Background on the City of Philippi

Philippi was originally called "Crenides" meaning fountains. Philip of Macedon, Alexander's father conquered it in 356 B.C. and renamed it after himself. There were gold mines near there. In 42 B.C., Marc Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi. Marc Antony order some Roman soldiers to live there. In 30 B.C. Octavian (Emperor Augustus) ordered some people in Italy to more to Philippi, while retaining their rights as Roman citizens and being able to call their new land a part of Italian soil.

The NIV Study Bible p.1802 says since Philippi had too few Jews to form a synagogue, Paul does not quote the Old Testament in Philippians, as he does in Romans, 1, 2, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians.

See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.647-648 for more info.

Reliable Preservation of Philippians

Earliest Manuscripts of Philippians: 100-150 A.D. (Chester Beatty II) and late third century (p16).

Earliest Writers Referring to Philippians: 110-155 A.D. (Polycarp), 115-140 A.D. (Shepherd of Hermas)

Manuscript Variations: Philippians has a total of about 1,621 Greek words and a word-for-word accuracy of 97.8%, with only 35 words in question. These are in 22 verses (24 places), out of 104 total verses.

Early References to Philippians

At least 72 manuscripts and early church writers quoted or referred to verses in Philippians.

Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians ch.3 p.33 mentions Paul writing to the Philippians 110-155 A.D. Polycarp speaks of "Paul and the rest of the apostles" in ch.9 p.35

Shepherd of Hermas 115-140 A.D.

The Muratorian Canon (c.170 A.D.) mentions Paul's Letter to the Philippians, as well as Paul's other 12 letters.

Irenaeus 182-188 A.D. numerous references.

Tertullian's Against Marcion Book 14 chapter 5 (207 A.D.) said Paul wrote to the Philippians. It was a book "that comes down from the apostles, which has been kept as a sacred deposit in the churches of the apostles."

Clement of Alexandria wrote 193-217/220 A.D.

Cyprian was a bishop of Carthage from 248 to his martyrdom in 258 A.D.. He quotes from "the second epistle to the Corinthians" in Treatise 12 The Third Book 26.

Chrysostom around 396 A.D. wrote down 15 sermons on Philippians, which we still have preserved today. Chrysostom said it was by Paul the apostle (Homily I and other places).

Hippolytus 222-235/6 A.D.

This is according to Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.

Early Manuscripts of Philippians

p16 Php 3:10-17; 4:2-8 (late 3rd century) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a picture of p16 on p.86.

3rd/4th century - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

p46 Chester Beatty II 100-150 A.D. Php 1:1,5-15,17-28; 1:30-3:12; 2:14-27; 2:29-3:8; 3:10-21; 4:2-12; 4:14-23 and other parts of Paul's letters and Hebrews. The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p46 on p.192. It also says on p.197-198 that the quality and the stichiometric marks show that a professional scribe wrote this.

First half of 3rd century - 1936 - Frederic G. Kenyon according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

2nd century, 200 A.D. - 1935 - Ulrich Wilken according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

200 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

81-96 A.D. - 1988 - Young Kyu Kim according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

About 200 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third edition.

About 200 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.

Early to middle 2nd century - 1999 - The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts. This is based in part on the handwriting being very similar to Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 8 (late first or early second century) and Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 2337 (late first century).

p61 Romans 16:23,25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 2-6; 5:1-3, 5-6, 9-13; Philippians 3:5-9, 12-16, Colossians 1:3-7, 9-13, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; Titus 3:1-5, 8-11, 14-15 Philemon 4-7. c.700 A.D.

c.700 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

About 700 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third edition.

About 700 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.

Vaticanus [B] 325-350 A.D. All of the New Testament up to Hebrews 9:15. Missing are 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Revelation.

Sinaiticus [sin] 340-350 A.D. All of Philippians

Alexandrinus [A] (c.450 A.D.) All of Philippians

Ephraemi Rescriptus [C]

Bohairic Coptic [Boh] 3rd/4th century

Sahidic Coptic [Sah] 3rd/4rth century

Vulgate

Peshitta Syriac (400-450 A.D.)

Philoxenian Syriac 507/508 A.D.

Claromontanus

Armenian 5th century

Ethiopic 6th century

Georgian 5th century

Gothic 493-555 A.D.

Slavonic

Translation Notes

This is the same as the KJV except for the differences listed. In regards, to precision, understandability, and choices of Greek texts, this translation is in the middle ground between a number of good translations: KJV, NASB1995, NCV, NIV, KJV, NRSV, Wuest, Green's Translation, a mechanical translation of Aland et al, and support from the Expositor's Bible Commentary and The Bible Knowledge Commentary. To avoid the peculiarities of any one translation, I tried to use only words and phrases that were in two or more translations. Italicized words are not present in the Greek.

