Philippians 1:29

ὅτι … ἐχαρίσθη. We are inclined to join this clause immediately to μὴ πτυρόμενοι (so also Hpt [81]). The prospect of suffering was apt to terrify them. But when they view suffering in its true light, they will discover that it is a gift of God's grace (ἐχαρ.) instead of an evil. τὸ ὑπὲρ κ. τ. λ. The Apostle intended to insert πάσχειν after Χρ., but for a moment he pauses. To emphasise the real value of suffering for Christ's sake, he compares it with that which they all acknowledge as the crowning blessing of their lives, faith in Him. As to the form of the sentence, this is a favourite rhetorical device of Paul's. See J. Weiss, Beiträge, p. 11 n. οὐ μόνον. μή might have been expected. “When a limitation of an infinitive or of its subject is to be negatived rather than the infinitive itself, the negative οὐ is used instead of μή. This principle applies esp [82] in the case of the adverb μόνον ” (Burton, MT [83], p. 183). εἰς αὐτόν. The deepest aspect of faith, the intimate union into which the soul is brought.

[81] Haupt.

[82] especially.

[83] Moods and Tenses (Burton, Goodwin).