My Translation of Philippians 3:1-11 from the Greek Text with Textual Analysis

1. In addition, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you the same things is, indeed, not troublesome, but for you is a safeguard.
2. Look out for the dogs! Look out for the evil worker! Look out for the "chopping-off"!
3. For we are the circumcision, the ones serving by the Spirit of God and the ones boasting in Christ Jesus and not the ones trusting in flesh.
4. Although I have confidence also in flesh if any other thinks to trust in flesh, I have all the more!
5. Circumcised on the eighth day, of the lineage of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, according to the Law, a Pharisee,
6. According to zeal a persecutor of the Church, according to what God requires in the Law one being faultless.
7. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as a loss because of Christ.
8. Not only that, but also I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord, because of whom I have suffered loss of all things, and count them dung in order that I might gain Christ,
9. and be found in him, not having my righteousness from the Law, but the one that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that is upon faith,
10. for the purpose that (1.) I know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,
11. if somehow I may attain to the resurrection out from the dead.

Textual Notes

In verse three there is some debate over the structure of and inclusion of θεο. The editor of the textual apparatus give the reading a "C" rating, which means that there is considerable doubt whether the text or the apparatus contains the correct reading. The inclusion of θεο is supported by Codexes Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus,and Vaticanus, a plethora of minuscules, the reading of the majority of lectionaries, many other manuscripts such as the Syriac and the Coptic, and a myriad of the early church fathers.

The variant θε is mentioned in the corrected version of Codex Sinaiticus and a few other minor Codexes. A small amount of the minuscules mention the variant. This reading is also backed by the Vulgate and the Syriac, the Gothic and possibly the Armenian. Many church fathers include this reading as well as the aforementioned. A variant of this variant, θεὶῳ, is mentioned only once and this is in minuscule 1984.

There is another small variant which chooses to exclude the word all together. The only textual evidence for this is found in papyrus 46. The evidence may appear weak at first, but the papyrus in question is the earliest copy of the epistles of Paul, which dates about the year 200. (2.)

FOOTNOTES

(1.) See discussion in H.E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1955), 283-285.
(2.) Discussion taken from textual apparatus in Kurt Aland, et. al., The Greek New Testament 3rd. ed. (London: United Bible Societies, 1983), 687. and Bruce M. Metzger, The Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (London: United Bible Societies, 1971), 614.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aland, Kurt, et.al. The Greek New Testament. 3rd. ed. London: United Bible Societies, 1983.

Dana, H. E. and Julius R. Mantey. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1955.

Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. London: United Bible Societies, 1971.

Summers, Ray. Essentials of New Testament Greek. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1950.