How do translations render the verse?
First group.
Philippians 2:11 (NRSV)
11 And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 (NIV)
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 (NASB)
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
Second group.
Philippians 2:11 (DRA)
11 And that every tongue should confess that, the Lord Jesus Christ is
in the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 (NLV)
11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give
honor to God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 (JUB)
11 And that every tongue should confess that, the Lord Jesus Christ is
Lord in the glory of God the Father.
Ours translations fall into two discernible groups; the first separates Jesus Christ, show that he is distinct from the father, and is subject to him, whereas the second group does not.
When faced with such ambiguous passages and before making a decision, we look to the scriptures for similar passages, and the context of the verse in order to make a comparison.
Paul, the writer of Philippians, gives the closest parallel to us, in Romans 10:9, which reads:
Romans 10:9(NRSV)
9 Because[a] if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.
Romans 10:9 (NABRE)
9 For, if you confess[a] with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.
Other verse which show the distinction between “God” and “Jesus”.
Titus 2:13 (NABRE)
13 As we await the blessed hope, the appearance[a] of the glory of the
great God and of our savior Jesus Christ,
Titus 2:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
Titus 1:4 (NABRE)
4 To Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
Titus 1:4 (KJV)
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and
peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
CONCLUSION.
The prevailing is the correct translation
My Translation “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord: to the glory of God the Father.”
We observe that My Translation maintains the distinction between “God the Father” and “Jesus is Lord”.
In context, we read that Jesus was exalted to a name above all others, by God the Father and that all creation in heaven and on earth bow to it. The highly exalted Jesus is called; “Lord” he is not called “God” or “Father”, but Paul says this is done; to the glory of the God the Father.
Ambiguities usually exist when translators do not translate, but interpret the scriptures according to one’s theological believes. This is falsification of evidence and Christians do not look favorably to it. Christians want Bibles which are translated accurately and without bias, and not what priests, ministers, scholars or theologians believes to be true.