Transmission 401 - The Variants of Phillippians 3-4

For the sake of completeness, here are the rest of the variants in the entire book of Phillippians, following those variants listed in this article.

Those who are not acquainted with the field of transmission might wonder, "Hey, did some of those old manuscripts have Phil. 4:13 reading something like, 'And UFO's will put crop circles in England'?"

Notice rather how negligible *all* these variants are in their impact on the meaning. Ancient copyists were very, very careful with scrolls that they believed to be sacred. Their accuracy in transmission, across 2,000 years, is simply incredible.

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Variant 9

NT: Phi 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship in the spirit of God, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Possible alternate: Phi 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship *God in the spirit*, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Comment: the text contains the idea “we worship via the Spirit’s help,” as in Rom. 8:5, 26; the alternate contains the idea of Jn. 4:4. Both are consistent with the rest of the NT.

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Variant 10

NT: Phi 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Possible alternate: Phi 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either *had been approved* or were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Comment: No material difference; the phrase “had been approved” is in few early MSS and the reading of the text is in little doubt, according to the UBS scholars.

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Variant 11

NT: Phi 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Possible alternate: Phi 3:13 Brethren, I count *in this way* myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Comment: the phrase “in this way” appears in a number of early manuscripts and the final text is relatively ambiguous.

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Variant 12

NT: Phi 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule.

Possible alternate: Phi 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, *let us mind the same thing.*

Comment: the phrase “let us mind the same thing” is in few early MSS and the reading of the text is in little doubt. “Let us mind the same thing” would be exactly the doctrine of Phil. 2:1-4 in any case.

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Variant 13

NT: Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Possible alternate: Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto *himself.*

Comment: Some MSS have heautos instead of autos. Both mean “Himself,” though autos is a more versatile word.

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Variant 14

NT: Phi 4:3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

Possible alternate: Phi 4:3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with *my fellow laborers and the rest*, whose names are in the book of life.

Comment: No material difference and the alternate reading is unlikely in any case.

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Variant 15

NT: Phi 4:16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto the need for me.

Possible alternate: Phi 4:16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again the need *of* me.

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Variant 16

NT: Phi 4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Possible alternate: Phi 4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. *Amen.*

Comment: No material difference.

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Readers interested in further study can consult Beekman and Callow, op. cit.

Kind regards,

Jeff

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Questions to ask yourself

1. Are spirit children angels?

2. How did spirit children become people?

3. If we were all spirit children, then why don’t I remember being one?

4. Why wasn’t Jesus the first person on Earth as he was the first spirit child?

5. Who was Jesus’s Spirit mother?

6. Who was Lucifer’s mother?

7. If Jesus and Lucifer were spirit children like the rest of us were, then why do they have more power than the rest of us?

8. Why did God and the spirit children discuss a plan of salvation before sin was brought into this world?

9. If Lucifer was a spirit child, then who was he when he was born into human form, and if he was or will be in human form, then will he progress to godhood, because after all, Lucifer wanted people to be saved?

10. If Lucifer wanted people to get saved, then why is he evil?

11. If there is no Hell, then where will Lucifer end up, in a heaven?

12. Would you trust Lucifer’s brother?

13. Why do spirit children grow to adults in heaven before the moment of conception into a human being?

14. Why did God have to have sex with Mary if Jesus was already a spirit child; and why did she birth Jesus and not Satan or somebody else?

15. Why did Joseph marry Mary after she had sex with somebody else?

16. Does God still worship his god?

17. What is the last level of Heaven like; if it’s not so bad then why should we strive to reach the upper levels of Heaven?

18. Non-Mormons shouldn’t be fearful of not becoming saved because we got nothing to be saved from if we are only going to go to the last level of Heaven, because you (like Jehovah’s Witnesses) believe that there is no Hell or eternal torture; plus Mormons believe that you can get a second chance after death, so why should any Mormon keep his own religion instead of having fun all the time?

19. When the world ends and everything is done, will God still need spirit children? Spirit children won’t be born on Earth after the end, and won’t “climb” to godhood because they don’t have a physical body, and you have to a physical body to become a god.

20. If God is a physical being, then why do his wives give birth to spiritual children?

21. How many heavens are there since you believe that there are three heavens, but God has ancestors who all live in their own heavens?

22. Why do dark-skinned people stay dark-skinned when they become a Mormon?

23. If God is an exalted man with a body of flesh and bones, why does Alma 18:26-28 and John 4:24 say that God is a spirit?

24. If the Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, as Joseph Smith said, why does it contain over 4,000 changes from the original 1830 edition?

25. If the Book of Mormon contains the “fullness of the everlasting gospel”, why does the LDS Church need additional works?

26. Why do you baptize for the dead when both Mosiah 3:25 and the Bible state that there is no chance of salvation after death?

27. Why does Doctrines and Covenants 42:18 say that there is no forgiveness for a murderer when 3 Nephi 30:2 says there is forgiveness for him?

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