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CHAPTER 1
Php_1:7. Elz. has merely τῇ ἀπολογ . without ἐν . Lachm. has ἐν , which Griesb., Matth., Scholz, and Tisch. adopt, in brackets. It is found in B D** E K L P à , min. Syr. Copt. Arr. Vulg. It. and some Fathers. Looking at this indecisive attestation, and seeing that ἐν might more readily be supplementarily or mechanically added than omitted, it should be deleted.
Php_1:8. ἐστίν ] after μου is defended by Griesb., bracketed by Lachm., omitted by Tisch., following B F G à *, min. Vulg. It. Aeth. Chrys. An addition made from a reminiscence of Rom_1:9.
Php_1:9. περισσεύῃ ] B D E have περισσεύσῃ . So Lachm., who has placed περισσεύῃ in the margin, and Tisch. 7. With the considerable testimony which exists in favour of the Recepta, restored also by Tisch. 8, it should be retained, as περισσεύσῃ might very easily originate in the similarity of sound in the following final syllables: ἐπιγνώΣΕΙ , πάσΣΗΙ , and σἰσθήΣΕΙ . The Recepta is also supported by the readings περισσεύει and περισσεύοι .
Php_1:11. Elz. has καρπῶν … τῶν , against decisive testimony. An emendation.
Php_1:14. Lach. and Tisch. 8 have τοῦ Θεοῦ after λόγον , although, according to testimony of some weight (such as A B à , Clem.), only an explanatory addition, which some Codd. give in a different position, while others change it into τοῦ κυρίου .
Php_1:16-17. Elz. reverses their position: οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἐριθείας … μου · οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἀγάπης … κεῖμαι , against decisive testimony. A transposition intended to produce uniformity with Php_1:10.
Instead of ἐγείρειν (Griesb., Lachm., Tisch.) Elz. has ἐπιφέρειν , which is defended by Matth. and Scholz, and vindicated by Reiche. But ἐγείρ . is decisively attested by the preponderance of uncials (including à ) and vss.; ἐπιφέρειν , instead of which Theophyl. ms. has προσφέρειν , is an ancient gloss.
Php_1:18. πλήν ] B has ὅτι ; A F G P à , min. some vss. and Fathers: πλὴν ὅτι . So Lachm. and Tisch. 8. But the reference of the πλήν not being understood, it was explained by the ὅτι written on the margin, which has in some cases (B) supplanted the πλήν , and in others passed into the text along with it.
Ver 21. Χριστός ] χρηστόν was so isolated and weak in attestation (Ar. pol.), that it should not have been recommended by Griesb., following earlier authority.
Php_1:23. Elz. has γάρ instead of δὲ , against decisive testimony. The γὰρ after πολλῷ is neither critically nor exegetically to be rejected. See Reiche, Comm. crit.
Php_1:24. ἐν τῇ σαρκί ] ἐν is wanting in A C P à , min. Clem. Or. Petr. alex. Cyr. Chrysost. Wrongly condemned by Griesb. and Tisch. 8; for ἐν might easily be absorbed by the final syllable of ἐπιμένειν , especially as it is frequently used elsewhere with the simple dative.
Php_1:25. συμπαραμενῶ ] Lachm. and Tisch. 8 read παραμενῶ , which Griesb. also approved of, following A B C D* F G à , min. A neglect of the doubly compound verb, attested certainly more weakly, but yet by D*** E K L P, Chrys. al. and many min., which took place all the more readily, because the word does not occur elsewhere in the N. T., and even its meaning might be offensive.
Php_1:27. Instead of ἀκούσω , Lach. and Tisch. 8 read ἀκούω , but without a preponderance of testimony in its favour.
Php_1:28. ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς ] Elz. has αὐτοῖς μὲν ἐστίν , against decisive testimony.
ὑμῖν ] A B C** à , min. vss. Aug. read ὑμῶν . So Lachm. and Tisch. Rightly; the dative is a mechanical alteration in accordance with the preceding αὐτοῖς and the following ὑμῖν .
Php_1:30. Elz. has ἴδετε . But εἴδετε is attested by A C D* E* à , min and Fathers, and was supplanted by ἴδετε through Itacism.
CONTENTS.
After the greeting to his readers (Php_1:1-2), Paul assures them of his gratitude towards God on account of their condition as Christians (Php_1:3-5), while as regards the future also he has confidence, in accordance with his heartfelt love towards them, as to the continued work of God in their case (Php_1:6-8). His prayer is, that their love may increase yet more and more on behalf of Christian perfection to the glory of God (Php_1:9-11). He then declares how his present position redounds to the furtherance of the gospel, to which even the preaching of those who are actuated by impure motives contributes (Php_1:12-18), because Christ in fact is preached, which must tend to his—the apostle’s—salvation, since now nothing else but the glorification of Christ in his case will be the result, whether he remains alive in the body or not (Php_1:19-21). Which of the two he should prefer, he knows not; since, however, the former is more needful for the sake of his readers, he is convinced that it will be the case for their furtherance and joy (Php_1:22-26). Only their conduct should be in conformity with the gospel, in order that he, if he should come again to them, or should be absent, might learn their Christian unity and fearlessness (Php_1:27-30).