If you see a mistake or have any suggestions, please contact cdebater@aol.com. Thank you.

Some of this is due to the benefit of the Microsoft Word Thesaurus.

Changed a few commas and punctuation
"the servants" to "slaves" (doulos in Greek, as in doulos or free)	Php 1:1
"at Philippi" to "in Phil'ip-pi" (Greek in en)	Php 1:1
"Timotheus" to "Timothy" (spelling)	Php 1:1; 2:19
"which" to "who" in places where it refers to a person (grammar)	Php 1:1; 1:6; 4:13; 4:21
Took out 2 commas	Php 1:2
"unto" to "to"	Php 1:2; 1:11; 1:12
Italicized "the" since it is not in the Greek	Php 1:5,8,10,11,14,19,22; Php 2:1,8,8,15,16,19,24,29; Php 3:1,9; Php 4:1,2,3,4,10,15
"partnership" to "fellowship" (koinoneia in Greek)	Php 1:5
Italicized "he" since it is not in the Greek	Php 1:6
"unto" to "until"	Php 1:6
"this very thing" to "this"	Php 1:6
"hath" to "has"	Php 1:6; 4:10
Take out "inasmuch". Not in Greek and hard to understand	Php 1:7
"partakers" to "sharers"	Php 1:7
"meet" to "proper"	Php 1:7
"you (plural)" to "you(plural)"	numerous places
"you (plural) all" stays the same	numerous places
"defence" to "defense" as a noun	Php 1:7
"record" to "witness"	Php 1:8
Italicized "may"	Php 1:10
Italicized "with the"	Php 1:11
"fallen out" to "turned out"	Php 1:12
"unto the furtherance of" to "to further"	Php 1:12
"manifest" to "clearly seen"	Php 1:13
"waxing confident" to "have become more confident"	Php 1:14
"affliction" to "trouble"	Php 1:16
Italicized "other"	Php 1:17
"in pretence," to "pretending"	Php 1:18
"Yea" to "Yes"	Php 1:18; 2:17; 3:8
"therein I do" to "thus I"	Php 1:18
"my hope" to "hope"	Php 1:20
"whether it be by life, or by death." to "whether by life of by death."	Php 1:20
"labour" to "labor" (British)	Php 1:22; 2:25
"wot not" to "do not know"	Php 1:22
Italicize "I" since not in the Greek	Php 1:22
Italicized "my"	Php 1:22
"in a strait betwixt two" to "torn between the two"	Php 1:23
"a desire" to "the desire"	Php 1:23 in Greek
Italicized "which is"	Php 1:23
"needful" to "needed"	Php 1:24
"furtherance" to "progress"	Php 1:25
"let your conversation be" to "behave yourself"	Php 1:27
Changed "...eth" to "...s"	Php 1:27; 2:13; 3:4
"of your affairs" to "the things about you"	Php 1:27
"an evident token" to "evidence"	Php 1:28
"perdition" to "destruction" (People today do not understand the word "perdition"	Php 1:28
"consolation" to "encouragement"	Php 2:1
"bowels" to "tenderness"	Php 2:1
"fulfil" to "fulfill" (spelling)	Php 2:2
"vainglory" to "vain pride"	Php 2:3
"esteem other" to "value others"	Php 2:3
"likeness" to "appearance"	Php 2:7
"and became" to "having become" (not "and" in Greek and more correct verb tense)	Php 2:8
"in fashion" to "in form"	Php 2:8
"bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;' to "bow; in heaven and on earth, and under the earth;"	Php 2:10
that to absent	Php 2:11
"work out" to "work-out" This is one work in Greek, and different from the word "work" (energeo) right after it.	Php 2:12
"God which worketh" to "God who works"	Php 2:13
"of" to "on behalf of" (huper in Greek)	Php 2:13
"disputings" to "arguing"	Php 2:14
"nation" to "generation"	Php 2:15
"rebuke" to "need of rebuke"	Php 2:15
"perverse" to "perverted"	Php 2:15
"laboured" to "labored" (British)	Php 2:16; 4:3
"I/you(plural) joy" to "I/you(plural) rejoice" (grammar)	Php 1:17,18
"same cause" to "same reason" (word choice)	Php 1:18
"shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort" to "to you soon, that I also may be cheered"	Php 2:19
"state" to "condition"	Php 2:19; 2:20
"presently" to "right away"	Php 2:23
"so soon" to "as soon"	Php 2:23
"companion in labor" to "co-laborer"	Php 2:25
"full of heaviness" to "sad"	Php 2:26
"nigh unto death" to "almost died"	Php 2:27; 2:30
"hold such in reputation:" vs. "honor such people"	Php 2:29
"not grievous" to "no trouble"	Php 3:1
"for you it is safe" to "a safeguard for you.	Php 3:1
"concision" to "mutilation"	Php 3:2
Took out "the" since not in the Greek	Php 3:3,4,5,5
Took out "of the" since not in the Greek	Php 3:5
of to absent	Php 3:5
"an Hebrew" to "a Hebrew"	Php 3:5
"touching" to "regarding"	Php 3:5; 3:6
"excellency" to "excellence"	Php 3:8
"them but dung" to "them as manure"	Php 3:8
"this one" to "one"	Php 3:13
"before" to "ahead"	Php 3:13
"many as be" to "many as are"	Php 3:15
"whereto" to "as"	Php 3:16
Italicized "let us" two times	Php 3:16
Italicized "for"	Php 3:17
Italicized "for"	Php 3:17
"ensample" to "example"	Php 3:17
"conversation" to "citizenship" (NIV, NKJV, Green, ~Wuest)	Php 3:20
"whence" to "where"	Php 3:20
"Saviour" to "Savior"	Php 3:20
"like unto" to "like"	Php 3:21
"I beseech ... beseech" to "I urge ... I urge"	Php 4:2
"intreat" to "entreat"	Php 4:3
"three" to "you"	Php 4:3
"yokefellow" to "Yokefellow"	Php 4:3
"labourers" to "laborers" (British)	Php 4:3
"alway" to "always"	Php 4:4
"and again" to "again"	Php 4:4
"moderation" to "gentleness"	Php 4:5
"careful for" to "anxious about"	Php 4:6
"unto" to "to"	Php 4:6
"passeth" to "surpasses"	Php 4:7
"keep" to "guard"	Php 4:7
"through Christ Jesus" to "in Christ Jesus" (en in Greek)	Php 4:7
Italicize your	Php 4:10
"state" to "condition"	Php 4:11
"therewith to absent	Php 4:11
"abased" to "humbled"	Php 4:12
"strengtheneth" to "strengthens"	Php 4:13
"Macedonia" to "Mac-e-do'ni-a"	Php 4:15
"unto my necessity" to "to my need"	Php 4:16
"odour" to "odor" (British)	Php 4:18
"wellpleasing" to "well-pleasing"	Php 4:18
"by Christ Jesus" to "in Christ Jesus" (en in Greek)	Php 4:19
"salute" to "greet"	Php 4:21; 4:22
"chiefly they that are" to "especially those"	Php 4:22

