Text -- Philippians 1:1-11 (NET)

Salutation

1:1 From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons. 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer for the Church

1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 1:4 I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you 1:5 because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 1:6 For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 1:7 For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me. 1:8 For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 1:9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight 1:10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: Phi 1:1

Paul ( Paulos ).

He does not mention his apostleship as he usually does. Omitted also in I and II Thess. and Philemon.

Robertson: Phi 1:1

Timothy ( Timotheos ).

In no sense the author, but associated with Paul because with him here in Rome as in Corinth when I and II Thessalonians written and in Ephesus when I Corinthians sent and in Macedonia when II Corinthians written. Timothy was with Paul when the Philippian church was founded (Act 16:1, Act 16:13; Act 17:14). He had been there twice since (Act 19:22; Act 20:3.).

Robertson: Phi 1:1

To all the saints ( pāsi tois hagiois ).

The word saint (hagios ) here is used for the professing Christians as in 1Co 1:2 which see as well as Rom 1:7 for the origin of the word. The word "all"(pāsi ) means that all individual believers are included. Paul employs this word frequently in Philippians.

Robertson: Phi 1:1

In Christ Jesus ( en Christōi Iēsou ).

The centre for all Christian relations and activities for Paul and for us.

Robertson: Phi 1:1

In Philippi ( en Philippois ).

See note on Act 16:12 for discussion of this name.

Robertson: Phi 1:1

With the bishops ( sun episkopois ).

"Together with bishops,"thus singled out from "all the saints."See note on Act 20:17 and note on Act 20:28 for the use of this most interesting word as equivalent to presbuteros (elder). It is an old word from episkeptomai , to look upon or after, to inspect, so the overseer or superintendent. In the second century episcopos (Ignatius) came to mean one superior to elders, but not so in the N.T. The two New Testament church officers are here mentioned (bishops or elders and deacons). The plural is here employed because there was usually one church in a city with several pastors (bishops, elders).

Robertson: Phi 1:1

And deacons ( kai diakonois ).

Technical sense here of the other church officers as in 1Ti 3:8-13, not the general use as in Mat 22:13. The origin of the office is probably seen in Act 6:1-6. The term is often applied to preachers (1Co 3:5; 2Co 3:6). The etymology (dia , konis ) suggests raising a dust by hastening.

Robertson: Phi 1:3

Upon ( epi ).

Basis of the thanksgiving.

Robertson: Phi 1:3

All ( pāsēi ).

Note frequent use of "all"here (pāsēi , pantote , always, pāsēi , again, pantōn humōn , you all). The use of "you all"recurs several times (Phi 1:4, Phi 1:7 bis , Phi 1:8).

Robertson: Phi 1:4

With joy ( meta charas ).

Keynote of the Epistle. Paul is a happy prisoner as in Philippi when he and Silas sang praises at midnight though in prison (Act 16:25).

Robertson: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship ( epi tēi Koinéōniāi humōn ).

"On the basis of your contribution"as in 2Co 8:4; 2Co 9:13; Act 2:42. The particular kind of "partnership"or "fellowship"involved is the contribution made by the Philippians for the spread of the gospel (Phi 1:7 sugKoinéōnous and Phi 4:14 where sugKoinéōnēsantes occurs).

Robertson: Phi 1:5

In furtherance of the gospel ( eis to euaggelion ).

"For the gospel."

Robertson: Phi 1:5

From the first day until now ( apo tēs prōtēs hēmeras achri tou nun ).

As when in Thessalonica (Phi 4:15.), in Corinth (Act 18:5; 2Co 11:7-10), and now in Rome.

Robertson: Phi 1:6

Being confident ( pepoithōs ).

Second perfect active of peithō , to persuade.

Robertson: Phi 1:6

This very thing ( auto touto ).

Accusative of the inner object with pepoithōs , "this thing itself."

Robertson: Phi 1:6

Will perfect it ( epitelesei ).

Future active indicative of epiteleō , will fully (epi̇ ) finish. God began and God will consummate it (see note on 2Co 8:6 and note on Gal 3:3 where both words occur together as here), but not without their cooperation and partnership.

Robertson: Phi 1:6

Until the day of Jesus Christ ( achri hēmeras Christou Iēsou ).

The second coming as in Phi 1:10. See note on 1Th 5:2, 1Th 5:4; 2Th 1:10; 2Th 2:2; 1Co 1:18; 1Co 3:13; 2Co 1:14; Rom 13:12. Paul never sets the time for the Lord’ s return, but he is cheered by that blessed hope.

Robertson: Phi 1:7

Because I have you in my heart ( dia to echein me en tēi kardiāi humas ).

Or "because you hold me in your heart."Literally, "because of the holding me (or you) in the heart as to you (or me)."One accusative is the object of the infinitive echein , the other is the accusative of general reference. There is no way to decide which is the idea meant except to say that love begets love. The pastor who, like Paul, holds his people in his heart will find them holding him in their hearts.

Robertson: Phi 1:7

In the defence ( en tēi apologiāi ).

Old word (our word apology, but not our idea of apologizing), in the original sense in Act 22:1; Act 25:16. So also in Phi 1:16 below.

Robertson: Phi 1:7

Confirmation ( bebaiōsei ).

Old word from bebaioō (bebaios , bainō ), to make stable. In N.T. only here and Heb 6:16 about oath.

Robertson: Phi 1:7

Partakers with me of grace ( sugKoinéōnous mou tēs charitos ).

Literally, "my Corinthians-sharers in grace"(objective genitive). "Grace prompted them to alleviate his imprisonment, to cooperate with him in defending and propagating the gospel, and to suffer for its sake"(Vincent, Int. Crit. Comm .).

Robertson: Phi 1:8

My witness ( martus mou ).

Same solemn oath in Rom 1:9.

Robertson: Phi 1:8

I long after ( epipothō ).

Longing (pothos ) directed toward (epi ) the Philippians. Old word, chiefly in Paul in N.T.

Robertson: Phi 1:8

In the tender mercies ( en splagchnois ).

Literally "in the bowels"as the seat of the affections.

Robertson: Phi 1:9

May abound ( perisseuēi ).

Present active subjunctive of perisseuō , may keep on overflowing, a perpetual flood of love, "yet more and more"(eti mallon kai mallon ), but with necessary limitations (river banks), "in knowledge"(en epignōsei , in full knowledge) "and all discernment"(pāsēi aisthēsei ). The delicate spiritual perception (aisthēsis , old word from aisthanomai , only here in N.T. as the verb only in Luk 9:45 in N.T.) can be cultivated as in aisthētērion (Heb 5:14)

Robertson: Phi 1:10

So that ye may ( eis to humas ).

Either purpose or result (eis to plus infinitive as in Rom 1:11, Rom 1:20; Rom 3:26, etc.).

Robertson: Phi 1:10

Approve the things that are excellent ( dokimazein ta diapheronta ).

Originally, "test the things that differ."Cf. same idiom in Rom 2:28. The verb was used for assaying metals. Either sense suits this context, but the first step is to distinguish between good and evil and that is not always easy in our complex civilization.

Robertson: Phi 1:10

Sincere ( eilikrineis ).

Old word of uncertain origin from krinō , to judge, by heilē (sunlight) or to sift by rapid rolling (eilos ). At any rate it means pure, unsullied.

Robertson: Phi 1:10

Void of offence ( aproskopoi ).

Alpha privative pros and koptō , to cut, "not stumbled against"(not causing others to stumble) or if active "not stumbling against."Passive sense probably, not active as in 1Co 10:32. Common in the papyri, though not in ancient Greek writers.

Robertson: Phi 1:11

Fruits of righteousness ( karpon dikaiosunēs ).

Singular, collective idea, fruit of righteousness. Accusative case retained with perfect passive participle.

Vincent: Phi 1:1

Paul

The official designation is omitted, as in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon. It is not easy to explain the use or omission of the title apostle in all cases. Here, and in Philemon and 1 Thessalonians, its omission may be accounted for by the general, unofficial, personal, affectionate character of the letter. In 2 Corinthians and Galatians the reason for its use is apparent from the fact that Paul's official authority had been assailed. But it is also omitted in 2 Thessalonians, which has an admonitory and rebuking character. Its use in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, private letters, is explained by the fact that Paul is addressing them not only as friends, but as pastors. In Romans, while there is no evidence of any challenge of his apostolic claims, there is an authoritative exposition of Christian doctrine which appears to warrant the title.

Vincent: Phi 1:1

Timothy

Associated with Paul as in the introductions to 2 Corinthians and the two Thessalonian epistles. Timothy assisted Paul in founding the Philippian church Act 16:1, Act 16:13; Act 17:14. Two visits of Timothy to Philippi are recorded, Act 19:22; Act 20:3, Act 20:4. He is evidently preparing for a third visit, see Phi 2:19. His only part in this letter is his name in the salutation, and in Phi 2:19.

Vincent: Phi 1:1

To all the saints ( πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀγίοις )

In Paul's personal addresses in this epistle the word all occurs nine times. It is sufficiently accounted for by the expansiveness of grateful christian feeling which marks the entire letter, and it is doubtful whether it has any definite or conscious connection with the social rivalries hinted at in the epistle, and which call forth exhortations to unity, as if Paul were disclaiming all partisan feeling by the use of the term. For saints , see on Col 1:2; see on Rom 1:7. The word is transferred from the Old Testament. The Israelites were called ἅγιοι holy , separated and consecrated , Exo 19:6; Deu 7:6; Deu 14:2, Deu 14:21; Dan 7:18, Dan 7:22, etc. The christian Church has inherited the title and the privileges of the Jewish nation. Hence it is ἔθνος ἅγιον a holy nation , 1Pe 2:9. The term implies, but does not assert, actual, personal sanctity. It is a social, not a personal epithet. See on Act 26:10.

Vincent: Phi 1:1

Philippi

In Macedonia. Travellers by sea landed at Neapolis, and then travelled ten miles to Philippi along the Via Egnatia, which traversed Macedonia from east to west. The site was originally occupied by a town called Datus or Datum , and was known as Krenides from its numerous springs. It was called Philippi in honor of Philip of Macedon, who enlarged and fortified it. Its situation was important, commanding the great high road between Europe and Asia. This fact led to its fortification by Philip, and made it, later, the scene of the decisive battle which resulted in the defeat of Brutus and Cassius. Its soil was productive and rich in mineral treasures, which had yielded a large revenue, but which, in Paul's time, had apparently become exhausted.

Augustus planted at Philippi a colonia . See on Act 16:12. A variety of national types assembled there - Greek, Roman, and Asiatic - representing different phases of philosophy, religion, and superstition. It was therefore an appropriate starting-point for the Gospel in Europe, a field in which it could demonstrate its power to deal with all differences of nation, faith, sex, and social standing.

Vincent: Phi 1:1

Bishops ( ἐπισκόποις )

Lit., overseers . See on visitation , 1Pe 2:12. The word was originally a secular title, designating commissioners appointed to regulate a newly-acquired territory or a colony. It was also applied to magistrates who regulated the sale of provisions under the Romans. In the Septuagint it signifies inspectors , superintendents , taskmasters , see 2Ki 11:19; 2Ch 34:12, 2Ch 34:17; or captains , presidents , Neh 11:9, Neh 11:14, Neh 11:22. In the apostolic writings it is synonymous with presbyter or elder ; and no official distinction of the episcopate as a distinct order of the ministry is recognized. Rev. has overseers in margin.

Vincent: Phi 1:2

Grace - peace

The combination of the Greek and Oriental salutations spiritualized: grace expressing God's love to man, and peace the condition resulting therefrom.

Vincent: Phi 1:3

Every remembrance ( πάσῃ τῇ μνείᾳ )

Better, as Rev, all my remembrance .

Vincent: Phi 1:4

Prayer ( δεήσει )

Rev., better, supplication . See on Luk 5:33.

Vincent: Phi 1:4

For you all

Connect with every prayer of mine .

Vincent: Phi 1:4

Request ( τὴν δέησιν )

Rev., better, my supplication . The article refers to every supplication .

Vincent: Phi 1:4

With joy

Joy is the keynote of this epistle. Bengel says: " The sum of the epistle is, 'I rejoice, rejoice ye." ' See Phi 1:18, Phi 1:25; Phi 2:2, Phi 2:17, Phi 2:18, Phi 2:28, Phi 2:29; Phi 3:1; Phi 4:1, Phi 4:4, Phi 4:10.

