My Personal Translation of Philippians 2:1-11 from the Greek Text

1. Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassionate affection,
2. fulfill my joy by agreeing with one another, having the same love, united in Spirit, being in one mind,
3. doing nothing by way of selfishness nor by way of conceit, but in humility consider one another better than self,
4. each one not only looking at the things of themselves, but each one also looking at the things of others.
5. Have this in your mind which was also in Christ Jesus:
6. who although being in the form of God, did not think it something to grasp after to be equal with God.
7. But, he emptied himself by having taken the form of a servant, by having become in the likeness of man; and appearing in human likeness
8. he humbled himself by having become obedient to the point of death, even crucifixion.
9. Wherefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name above every name,
10. for the purpose that, at the name of Jesus, every knee of heavenly beings, earthly beings, and beings under the earth should bow,
11. and every tongue should acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

Comparison of Verses 5-11 among Various English Translations

Verse 5
- the KJV seems to change the verb form from second person to third person.
- the NASB uses the word "attitude," but I think it is better to keep the original thought of "have this in your mind." Today, the word "attitude" carries with it connotations of vacillation or something easily changed. I think the text is more firm, "continue to have this in your mind" bears with it a responsibility of action and reality of changed life.
- the NIV also uses "attitude"
- the RSV does a good job in sticking with the force of the Greek text.

Verses 6&7
- the KJV uses the best, most accurate definition of μορφη (form).
- the NASB also uses form.
- the NIV changes the word to "nature," which does not seem to be an accurate definition or interpretation. The word is better rendered "form." Paul, or the writer of the hymn, uses a comparison of paradox to show just how amazing is the Incarnation. The statement "form of God" is an oxymoron, since God has no form. Yet, Jesus became THE form of God. He gave up all that was his (emptied himself) and took on the form of humanity, even the form of a servant (the lowest of humanity). The song may be in a chiastic structure, flowing from the pre-incarnate glory of Jesus, to the humility seen in Jesus' form of a servant, to the crucifixion, being the crux of the chiasm, then back to the resurrection of the crucified servant, concluding with the glorification of Jesus to the glory of God.
- the RSV correctly includes "form" rather than "nature."

Verses 8&9
- some minor differences among the KJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, and my translation, but these are only matters of semantics.

Verses 10&11
- the KJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, and my translation all translate the verb mood as subjunctive, i.e. "every knee should bow." I find this to be both true to the text and the overall context of Paul's theology and New Testament Christology.
Personal Version Preference: I vacillate between the NASB and the RSV, the NASB for its closeness to the literal Greek, the RSV for its use of dynamic equivalence. I guess I need both!