Philippians 2:13

ὁ must certainly be omitted with all the best authorities. “For God is He that works,” etc. The emphasis lies on Θεός for two reasons. First, in the matter of attaining salvation they have to do not with Paul, but with God. Second, they must enter upon this momentous course not lightly, but “with fear and trembling,” for if they miss the goal it means that they have deliberately rejected the purpose of God. This explains the connecting γάρ. ὁ ἐνεργῶν. It seems always to have the idea of effective working. In N.T. the active is invariably used of God. The middle is always intransitive. The verb has become transitive only in later Greek (cf. Krebs, Rection d. Casus, ii., 21). Many exx. occur in Justin M. τὸ θέλειν. The first resolution in the direction of salvation takes its origin from God. So also does the ἐνεργεῖν, the carrying of this inward resolve into practical effect, the acting on the assurance that God's promise is genuine. Cf. Ephesians 2:8, τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι, διὰ πίστεως · καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον. To Paul the Divine working and the human self-determination are compatible. But “all efforts to divide the ground between God and man go astray” (Rainy, op. cit., p. 136). ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας. “To carry out His own gracious will.” So Thdrt [1]. (see also Gennrich, SK [2]., 1898, p. 383, n. 1). His great purpose of mercy is the salvation of men. To realise this He surrounds them with the influences of His gracious Spirit. For the word cf. Ps. Sol. 8:39, ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ἡμῶν ἡ εὐδοκία εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Conyb.-Hows. and Hfm [3]. would join ὑπὲρ τ. εὐδ. with the words following, but this would be unintelligible without αὐτοῦ. Blass boldly reads ὑπὲρ (οὗ) τ. εὐδοκίας πάντα ποι. (N.T. Gramm., p. 132). Such procedure is arbitrary. Zahn and Wohl [4]. (with Pesh. and O.L. versions) connect the words with τὸ ἐνεργ. preceding, and, comparing Romans 7:15-21, make εὐδ. = human inclination to goodness, i.e., practically equiv. to θέλειν. But this is the interpretation of a subtle exegete, which would scarcely appeal to a plain reader. The interpretation given above, connecting ὑπ. τ. εὐδ. with ὁ ἐνεργ., is thoroughly natural and has many parallels in Paul, e.g., Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:9, etc. See esp [5]. SH [6]. on Romans 10:1. These verses are a rebuke to all egotism and empty boasting (see Philippians 2:3).

[1]hdrt. Theodoret.

[2] Studien und Kritiken.

[3] Hofmann.

[4]ohl. Wohlenberg.

[5] especially.

[6] Sanday and Headlam (Romans).