Vincent: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship ( ἐπὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ ὑμῶν )

Connect with I thank God . For fellowship , see on 1Jo 1:3. The word sometimes has the meaning of almsgiving , contributions , as Rom 15:26; Heb 13:16. Though here it is used in the larger sense of sympathetic cooperation , yet it is no doubt colored by the other idea, in view of the Philippians' pecuniary contributions to Paul. See Phi 4:10, Phi 4:15, Phi 4:16.

Vincent: Phi 1:5

In the Gospel ( εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον )

Lit., unto the Gospel: Rev., in furtherance of .

Vincent: Phi 1:6

Being confident ( πεποιθὼς )

With a slightly causative force: since I am confident .

Vincent: Phi 1:6

Hath begun - will perform ( ἐναρξάμενος - ἐπιτελέσει )

The two words occur together, 2Co 8:6; Gal 3:3. Both were used of religious ceremonials. So Euripides: " But come! Bring up the sacrificial meal-basket" (ἐξάρχου κανᾶ ); that is, begin the offering by taking the barley-meal from the basket (" Iphigenia in Aulis," 435). Some find the sacrificial metaphor here, and compare Phi 2:17, see note. Perform , better as Rev., perfect . Perform , in its older and literal sense of carrying through ( per ) or consummating would express the idea; but popular usage has identified it with do .

Vincent: Phi 1:7

Even as ( καθώς )

The reason for being confident (Phi 1:6).

Vincent: Phi 1:7

Defense ( ἀπολογία )

See on 1Pe 3:15.

Vincent: Phi 1:7

Confirmation ( βεβαιώσει )

Only here and Heb 6:16. The kindred verb βεβαιόω to confirm , occurs frequently, as Rom 15:8; 1Co 1:8, etc.

Vincent: Phi 1:7

Partakers of my grace ( συγκοινωνούς μοῦ τῆς χάριτος )

Better, as Rev., partakers with me of grace . Lit., the grace, either the divine endowment which enabled them both to suffer bonds, and to defend and establish the Gospel, or the loving favor of God, which confers suffering and activity alike as a boon. The two may be combined. Compare Phi 1:29.

Vincent: Phi 1:8

In the bowels of Jesus Christ ( ἐν σπλάγχνοις Χριστοῦ Ιησοῦ )

Rev., better, in the tender mercies . Describing his longing, not as his individual emotion, but as Christ's longing, as if the very heart of Christ dwelt in him. " In Paul not Paul lives, but Jesus Christ" (Bengel) With tender mercies compare reins , Rev 2:23, note.

Vincent: Phi 1:9

Judgment ( αἰσθήσει )

Only here in the New Testament. Rev., better, discernment : sensitive moral perception. Used of the senses , as Xenophon: " perception of things sweet or pungent" (" Memorabilia," i., 4, 5). Of hearing : " It is possible to go so far away as not to afford a hearing" (" Anabasis," iv., 6, 13). The senses are called αἰσθήσεις . See Plato, " Theaetetus," 156. Plato uses it of visions of the gods (" Phaedo," 111). Compare αἰσθητήρια senses , Heb 5:14. Discernment selects, classifies, and applies what is furnished by knowledge.

Vincent: Phi 1:10

Approve ( δοκιμάζειν )

Sanction on test. See on 1Pe 1:7.

Vincent: Phi 1:10

Things which are excellent ( τὰ διαφέροντα )

Unnecessary difficulty has been made in the explanation of this phrase. Love displays itself in knowledge and discernment. In proportion as it abounds it sharpens the moral perceptions for the discernment of what is best. The passage is on the line of 1Co 12:31, " Covet earnestly the best gifts," and the " more excellent way" to attain these gifts is love (1Co 13:1-13). See on Rom 2:18, where the same phrase occurs, but with a different meaning. Some explain things which are morally different .

Vincent: Phi 1:10

Sincere ( εἱλικρινεῖς )

See on pure , 2Pe 3:1.

Vincent: Phi 1:10

Without offense ( ἀπρόσκοποι )

See on Act 24:16. It may be explained, not stumbling , or not causing others to stumble , as 1Co 10:32. Both senses may be included. If either is to be preferred it is the former, since the whole passage contemplates their inward state rather than their relations to men.

Vincent: Phi 1:10

Till the day, etc. ( εἰς )

Rev., unto . Better, against ; with a view to .

Vincent: Phi 1:11

Fruit of righteousness ( καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης )

The phrase occurs Jam 3:18. Compare Pro 11:30.

Vincent: Phi 1:11

Glory and praise of God

For glory of God , see on Rom 3:23. That God's glory may be both manifested and recognized. Compare Eph 1:6.

Wesley: Phi 1:1

St. Paul, writing familiarly to the Philippians, does not style himself an apostle. And under the common title of servants, he tenderly and modestly joins with himself his son Timotheus, who had come to Philippi not long after St. Paul had received him, Act 16:3, Act 16:12.

Wesley: Phi 1:1

The apostolic epistles were sent more directly to the churches, than to the pastors of them.

Wesley: Phi 1:1

The former properly took care of the internal state, the latter, of the externals, of the church, 1Ti 3:2-8; although these were not wholly confined to the one, neither those to the other. The word bishops here includes all the presbyters at Philippi, as well as the ruling presbyters: the names bishop and presbyter, or elder, being promiscuously used in the first ages.

Wesley: Phi 1:4

After the epistle to the Ephesians, wherein love reigns, follows this, wherein there is perpetual mention of joy. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy." And joy peculiarly enlivens prayer. The sum of the whole epistle is, I rejoice. Rejoice ye.

Wesley: Phi 1:5

The sense is, I thank God for your fellowship with us in all the blessings of the gospel, which I have done from the first day of your receiving it until now.

Wesley: Phi 1:6

The grounds of which persuasion are set down in the following verse. That he who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ - That he who having justified, hath begun to sanctify you, will carry on this work, till it issue in glory.

Wesley: Phi 1:7

Why? He does not say, "Because of an eternal decree;" or, "Because a saint must persevere;" but, because I have you in my heart, who were all partakers of my grace - That is, because ye were all (for which I have you in my heart, I bear you the most grateful and tender affection) partakers of my grace - That is, sharers in the afflictions which God vouchsafed me as a grace or favour, Phi 1:29-30; both in my bonds, and when I was called forth to answer for myself, and to confirm the gospel. It is not improbable that, after they had endured that great trial of affliction, God had sealed them unto full victory, of which the apostle had a prophetic sight.

Wesley: Phi 1:8

In Paul, not Paul lives, but Jesus Christ. Therefore he longs for them with the bowels, the tenderness, not of Paul, but of Jesus Christ.

Wesley: Phi 1:9

Which they had already shown.

Wesley: Phi 1:9

The fire which burned in the apostle never says, It is enough.

Wesley: Phi 1:9

Which is the ground of all spiritual knowledge. We must be inwardly sensible of divine peace, joy, love; otherwise, we cannot know what they are.

Wesley: Phi 1:10

By that spiritual sense.

Wesley: Phi 1:10

Not only good, but the very best; the superior excellence of which is hardly discerned, but by the adult Christian.

Wesley: Phi 1:10

Having a single eye to the very best things, and a pure heart.

Wesley: Phi 1:10

Holy, unblamable in all things.

Wesley: Phi 1:11

Here are three properties of that sincerity which is acceptable to God: It must bear fruits, the fruits of righteousness, all inward and outward holiness, all good tempers, words, and works; and that so abundantly, that we may be filled with them.

Wesley: Phi 1:11

supporting, all - supplying root, Jesus Christ. As all these flow from the grace of Christ, so they must issue in the glory and praise of God.

JFB: Phi 1:1

Mentioned as being well known to the Philippians (Act 16:3, Act 16:10-12), and now present with Paul. Not that Timothy had any share in writing the Epistle; for Paul presently uses the first person singular, "I," not "we" (Phi 1:3). The mention of his name implies merely that Timothy joined in affectionate remembrances to them.

JFB: Phi 1:1

The oldest manuscripts read the order, "Christ Jesus." Paul does not call himself "an apostle," as in the inscriptions of other Epistles; for the Philippians needed not to be reminded of his apostolic authority. He writes rather in a tone of affectionate familiarity.

JFB: Phi 1:1

So Phi 1:4, Phi 1:7-8, Phi 1:25; Phi 2:17, Phi 2:26. It implies comprehensive affection which desired not to forget any one among them "all."

JFB: Phi 1:1

Synonymous with "presbyters" in the apostolical churches; as appears from the same persons being called "elders of the Church" at Ephesus (Act 20:17), and "overseers" (Act 20:28), Greek, "bishops." And Tit 1:5, compare with Phi 1:7. This is the earliest letter of Paul where bishops and deacons are mentioned, and the only one where they are separately addressed in the salutation. This accords with the probable course of events, deduced alike from the letters and history. While the apostles were constantly visiting the churches in person or by messengers, regular pastors would be less needed; but when some were removed by various causes, provision for the permanent order of the churches would be needed. Hence the three pastoral letters, subsequent to this Epistle, give instruction as to the due appointment of bishops and deacons. It agrees with this new want of the Church, when other apostles were dead or far away, and Paul long in prison, that bishops and deacons should be prominent for the first time in the opening salutation. The Spirit thus intimated that the churches were to look up to their own pastors, now that the miraculous gifts were passing into God's ordinary providence, and the presence of the inspired apostles, the dispensers of those gifts, was to be withdrawn [PALEY, "Horæ Paulinæ]. "Presbyter," implied the rank; "bishop," the duties of the office [NEANDER]. Naturally, when the apostles who had the chief supervision were no more, one among the presbyters presided and received the name "bishop," in the more restricted and modern sense; just as in the Jewish synagogue one of the elders presided as "ruler of the synagogue." Observe, the apostle addresses the Church (that is, the congregation) more directly than its presiding ministers (Col 4:17; 1Th 5:12; Heb 13:24; Rev 1:4, Rev 1:11). The bishops managed more the internal, the deacons the external, affairs of the Church. The plural number shows there was more than one bishop or presbyter, and more than one deacon in the Church at Philippi.

JFB: Phi 1:2

The very form of this salutation implies the union of Jew, Greek, and Roman. The Greek salutation was "joy" (chairein), akin to the Greek for "grace" (charis). The Roman was "health," the intermediate term between grace and peace. The Hebrew was "peace," including both temporal and spiritual prosperity. Grace must come first if we are to have true peace.

JFB: Phi 1:2

Omit the second "from": as in the Greek, "God our Father" and "the Lord Jesus Christ," are most closely connected.

JFB: Phi 1:3

Translate, "In all my remembrance of you."

JFB: Phi 1:4

Translate, "making my request."

JFB: Phi 1:4

The frequent repetition in this Epistle of "all" with "you," marks that Paul desires to declare his love for all alike, and will not recognize any divisions among them.

JFB: Phi 1:4

The characteristic feature in this Epistle, as love is in that to the Ephesians (compare Phi 1:18; Phi 2:2, Phi 2:19, Phi 2:28; Phi 3:1; Phi 4:1, Phi 4:4). Love and joy are the two first-fruits of the Spirit. Joy gives especial animation to prayers. It marked his high opinion of them, that there was almost everything in them to give him joy, and almost nothing to give him pain.

JFB: Phi 1:5

Ground of his "thanking God" (Phi 1:3): "For your (continued) fellowship (that is, real spiritual participation) in (literally, 'in regard to') the Gospel from the first day (of your becoming partakers in it) until now." Believers have the fellowship of the Son of God (1Co 1:9) and of the Father (1Jo 1:3) in the Gospel, by becoming partakers of "the fellowship of the Holy Ghost" (2Co 13:14), and exercise that fellowship by acts of communion, not only the communion of the Lord's Supper, but holy liberality to brethren and ministers (Phi 4:10, Phi 4:15, "communicated . . . concerning giving"; 2Co 9:13; Gal 6:6; Heb 13:16, "To communicate forget not").

JFB: Phi 1:6

This confidence nerves prayers and thanksgivings (Phi 1:3-4).

JFB: Phi 1:6

The very thing which he prays for (Phi 1:4) is the matter of his believing confidence (Mar 11:24; 1Jo 5:14-15). Hence the result is sure.

JFB: Phi 1:6

God (Phi 2:13).

