Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Philippians 3:4

καίπερ ἐγὼ ἔχων. The nominative is practically absolute; he might have written καίπερ ἐμοῦ ἔχοντος, as nothing in the previous context stands in apposition with ἐγὼ. But the meaning is luminous.

Strictly, the Apostle asserts that he has, not merely might have, this “confidence.” But the whole context of this passage, and of St Paul’s entire Gospel, assures us that this is only “a way of speaking.” He is looking from the Judaist’s view point, and speaks so. Granted those premisses, he has, in an eminent degree, what his adversary claims to have. R.V. rightly paraphrases, “though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.”—Καὶ ἐν σαρκί: on the Judaist’s principles, he is so good a legalist that he might rest his salvation even on “the flesh,” should Christ be not enough!

δοκεῖ. “Thinketh.” So R.V. text, and A.V. R.V. margin, “seemeth.” But the other is right in this context. For this (frequent) use of δοκεῖν see e.g. Luke 24:37, ἐδόκουν πνεῦμα θεωρεῖν: Acts 12:9, ἐδόκει ὅραμα βλέπειν. A still closer parallel here is Matthew 3:9, μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, where we are compelled to paraphrase, “Do not think in yourselves that you may say.” So here, “Thinketh that he may have confidence.”

ἐγὼ μᾶλλον. Cp. 2 Corinthians 11:21-22 for a series of similar assertions.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Philippians 3:4

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