Philippians 1:12-18a translation

Posted by Alan Knox on Feb 20, 2010 in translation | 1 comment

My translation:

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the things which have happened to me have really happened to spread the good news! This has happened so that the entire palace guard and everyone else would know that my imprisonment is obviously because of Christ. In fact, many of our brothers and sisters in the Lord have been persuaded by my imprisonment to speak the message of the good news even more fearlessly. Now, it’s true, that some speak because they are jealous or want to start trouble. But, there are others who proclaim Christ from good motives. The latter group are motivated by love because they know that I have been set apart to defend the good news. But the first group announces Christ for selfish motives, not with sincerity, hoping to cause me trouble in my imprisonment. So what? In either case, whether from false motives or true motives, Christ is proclaimed. Because Christ is proclaimed, I rejoice! (Philippians 1:12-18a)

Greek Text:

Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι Ï„á½° κατ’ ἐμὲ μᾶλλον εἰς προκοπὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐλήλυθεν, ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου φανεροὺς ἐν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ Ï„á¿· πραιτωρίῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πάσιν, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν κυρίῳ πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου περισσοτέρως τολμᾶν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Τινὲς μὲν καὶ διὰ φθόνον καὶ ἔριν, τινὲς δὲ καὶ δι’ εὐδοκίαν τὸν Χριστὸν κηρύσσουσιν: οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἀγάπης, εἰδότες ὅτι εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κεῖμαι, οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας τὸν Χριστὸν καταγγέλλουσιν, οὐχ ἁγνῶς, οἰόμενοι θλῖψιν ἐγείρειν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Ï„á½· γάρ; πλὴν ὅτι παντὶ τρόπῳ, εἴτε προφάσει εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω:

Here is another translation for comparison:

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18a ESV)