JFB: Phi 1:6

Any work that God begins, He will surely finish (1Sa 3:12). Not even men begin a work at random. Much more the fact of His beginning the work is a pledge of its completion (Isa 26:12). So as to the particular work here meant, the perfecting of their fellowship in the Gospel (Phi 1:5; Psa 37:24; Psa 89:33; Psa 138:8; Joh 10:28-29; Rom 8:29, Rom 8:35-39; Rom 11:1-2 Heb 6:17-19; Jam 1:17; Jud 1:24). As God cast not off Israel for ever, though chastening them for a time, so He will not cast off the spiritual Israel (Deu 33:3; Isa 27:3; 1Pe 1:5).

JFB: Phi 1:6

"perfect it up to" [ALFORD, ELLICOTT, and others].

JFB: Phi 1:6

(Phi 1:10). The Lord's coming, designed by God in every age of the Church to be regarded as near, is to be the goal set before believers' minds rather than their own death.

JFB: Phi 1:7

Greek, "just."

JFB: Phi 1:7

To have the prayerful confidence I expressed (Phi 1:4-6).

JFB: Phi 1:7

Literally, "in behalf of you." Paul's confident prayer in their behalf was that God would perfect His own good work of grace in them.

JFB: Phi 1:7

Punctuate and translate, "Because I have you in my heart (so Phi 1:8; otherwise the Greek and the words immediately following in the verse, favor the Margin, 'Ye have me in your heart . . . being partakers of my grace') (both, in my bonds, and in my defense and confirmation of the Gospel), you (I say) all being fellow partakers of my grace." This last clause thus assigns the reason why he has them in his heart (that is, cherished in his love, 2Co 3:2; 2Co 7:3), even in his bonds, and in his defense and confirmation of the Gospel (such as he was constantly making in private, Act 28:17-23; his self-defense and confirmation of the Gospel being necessarily conjoined, as the Greek implies; compare Phi 1:17), namely, "inasmuch as ye are fellow partakers of my grace": inasmuch as ye share with me in "the fellowship of the Gospel" (Phi 1:5), and have manifested this, both by suffering as I do for the Gospel's sake (Phi 1:28-30), and by imparting to me of your substance (Phi 4:15). It is natural and right for me thus confidently to pray in your behalf. (ELLICOTT, and others translate, "To be thus minded for you all"), because of my having you in my warmest remembrances even in my bonds, since you are sharers with me in the Gospel grace. Bonds do not bind love.

JFB: Phi 1:8

Confirmation of Phi 1:7.

JFB: Phi 1:8

That is, witness.

JFB: Phi 1:8

"Christ Jesus" is the order in the oldest manuscripts. My yearning love (so the Greek implies) to you is not merely from natural affection, but from devotedness to Christ Jesus. "Not Paul, but Jesus Christ lives in Paul; wherefore Paul is not moved in the bowels (that is, the tender love, Jer 31:20) of Paul, but of Jesus Christ" [BENGEL]. All real spiritual love is but a portion of Christ's love which yearns in all who are united to Him [ALFORD].

JFB: Phi 1:9

The subject of his prayer for them (Phi 1:4).

JFB: Phi 1:9

To Christ, producing love not only to Paul, Christ's minister, as it did, but also to one another, which it did not altogether as much as it ought (Phi 2:2; Phi 4:2).

JFB: Phi 1:9

Of doctrinal and practical truth.

JFB: Phi 1:9

Rather, "perception"; "perceptive sense." Spiritual perceptiveness: spiritual sight, spiritual hearing, spiritual feeling, spiritual taste. Christianity is a vigorous plant, not the hotbed growth of enthusiasm. "Knowledge" and "perception" guard love from being ill-judged.

JFB: Phi 1:10

Literally, "With a view to your proving (and so approving and embracing) the things that excel" (Rom 2:18); not merely things not bad, but the things best among those that are good; the things of more advanced excellence. Ask as to things, not merely, Is there no harm, but is there any good, and which is the best?

JFB: Phi 1:10

From a Greek root. Examined in the sunlight and found pure.

JFB: Phi 1:10

Not stumbling; running the Christian race without falling through any stumbling-block, that is, temptation, in your way.

JFB: Phi 1:10

Rather, "unto," "against"; so that when the day of Christ comes, ye may be found pure and without offense.

JFB: Phi 1:11

The oldest manuscripts read the singular, "fruit." So Gal 5:22 (see on Gal 5:22); regarding the works of righteousness, however manifold, as one harmonious whole, "the fruit of the Spirit" (Eph 5:9) Jam 3:18, "the fruit of righteousness" (Heb 12:11); Rom 6:22, "fruit unto holiness."

JFB: Phi 1:11

"which is by (Greek, 'through') Jesus Christ." Through His sending to us the Spirit from the Father. "We are wild and useless olive trees till we are grafted into Christ, who, by His living root, makes us fruit-bearing branches" [CALVIN].

Clarke: Phi 1:1

Paul and Timotheus - That Timothy was at this time with the apostle in Rome we learn from Phi 2:19, and also that he was very high in the apostle’ s estimation. He had also accompanied the apostle on his two voyages to Philippi, see Acts 16 and 20., and was therefore deservedly dear to the Church in that city. It was on these accounts that St. Paul joined his name to his own, not because he was in any part the author of this epistle, but he might have been the apostle’ s amanuensis, though the subscription to the epistle gives this office to Epaphroditus. Neither in this epistle, nor in those to the Thessalonians and to Philemon does St. Paul call himself an apostle; the reason of which appears to be, that in none of these places was his apostolical authority called in question

Clarke: Phi 1:1

Bishops and deacons - Επισκοποις· The overseers of the Church of God, and those who ministered to the poor, and preached occasionally. There has been a great deal of paper wasted on the inquiry, "Who is meant by bishops here, as no place could have more than one bishop?"To which it has been answered: "Philippi was a metropolitan see, and might have several bishops."This is the extravagance of trifling. I believe no such officer is meant as we now term bishop.

Clarke: Phi 1:2

Grace be unto you - See on Rom 1:7 (note).

Clarke: Phi 1:3

Upon every remembrance - As often as you recur to my mind, so often do I thank God for the great work wrought among you. Some think that the words should be translated, for all your kind remembrance; referring to their kind attention to the apostle, in supplying his wants, etc.

Clarke: Phi 1:4

Always in every prayer - I pray often for you, and have great pleasure in doing it, seeing what God has already wrought among you.

Clarke: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship in the Gospel - if we consider κοινωνια as implying spiritual fellowship or communion, then it signifies, not only their attention to the Gospel, their readiness to continue it, and perseverance in it, but also their unity and affection among themselves. Some understand the word as expressing their liberality to the apostle, and to the Gospel in general; for the term may not only be applied to communion among themselves, but to communications to others. This sense, though followed by Chrysostom and Theophylact, does not appear to be the best; though we know it to be a fact that they were liberal in supplying the apostle’ s necessities, and, no doubt, in ministering to the support of others.

Clarke: Phi 1:6

Being confident - There shall be nothing lacking on God’ s part to support you; and to make you wise, holy and happy; and bring you at last to his kingdom and glory.

Clarke: Phi 1:7

It is meet for me to think this - Εστι δικαιον· It is just that I should think so, because I have you in my heart - you live in my warmest love and most affectionate remembrance

Clarke: Phi 1:7

Inasmuch as both in my bonds - Because you have set your hearts upon me in my bonds, sending Epaphroditus to minister to me in my necessities, Phi 2:25, and contributing of your own substance to me, Phi 4:14, sending once and again to me while I was in bonds for the defense of the faith, Phi 4:15, Phi 4:16; those things which being a sweet savor, a sacrifice well pleasing and acceptable to God, Phi 4:18, confirm my hope concerning you; especially when I find you yet standing firm under the like afflictions, having the same conflict which ye saw in me, when I was among you, Act 16:12, etc., and now hear to be in me, Phi 1:30. Whitby.

Clarke: Phi 1:8

For God is my record - I call God to witness that I have the strongest affection for you, and that I love you with that same kind of tender concern with which Christ loved the world when he gave himself for it; for I am even ready to be offered on the sacrifice and service of your faith, Phi 2:17.

Clarke: Phi 1:9

This I pray - This is the substance of all my prayers for you, that your love to God, to one another, and to all mankind, may abound yet more and more, ετι μαλλον και μαλλον περισσευη, that it may be like a river, perpetually fed with rain and fresh streams so that it continues to swell and increase till it fills all its banks, and floods the adjacent plains

Clarke: Phi 1:9

In knowledge - Of God’ s nature, perfections, your own duty and interest, his work upon your souls, and his great designs in the Gospel

Clarke: Phi 1:9

And in all judgment - Και πασῃ αισθησει· In all spiritual or moral feeling; that you may at once have the clearest perception and the fullest enjoyment of those things which concern your salvation; that ye may not only know but feel that you are of God, by the Spirit which he has given you; and that your feeling may become more exercised in Divine things, so that it may he increasingly sensible and refined.

Clarke: Phi 1:10

That ye may approve things that are excellent - Εις το δοκιμαζειν ὑμας τα διαφεροντα· To the end that ye may put to proof the things that differ, or the things that are in are more profitable. By the pure and abundant love which they received from God they would be able to try whatever differed from the teaching they had received, and from the experience they had in spiritual things

Clarke: Phi 1:10

That ye may be sincere - Ἱνα ητε ειλικρινεις . The word ειλικρινεια, which we translate sincerity, is compounded of ειλη, the splendor of the sun, and κρινω, I judge; a thing which may be examined in the clearest and strongest light, without the possibility of detecting a single flaw or imperfection. "A metaphor,"says Mr. Leigh, "taken from the usual practice of chapmen, in the view and choice of their wares, that bring them forth into the light and hold up the cloth against the sun, to see if they can espy any default in them. Pure as the sun."Be so purified and refined in your souls, by the indwelling Spirit, that even the light of God shining into your hearts, shall not be able to discover a fault that the love of God has not purged away

Our word sincerity is from the Latin sinceritas , which is compounded of sine , without, and cera , wax, and is a metaphor taken from clarified honey; for the mel sincerum , pure or clarified honey, is that which is sine cera , without wax, no part of the comb being left in it. Sincerity, taken in its full meaning, is a word of the most extensive import; and, when applied in reference to the state of the soul, is as strong as the word perfection itself. The soul that is sincere is the soul that is without sin

Clarke: Phi 1:10

Without offense - Απροσκοποι· Neither offending God nor your neighbor; neither being stumbled yourselves, nor the cause of stumbling to others

Clarke: Phi 1:10

Till the day of Christ - Till he comes to judge the world, or, till the day in which you are called into the eternal world. According to this prayer, a man, under the power and influence of the grace of God, may so love as never to offend his Maker, to the latest period of his life. Those who deny this, must believe that the Spirit of God either cannot or will not do it; or, that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse from all unrighteousness. And this would be not only antiscriptural, but also blasphemous.

Clarke: Phi 1:11

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness - By righteousness we may understand, here, the whole work of the Spirit of God, in the soul of a believer; and by the fruits of righteousness, all holy tempers, holy words, and right actions. And with these they are to be filled, πεπληρωμενοι, filled up, filled full; the whole soul and life occupied with them, ever doing something by which glory is brought to God, or good done to man

Clarke: Phi 1:11

By Jesus Christ - That is, according to his doctrine, through the power of his grace, and by the agency of his Spirit

Clarke: Phi 1:11

Unto the glory and praise of God - God being honored when the work of his grace thus appears to men in the fruits of righteousness; and God is praised by all the faithful when his work thus appears. Every genuine follower of God has his glory in view by all that he does, says, or intends. He loves to glorify God, and he glorifies him by showing forth in his conversion the glorious working of the glorious power of the Lord.

