Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Philippians 1:10

εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν. “With a view to (to qualify you for) testing.”

τὰ διαφέροντα. See Romans 2:18 for the same phrase.—Τὰ διαφέροντα may be either “the things which excel,” or “the things which differ” (as in margin R.V.). On the whole we prefer this latter, partly as agreeing better with the (scanty) use of the verb in older Biblical Greek and in most of the N.T. examples; and more, as more obviously agreeing with the just previous thought of a growth of “judgment.” The Greek commentator Theophylact (cent. xi.) explains the words by τί δεῖ πρᾶξαι καὶ τί δεῖ μὴ πρᾶξαι.

ἵνα ἦτε. The “judgment” was always to issue in character and conduct.

εἰλικρινεῖς. “Pure, singlehearted.” Three derivations of εἰλικρινής (occasional in Attic; in N.T. only here and 2 Peter 3:1) are suggested; (1) εἴλη, κρίνειν: a test by sunlight; (2) εἴλειν, κρίνειν: a test by rolling or racking; (3) εἴλη (ἴλη), κρίνειν: a separation, or assortment, as in ranks or troops, with the thought of the disentanglement, simplification, of motive and conduct. This latter is favoured by Lightfoot. The Latin rendering is sinceri (“unadulterated”); and it is worth while to notice that this has a possible linguistic connexion with “sin-gle.”

ἀπρόσκοποι. The word may mean either (1) “feeling no stumbling-block” (προσκοπή, πρόσκομμα; Lat. offendiculum, whence our word “offence” in its antiquated meaning), or (2) “laying no stumblingblock” in the way of others. The word is not classical, and nowhere common. The only two other N.T. examples, Acts 24:16; 1 Corinthians 10:32 (both Pauline); are exactly divided as evidence for the meaning here; and thus we are left to the context. This on the whole decides for (1); the Apostle is mainly concerned with the inward life of the Philippians; he prays that they may be so “sincere” with God as never to “stumble over” a wrong motive.

εἰς ἡμέραν Χριστοῦ. “Unto the day”; against it, in view of it, as the crisis of absolute disclosure. Song of Solomon 2:16, where see note. On the phrase ἡμέρα Χ. see above on Philippians 1:6.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Philippians 1:10

Old Testament

New Testament