Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Philippians 1:28

"and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God;" — Philippians 1:28 (ASV)

Paul does not want the Philippians to be terrified in any respect by their opponents. The noble character of their cause and the recognition that Christ is on their side should cause believers to avoid the unreasoning terror that prevents intelligent effort. Who were these opponents? Most likely the Jews, though it is not necessarily limited to them. Hostile Jews often dogged Paul’s steps and caused trouble in the churches he founded (e.g., in Thessalonica: Acts 17:5; in Berea: Acts 17:13). In any case, it is virtually certain that these were external foes, not false teachers within the church. Whether Jewish or pagan enemies, they usually employed the same tactics, and the need for unity and courage among the believers was crucial.

Failure of the church to be intimidated by enemies was a token of the ultimate failure of God’s enemies. The adversaries may not have recognized this, but it was nonetheless a “sign” that their attacks were futile and that the church would prevail. As a sign or token, it testified to two things: the ultimate destruction of the adversaries and the salvation of the believers. “And that by God” refers grammatically neither to “salvation” nor to “sign,” but to the entire fact that believers have been granted courage from God to stand firm in their struggles and so are demonstrating their salvation.