Calvin: Phi 1:1

1.Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ While Paul is accustomed, in the inscription of his epistles, to employ titles of distinction, with the view of procuring credit for himself and his ministry, there was no need of lengthened commendations in writing to the Philippians, who had known him by experience as a true Apostle of Christ, and still acknowledged him as such beyond all controversy. For they had persevered in the calling of God steadfastly, and in an even tenor. ²⁴

Bishops He names the pastors separately, for the sake of honor. We may, however, infer from this, that the name of bishop is common to all the ministers of the Word, inasmuch as he assigns several bishops to one Church. The titles, therefore, of bishop and pastor, are synonymous. And this is one of the passages which Jerome quotes for proving this in his epistle to Evagrius, ²⁵ and in his exposition of the Epistle to Titus. ²⁶ Afterwards ²⁷ there crept in the custom of applying the name of bishop exclusively to the person whom the presbyters in each church appointed over their company. ²⁸ It originated, however, in a human custom, and rests on no Scripture authority. I acknowledge, indeed, that, as the minds and manners of men are, there cannot be order maintained among the ministers of the word, without one presiding over the others. I speak of particular bodies, ²⁹ not of whole provinces, much less of the whole world. Now, although we must not contend for words, it were at the same time better for us in speaking to follow the Holy Spirit, the author of tongues, than to change for the worse forms of speech which are dictated to us by Him. For from the corrupted signification of the word this evil has resulted, that, as if all the presbyters ³⁰ were not colleagues, called to the same office, one of them, under the pretext of a new appellation, usurped dominion over the others.

Deacons. This term may be taken in two ways — either as meaning administrators, and curators of the poor, or for elders, who were appointed for the regulation of morals. As, however, it is more generally made use of by Paul in the former sense, I understand it rather as meaning stewards, who superintended the distributing and receiving of alms. On the other points consult the preceding commentaries.

Calvin: Phi 1:3

3.I give thanks. He begins with thanksgiving ³¹ on two accounts — first, that he may by this token shew his love to the Philippians; and secondly, that, by commending them as to the past, he may exhort them, also, to perseverance in time to come. He adduces, also, another evidence of his love — the anxiety which he exercised in supplications. It is to be observed, however, that, whenever he makes mention of things that are joyful, he immediately breaks forth into thanksgiving — a practice with which we ought also to be familiar. We must, also, take notice, what things they are for which he gives thanks to God, — the fellowship of the Philippians in the gospel of Christ; for it follows from this, that it ought to be ascribed to the grace of God. When he says, upon every remembrance of you, he means, “As often as I remember you.”

Calvin: Phi 1:4

4.Always in every prayer. Connect the words in this manner: “ Always presenting prayer for you all in every prayer of mine. ” For as he had said before, that the remembrance of them was an occasion of joy to him, so he now subjoins, that they come into his mind as often as he prays. He afterwards adds, that it is with joy that he presents prayer in their behalf. Joy refers to the past; prayer to the future. For he rejoiced in their auspicious beginnings, and was desirous of their perfection. Thus it becomes us always to rejoice in the blessings received from God in such a manner, as to remember to ask from him those things that we are still in need of.

Calvin: Phi 1:5

5.For your fellowship. He now, passing over the other clause, states the ground of his joy — that they had come into the fellowship of the gospel, that is, had become partakers of the gospel, which, as is well known, is accomplished by means of faith; for the gospel appears as nothing to us, in respect of any enjoyment of it, until we have received it by faith. At the same time the term fellowship may be viewed as referring to the common society of the saints, as though he had said that they had been associated with all the children of God in the faith of the gospel. When he says, from the first day, he commends their promptitude in having shewn themselves teachable immediately upon the doctrine being set before them. The phrase until now denotes their perseverance. Now we know how rare an excellence it is, to follow God immediately upon his calling us, and also to persevere steadfastly unto the end. For many are slow and backward to obey, while there are still more that fall short through fickleness and inconstancy. ³²

Calvin: Phi 1:6

6.Persuaded of this very thing An additional ground of joy is furnished in his confidence in them for the time to come. ³³ But some one will say, why should men dare to assure themselves for to-morrow amidst so great an infirmity of nature, amidst so many impediments, ruggednesses, and precipices? ³⁴ Paul, assuredly, did not derive this confidence from the steadfastness or excellence of men, but simply from the fact, that God had manifested his love to the Philippians. And undoubtedly this is the true manner of acknowledging God’s benefits — when we derive from them occasion of hoping well as to the future. ³⁵ For as they are tokens at once of his goodness, and of his fatherly benevolence towards us, what ingratitude were it to derive from this no confirmation of hope and good courage! In addition to this, God is not like men, so as to be wearied out or exhausted by conferring kindness. ³⁶ Let, therefore, believers exercise themselves in constant meditation upon the favors which God confers, that they may encourage and confirm hope as to the time to come, and always ponder in their mind this syllogism: God does not forsake the work which his own hands have begun, as the Prophet bears witness, (Psa 138:8; Isa 64:8;) we are the work of his hands; therefore he will complete what he has begun in us. When I say that we are the work of his hands, I do not refer to mere creation, but to the calling by which we are adopted into the number of his sons. For it is a token to us of our election, that the Lord has called us effectually to himself by his Spirit.

It is asked, however, whether any one can be certain as to the salvation of others, for Paul here is not speaking of himself but of the Philippians. I answer, that the assurance which an individual has respecting his own salvation, is very different from what he has as to that of another. For the Spirit of God is a witness to me of my calling, as he is to each of the elect. As to others, we have no testimony, except from the outward efficacy of the Spirit; that is, in so far as the grace of God shews itself in them, so that we come to know it. There is, therefore, a great difference, because the assurance of faith remains inwardly shut up, and does not extend itself to others. But wherever we see any such tokens of Divine election as can be perceived by us, we ought immediately to be stirred up to entertain good hope, both in order that we may not be envious ³⁷ towards our neighbors, and withhold from them an equitable and kind judgment of charity; and also, that we may be grateful to God. ³⁸ This, however, is a general rule both as to ourselves and as to others — that, distrusting our own strength, we depend entirely upon God alone.

Until the day of Jesus Christ The chief thing, indeed, to be understood here is — until the termination of the conflict. Now the conflict is terminated by death. As, however, the Spirit is accustomed to speak in this manner in reference to the last coming of Christ, it were better to extend the advancement of the grace of Christ to the resurrection of the flesh. For although those who have been freed from the mortal body do no longer contend with the lusts of the flesh, and are, as the expression is, beyond the reach of a single dart, ³⁹ yet there will be no absurdity in speaking of them as in the way of advancement, ⁴⁰ inasmuch as they have not yet reached the point at which they aspire, — they do not yet enjoy the felicity and glory which they have hoped for; and in fine, the day has not yet shone which is to discover the treasures which lie hid in hope. And in truth, when hope is treated of, our eyes must always be directed forward to a blessed resurrection, as the grand object in view.

Calvin: Phi 1:7

7.As it is reasonable. For we are envious ⁴² valuators of the gifts of God if we do not reckon as children of God those in whom there shine forth those true tokens of piety, which are the marks by which the Spirit of adoption manifests himself. Paul accordingly says, that equity itself dictates to him, ⁴³ that he should hope well of the Philippians in all time to come, inasmuch as he sees them to be associated with himself in participation of grace. It is not without due consideration that I have given a different rendering of this passage from that of Erasmus, as the judicious reader will easily perceive. For he states what opinion he has of the Philippians, which was the ground of his hoping well respecting them. He says, then, that they are partakers with him of the same grace in his bonds, and in the defense of the gospel.

To have them in his heart is to reckon them as such in the inmost affection of his heart. For the Philippians had always assisted Paul according to their ability, so as to connect themselves with him as associates for maintaining the cause of the gospel, so far as was in their power. Thus, although they were absent in body, yet, on account of the pious disposition which they shewed by every service in their power, he recognises them as in bonds along with him. “ I have you, therefore, in my heart; ” this is, sincerely and without any pretense, assuredly, and with no slight or doubtful opinion — as what? as partakers of grace — in what? in my bonds, by which the gospel is defended. As he acknowledged them to be such, it was reasonable that he should hope well respecting them.

Of my grace and in the bonds It were a ludicrous thing in the view of the world to reckon a prison to be a benefit from God, but if we estimate the matter aright, it is no common honor that God confers upon us, when we suffer persecution for the sake of his truth. For it was not in vain that it was said,

Blessed shall ye be, when men shall afflict and harass you with all kinds of reproaches for my name’s sake. (Mat 5:11)

Let us therefore bear in remembrance also, that we must with readiness and alacrity embrace the fellowship of the cross of Christ as a special favor from God. In addition to bonds he subjoins the defense and confirmation of the gospel, that he may express so much the better the honourableness of the service which God has enjoined upon us in placing us in opposition to his enemies, so as to bear testimony to his gospel. For it is as though he had entrusted us with the defense of his gospel. And truly it was when armed with this consideration, that the martyrs were prepared to contemn all the rage of the wicked, and to rise superior to every kind of torture. And would that this were present to the mind of all that are called to make a confession of their faith, that they have been chosen by Christ to be as advocates to plead his cause! For were they sustained by such consolation they would be more courageous than to be so easily turned aside into a perfidious revolt. ⁴⁴

Here, however, some one will inquire, whether the confirmation of the gospel depends on the steadfastness of men. I answer, that the truth of God is in itself too firm to require that it should have support from any other quarter; for though we should all of us be found liars, God, nevertheless, remains true. (Rom 3:4.) There is, however, no absurdity in saying, that weak consciences are confirmed in it by such helps. That kind of confirmation, therefore, of which Paul makes mention, has a relation to men, as we learn from our own experience that the slaughter of so many martyrs has been attended at least with this advantage, that they have been as it were so many seals, by which the gospel has been sealed in our hearts. Hence that saying of Tertullian, that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” — which I have imitated in a certain poem: “But that sacred blood, ⁴⁵ the maintainer of God’s honor, will be like seed for producing offspring.” ⁴⁶

Calvin: Phi 1:8

8.For God is my witness He now declares more explicitly his affection for them, and, with the view of giving proof of it, he makes use of an oath, and that on good grounds, because we know how dear in the sight of God is the edification of his Church. It was, too, more especially of advantage, that Paul’s affection should be thoroughly made known to the Philippians. For it tends in no small degree to secure credit for the doctrine, when the people are persuaded that they are beloved by the teacher. He calls God as a witness to the truth, inasmuch as he alone is the Truth, and as a witness of his affection, inasmuch as he alone is the searcher of hearts. In the word rendered long after, a particular term is made use of instead of a general, and it is a token of affection, inasmuch as we long after those things which are dear to us.

In the bowels He places the bowels of Christ in opposition to carnal affection, to intimate that his affection is holy and pious. For the man that loves according to the flesh has respect to his own advantage, and may from time to time change his mind according to the variety of circumstances and seasons. In the meantime he instructs us by what rule the affections of believers ought to be regulated, so that, renouncing their own will, they may allow Christ to sit at the helm. And, unquestionably, true love can flow from no other source than from the bowels of Christ, and this, like a goad, ought to affect us not a little — that Christ in a manner opens his bowels, that by them he may cherish mutual affection between us. ⁴⁷

Calvin: Phi 1:9

9.This I pray that your love He returns to the prayer, which he had simply touched upon in one word in passing. He states, accordingly, the sum of those things which he asked from God in their behalf, that they also may learn to pray after his example, and may aspire at proficiency in those gifts. The view taken by some, as though the love of the Philippians denoted the Philippians themselves, as illiterate persons are accustomed very commonly to say, “Your reverence,” — “Your paternity,” is absurd. For no instance of such an expression occurs in the writings of Paul, nor had such fooleries come into use. Besides, the statement would be less complete, and, independently of this, the simple and natural meaning of the words suits admirably well. For the true attainments of Christians are when they make progress in knowledge, and understanding, and afterwards in love. Accordingly the particle in, according to the idiom of the Hebrew tongue, is taken here to mean with, as I have also rendered it, unless perhaps one should prefer to explain it as meaning by, so as to denote the instrument or formal cause. For, the greater proficiency we make in knowledge, so much the more ought our love to increase. The meaning in that case would be, “That your love may increase according to the measure of knowledge.” All knowledge, means what is full and complete — not a knowledge of all things. ⁴⁸

Calvin: Phi 1:10

10.That ye may approve the things that are Here we have a definition of Christian wisdom — to know what is advantageous or expedient — not to torture the mind with empty subtleties and speculations. For the Lord does not wish that his believing people should employ themselves fruitlessly in learning what is of no profit: From this you may gather in what estimation the Sorbonnic theology ought to be held, in which you may spend your whole life, and yet not derive more of edification from it in connection with the hope of a heavenly life, or more of spiritual advantage, than from the demonstrations of Euclid. Unquestionably, although it taught nothing false, it well deserves to be execrable, on the ground that it is a pernicious profanation of spiritual doctrine. For Scripture is useful, as Paul says, in 2Ti 3:16, but there you will find nothing but cold subtleties of words.

