Philippians 1:29

For, &c. He carries out the statement just made (see last note but one), by saying that not only the grounds of faith in Christ, and the power to believe, but the occasion of suffering for Christ, and the power to meet the suffering, are things of Divine grant and gift.

it is given Lit. "it was given." But the A.V. is true to English idiom. The verb rendered "give" denotes specially a grant of free favour or kindness. It is thus often used of free forgiveness, e.g. Luke 7:42; 2Co 2:7; 2 Corinthians 2:10; Ephesians 4:32; sometimes of the work of free grace and salvation, e.g. Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 2:12. (In Acts 3:14; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:16, it is used of an arbitrary, extra-legal, giving up of a prisoner to others, either for liberation or penalty.) Thus the word here, with its associations of sovereignty, favour, boon, forms a noble paradox.

on the behalf of Christ The structure of the Greek indicates that the Apostle was about to write simply, "it is granted you to suffer on behalf of Christ", but that he suspended the thought and phrase to insert, "not only to believe on Him butto suffer on His behalf." Thus "on the behalf of Christ" anticipates here the close of the verse, where it is repeated.

to believe on him Lit., "into Him," a phrase suggesting the directness and holdfast of saving faith. But this speciality of meaning must not be pressed far, for the phrase occurs here and there in connexions not naturally adapted to such thought; e.g. John 2:23; John 12:42. The Greek verb is in the present tense, and points to the continuousness of the action of faith. The Christian, having once believed, lives by still believing. See Romans 11:20; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 10:38. Faith in Christ is here incidentally spoken of as a grant of Divine grace. See further on this, Ephesians 2:8, and note in this Series.

for his sake Better with R.V., in His behalf, to mark the connexion of thought with the "in the behalf of Christ" just above.