independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The appeal — complete my joy 2:1–4
1
Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ,conditional — protasis 1 of 4 — all four lean on πληρώσατε below; rhetorical: 'since there is…'
εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης,conditional — protasis 2 — the solace love gives
εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος,conditional — protasis 3 — the Spirit-created sharing
εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,conditional — protasis 4 — σπλάγχνα, visceral affection (τις ad sensum with the plurals)
2
πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰνindependent — the apodosis — the one imperative the fourfold protasis carries
ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε,content — epexegetic ἵνα — the joy's content, not its purpose; φρονέω, the letter's leitmotif
τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες,participial — manner — the same love, mutual and equal
σύμψυχοι,phrase modifier — verbless apposition — one-souled, a coinage of concord
τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες,participial — manner — the φρον- bracket closes on the single aim
3
μηδὲν κατ’ ἐριθείαν μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν,phrase modifier — elliptical — supply 'doing'; the two motives that split a church excluded
ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν,participial — the master-virtue — ταπεινοφροσύνη; ἡγέομαι, the verb of reckoning Christ will enact (v. 6)
4
μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος σκοποῦντες ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι.participial — the gaze redirected — ἕκαστος to ἕκαστοι, each and all; the seam into the hymn
The Christ-hymn — descent and exaltation 2:5–11
5
τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖνindependent — the hinge command — φρονεῖτε resumes v. 2; τοῦτο points into the hymn
ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,relative — on τοῦτο — elliptical: supply 'was minded'; the exemplar named
vv. 6–8 — the descent: he emptied himself, he humbled himself
6
ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχωνrelative — the hymn opens with ὅς (cf. Col 1:15; 1 Tim 3:16); ὑπάρχων concessive — though in God's form
οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,relative — the ὅς-clause's finite verb — ἁρπαγμός as res retinenda: a status held, not clutched for advantage
7
ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσενrelative — the kenosis — coordinate finite in the ὅς-clause; emptying by taking, not subtracting
μορφὴν δούλου λαβών,participial — means — μορφὴ δούλου answering μορφῇ θεοῦ
ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος·participial — means — γενόμενος against ὑπάρχων: the one who was, became
καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωποςparticipial — circumstantial — read forward with ἐταπείνωσεν (v. 8): found a man, he went lower still
8
ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸνrelative — the second act of descent — ταπεινόω, the root of the ταπεινοφροσύνη commanded (v. 3)
γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου,participial — the mode — obedience (ὑπήκοος), reversing Adam; μέχρι marks the extent
θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.phrase modifier — climactic apposition — the nadir: the slave's death, the curse (Deut 21:23)
vv. 9–11 — the exaltation: the name above every name
9
διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσενindependent — διὸ καί — the reversal: the subject shifts to God; the hapax ὑπερύψωσεν answers the descent
καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα,independent — coordinate finite — the name (κύριος, v. 11) conferred as grace
10
ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃpurpose — the goal of the exaltation — Isa 45:23, YHWH's oath, applied to Jesus
ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων,phrase modifier — on πᾶν γόνυ — the threefold cosmos, no realm exempt
11
καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηταιpurpose — the oracle's second limb — coordinate under the ἵνα, matching πᾶν γόνυ
ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸςcontent — the confession — κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, the earliest creed; κύριος, the LXX name of YHWH
εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.purpose — the doxological goal — the Son's lordship redounds to the Father
The application — salvation worked out, lights in the world 2:12–18
vv. 12–13 — the outworking: you work, for God is working
12
Ὥστε, ἀγαπητοί μου,independent — ὥστε — the hymn applied; the address suspended over the command
καθὼς πάντοτε ὑπηκούσατε,comparative — the pattern — their obedience mirrors the obedient one (ὑπήκοος, v. 8)
μὴ ὡς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ μου μόνον ἀλλὰ νῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ μου,phrase modifier — presence and absence — the obedience does not depend on Paul
μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε·independent — the command — κατεργάζεσθε, answered at once by God's ἐνεργῶν
13
θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας.cause — γάρ — the ground of the imperative: the double ἐνεργ- inside the κατεργάζεσθε
vv. 14–16 — blameless children, luminaries in a crooked generation
14
Πάντα ποιεῖτε χωρὶς γογγυσμῶν καὶ διαλογισμῶν,independent — the wilderness vices — γογγυσμός, Israel's murmuring (Exod 16; Num 14)
15
ἵνα γένησθε ἄμεμπτοι καὶ ἀκέραιοι, τέκνα θεοῦ ἄμωμα μέσον γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς καὶ διεστραμμένης,purpose — Deut 32:5 inverted — the blemish now on the generation, not the children
ἐν οἷς φαίνεσθε ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ,relative — on γενεᾶς (plural ad sensum) — φωστῆρες, luminaries (Gen 1:14–16; Dan 12:3)
16
λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες,participial — manner — ἐπέχοντες read as 'holding fast' (or 'holding forth') the word
εἰς καύχημα ἐμοὶ εἰς ἡμέραν Χριστοῦ,purpose — the apostle's stake — their perseverance his καύχημα at the day
ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἔδραμονcontent — the boast's content — the race not for nothing
οὐδὲ εἰς κενὸν ἐκοπίασα.content — εἰς κενόν doubled — the servant's fear answered (Isa 49:4; 65:23)
vv. 17–18 — the libation: joy poured out and returned
17
ἀλλὰ εἰ καὶ σπένδομαι ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν,conditional — εἰ καί concessive protasis — leaning on χαίρω below; σπένδομαι, the drink-offering over their sacrifice
χαίρω καὶ συγχαίρω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν·independent — apodosis — joy even in the pouring out
18
τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ὑμεῖς χαίρετε καὶ συγχαίρετέ μοι.independent — the joy commanded back — four χαιρ- verbs close the unit
The commendation of Timothy 2:19–24
19
Ἐλπίζω δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Τιμόθεον ταχέως πέμψαι ὑμῖν,independent — the ἐλπίζω frame — the travel plan held ἐν κυρίῳ
ἵνα κἀγὼ εὐψυχῶpurpose — the aim — his own good courage (εὐψυχέω)
γνοὺς τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν.participial — temporal — upon learning your state
20
οὐδένα γὰρ ἔχω ἰσόψυχον,cause — why Timothy — ἰσόψυχος, echoing σύμψυχοι (v. 2)
ὅστις γνησίως τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν μεριμνήσει·relative — qualitative ὅστις on οὐδένα — the kind of man who truly cares
21
οἱ πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.cause — the sad ground of 'no one' — all seek τὰ ἑαυτῶν (the failure of v. 4)
22
τὴν δὲ δοκιμὴν αὐτοῦ γινώσκετε,independent — Timothy's δοκιμή — tested and already known at Philippi
ὅτι ὡς πατρὶ τέκνον σὺν ἐμοὶ ἐδούλευσεν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον.content — epexegetic ὅτι — ἐδούλευσεν, slaving in the shadow of μορφὴν δούλου (v. 7)
23
τοῦτον μὲν οὖν ἐλπίζω πέμψαιindependent — the plan resumed — μὲν οὖν, with δέ answering in v. 24
ὡς ἂν ἀφίδω τὰ περὶ ἐμὲ ἐξαυτῆς·comparative — ὡς ἄν + subjunctive — temporal: the moment his own case is clear
24
πέποιθα δὲ ἐν κυρίῳindependent — hope raised to confidence — πέποιθα, again ἐν κυρίῳ
ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ταχέως ἐλεύσομαι.content — the content — Paul himself to follow Timothy
