Short exegetical essays, 2 : Philippians 1, 29

Abstract

I became aware of an exegesis problem in this verse when the Gideons International Malta Branch asked the Malta Bible Society, the publisher and the guardian of the text, to insert a small change in their version of the Bible. In the Third Edition of the text (2004; which remained the same from its First edition (1984), the text of Phil 1,29 reads:

"Ghaliex lilkom inghatat il-grazzja li sservu lil Kristu, mhux biss temmnu fih, imma sahansitra li tbatu ghalih."

For the Gideons the problem lies with the verbal clause li sservu lil Kristu 'that you serve Christ' which they say is not found in Saydon and in the English versions. Rev. Prof Peter Paul Saydon had translated the text as follows:

"Ghax hija grazzja moghtija lilkom ghal Kristu, mhux biss li temmnu fih, imma wkoll li tbatu ghalih"