Philippians 1:28

πτυρόμενοι. “Scared.” The verb (akin to πτοέω) appears to occur here only in the whole range of Biblical Greek. In (later) classical Greek it is used of the starting or “shying” of frightened animals, and thence of alarm in general, as in the Axiochus (attributed to Plato) 370 A, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πτυρείης τὸν θάνατον. The word would well suit the situation of the “little flock” in violent Philippi.

ἥτις. The feminine of the pronoun is “attracted” by ἔνδειξις. The ἔνδειξις would be given by the union and quiet courage of the saints in face of seemingly hopeless odds. No doubt the followers of a mistaken idea may be united and resolute. But the Apostle does not say that the Philippians’ conduct would logically prove the truth of the Gospel, to themselves or others. He says that it would be a practical “indication,” an omen, of the ruin of the foes and the triumph of the disciples of the Truth. The more the Church acted in the spirit of calm, united decision, the more the coming issue of the conflict would be realized on both sides.

ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς ἔνδειξις�, ὑμῶν δὲ σωτηρίας. So probably read; see critical note. T. R., αὐτοῖς μέν ἐστιν ἔνδ. ἀπωλ., ὑμῖν δὲ κτλ., seems to be a transcriber’s re-writing of the less balanced original. Reading ὑμῶν, not ὑμῖν, the ἔνδειξις may be taken on both hands to affect “the adversaries”—“Which to them is an indication of destruction, but of your salvation.” But the following context (see notes just below) suggests that the Apostle’s thought is rather as the T. R. interprets it.

ἀπώλεια. In its deepest and most awful sense; the eternal loss and ruin of all persistent opponents of God and His truth. So below, Philippians 3:19; and always in N. T., except only Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4, where the word means waste, spoiling (of the precious oil).

σωτηρία. See on Philippians 1:19 above. The prospect of final glory is “indicated” the more vividly as the disciples unite more firmly and lovingly around, and in, the cause of their Lord.

καὶ τοῦτο�. Τοῦτο of course does not refer properly to σωτηρία, which would require αὕτη (cp. διὰ πίστεως, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, Ephesians 2:8), but to the fact connected with it—the “indication” of its approach through the disciples’ conduct in the Christian conflict. That they were enabled to meet the enemy thus, and that their heavenly hope was thus reinforced—all this was a gift, a token, “from God.”