Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Philippians 1:7

δίκαιον. = our “right” or “natural”. τοῦτο φρονεῖν ὑπ. ὑμ. Not “think this concerning you,” but “have this care on your behalf”; cf. chap. Philippians 4:10 τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν. τοῦτο of course refers to the finishing in them of God's “good work”. φρ. seems always to keep in view the direction which thought (of a practical kind) takes. ὑπέρ usually has the sense of “interest in” (so Lft [50]). διὰ τὸ κ. τ. λ. Paul's only use of διά with infin. ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ. Perhaps it is best (with Zahn) to take κ. here not so much as the seat of the softer feelings, but rather as the abode of the stronger thoughts, resolutions, etc. A regular Greek usage. Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 3:15; 2 Corinthians 4:6 et al. Thus the whole expression would almost be equiv. to “I know that you,” etc.; cf. ἄσβεστον ὑμῶν περιφέρω τὴν μνήμην (Thdrt [51]). His love is expressed in the next verse. Evidently ἔν τε τοῖς δεσμ. κ. τ. λ. goes with the following clause, for it is much more natural to suppose a break at the first ὑμᾶς, which is resumed by the second. On ἐν before τ. ἀπολ. see crit. note. Paul separates here (so also Wohl [52]) between his δεσμοί and his ἀπολογία, which makes up one idea with βεβαίωσις. It seems to us clear that this ἀπολ. marks a crisis in his circumstances of which the influence is seen all through the Epistle; cf., e.g., Philippians 1:19; Philippians 1:25, chap. Philippians 2:23-24. Ought it not to be taken in its ordinary judicial sense of a defence against a regular charge? (as against Lft [53] and Moule, CT [54], who refer ἀπ. and βεβ. to Paul's missionary work at Rome, and Hpt [55], who thinks of Paul's whole activity in refuting opponents, both public and private). The correctness of this view receives strong confirmation from Dsm [56] (BS [57], p. 100 ff.), who shows that Paul, like the Translators of the LXX, was well acquainted with the technical sense of βεβαίωσις (Lat. evictio), the obligation under which the seller came to the buyer to guarantee against all claims his right to what he had bought. So Paul's defence before the emperor is a guarantee of the Gospel, a warrant of its value and claims. For ἀπολ. see 2 Timothy 4:16. “My defence and confirmation of the Gospel.” συνκ. μ. τ. χάρ. χάρις here must be the great central gift of God's grace, which Paul always keeps in the foreground. Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:10, χάριτι δὲ Θεοῦ εἰμὶ ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη. There is no need to limit it to the grace of apostleship or to that granted to him in his trials and sufferings. Their love and kindness towards him and his great work, even at the darkest moments in his career, are proof enough that they share along with him in the grace of God. It is probably better to separate μου from χάριτος. [J. Weiss (Th. LZ [58], 1899, col. 263) would read χρείας, comparing chap. Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:16; Romans 12:13. Certainly this would give good sense and be more pointed.]

[50] Lightfoot.

[51]hdrt. Theodoret.

[52]ohl. Wohlenberg.

[53] Lightfoot.

[54] Cambridge Greek Testament.

[55] Haupt.

[56] Deissmann (BS. = Bibelstudien, NBS. = Neue Bibelstudien).

[57] Bibelstudien

[58] Theologische Literaturzeitung.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Philippians 1:7

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