How Well Does the Justification Clause of Philippians 3.12 Fit within Philippians 3.2-21? Contextual Coherence and the Question of Authenticity

Abstract

A handful of Greek manuscripts of Phil 3.12 (including P46 and 06) attest to a remarkable variant reading known as the justification clause, which has Paul claiming he had not already been justified (Οὐχ … ἢ ἤδη δεδικαίωμαι). Some have viewed the reading as problematic within Paul’s discourse in Phil 3, while others have viewed it as fitting nicely within this literary context. These divergent views have been held by scholars who agree on the secondary nature of the reading. Which view is correct? The objective of this article is to address that question by way of a reading of Phil 3:2-21 and to explore the implications for the authenticity question. The author concludes that the reading is not problematic but harmonizes well with its surrounding discourse, and that this is a point in favor of the authenticity of the reading.