The commendation of Epaphroditus 2:25–30
25
Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμηνindependent — the ἡγησάμην frame — the verb of reckoning a third time (vv. 3, 6)
Ἐπαφρόδιτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ συνεργὸν καὶ συστρατιώτην μου, ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον καὶ λειτουργὸν τῆς χρείας μου, πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς,content — complement infinitive — the fivefold commendation: three titles from Paul's side, two from theirs
26
ἐπειδὴ ἐπιποθῶν ἦν πάντας ὑμᾶς,cause — ἐπειδή — the homesick longing (periphrastic imperfect)
καὶ ἀδημονῶνcause — the periphrasis continued — ἀδημονέω, the Gethsemane word (Mk 14:33)
διότι ἠκούσατεcause — διότι — distressed not at his illness but at their knowing of it
ὅτι ἠσθένησεν.content — the content of the report
27
καὶ γὰρ ἠσθένησεν παραπλήσιον θανάτῳ·independent — καὶ γάρ — the report confirmed: παραπλήσιον θανάτῳ, at death's door
ἀλλὰ ὁ θεὸς ἠλέησεν αὐτόν,independent — the turn — ἠλέησεν, mercy in the story's hinge
οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμέ,phrase modifier — elliptical expansion — the mercy doubled: Paul spared too
ἵνα μὴ λύπην ἐπὶ λύπην σχῶ.purpose — negative purpose — grief stacked on grief averted
28
σπουδαιοτέρως οὖν ἔπεμψα αὐτὸνindependent — epistolary aorist — ἔπεμψα, 'I am sending (with this letter)'
ἵνα ἰδόντες αὐτὸν πάλιν χαρῆτεpurpose — their joy — the reunion folded into the rejoicing
κἀγὼ ἀλυπότερος ὦ.purpose — coordinate purpose — ἀλυπότερος, his own λύπη (v. 27) lightened
29
προσδέχεσθε οὖν αὐτὸν ἐν κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης χαρᾶς,independent — the charge — a welcome ἐν κυρίῳ, with the letter's keynote joy
καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἐντίμους ἔχετε,independent — coordinate imperative — the class of such men honored
30
ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἔργον Χριστοῦ μέχρι θανάτου ἤγγισεν,cause — the ground — μέχρι θανάτου, Epaphroditus walking the hymn's path (v. 8)
παραβολευσάμενος τῇ ψυχῇparticipial — the wager — παραβολευσάμενος, staking his ψυχή on the throw
ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας.purpose — the aim — completing their λειτουργία (cf. v. 17): not their neglect, but their distance
Analysis. Philippians 2 pivots on a hymn, and the layout sets it apart. First the four olive protases of v. 1 stack above their one apodosis — πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν, the single imperative all four 'if's lean on — and the ἵνα-content of the joy unfolds through teal participles of unity; then the hinge command τοῦτο φρονεῖτε (v. 5) hands the page to Christ. The hymn's two arcs are two shapes. In vv. 6–8 everything hangs from the coral relative ὃς: each act of the descent (οὐχ ἡγήσατο, ἐκένωσεν, ἐταπείνωσεν) sits at the same depth under Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, expounded by its participles, stepping down to the double θανάτου and the dashed apposition θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ — the floor of the column. Then vv. 9–11 snap back flush-left: διὸ καὶ ὁ θεός, God now the subject, whose two finite verbs launch the amber ἵνα of universal homage (Isa 45:23) down to the verbless creed κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός and the closing εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: ἁρπαγμός is read as res retinenda — equality with God already possessed but not clutched for advantage, not a prize to be seized; ὑπάρχων is concessive ('though being in God's form'), not causal; σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος is read forward with ἐταπείνωσεν (as the data's raised dot suggests), though on the page it must hang beneath ἐκένωσεν, the nearest finite verb behind it; the ἵνα of v. 2 is epexegetic content, not purpose; ἐν οἷς (v. 15) is construed ad sensum with γενεᾶς; ἐπέχοντες is 'holding fast'; ἔπεμψα (v. 28) is an epistolary aorist. The applications keep the hymn's vocabulary in view — ὑπηκούσατε after ὑπήκοος, κατεργάζεσθε grounded in God's ἐνεργῶν, Epaphroditus who μέχρι θανάτου ἤγγισεν — so the commendations of vv. 19–30 read as the hymn lived.