Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Philippians (German)
| # | English term | Greek | First occurrence(s) | German rendering | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | form of God | μορφὴ θεοῦ | 2:6 | Gestalt Gottes | NEW | Genuine divine nature, not mere appearance. |
| 2 | not a thing to be grasped | ἁρπαγμός | 2:6 | nicht als Raub festhalten | NEW | Already-possessed status not exploited, not something not-yet-attained. |
| 3 | emptied himself | ἐκένωσεν | 2:7 | entäußerte sich | NEW | German-specific Kenosis-Theologie history (Thomasius); voluntary addition (servant form), not subtraction of deity. |
| 4 | form of a servant | μορφὴ δούλου | 2:7 | Gestalt eines Knechtes | NEW | — |
| 5 | humbled himself, death on a cross | ἐταπείνωσεν… θανάτου σταυροῦ | 2:8 | erniedrigte sich… Tod am Kreuz | NEW | Maximal humiliation point; guard against under-translation. |
| 6 | highly exalted | ὑπερύψωσεν | 2:9 | hoch erhöht | NEW | Intensified compound; not a plain “erhöhte.” |
| 7 | every knee, every tongue, Jesus Christ is Lord | πᾶν γόνυ… κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς | 2:10-11 | alle Knie… Jesus Christus ist der Herr | TM-derived | Must match Romans 10:9’s established Herr rendering exactly. |
| 8 | partnership in the gospel | κοινωνία εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον | 1:5 | Gemeinschaft am Evangelium | NEW | Financial/missionary partnership sense. |
| 9 | to live is Christ, to die is gain | τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος | 1:21 | Christus ist mein Leben, und Sterben ist mein Gewinn | NEW | Widely known Lutherbibel funeral-liturgy phrasing; match exactly. |
| 10 | work out your own salvation with fear and trembling | κατεργάζεσθε… μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου | 2:12 | verwirklicht eure Rettung mit Furcht und Zittern | NEW | Must stay paired with 2:13’s “God works in you”; guard against Werkgerechtigkeit misreading. |
| 11 | rubbish/refuse | σκύβαλα | 3:8 | Dreck / Kot | NEW | Deliberately crude Greek; follows Luther’s directness rather than a genteel softening. |
| 12 | citizenship | πολίτευμα | 3:20 | Bürgerrecht | NEW | Legal-status force of Philippi’s Roman-colony citizenship. |
| 13 | peace that surpasses understanding | ἡ εἰρήνη… ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν | 4:7 | der Friede Gottes, der höher ist als alle Vernunft | NEW | Widely known Lutherbibel liturgical-benediction phrasing; match exactly. |
| 14 | I can do all things through him who strengthens me | πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με | 4:13 | Ich vermag alles durch den, der mich mächtig macht | NEW | Must stay anchored to its contentment context (4:11-12); guard against popular decontextualized misuse. |
Coverage confirmation
14 glossary entries span all four chapters: chapter 1 (rows 8-9), chapter 2 (rows 1-7, 10), chapter 3 (rows 11-12), and chapter 4 (rows 13-14).
Critical Risk Terms
Lord
Approved rendering: Herr
Transliteration: Herr
Doctrine: The Exaltation and Universal Lordship of Christ
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Philippians 2:11’s confession must match Romans 10:9’s established ‘Jesus ist Herr’ exactly.
Form Of God
Approved rendering: Gestalt Gottes
Transliteration: Gestalt Gottes
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
Original: μορφὴ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
NEW. Genuine divine nature, not mere appearance. Philippians 2:6.
Not A Thing To Be Grasped
Approved rendering: nicht als Raub festhalten
Transliteration: nicht als Raub festhalten
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
Original: ἁρπαγμός
Category: Christology
NEW. Already-possessed status not exploited. Philippians 2:6.
Kenosis
Approved rendering: entäußerte sich
Transliteration: entäußerte sich
Doctrine: The Kenosis / Self-Emptying of Christ
Original: ἐκένωσεν
Category: Christology
NEW. German-specific Kenotic Christology history (Thomasius). Voluntary addition, never subtraction of deity. Philippians 2:7.
Highly Exalted
Approved rendering: hoch erhöht
Transliteration: hoch erhöht
Doctrine: The Exaltation and Universal Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: erhöhte (plain, insufficiently intensified)
Original: ὑπερύψωσεν
Category: Christology
NEW. Intensified compound. Philippians 2:9.
Universal Lordship Confession
Approved rendering: Jesus Christus ist der Herr
Transliteration: Jesus Christus ist der Herr
Doctrine: The Exaltation and Universal Lordship of Christ
Original: πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ… κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς
Category: Christology
NEW. Must match Romans 10:9 exactly; retain full threefold cosmic scope. Philippians 2:10-11.
Working Out Salvation
Approved rendering: verwirklicht eure Rettung mit Furcht und Zittern
Transliteration: verwirklicht eure Rettung mit Furcht und Zittern
Doctrine: Working Out Salvation
Original: κατεργάζεσθε τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου
Category: Sanctification
NEW. Must stay paired with 2:13’s ‘God works in you’; guard against Werkgerechtigkeit misreading. Philippians 2:12.
Contentment Through Christ
Approved rendering: Ich vermag alles durch den, der mich mächtig macht
Transliteration: Ich vermag alles durch den, der mich mächtig macht
Doctrine: Contentment and Christ’s Sufficiency
Original: πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Must stay anchored to its contentment context (4:11-12); guard against popular decontextualized misuse. Philippians 4:13.
High Risk Terms
Citizenship
Approved rendering: Bürgerrecht
Transliteration: Bürgerrecht
Doctrine: The Believer’s Heavenly Citizenship
Original: πολίτευμα
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Legal-status force of Philippi’s Roman-colony citizenship. Philippians 3:20.
Peace That Surpasses Understanding
Approved rendering: der Friede Gottes, der höher ist als alle Vernunft
Transliteration: der Friede Gottes, der höher ist als alle Vernunft
Doctrine: The Peace of God
Original: ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Widely known Lutherbibel liturgical-benediction phrasing; match exactly. Philippians 4:7.
Medium Risk Terms
Partnership In The Gospel
Approved rendering: Gemeinschaft am Evangelium
Transliteration: Gemeinschaft am Evangelium
Doctrine: Partnership in the Gospel
Original: κοινωνία εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Church
NEW. Financial/missionary partnership sense. Philippians 1:5.
To Live Is Christ
Approved rendering: Christus ist mein Leben, und Sterben ist mein Gewinn
Transliteration: Christus ist mein Leben, und Sterben ist mein Gewinn
Doctrine: To Live Is Christ
Original: τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Widely known Lutherbibel funeral-liturgy phrasing; match exactly. Philippians 1:21.
Rubbish
Approved rendering: Dreck
Transliteration: Dreck
Doctrine: Knowing Christ Above All Else
Rejected alternatives: Verlust (too genteel, loses the deliberate crudeness)
Original: σκύβαλα
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Follows Luther’s directness. Philippians 3:8.
Referenced passages