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Selected Verse: Philippians 1:28 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Php 1:28 |
King James |
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
terrified--literally, said of horses or other animals startled or suddenly scared; so of sudden consternation in general.
which--your not being terrified.
evident token of perdition--if they would only perceive it (Th2 1:5). It attests this, that in contending hopelessly against you, they are only rushing on to their own perdition, not shaking your united faith and constancy.
to you of salvation--The oldest manuscripts read, "of your salvation"; not merely your temporal safety. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries - Adversaries, or opponents, they had, like most of the other early Christians. There were Jews there who would be likely to oppose them (compare Act 17:5), and they were exposed to persecution by the pagan. In that city, Paul had himself suffered much Acts 16; and it would not be strange if the same scenes should be repeated. It is evident from this passage, as well as from some other parts of the Epistle, that the Philippians were at this time experiencing some form of severe suffering. But in what way, or why, the opposition to them was excited, is nowhere stated. The meaning here is, "do not be alarmed at anything which they can do. Maintain your Christian integrity, notwithstanding all the opposition which they can make. They will, in the end, certainly be destroyed, and you will be saved."
Which is to them an evident token of perdition - What, it may be asked, would be the token of their perdition? What is the evidence to which Paul refers that they will be destroyed? The relative "which" - ἥτις hētis; - is probably used as referring to the persecution which had been commenced, and to the constancy which the apostle supposed the Philippians would evince. The sentence is elliptical; but it is manifest that the apostle refers either to the circumstance then occurring, that they were persecuted, and that they evinced constancy; or to the constancy which he wished them to evince in their persecutions. He says that this circumstance of persecution, if they evinced such a spirit as he wished, would be to them an evidence of two things:
(1) Of the destruction of those who were engaged in the persecution. This would be, because they knew that such persecutors could not ultimately prevail. Persecution of the church would be a certain indication that they who did it would be finally destroyed.
(2) it would be a proof of their own salvation, because it would show that they were the friends of the Redeemer; and they had the assurance that all those who were persecuted for his sake would be saved. The gender of the Greek relative here is determined by the following noun (ἔνδειξις endeixis), in a manner that is not uncommon in Greek; see Wetstein, in loc., and Koppe.
And that of God - That is, their persecution is a proof that God will interpose in due time and save you. The hostility of the wicked to us is one evidence that we are the friends of God, and shall be saved. |
| The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
salvation
See note, (See Scofield) - (Rom 1:16). |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Terrified (πτυρόμενοι)
Only here in the New Testament. Properly of the terror of a startled horse. Thus Diodorus Siculus, speaking of the chariot-horses of Darius at the battle of Issus: "Frightened (πτυρόμενοι) by reason of the multitude of the dead heaped round them, they shook off their reins" (xvii. 34). Plutarch says: "The multitude is not easy to handle so that it is safe for any one to take the reins; but it should be held sufficient, if, not being scared by sight or sound, like a shy and fickle animal, it accept mastery."
Which is (ἥτις ἐστὶν)
Seeing that it is.
An evident token (ἔνδειξις)
Only here, Rom 3:25, Rom 3:26; Co2 8:24. Lit., a pointing out. Used in Attic law of a writ of indictment. A demonstration or proof.
To you of salvation (ὑμῖν)
Read ὑμῶν of you. Rev., of your salvation.
And that of God
Rev., from God (ἀπό). Lightfoot finds here an allusion, in accord with striving together, to the sign of life or death given by the populace in the amphitheater when a gladiator was vanquished, by turning the thumbs up or down. "The christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from the fickle crowd. The great Director of the contest Himself has given him a sure token of deliverance." |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Which - Namely, their being adversaries to the word of God, and to you the messengers of God. Is an evident token - That they are in the high road to perdition; and you, in the way of salvation. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
In nothing terrified by your adversaries - So it appears that the Church at Philippi was then under persecution.
Which is to them - Ἡτις αυτοις εστιν. Some very judicious critics consider ἡτις as referring to πιστις, the faith of the Gospel, which they, the heathen, considered to be a token of perdition to all them who embraced it; but, as the apostle says, it was to them the Philippians, on the contrary, the most evident token of salvation; for, having embraced the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, they were incontestably in the way to eternal blessedness. |
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;