That ye may be sincere This is the advantage which we derive from knowledge — not that every one may artfully consult his own interests, but that we may live in pure conscience in the sight of God.

It is added — and without offense The Greek word ἀπροσκοποι is ambiguous. Chrysostom explains it in an active sense — that as he had desired that they should be pure and upright in the sight of God, so he now desires that they should lead an honorable life in the sight of men, that they may not injure their neighbors by any evil examples. This exposition I do not reject: the passive signification, however, is better suited to the context, in my opinion. For he desires wisdom for them, with this view — that they may with unwavering step go forward in their calling until the day of Christ, as on the other hand it happens through ignorance, ⁴⁹ that we frequently slip our foot, stumble, and turn aside. And how many stumbling blocks Satan from time to time throws in our way, with the view of either stopping our course altogether, or impeding it, every one of us knows from his own experience.

Calvin: Phi 1:11

11.Filled with the fruits of righteousness. This now belongs to the outward life, for a good conscience produces its fruits by means of works. Hence he desires that they may be fruitful in good works for the glory of God. Such fruits, he says, are by Christ, because they flow from the grace of Christ. For the beginning of our well-doing is, when we are sanctified by his Spirit, for he rested upon him, that we might all receive of his fullness. (Joh 1:16.) And as Paul here derives a similitude from trees, we are wild olive-trees, (Rom 11:24,) and unproductive, until we are ingrafted into Christ, who by his living root makes us fruitbearing trees, in accordance with that saying, (Joh 15:1,) I am the vine, ye are the branches. He at the same time shews the end — that we may promote the glory of God. For no life is so excellent in appearance as not to be corrupted and become offensive in the view of God, if it is not directed towards this object.

Paul’s speaking here of works under the term righteousness, is not at all inconsistent with the gratuitous righteousness of faith. For it does not immediately follow that there is righteousness wherever there are the fruits of righteousness, inasmuch as there is no righteousness in the sight of God, unless there be a full and complete obedience to the law, which is not found in any one of the saints, though, nevertheless, they bring forth, according to the measure, the good and pleasant ⁵⁰ fruits of righteousness, and for this reason, that, as God begins righteousness in us, through the regeneration of the Spirit, so what is wanting is amply supplied through the remission of sins, in such a way that all righteousness, nevertheless, depends upon faith.

Defender: Phi 1:1

Paul associated his young disciple Timothy with him in this letter probably because Timothy was with him when he first came to Philippi (Act 16:1, Act 16:3, Act 16:11, Act 16:12). Paul was in prison at Rome when he wrote Philippians (Phi 1:12, Phi 1:13), and Timothy apparently had been able to visit him there.

Defender: Phi 1:1

Paul did not, in this case, assert his authority as an apostle, as he did when addressing a church with serious problems (1Co 1:1; Gal 1:1), perhaps because he had nothing but commendation for the Philippian church. He and Timothy merely called themselves "bondslaves" of Christ.

Defender: Phi 1:1

Philippi was the first city in Europe to hear the Gospel and establish a Christian church (Act 16:9). Paul had made at least one visit there later (Act 20:1-6). His divine call to Greece was the initial reason why the gospel spread to Europe and not Asia."

Defender: Phi 1:6

It is neither our responsibility nor within our capability to maintain ourselves in a state of salvation. God began this work in us (Eph 2:8), and He will assure its continuance.

Defender: Phi 1:6

The "day of Jesus Christ" (1Co 1:8; 1Co 5:5; 2Co 1:14; Phi 1:10; Phi 2:16; 2Th 2:2) is the day when Christ returns for His people (Joh 14:2, Joh 14:3)."

Defender: Phi 1:7

"Defence" is the Greek apologia, a legal term referring to a formal defense as in a courtroom. Many modern evangelicals think the gospel does not need to be defended - just preached. Paul and Timothy knew better. The Gospel was under attack in their day and is even more so now, and it does need a sound defense (note the same word in Phi 1:17)."

TSK: Phi 1:1

Paul : Rom 1:1; 1Co 1:1

Timotheus : Act 16:1-3; 1Co 16:10; 2Co 1:1; Col 1:1; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1; 1Ti 1:2; Heb 13:23

the servants : Mar 13:34; Joh 12:26; Tit 1:1; Jam 1:1; 2Pe 1:1; Jud 1:1; Rev 1:1, Rev 19:10, Rev 22:9

the saints : Rom 1:7; 1Co 1:2; 2Co 1:1; Eph 1:1, Eph 1:15; 2Th 1:10

Philippi : Act 16:12-15; 1Th 2:2

the bishops : Act 1:20; 1Ti 3:1, 1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:7; 1Pe 2:25; Rev 1:20, Rev 2:1, Rev 2:8, Rev 2:12

and deacons : Act 6:1-7; 1Ti 3:8, 1Ti 3:10,1Ti 3:12, 1Ti 3:13

TSK: Phi 1:2

Rom 1:7; 2Co 1:2; 1Pe 1:2

TSK: Phi 1:3

I thank : Rom 1:8, Rom 1:9, Rom 6:17; 1Co 1:4

upon : Eph 1:15, Eph 1:16; Col 1:3, Col 1:4; 1Th 1:2, 1Th 1:3, 1Th 3:9; 2Th 1:3; 2Ti 1:3; Phm 1:4, Phm 1:5

remembrance : or, mention

TSK: Phi 1:4

in : Phi 1:9-11; Rom 1:9; Eph 1:14-23; 1Th 1:2

with : Phi 2:2, Phi 3:18, Phi 4:1; Luk 15:7, Luk 15:10; Col 2:5; 1Th 2:19, 1Th 2:20; Phm 1:7; 2Jo 1:4

TSK: Phi 1:5

Phi 1:7, Phi 4:14; Act 16:15; Rom 11:17, Rom 12:13, Rom 15:26; 1Co 1:9; 2Co 8:1; Eph 2:19-22, Eph 3:6; Col 1:21-23; Phm 1:17; Heb 3:14; 2Pe 1:1; 1Jo 1:3, 1Jo 1:7

TSK: Phi 1:6

confident : 2Co 1:15, 2Co 2:3, 2Co 7:16, 2Co 9:4; Gal 5:10; 2Th 3:4; Phm 1:21; Heb 10:35

begun : Phi 1:29, Phi 2:13; Joh 6:29; Act 11:18, Act 16:14; Rom 8:28-30; Eph 2:4-10; Col 2:12; 1Th 1:3; 2Th 2:13, 2Th 2:14; Tit 3:4-6; Heb 13:20,Heb 13:21; Jam 1:16-18; 1Pe 1:2, 1Pe 1:3

will : Psa 138:8; Joh 6:29; Eph 4:12; 1Th 5:23, 1Th 5:24; 2Th 1:11; 1Pe 5:10

perform it : or, finish it, Heb 12:2

the day : Phi 1:10; 1Co 1:8; 2Pe 3:10

TSK: Phi 1:7

it is : 1Co 13:7; 1Th 1:2-5, 1Th 5:5; Heb 6:9, Heb 6:10

because : 2Co 3:2, 2Co 7:3

I have you in my heart : or, ye have me in your heart, Gal 5:6; 1Jo 3:14

as : Act 16:23-25, Act 20:23; Eph 3:1, Eph 4:1, Eph 6:20; Col 4:3, Col 4:18; 2Ti 1:8, 2Ti 2:9; Heb 10:33, Heb 10:34

and in : Phi 1:17, Phi 4:14

partakers of my : or, partakers with me of, Phi 1:5; 1Co 9:23; Heb 3:1; 1Pe 4:13, 1Pe 5:1

TSK: Phi 1:8

God : Rom 1:9, Rom 9:1; Gal 1:20; 1Th 2:5

how : Phi 2:26, Phi 4:1; 2Co 13:9; Gal 4:19; Col 2:1; 1Th 2:8; 2Ti 1:4

in : Phi 2:1; Isa 16:11, Isa 63:15; Jer 31:20; Luk 1:78 *marg. 2Co 6:12, 2Co 7:15 *marg. Col 3:12; Phm 1:12, Phm 1:20; 1Jo 3:17

TSK: Phi 1:9

this : Phi 1:4

your : Phi 3:15, Phi 3:16; Job 17:9; Pro 4:18; Mat 13:31-33; 2Co 8:7; 1Th 3:12, 1Th 4:1, 1Th 4:9, 1Th 4:10; 2Th 1:3; Phm 1:6; 1Pe 1:22

in knowledge : 1Co 14:20; Eph 5:17; Col 1:9, Col 3:10; 2Pe 1:5, 2Pe 1:6, 2Pe 3:18

judgment : or, sense, Heb 5:14 *Gr.

TSK: Phi 1:10

ye : Isa 7:15, Isa 7:16; Amo 5:14, Amo 5:15; Mic 3:2; Joh 3:20; Rom 2:18, Rom 7:16, Rom 7:22, Rom 8:7; Rom 12:2, Rom 12:9

approve things that are excellent : or, try things that differ, Job 12:11, Job 34:3; Rom 12:2; 2Co 11:13-15; Eph 5:10; 1Th 5:21; Heb 5:12-14; 1Jo 4:1; Rev 2:2

that ye may be : Phi 1:16; Gen 20:5; Jos 24:14; Joh 1:47; Act 24:16; 2Co 1:12, 2Co 2:17, 2Co 8:8; Eph 4:15 *marg. Eph 5:27, Eph 6:24; 1Th 3:13, 1Th 5:23

without : Mat 16:23, Mat 18:6, Mat 18:7, Mat 26:33; Rom 14:20,Rom 14:21, Rom 16:17; 1Co 8:13, 1Co 10:32; 2Co 6:3; Gal 5:11; 1Th 3:13

till : 1Co 1:8

TSK: Phi 1:11

filled : Phi 4:17; Psa 1:3, Psa 92:12-14; Isa 5:2; Luk 13:6-9; Joh 15:2, Joh 15:8, Joh 15:16; Rom 6:22; Rom 15:28; 2Co 9:10; Gal 5:22, Gal 5:23; Eph 5:9; Col 1:6, Col 1:10; Heb 12:11; Jam 3:17, Jam 3:18

are : Psa 92:14, Psa 92:15; Isa 60:21, Isa 61:3, Isa 61:11; Mat 5:16; Joh 15:4, Joh 15:5; 1Co 10:31; Eph 2:10; Col 1:6; 2Th 1:12; Heb 13:15, Heb 13:16; 1Pe 2:5, 1Pe 2:9, 1Pe 2:12, 1Pe 4:10,1Pe 4:11, 1Pe 4:14

unto : Joh 15:8; Eph 1:12, Eph 1:14

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Phi 1:1

Paul and Timotheus - Paul frequently unites some person with him in his epistles; see the notes at 1Co 1:1. It is clear from this, that Timothy was with Paul at Rome. Why he was there is unknown. It is evident that he was not there as a prisoner with Paul, and the probability is, that he was one of the friends who had gone to Rome with a view to show his sympathy with him in his sufferings; compare the notes at 2Ti 4:9. There was special propriety in the fact that Timothy was joined with the apostle in writing the Epistle, for he was with him when the church was founded, and doubtless felt a deep interest in its welfare; Acts 16. Timothy had remained in Macedonia after Paul went to Athens, and it is not improbable that he had visited them afterward.

The servants of Jesus Christ - see the notes at Rom 1:1.

To all the saints in Christ Jesus - The common appellation given to the church, denoting that it was holy; see the notes, Rom 1:7.

With the bishops - σὺν επισκόποις sun episkopois ; see the notes, Act 20:28. The word used here occurs in the New Testament only in the following places: Act 20:28, translated "overseers;"and Phi 1:1; 1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:7; 1Pe 2:25, in each of which places it is rendered as "bishop."The word properly means an inspector, overseer, or guardian, and was given to the ministers of the gospel because they exercised this care over the churches, or were appointed to oversee their interests. It is a term, therefore, which might be given to any of the officers of the churches, and was originally equivalent to the term presbyter. It is evidently used in this sense here. It cannot be used to denote a diocesan bishop; or a bishop having the care of the churches in a large district of country, and of a superior rank to other ministers of the gospel, because the word is used here in the plural number, and it is in the highest degree improbable that there were dioceses in Philippi. It is clear, moreover, that they were the only officers of the church there except "deacons;"and the persons referred to, therefore, must have been those who were invested simply with the pastoral office. Thus, Jerome, one of the early fathers, says, respecting the word bishop: "A presbyter is the same as a bishop. And until there arose divisions in religion, churches were governed by a common counsel of presbyters. But afterward, it was everywhere decreed, that one person, elected from the presbyters, should be placed over the others.""Philippi,"says he, "is a single city of Macedonia; and certainly there could not have been several like these who are now called bishops, at one time in the same city. But as, at that time, they called the same bishops whom they called presbyters also, the apostles spoke indifferently of bishops as of presbyters."Annotations on the Epistle to Titus, as quoted by Dr. Woods on Episcopacy, p. 63.

