more than one way to say it

It's always interesting to me to see the subtle differences & similarities between translations & paraphrases, especially on such a pivotal statement by Paul that he wrote in his letter to the followers of Jesus in Philippi.

Philippians 4:13

For I can do everything with the help of Christ, who gives me the strength I need. (NLT)

The New Living Translation is a translation I have used for the last 16 years. It's pretty straightforward. There are 2 editions – I like the first edition.

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose - I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] (Amplified translation)

The Amplified Bible is a translation that the authors then expand to give further explanation, understanding, or meaning. I like it, sometimes, but sometimes I get lost in the amplification. ;-)

Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do. (ERV)

ERV stands for Easy to Read Version which means the translation has been pared down to very simple terms.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

The English Standard Version is a translation our daughter, Hannah, seems to like, & introduced Lynn & I to a few years back. It feels kind of like the King James Version, but with a more 21^st century feel.

I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me. (JB Phillips)

JB Phillips translated just the New Testament. I remember when I got to college in 1968 how excited everyone was about it. Up until then, all we had was the King James Version & the Revised Standard Version. JB Phillips was one of the first guys to translate in a way that sounded contemporary – in the vernacular of the times. I still like it as much as I did back then.

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (The Message)

The message is a paraphrase – iow, they took the translation from the Greek & expressed the essence of the scripture, rather than literally translated what was being said. I like it because it can cut through the immensity of some thought & expand it just enough to give it a flavor of our way of expressing things now.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (NIV)

The New International Version is a pretty literal translation that it seems a lot of my friends who are Baptist prefer. It's a translation that can be pretty spare in expressing the thoughts of a verse, but not to the point of feel stark.

I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength. (The Voice)

I've only become acquainted with The Voice in the last few years. I got to know it through translation comparisons I've done at BibleGateway.com (a GREAT website!). I was surprised to find out it's a translation, not a paraphrase. It feels like a paraphrase sometimes, but it really is a pretty straight translation.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)

The New King James Version is a contemporary redo of the grandaddy of all translations, the King James Version. I get the feeling all they did was take the “thee's” & the “thou's” out, as well as the words that we don't use a lot, like “get thee thither” & stuff like that. The also dropped the “-eth's” on all the words that had have that on them.

I hope that explains some of the versions I quote when I'm doing a verse or passage comparison.

But most of all, I hope you caught the infinitely powerful statement Paul makes here about where strength can come for us, & how much we are able to be & do with it.

It's one of the most pivotal versions in my storehouse of verses that I hold on to with a death grip – a verse that has kept & is keeping me from being overwhelmed by the enormity of life.