ピリピ人への手紙 4:18 Japanese Living Bible

今のところ、必要な物は何でもそろっています。それどころか、必要以上に満たされています。エパフロデトにことづけてくれた贈り物をいただいて、十分すぎるほどです。その贈り物は、神が喜んで受け入れてくださる、香ばしいかおりの供え物です。

Philippians 4:18
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

Reading Philippians in Japanese

One of the truly delightful opportunities of learning a new language, culture, and philosophy is revisiting your own foundations and linking them to this new framework. As I learn Japanese, I find that using Biblical studies, in Japanese, offers a new and rich perspective on bedrock I have long considered settled. These posts are my notes as I continue to deepen my understanding of Japanese language and culture – through the lens of Bible studies and meditations.

Duty, Attitude, and the Fragrant Offering

This verse from Philippians comes from Paul’s ‘thank-you’ letter to the Church at Philippi. He was in prison and was very dependent on outside support for basic necessities and the Church was unusually generous, and timely, with that support. The part of this verse that draws my attention, though, is ‘香ばしいかおりの供え物です。’ a ‘fragrant offering’. This wasn’t just a well-received gift. It was a ‘fragrant offering’ to God. Remember that the Hebrews had an active tradition of burnt offerings and that imagery would have been vivid to the Church at Philippi. I don’t think Paul is talking about an abundant offering though, nor an offering that he ‘needed’ – in the previous verse he talks about ‘not that I seek the gift’ and he was well supplied. Paul could have been being exceedingly polite – like politely refusing a gift desperately needed, only to accept once it is pressed upon him. But I don’t think that is what is happening here.

Consider what Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, that God loves a cheerful giver. I think Paul was drawing attention to the Philippians attitude behind the gift. They weren’t giving merely out of duty. And the gift, given to imprisoned Paul under Roman guard, had real risks associated with it – the Romans weren’t fond of this little Christian cult developing and very reasonably could have been ‘taking names’ of supporters and sympathizers, yet they gave cheerfully. A ‘fragrant sacrifice well pleasing to God’.

I went exploring similar ideas in the Japanese traditions.

The idea that cheerful sacrifice was sacred and ‘well pleasing’ to God. In Buddhist and Confucian traditions I found a great deal about duty. Duty to one’s family, neighbors, friends, and the society of man in general. But most of it was focused on the ‘duty’ of the act, rather than the interior motivation behind it. It was in Shinto that I found the Japanese understanding that the attitude behind the act makes the act sacred.

Shinto has the concept of 誠 – まこと (makoto). Best translated as sincerity, truthfulness, and authenticity. The idea that ‘when the heart is true, actions become true’. This felt like the closest parallel I could find with an act having a ‘fragrant aroma’.

But this isn’t an equivalency, it should be noted. The Eastern traditions all seem to come from the angle that a right heart produces right actions. And both are ‘here on Earth’. In relation to our fellow man. I couldn’t find a clear connection to a “right heart” being pleasing to God (or the kami, in Shinto beliefs). The direct relationship with God in the Christian faith continues to be a very unique feature of Christianity.

Parenthood as crucible

I am continually reminded of the gift of parenthood. We train and grow our children to be good men and women – and when we see them spontaneously and joyously showing generosity, forgiveness, and love, it brings an incredible delight to our souls. A few evenings ago I sent the younger kids to bed while the older two finished their homework. There is a ‘standing rule’ in the house that if the youngers are sent to bed first they can keep the light on and quietly read until the olders come to bed. They are rarely ‘quietly reading’! But 30 minutes later I realized I hadn’t heard a peep from them, so I snuck upstairs to see what I could catch them in. My middle son had gathered all the youngers around him and was reading them children’s books. There were 3 or 4 books in the ‘done’ pile, and a whole stack waiting to be read. The three younger kids were gathered around him in rapt attention as he held up the pictures and read from the side. I sat there with pure delight, pure joy at seeing my children actively caring for each other out of joy and love – not because ‘Papa told them to’. I imagine God taking that same delight when we serve each other with true joy.

Original	Kana	English
今のところ	いま の ところ	for now, at present
必要な物	ひつようなもの	needed things
そろっています	そろっています	are all present / are all gathered
それどころか	それどころか	on the contrary / more than that
必要以上に	ひつよういじょうに	beyond what is necessary
満たす	みたす	to fill, satisfy
喜ぶ	よろこぶ	to rejoice
香ばしい	こうばしい	fragrant, pleasantly aromatic
供え物	そなえもの	offering, sacrifice