And deacons - On the appointment of deacons, and their duty, see the notes at Act 6:1. The word "deacons"does not occur before this place in the common version of the New Testament, though the Greek word rendered here as "deacon"frequently occurs. It is rendered "minister"and "ministers"in Mat 20:26; Mar 10:43; Rom 13:4; Rom 15:8; 1Co 3:5; 2Co 3:6; 2Co 6:4; 2Co 11:15, 2Co 11:23; Gal 2:17; Eph 3:7; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7, Col 1:23, Col 1:25; Col 4:7; 1Ti 4:6; "servant"and "servants,"Mat 22:13; Mat 23:11; Mar 9:25; Joh 2:5, Joh 2:9; Joh 12:26; Rom 16:1; and "deacon"or "deacons,"Phi 1:1; 1Ti 3:8, 1Ti 3:12. The word properly means servants, and is then applied to the ministers of the gospel as being the servants of Christ, and of the churches. Hence, it came especially to denote those who had charge of the alms of the church, and who were the overseers of the sick and the poor. In this sense the word is probably used in the passage before us, as the officers here referred to were distinct in some way from the bishops. The apostle here mentions but two orders of ministers in the church at Philippi, and this account is of great importance in its bearing on the question about the way in which Christian churches were at first organized, and about the officers which existed in them. In regard to this we may remark:

(1) That only two orders of ministers are mentioned. This is undeniable, whatever rank they may have held.

\caps1 (2) t\caps0 here is no intimation whatever that a minister like a prelatical bishop had ever been appointed there, and that the incumbent of the office was absent, or that the office was now vacant. If the bishop was absent, as Bloomfield and others suppose, it is remarkable that no allusion is made to him, and that Paul should have left the impression that there were in fact but two "orders"there. If there were a prelate there, why did not Paul refer to him with affectionate salutations? Why does he refer to the two other "orders of clergy"without the slightest allusion to the man who was set over them as "superior in ministerial rank and power?"Was Paul jealous of this prelate? But if they had a prelate, and the see was then vacant, why is there no reference to this fact? Why no condolence at their loss? Why no prayer that God would send them a man to enter into the vacant diocese? It is a mere assumption to suppose, as the friends of prelacy often do, that they had a prelatical bishop, but that he was then absent. But even granting this, it is an inquiry which has never been answered, why Paul did not make some reference to this fact, and ask their prayers for the absent prelate.

\caps1 (3) t\caps0 he church was organized by the apostle Paul himself, and there can be no doubt that it was organized on the "truly primitive and apostolic plan."

\caps1 (4) t\caps0 he church at Philippi was in the center of a large territory; was the capital of Macedonia, and was not likely to be placed in subjection to the diocesan of another region.

\caps1 (5) i\caps0 t was surrounded by other churches, since we have express mention of the church at Thessalonica, and the preaching of the gospel at Berea; Acts 17.

\caps1 (6) t\caps0 here is more than one bishop mentioned as connected with the church in Philippi. But these could not have been bishops of the Episcopal or prelatical order, if Episcopalians choose to say that they were prelates, then it follows:

\tx720 \tx1080 (a)\caps1     t\caps0 hat there was a plurality of such persons in the same diocese, the same city, and the same church - which is contrary to the fundamental idea of Episcopacy. It follows also,

(b)\caps1     t\caps0 hat there was entirely missing in the church at Philippi what the Episcopalians call the "second order"of clergy; that a church was organized by the apostles defective in one of the essential grades, with a body of prelates without presbyters - that is, an order of men of "superior"rank designated to exercise jurisdiction over "priests"who had no existence.

If there were such presbyters or "priests"there, why did not Paul name them? If their office was one that was contemplated in the church, and was then vacant, how did this happen? And if this were so, why is there no allusion to so remarkable a fact?

\caps1 (7) i\caps0 t follows, therefore, that in this church there were only two orders of officers; and further that it is right and proper to apply the term "bishop"to the ordinary ministers of the churches. As no mention is made of a prelate; as there are but two orders of men mentioned to whom the care of the church was entrusted, it follows that there was one church at least organized by the apostles without any prelate.

\caps1 (8) t\caps0 he same thing may be observed in regard to the distinction between "teaching"elders and "ruling"elders. No such distinction is referred to here; and however useful such an office as that of ruling elder may be, and certain as it is, that such an office existed in some of the primitive churches, yet here is one church where no such officer is found, and this fact proves that such an officer is not essential to the Christian church.

Barnes: Phi 1:2

Grace be unto you ... - See the note at Rom 1:7.

Barnes: Phi 1:3

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you - Margin, "mention."The Greek word means, "recollection, remembrance."But this recollection may have been suggested either by his own reflections on what he had seen, or by what he had heard of them by others, or by the favors which they conferred on him reminding him of them. The meaning is, that as often as he thought on them, from whatever cause, he had occasion of thankfulness. He says that he thanked his God, intimating that the conduct of the Philippians was a proof of the favor of God to him; that is, he regarded their piety as one of the tokens of the favor of God to his own soul - for in producing that piety he had been mainly instrumental.

Barnes: Phi 1:4

Always - There is much emphasis in the expressions which are used here. Paul labors to show them that he never forgot them; that he always remembered them in his prayers.

In every prayer of mine - This was a proof of particular and special affection, that while there were so many objects demanding his prayers, and so many other churches which he had founded, he never forgot them. The person or object that we remember in every prayer must be very dear to the heart.

For you all - Not for the church in general, but for the individual members. "He industriously repeats the word ‘ all,’ that he might show that he loved them all equally well, and that he might the more successfully excite them to the manifestation of the same love and benevolence"- Wetstein.

Making request with joy - With joy at your consistent walk and benevolent lives - mingling thanksgiving with my prayers in view of your holy walk.

Barnes: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship in the gospel - "For your liberality toward me, a preacher of the gospel."- Wetstein. There has been, however, no little difference of opinion about the meaning of this phrase. Many - as Doddridge, Koppe, and others - suppose it refers to the fact that they participated in the blessings of the gospel from the first day that he preached it until the time when he wrote this Epistle. Others suppose that it refers to their constancy in the Christian faith. Others - as Pierce, Michaelis, Wetstein, Bloomfield, and Storr - suppose it refers to their liberality in contributing to the support of the gospel; to their participating with others, or sharing what they had in common with others, for the maintenance of the gospel. That this is the true sense seems apparent:

\caps1 (1) b\caps0 ecause it accords with the scope of the Epistle, and what the apostle elsewhere says of their benefactions. He speaks particularly of their liberality, and indeed this was one of the principal occasions of his writing the Epistle; Phi 4:10-12, Phi 4:15-18.

\caps1 (2) i\caps0 t accords with a frequent meaning of the word rendered "fellowship"- κοινωνία koinōnia . It denotes that which is in common; that of which we participate with others, communion, fellowship; Act 2:42; 1Co 1:9; 1Co 10:16; Phm 1:6; then it means communication, distribution, contribution; Rom 15:26; 2Co 9:13. That it cannot mean "accession to the gospel"as has been supposed (see Robinson’ s Lexicon), is apparent from what he adds - "from the first day until now."The fellowship must have been something constant, and continually manifest - and the general meaning is, that in relation to the gospel - to its support, and privileges, and spirit, they all shared in common. They felt a common interest in every thing that pertained to it, and they showed this in every suitable way, and especially in ministering to the wants of those who were appointed to preach it.

From the first day - The time when it was first preached to them. They had been constant. This is honorable testimony. It is much to say of a church or of an individual Christian, that they have been constant and uniform in the requirements of the gospel. Alas, of how few can this be said. On these verses Phi 1:3-5 we may remark:

(1) That one of the highest joys which a minister of the gospel can have, is that furnished by the holy walk of the people to whom he has ministered; compare 3Jo 1:4. It is joy like that of a farmer when he sees his fields ripe for a rich harvest; like that of a teacher in the good conduct and rapid progress of his scholars; like that of a parent in the virtue, success, and piety of his sons. Yet it is superior to all that. The interests are higher and more important; the results are more far-reaching and pure; and the joy is more disinterested. Probably there is nowhere else on earth any happiness so pure, elevated, consoling, and rich, as that of a pastor in the piety, peace, benevolence, and growing zeal of his people.

\caps1 (2) i\caps0 t is right to commend Christians when they do well. Paul never hesitated to do this, and never supposed that it would do injury. Flattery would injure - but Paul never flattered. Commendation or praise, in order to do good, and not to injure, should be:

\tx720 \tx1080 (a)\caps1     t\caps0 he simple statement of the truth;

(b)\caps1     i\caps0 t should be without exaggeration;

©\caps1     i\caps0 t should be connected with an equal readiness to rebuke when wrong; to admonish when in error, and to counsel when one goes astray.

Constant fault-finding, scolding, or fretfulness, does no good in a family, a school, or a church. The tendency is to dishearten, irritate, and discourage. To commend a child when he does well, may be as important, and as much a duty, as to rebuke him when he does ill. God is as careful to commend his people when they do well, as he is to rebuke them when they do wrong - and that parent, teacher, or pastor, has much mistaken the path of wisdom, who supposes it to be his duty always to find fault. In this world there is nothing that goes so far in promoting happiness as a willingness to be pleased rather than displeased to be satisfied rather than dissatisfied with the conduct of others.

\caps1 (3) o\caps0 ur absent friends should be remembered in our prayers. On our knees before God is the best place to remember them. We know not their condition. If they are sick, we cannot minister to their needs; if in danger, we cannot run to their relief; if tempted, we cannot counsel them. But God, who is with them, car do all this; and it is an inestimable privilege thus to be permitted to commend them to his holy care and keeping. Besides, it is a duty to do it. It is one way - and the best way - to repay their kindness. A child may always be repaying the kindness of absent parents by supplicating the divine blessing on them each morning; and a brother may strengthen and continue his love for a sister, and in part repay her tender love, by seeking, when far away, the divine favor to be bestowed on her.

Barnes: Phi 1:6

Being confident - This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced; participle, middle voice, from πείθω peithō - to persuade; compare Luk 16:31. "Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead;"that is, they would not be convinced; Act 17:4; Heb 11:13; Act 28:24. It means here that Paul was entirely convinced of the truth of what he said. It is the language of a man who had no doubt on the subject.

That he which hath begun a good work in you - The "good work"here referred to, can be no other than religion, or true piety. This is called the work of God; the work of the Lord; or the work of Christ; Joh 6:29; compare 1Co 15:58; 1Co 16:10; Phi 2:30. Paul affirms here that that work was begun by God. It was not by their own agency or will; compare the notes on Joh 1:13. It was on the fact that it was begun by God, that he based his firm conviction that it would be permanent. Had it been the agency of man, he would have had no such conviction, for nothing that man does today can lay the foundation of a certain conviction that he will do the same thing tomorrow. If the perseverance of the Christian depended wholly on himself, therefore, there could be no sure evidence that he would ever reach heaven.

Will perform it - Margin, "Or, finish"The Greek word - ἐπιτελέσει epitelesei - means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end. It occurs in the following places: Luk 13:32, "I do cures;"Rom 15:28, "when I have performed this;"2Co 7:1, "perfecting holiness;"2Co 8:6, "so he would also finish in you;"2Co 8:11, "perform the doing of it;"Gal 3:3, "are ye now made perfect by the flesh;"Heb 8:5, "when he was about to make the tabernacle;"Heb 9:6, "accomplishing this service;"and 1Pe 5:9, "are accomplished in your brethren."The word occurs nowhere else; and here means that God would carry on the work which he had begun to completion. He would not leave it unfinished. It would not he commenced and then abandoned. This would or could be "performed"or "finished"only:

\caps1 (1) b\caps0 y keeping them from falling from grace, and,

\caps1 (2) b\caps0 y their ultimate entire perfection.