Php 1:1 "Jesus Christ" (KJV, NKJV) vs. "Christ Jesus" (Aland, NIV, Wuest)

Php 1:1 "the servants" (KJV) to (the is absent) (NIV, NKJV, Green, Wuest)

Php 1:5 "fellowship" (KJV) to "partnership" (NIV) to "partnership" The Greek word for partner here, koinonia, is a business word. Scripture does not explicitly say how they were partners, but as a business partner shares in monetary investment, time, and rewards, Scripture suggests three things:

Php 2:15 "lights ... world" (NASB1995, KJV, NKJV) or "stars ... universe" (NIV) to "luminaries in the world (Wuest) to "lights ... cosmos"

A: The Greek words here are phosphores and a form of cosmos, and Aland et al. record no manuscript variations. Cosmos can mean universe, and the first word means something that shines, but the metaphor here fits stars. On one hand we are to shine as examples on this world. On the other hand, the angels in Heaven are watching us, and even the demons see that even with temptations we choose to follow God rather than anyone else.

Php 3:15 "perfect" to "mature"

Paul said he was not "perfect" (teteleiumai Strong's 5048) in Philippians 3:12, yet he was "mature" (teleioi Strong's 5046) in Philippians 3:15. There can be confusion in the King James, since it uses "perfect" for both, but the words are different in the Greek. See When Critics Ask p.482 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.169 for more info.

Php 4:23 "you all" to "your spirit" (better Greek manuscripts)

For children:

Change "bonds" to "chains"

Change "labor" to "work"

Change "adversaries" to "opponents"

Manuscript Variations in Philippians

Paul's Letter to the Philippians has a total of about 1,621 Greek words and a word-for-word accuracy of 97.8%, with only 35 words in question. These are in 22 verses (24 places), out of 104 total verses. Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice. Aland, from which this primarily is based, also gives a judgment of the degree of certainty for each variation. Many of the differences are due to the Chester Beatty Papyrii saying one thing and the Byzantine Lectionary and other manuscripts saying another. Some think the Chester Beatty Papyrii was somewhat of a paraphrase.

