymouth: 37 (15%)
20th Century NT 29 (11.46%)
Moffatt 28 (11.07%)
Young's Literal Translation 12 (5%)
This adds up to a 58% Elizabethan proportion, and 42% Victorian. It looks, then, like it will be around 40% substantial revision of passages for the entire New Testament. That's roughly how much of the old language (in my judgment) needed to be updated, for the sake of clarity and understanding.
Now, to give readers an idea of how I'm going about this, there was one passage (Philippians 3:21) where I combined three different translations. I think, in this example, my reasoning or selection process will be pretty clear and straightforward, in accordance with my stated goals. I generally select one version for one verse. Frequently, a few words are used from a different version, for clarity's sake. Sometimes it is roughly half one version and half another. But in this (rare) case, three versions were used:
KJV: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Rheims: Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself.
Young's Literal Translation: who shall transform the body of our humiliation to its becoming conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working of his power, even to subject to himself the all things.
Victorian King James Version: Who shall transform the body of our lowness, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the operation of his power, whereby he is able to subject all things unto himself.
The "base" (as usual in this work) is KJV (sort of like the primer paint, to which colors are then added). From Rheims (a quite similar rendering, as usual, because it often drew from KJV in the 18th century Challoner revision) came the more descriptive word, "operation" (rather than "working"), "lowness" (rather than "vile"), and the omission of the semi-archaic / not strictly necessary "even" near the end. And from Young's Literal Translation came the key descriptive words, "transform" (rather than "change" or "reform") and "his power" and "subject" (rather than "subdue").
The final selection also took account of the RSV and NASB versions (I mentioned in the Introduction that I would consult them). NASB contained "transform," "power," and "subject." RSV has "lowly," "power," and "subject."
This provides a clear and straightforward illustration of the "selection philosophy" I am utilizing. Front and center are beauty and tradition in linguistic expression, while maintaining literal translation and accuracy to the ears of the modern reader.
I believe I've succeeded in my task; thanks be to God, and that this New Testament offers something fresh and different: enough so to justify its creation.
This provides a clear and straightforward illustration of the "selection philosophy" I am utilizing. Front and center are beauty and tradition in linguistic expression, while maintaining literal translation and accuracy to the ears of the modern reader.
I believe I've succeeded in my task; thanks be to God, and that this New Testament offers something fresh and different: enough so to justify its creation.
* * * * *
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