Until the day of Jesus Christ - The day when Christ shall so manifest himself as to be the great attractive object, or the day when he shall appear to glorify himself, so that it may be said emphatically to be his day. That day is often called "his day,"or "the day of the Lord,"because it will be the day of his triumph and glory. It refers here to the day when the Lord Jesus will appear to receive his people to himself - the day of judgment. We may remark on this verse, that Paul believed in the perseverance of saints. It would be impossible to express a stronger conviction of the truth of that doctrine than he has done here. Language could not be clearer, and nothing can be more unequivocal than the declaration of his opinion that where God has begun a good work in the soul, it will not be finally lost. The ground of this belief he has not stated in full, but has merely hinted at it. It is based on the fact that God had begun the good work. That ground of belief is something like the following:

(1) It is in God alone. It is not in man in any sense. No reliance is to be placed upon man in keeping himself. He is too weak; too changeable; too ready to be led astray; too much disposed to yield to temptation.

\caps1 (2) t\caps0 he reliance, therefore, is on God; and the evidence that the renewed man will be kept is this:

\tx720 \tx1080 (a)    God began the work of grace in the soul.

(b)    He had a design in it. It was deliberate, and intentional. It was not by chance or haphazard. It was because he had some object that was worthy of his interposition.

©    There is no reason why he should begin such a work and then abandon it. It cannot be because he has no power to complete it, or because there are more enemies to be overcome than he had supposed; or because there are difficulties which he did not foresee; or because it is not desirable that the work should be completed. Why then should he abandon it?

(d)    God abandons nothing that he undertakes. There are no unfinished worlds or systems; no half-made and forsaken works of His hands. There is no evidence in His works of creation of change of plan, or of having forsaken what He began from disgust, or disappointment, or lack of power to complete them. Why should there be in the salvation of the soul?

(e)    He has promised to keep the renewed soul to eternal life; see Joh 10:27-29; Heb 6:17-20; compare Rom 8:29-30.

Barnes: Phi 1:7

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all - "There is a reason why I should cherish this hope of you, and this confident expectation that you will be saved. That reason is found in the evidence which you have given that you are sincere Christians. Having evidence of that, it is proper that I should believe that you will finally reach heaven."

Because I have you in my heart - Margin, "Ye have me in your."The Greek will bear either, though the former translation is the most obvious. The meaning is, that he was warmly attached to them, and had experienced many proofs of their kindness; and that there was, therefore, a propriety in his wishing for their salvation. Their conduct toward him, moreover, in his trials, had convinced him that they were actuated by Christian principle; and it was proper that he should believe that they would be kept to eternal life.

Both in my bonds - While I have been a prisoner - referring to the care which they had taken to minister to his needs; Phi 4:10, Phi 4:14, Phi 4:18.

And in the defence - Greek: apology. He is probably referring to the time when he made his defense before Nero, and vindicated himself from the charges which had been brought against him; see the notes at 2Ti 4:16. Perhaps he means here, that on that occasion he was abandoned by those who should have stood by him, but that the Philippians showed him all the attention which they could. It is not impossible that they may have sent some of their number to sympathize with him in his trials, and to assure him of the unabated confidence of the church.

And confirmation of the gospel - In my efforts to defend the gospel, and to make it known; see Phi 1:17. The allusion is probably to the fact that, in all his efforts to defend the gospel, he had been sure of their sympathy and cooperation. Perhaps he refers to some assistance which he had derived from them in this cause, which is now to us unknown.

Ye all are partakers of my grace - Margin, "Or, with me of grace."The meaning is, that as they had participated with him in the defense of the gospel; as in all his troubles and persecutions they had made common cause with him, so it followed that they would partake of the same tokens of the divine favor. He expected that the divine blessing would follow his efforts in the cause of the gospel, and he says that they would share in the blessing. They had shown all the sympathy which they could in his trials; they had nobly stood by him when others forsook him; and he anticipated, as a matter of course, that they would all share in the benefits which would flow to him in his efforts in the cause of the Redeemer.

Barnes: Phi 1:8

For God is my record - My witness; I can solemnly appeal to him.

How greatly I long after you all - To see you; and how much I desire your welfare.

In the bowels of Jesus Christ - The word "bowels,"in the Scriptures denotes the upper viscera - the region of the heart and lungs: see the notes at Isa 16:11. That region was regarded as the seat of affection, sympathy, and compassion, as the heart is with us. The allusion here is to the sympathy, tenderness, and love of the Redeemer; and probably the meaning is, that Paul regarded them with something of the affection which the Lord Jesus had for them. This was the tenderest and strongest expression which he could find to denote the ardor of his attachment.

Barnes: Phi 1:9

And this I pray - We pray for those whom we love, and whose welfare we seek. We desire their happiness; and there is no way more appropriate of expressing that desire than of going to God, and seeking it at his hand. Paul proceeds to enumerate the blessings which he sought for them; and it is worthy of observation that he did not ask riches, or worldly prosperity, but that his supplications were confined to spiritual blessings, and he sought these as the most desirable of all favors.

That your love may abound ... - Love to God; love to one another; love to absent Christians; love to the world. This is an appropriate subject of prayer. We cannot wish and pray for a better thing for our Christian friends, than that they may abound in love. Nothing will promote their welfare like this; and we had better pray for this, than that they may obtain abundant riches, and share the honors and pleasures of the world.

In knowledge - The idea is, that he wished them to have intelligent affection. It should not be mere blind affection, but that intelligent love which is based on an enlarged view of divine things - on a just apprehension of the claims of God.

And in all judgment - Margin, "sense;"compare the notes at Heb 5:14. The word here means, the power of discerning; and the meaning is, that he wished that their love should be exercised with proper discrimination. It should be in proportion to the relative value of objects; and the meaning of the whole is, that the wished their religion to be intelligent and discriminating; to be based on knowledge, and a proper sense of the relative value of objects, as well as to be the tender affection of the heart.

Barnes: Phi 1:10

That ye may approve things - Margin, "Or, try."The word used here denotes the kind of trial to which metals are exposed in order to test their nature; and the sense here is, that the apostle wished them so to try the things that were of real value, as to discern that which was true and genuine.

That are excellent - Margin: Or, "differ."The margin here more correctly expresses the sense of the Greek word. The idea is, that he wished them to be able to distinguish between things that differed from each other; to have an intelligent apprehension of what was right and wrong - of what was good and evil. He would not have them love and approve all things indiscriminately. They should be esteemed according to their real value. It is remarkable here how anxious the apostle was not only that they should be Christians, but that they should be intelligent Christians, and should understand the real worth and value of objects.

That ye may be sincere - See the notes at Eph 6:24. The word used here - εἰλικρινής eilikrinēs - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2Pe 3:1, where it is rendered "pure."The noun εἰλικρίνεια eilikrineia , however, occurs in 1Co 5:8; 2Co 1:12; 2Co 2:17; in all which places it is rendered "sincerity."The word properly means, "that which is judged in sunshine" εἵλῃ κρίνω heilē krinō ; and then "that which is clear and manifest."It is that over which there are no clouds; which is not doubtful and dark; which is pure and bright. The word "sincere"means literally without wax (sine cera); that is, honey which is pure and transparent. Applied to Christian character, it means that which is not deceitful, ambiguous, hypocritical; that which is not mingled with error, worldliness, and sin; that which does not proceed from selfish and interested motives, and where there is nothing disguised. There is no more desirable appellation that can be given to a man than to say that he is sincere - a sincere friend, benefactor, Christian; and there is nothing more lovely in the character of a Christian than sincerity. It implies:

(1)\caps1     t\caps0 hat he is truly converted - that he has not assumed Christianity as a mask;

(2)\caps1     t\caps0 hat his motives are disinterested and pure;

(3)\caps1     t\caps0 hat his conduct is free from double-dealing, trick, and cunning;

(4)\caps1     t\caps0 hat his words express the real sentiments of his heart;

(5)\caps1     t\caps0 hat he is true to his word, and faithful to his promises; and,

(6)\caps1     t\caps0 hat he is always what he professes to be. A sincere Christian would bear to have the light let in upon him always; to have the emotions of his heart seen; to be scanned everywhere, and at all times, by people, by angels, and by God.

And without offence - Inoffensive to others. Not injuring them in property, feelings, or reputation. This is a negative virtue, and is often despised by the world. But it is much to say of a man that he injures no one; that neither by example, nor opinions, nor conversation, he leads them astray; that he never does injustice to their motives, and never impedes their influence; that he never wounds their feelings, or gives occasion for hard thoughts; and that he so lives that all may see that his is a blameless life.

Till the day of Christ - See the notes at Phi 1:6.

Barnes: Phi 1:11

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness - That which righteousness in the heart produces. The fruits, or results, will be seen in the life; and those fruits are - honesty, truth, charity, kindness, meekness, goodness. The wish of the apostle is, that they might show abundantly by their lives that they were truly righteous. He does not refer to liberality merely, but to everything which true piety in the heart is fitted to produce in the life.

Which are by Jesus Christ -

(1) Which his religion is fitted to produce.

\caps1 (2) w\caps0 hich result from endeavoring to follow his example.

\caps1 (3) w\caps0 hich are produced by his agency on the heart.

Unto the glory and praise of God - His honor is never more promoted than by the eminent holiness of his friends; see the notes at Joh 15:8. If we wish, therefore, to honor God, it should not be merely with the lips, or by acts of prayer and praise; it should be by a life devoted to him. It is easy to render the service of the lips; it is far more difficult to render that service which consists in a life of patient and consistent piety; and in proportion to the difficulty of it, is its value in his sight.

Poole: Phi 1:2

The evangelical salutation, as Rom 1:7 Eph 1:2 2Pe 1:2 ; praying for the free and undeserved favour of God the Father to them, as the fountain, Jam 1:17 together with all inward and outward blessings, flowing thence through Christ the procurer of them.

Poole: Phi 1:3

As in most of his Epistles, viz. Rom 1:8 1Co 1:4 2Co 1:3 Eph 1:3 Col 1:3 1Th 1:2 2Th 1:3 2Ti 1:3he begins with thanks to God; and here,

my God i.e. whose I am, and whom I serve in the gospel of his Son, Act 27:23 , with Rom 1:9 , whom the Jews and Gentiles do not so acknowledge.

Upon every remembrance of you intimating that he ever bore them upon his heart to God with delight.

Poole: Phi 1:4

As in praising of God, the Author of all that grace they had received, in every solemn prayer, so in continuing his fervent and assiduous requests unto God always, 1Th 5:17 , for them all: the term all being used three times emphatically: compare Luk 2:37 Rom 1:9 .

Poole: Phi 1:5

Your being joined with us and other Christians in the communion of Christ, and glad tidings of salvation by him, 1Co 10:16,17 1Pe 4:13 1Jo 1:3,7 ; evidenced by the communication of your bounty, Gal 6:6 Heb 13:16 ; your stedfastness and perseverance in all Christian duties from the first time of your receiving the gospel.

Poole: Phi 1:6

Being confident of this very thing i.e. having thanked God for what he had done and did for them, he expresseth his firm persuasion and charitable hope of their perseverance for the future.

That he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it not from any thing in themselves more than others, but because God the Father, (who is not weary of well-doing), having begun the work of faith in them Phi 2:13 , with Joh 6:29 , who else were dead in sins, as the Ephesians, Eph 2:1 , he would preserve and carry on that internal and spiritual work in the fruits of real Christians, and not leave it imperfect, Psa 138:8 Isa 64:8 ; but would make it perfect, or perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle them in it, those words being of the same import in Scripture with perform it, connoting the difficulty of it.

Until the day of Jesus Christ i.e. either until the day of their death, when the spirits of just men are made perfect, and Christ appears to their particular judgment, Heb 12:23 , not as being perfect while here in this state, Phi 3:12 ; or rather, until the day of Christ, or latter day, at judgment, 1Co 1:8 1Th 4:15 ; when they shall be acknowledged to be blameless, to the glory of Christ, who hath carried them through all, and fullfilled the work of faith in them, and glorified them, 2Th 1:11 , and who are his glory, 2Co 8:23 .

