What is the meaning of "achri/at/until" in Philippians 1:6?

Question

Philippians 1:6

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ". NKJV My emphasis.

Philippians 1:6

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ". ESV.

On this site ""In Philippians 1:6 & 1:10 what is /when is the day of Jesus Christ" looks at the meaning of "the day of Jesus Christ".

["You will have financial support until your 18th birthday" is different from "You will have financial support at your 18th birthday".]

"Until" leads me to think that the meaning here is that God's good work of sustaining the church is complete until the day of Jesus Christ.

"At" leads me to think that the meaning here is that God makes the church perfect at the day of Jesus Christ.

A. Do the NKJV and ESV agree or disagree over the meaning of "achri"?

B. If they do disagree what might be the cause of this?

C. How is "achri" best seen?

Answer 1

The preposition in Phil 1:6, ἄχρι is, according to BDAG:

A function word used to indicate an interval between two points

1. marker of continuous extent of time up to a point, until, (a) used as a preposition with genitive, of time, until

Thus, the meaning of Phil 1:6 is rather simple as the text itself explains:

being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

That is, a process is described (by "the One") as operating in Christians between two points in time:

• (a) from the time of conversion and dedication to God's service
• (b) and the process continues and will not be complete until or at the "the day of Christ Jesus", ie, when Jesus returns.

Thus, the meaning of the preposition ἄχρι is the point in time of Jesus' return; thus it could be translated:

• ... complete it until the day of Christ Jesus
• ... complete it at the day of Christ Jesus
• ... complete it when the day of Christ Jesus [arrives]

The translation matters little in this instance because we use anything to mark the completion of the process begun at conversion. "Until" is most correct (as per BDAG, but the others convey the same meaning.