Musings... Dr. Black's BLOG
Comments on Translation Issues Affecting the ISV®
[Introductory Thoughts]
[The ISV Heritage: Where We Got our English Bible]
[The Poetry of the International Standard Version]
[Zechariah 12:10 — Look Upon Me Whom They Pierced]
[The Disciple Whom Jesus Kept on Loving?]
[John 3:16 — God Loved the World So Much!?!]
[John 18:4 — Whom Sweet Whom]
[John 21:15-17 — Sloppy Agape]
[Acts 2:38 — Baptism for Forgiveness?]
[1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — An Ode to Love]
[Ephesians 5:32 — Mustering Mystery out of Musterion]
[Philippians 1:27-30 — Good Citizens]
[1 Timothy 3:2 — "Teachable" or "Able to Teach"]
[Titus 1:12 — On Poets & Liars: When is Poetry Poetry?]
[Hebrews 1:1 — Alliteration in the Bible]
[Hebrews 6:1 — "Press on" or "Be Carried Along"?]
[Hebrews 12:1-2 — Too Much Lettuce?]
[James 1:17 — Good Giving?]
[James 2:14 — Can Faith Save?]
On Good Citizenship
"Conduct yourselves" or "Live
as good citizens"?
Philippians 1:27-30 constitutes a single
sentence in Greek containing a single main verb, politeuesthe (verse 27). This verb
is the first command in the entire book and is therefore of great significance. The term politeuesthe
is unlike Paul’s customary word for Christian behavior, peripateo (to
"walk" or "live"). Literally, Paul’s command is to "live as
good citizens."
Considering the fact that the Philippians
were Roman citizens who took their citizenship very seriously (the inscriptions at
Philippi are in Latin rather than Greek), Paul’s language gives his admonition
special prominence. Alas, both the NASB and the NIV have "conduct yourselves."
How does the ISV put it?
The only thing that matters is that you live
as good citizens in a manner that is worthy of the gospel...."
Thus, it is out of their cultural background
that the readers are challenged to live as those who have a vastly more significant
citizenship.
As one writer has put it, Paul is reminding
the Philippians of the new matrix of their existence in Christ that provides them with
their identity as a community in the midst of a Roman colony. They are citizens of a new
order of being whose reality will endure while Rome’s will crumble. Their role in the
midst of the Roman order is to live as worthy citizens of the new order, and the bulk of
Paul’s letter provides them the worldview and ethos of citizenship in this new order.
"Conduct yourselves" or "Live
as good citizens"? Only one rendering accurately reflects Paul’s thinking. You
make the choice. |