Php 1:11 "and praise of God" vs. "and praise of Christ" (Bezae Cantabrigiensis) vs. "God and our praise" (Chester Beatty 100-150 A.D.) (2 words)

Php 1:14 "speak the word" vs. "the word of the God" (2 words)

Php 1:16,17 Reverse the order of these two verses in some later manuscripts. (However, no major manuscripts have this, so this is not counted in the totals)

Php 2:1 "any" (tis) (masculine-feminine) in almost all manuscripts, (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus) vs. "any" (ti) (neuter) in a few miniscules. The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 11 p.126 thinks that (ti sp...) might be the original reading, and (tis sp...) was accidentally changed.

Php 2:2 "in you think" is "the same you think"

Php 2:4 singular vs. plural form of the Greek word "each" 2 times (2 words)

Php 2:5 "this" vs. "this for"

Php 2:9 "the/which name which" (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus) vs. "name which"

Php 2:11 "should confess" (aorist subjunctive) (p46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) vs. "shall/will confess" (future indicative) (Alexandrinus, Bezae Cantabrigiensis/Claromontanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus)

Php 2:11 "Lord" vs. "Lord Jesus"

Php 2:12 "as in" vs. "in" (Vaticanus, Bohairic Coptic, Sahidic Coptic, Chrysostom)

Php 2:21 "Jesus Christ" (p46, Bezae Cantabrigiensis/Claromontanus, Alexandrian family excluding Vaticanus) vs. "Christ Jesus" (Vaticanus)

Php 2:26 "longing for" vs. "longing to see"

Php 2:30 "Christ" vs. "the Christ" vs. "[the] Lord" (2 words)

Php 3:3 "in the Spirit of God" (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, corrected Bezae Cantabrigiensis/Claromontanus) vs. "God in Spirit" (2 words)

Php 3:12 "already been perfected" vs. "already been apprehended/received" or "already been perfected". As to whether it should be "been perfected" or "been made perfect", this is an English translation issue. (4 words)

Php 3:13 "not my own" vs. "not my own yet"

Php 3:15 "let us think" (p16, p46, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Byzantine Lectionary, Armenian, Georgian, Chrysostom, Pelagius) vs. "**" Sinaiticus, Slavonic, Clement of Alexandrian, Jerome) (2 letters different [omega to "ou", and not counted in the totals)

Php 3:16 changes the case of two words and changes "basic principles" (p16, p46, original Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Sahidic, Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Ethiopic) to "thoughts" (2 words)

Php 3:21 accent marks of the Greek word for "him". A third variant is "himself"

Php 4:3 "the rest of the fellow workers of mine" (p46, 2nd corrector Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus Byzantine Lectionary) vs. "the fellow works of mine and the rest" (p16 apparently) original Sinaiticus, Georgian) (4 words)

Php 4:7 "hearts of you and the minds of you" (p46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Byzantine Lectionary, P Syriac, H Syriac, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgrian, Chrysostom, Pelagius) vs. "hearts of you" (some Vulgate) vs. "body" (late manuscripts), vs. "minds and the body" (apparently p16, and some Vulgate) (4 words but not counted in the totals)

Php 4:8 "praise" (p46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, most manuscripts) vs. "praise these things consider" (original Bezae Cantabrigiensis/Claromontanus)

Php 4:13 "[He] whom empowers/strengthens me" vs "Christ whom empowers/strengthens me"

Php 4:16 "unto/to the need" vs. "the need"

Php 4:19 "will fill up all" (different conjugation) (plur-omega-sei) vs. (plur-omega-sai)

Php 4:23 "your spirit" (p46, original Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic) vs. "you all" (Corrected Sinaiticus, most miniscules, Peshitta Syriac, Harclean Syriac, Textus receptus)

Php 4:23 "amen" at the end is absent (Vaticanus, Sahidic coptic, Chrysostom), vs. "amen" (p46, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Byzantine Lectionary, many others)

Some manuscripts have the postscript, "To Philippians written from Rome, by/of/through/via Epaphroditus"

Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor's Greek Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB1995, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.

Comparision of Manuscripts of Philippians

The table below shows each of the places in question, and the number says which variant is in each manuscript.

For more info please contact Christian Debater™ P.O. Box 144441 Austin, TX 78714 www.BibleQuery.org

by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.