Philippians 1:9

Zahn would put this clause under the government of ὡς in the preceding sentence. No strong argument can be used against this, but it is doubtful whether the explanation is necessary. In the use of ἵνα here, “purport” (to adopt Ellicott's expression) seems to be blended with “purpose”. There are certainly passages in which the full “ telic ” force of ἵνα cannot be fairly asserted. This accords with the development of the later language. See Hatz., Einl (Hatzidakis, Einleitung in die Neugriech. Grammatik), p. 214 ff. Possibly ἵνα in this passage is rhetorically parallel to ἵνα in Philippians 1:10. (See J. Weiss, Beiträge zur Paulin. Rhetorik, p. 9.) ἡ ἀγάπη ὑμ. can scarcely mean anything else than “your love towards one another”. This has been already exemplified in their κοινωνία with Paul. περισσεύῃ. In LXX, chiefly in Sirach. It is mainly in Paul's writings that it reaches this derivative sense of “abound”. In the Synoptics it still means (usually), as in ordinary Greek, “to remain over”. Sola charitas non admittit excessum (Bacon, de Augm. Scient., vii., 3, quoted by Gwynn). ἐπιγν. κ. π. αἰσθ. Apparently an eager and enthusiastic spirit prevailed in this Church. As so commonly, it might be accompanied by a slight want of discernment. That would lead, on the one hand, to misunderstandings over trifling matters (cf. chap. Philippians 4:2 ?), on the other, to giving heed to plausible teachers. As the Galatians combined enthusiasm and fickleness, perhaps, at Philippi, enthusiasm was apt to prevail over spiritual common sense. Is not Lft [1] mistaken in annotating “Love imparts a sensitiveness of touch,” etc.? This is not before Paul's mind. His prayer is that the sensitiveness of touch may be added to love. ἐπιγν. A favourite word in the Epistles of the imprisonment. A good example of its intensive force is 1 Corinthians 13:12, ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. Very frequent in Justin M., e.g., a definition of ἐπιστήμη (Dial., 221 A), ἐπιστήμη τίς ἐστιν ἡ παρέχουσα αὐτῶν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ τῶν θείων γνῶσιν, ἔπειτα τῆς τούτων θειότητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐπίγνωσιν. Cf. Dial., 220 [2]; Apol., ii. 10, 19. Here = a firm conception of those spiritual principles which would guide them in their relations with one another and the world. αἰσθήσει. Moral sensibility, quickness of ethical tact. Originally of sense-perception, but applicable to the inner world of sensibilities. Kl [3] quotes aptly from Hippocrates, de Off. Med., 3, ἃ καὶ τῇ ὄψι καὶ τῇ ἁφῇ καὶ τῇ ἀκοῇ καὶ τῇ ῥινὶ καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ ἔστιν αἰσθέσθαι. A complete parallel is Hebrews 5:14, where the writer defines the τέλειοι (cf. Philippians 3:12; Philippians 3:15-16) as τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ. πάσῃ. Probably “all kinds of”.

[1] Lightfoot.

[2] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[3] Klöpper.