Poole: Phi 1:7

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all i.e. consonant to the law of equity and charity, Act 4:19 1Co 13:7 Col 4:1 , with 2Pe 1:13 . It behoves me to pass this judgment on you all, upon good grounds.

Because I have you in my heart not barely in that he had them as it were engraved upon his heart, 2Co 3:2,3 7:3 ; for he could live and die with them, whom he did continually present unto God (as before).

Inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation if the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace but in that (for which they had gotten so much of his cordial affection) they were co-partners with him in the like precious faith, 2Pe 1:1 ; and holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, Heb 3:1 ; as children of light, 1Th 5:5 ; walking in faith and love, 2Th 1:3 ; maintaining the communion of saints, in showing the reality of the same grace with him, in that, as Phi 1:29 , it was given to them in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Which he reckoned they did in compassionately and seasonably supporting and relieving of him in his imprisonment, whereby the gospel was defended, and what he had preached of it was confirmed, by his becoming a real patron of it, in holding fast the profession and ratifying the confession of his faith, in glorying that he was counted worthy to suffer them for the name of Christ, Act 5:41 1Pe 4:15,16 ; wherein they did by all honest means succour him, and showed themselves companions with him, Phi 4:14 Heb 10:33 .

Poole: Phi 1:8

Confirming what he had before written, he appeals to God in the heavens, who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins, as in some other Epistles, Rom 1:9 2Co 1:23 , with 2Co 11:31 Gal 1:20 1Th 2:5,10 ; and as Job, Job 16:19 ; by making a solemn protestation, or oath, to put the matter out of doubt, Heb 6:16 , and giving them assurance, (as he lawfully might in this way for God’ s glory, and their good, Deu 6:13 ), of the sincerity and intenseness of his hearty affections towards every one of them, Phi 2:26 4:1 with 2Co 9:14 .

In the bowels of Jesus Christ not out of any carnal, selfish, or worldly respects; but a really Christian, spiritual, and tender love, seated in the inward parts of this sanctified apostle, Jer 31:33 ; by the same Spirit that united him unto Christ, who loves his spouse with no common love, but is the spring and procurer, and great exemplar, of that affectionate Christian love, which, like him, they are to exert from the very root of their hearts, purely, unfeignedly, and fervently, without dissimulation, Rom 12:9 1Pe 1:22 ; imitating God and Christ, Luk 1:78as Paul here, in the highest degree of dearest affection, did love the Philippians, and elsewhere the Thessalonians, 1Th 2:7,8,11 .

Poole: Phi 1:9

And this I pray: having praised God for their attainments, he returns, as Phi 1:4in token of his love, to his great petition for them.

That your love may abound viz. that their love both to God and man, showed in their bounty to him, might, as a rising stream from its springing fountain, yet further flow out, and more abundantly communicate itself in all Christian offices, and not abate, (as it seems it afterwards did among the Ephesians, Rev 2:4 ), as our Saviour foretold it would (to in some, Mat 24:12 , see 2Ti 1:13 2Ti 4:10but continue increasing to the end, 1Th 3:12 .

Yet more and more in knowledge being founded on a sound and saving understanding of the things of God, and ourselves, Joh 17:3 Rom 3:20 Eph 1:17 , with Eph 4:13 2Pe 3:18 ; and an acknowledgment of the truth which is after godliness, Tit 1:1 .

And in all judgment in the practical judgment, or internal sense, and particular experience, taste, and feeling the testimony of the Spirit in the heart concerning the grace of God, and adoption, Rom 5:1,5 8:16,17 14:17 ; when there is not only a right notion in the head, but a true sense and savour of spiritual things in the heart, Heb 5:14 ; which is when knowledge is not only an empty cloud in the air, but becomes effectual by falling down in a kindly shower upon the heart, warmed with the love of God, and the virtue of Christ’ s resurrection, as he after gives his own experience, Phi 3:10 , like David’ s, Psa 34:8 .

Poole: Phi 1:10

i.e. To the ends he subjoins, namely, that ye may approve things that are excellent that upon a due expense of circumstances in a judicious trial, upon rightly discerning the differences of things not obvious to every eye, so as to choose and approve those things that are really to be preferred, being the best, Rom 2:18 1Th 5:21 surpassing all desirable things besides, Eph 3:19 , as being most acceptable unto God, Rom 12:2 .

That ye may be sincere and be upright, Pro 11:20 . It is all emphatical word in the original here, being borrowed either from such things as are tried by being held up at the beams of the sun to see What faults or flaws are in them, whether without fraud, or else from such as are clarified by the heat of the sun; and notes here, that Paul would have them to be uncorrupt and impartial in heart and life, in faith and manners; free from prevailing corruptions, of pure minds, 2Pe 3:1 ; purged from the old leaven, 1Co 5:6-8 ; not suffering the knowledge of Christ to be mixed with traditions and human inventions, but endowed with evangelical simplicity in the sight of God, 2Co 1:12 1Ti 1:5 5:22 .

And without offence not erring from the main scope and design of Christianity, or stumbling, so as either actively or passively to trouble and offend either themselves or others in the heavenly course, but working so prudently, as to give no just occasion of scandal, or laying a snare for one or other, Mat 18:7 Act 24:16 1Co 10:32 ; abiding blameless to the coming of Christ, 1Th 5:23 .

Till the day of Christ: see on Phi 1:6 ; repeated here to engage them unto serious thoughtfulness of that day.

Poole: Phi 1:11

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness i.e. not only bringing forth some single, yea, or singular fruit, but replenished, plurally, with the fruits of righteousness, Act 9:36 Col 1:10 ; elsewhere called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal 5:22 Eph 5:9 ; in all goodness and truth, as well as righteousness. These are such good works as are not (whatever the papists conceive) causal of righteousness, but are, through the Spirit, (who regenerates the persons, and directs the internal and external actions of those who walk in the steps of the faith of their father Abraham, Rom 4:12 ), wrought by supernatural grace in the heart joined unto the Lord, with whom they are one spirit, 1Co 6:17 .

Which are by Jesus Christ and without whom, from their own stock and strength, till they be ingrafted into him, Joh 15:1,5 , trees of righteousness, of the Lord’ s planting, Isa 61:3 , and his workmanship, created unto good works, Eph 2:10 , they cannot bring forth fruits, and do such good works as are acceptable unto God, 2Co 13:5 ; but Christ living and dwelling in them by faith, Gal 2:20 Eph 3:17 , and God working in them both to will and to do, Phi 2:13 , they can do all through Christ, Phi 4:13 , so that they shall be accepted in him.

Unto the glory and praise of God not being empty vines, bringing forth fruit to themselves, Hos 10:1 , but to the eternal honour of him who hath called them, Mat 5:16 1Co 10:31 Eph 1:6,12,14 1Pe 2:12 1Pe 4:11 Rev 5:13 .

PBC: Phi 1:6

Satan tries to throw a child of God into despair when he falls into sin. He tries to keep him down. But the saint remembers that " he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Php 1:6 He knows the Lord is not through with him. He does not depend on his own faithfulness, but on the faithfulness of God for and in him.

28

See PB: Joh 10:28

PBC: Phi 1:8

In the innermost part of my being, from the depth of my heart I long for you.

Haydock: Phi 1:1

With the bishops and deacons. [1] By bishops many understand those who were only priests; for the name of priests, at that time, was common to those who were by their ordination priests or bishops, though the order as well as the functions were different. St. John Chrysostom also takes notice, that the name of deacon then signified any minister of Christ. St. Paul also might mean the bishops, or priests and deacons, not only of Philippi, but also of the adjacent places. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Cum episcopis et diaconis, Greek: sun episkopois kai diakonois. St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom, &c. take notice, that though the office of bishop and priest was different, yet both these different orders were sometimes expressed by the word bishop, Greek: episkopos; sometimes by the word priest, Greek: presbuteros. St. Jerome, tom. 4. in Titum. p. 413.: Quia eosdem episcopos illo tempore, quos et presbyteros appellabant, propterea indifferenter de episcopis quasi de presbyteris est locutus. See again, tom. 4, part 2, Epist. ad Oceanum, p. 648. and Ep. ad Evangelium, p. 802. St. John Chrysostom on this place: Tunc nomina erant communia; atque etiam ipse episcopus vocabatur diaconus. (tom. 4. Greek: log. a. p. 5. Ed. Savil.) Tous presbuterous outos ekal[]. Tote gar ekoinonoun tois onomasi, kai diakonos o episkopos elegeto.

Haydock: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship. This word is divers times used by St. Paul for a contribution of charitable alms, which it may also signify in this place; though others expound it of their being made partakers of the graces of Christ, by the gospel. (Witham)

Haydock: Phi 1:7

In the defence, &c. being then a prisoner, waiting for his trial; and the defence he could make for himself, and the sentence of the judge. (Witham)

Haydock: Phi 1:9

That your charity, &c. It is worthy of remark, that St. Paul does not beg that the Philippians may enjoy temporal blessings, but that they may be rewarded with an increase of spiritual favours; (Calmet) and as he remarks in the succeeding verses, that they may be filled with the fruits of justice.

Gill: Phi 1:1

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,.... The apostle sets his own name first, as being not only superior to Timothy in age, in office, and in character, but the sole writer of this epistle. The reasons of his joining Timothy with him are, because he was with him when he first preached at Philippi, and so was known unto the Philippians, and respected by them; and because he was about to send him to them again, whose commendations he enlarges on in the epistle itself; and to let them see, that there was a continued agreement between them in affection and doctrine. It shows indeed great humility in the apostle to join with him one so young, and so much inferior to him on all accounts; though it must be observed, that Timothy was not a partner with him in composing the epistle; he only joined in the salutation to this church, and approved of the letter to it, and might be the amanuensis of the apostle; but had no hand in the epistle itself, which was dictated by Paul under divine inspiration. He chooses a character which agreed to them both; he does not say apostles, for Timothy was no apostle, though he himself was, but "servants of Jesus Christ"; not of men; nor did they seek to please men by preaching the doctrines and commandments of men, and which are suited to the carnal reasonings, lusts, and pleasures of men; for then the character here assumed would not belong to them: but servants of Christ; and that not in such sense only as all mankind are, or in right ought to be, since all are his creatures, and therefore ought to serve him; nor merely as all the saints in common are, being bought with the price of Christ's blood, and being effectually called by his grace, and so made willing to serve him from a principle of love, without servile fear, and with a view to his glory; but as ministers of the word, and preachers of the Gospel; they were his servants in the Gospel, they served him under the ministerial character, and as such were the servants of the most high God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; so that this title is far from being mean and despicable, it is high, honourable, and glorious,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. The persons to whom this epistle is inscribed are here described by the place of their abode, Philippi, and by the various characters they bore in the church; which was at this time very numerous, consisting of many members, and of proper officers, and are both taken notice of here. The members are meant by "all the saints in Christ Jesus"; they were saints or holy persons, not by Moses and his law; not by ceremonial ablutions and sacrifices, which only sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, but could not take away sin, or cleanse from it; nor by themselves and their moral righteousness; for though thereby men, nay outwardly appear holy and righteous, yet they remain inwardly unholy and impure; nor by baptism, which has no regenerating nor sanctifying virtue in it; if persons are not saints before that, they are never by it; it leaves them as it finds them, and neither takes away original or actual sin: but these were saints in and by Christ; they were become holy in consequence of being in Christ; men are first in Christ, and then saints in him; they are chosen "in him" before the world began to be holy, and in time are made new men, new creatures, are created in him unto good works by virtue of their being in him; hence he sanctifies his church and people by his blood, they being so nearly related to him, and interested in him, and he in them; hence they being first of God in Christ, he is made sanctification to them; and hence internal holiness is wrought in them from Christ, by his Spirit; which being begun is carried on, and will be performed until the day of Christ; and which was the happy case of these Philippians, as the apostle was confident of. The officers of this church were "the bishops and deacons". The "bishops" were the pastors, elders, and overseers of the church, for a bishop and an elder is one and the same; see Act 20:17; where the elders of the church at Ephesus are called "overseers" or "bishops"; for the same word is used there as here; and the Syriac version here renders the word by קשישא, "elders": and they design no other than common and ordinary pastors; who have the name of elders from their age, gravity, and seniority; and that of bishops and overseers from the nature of their office, which is to feed, watch, inspect, and take the oversight of the flock, minister sound doctrine to them, and preserve them from error and heresies. It seems by this, and the instance of the church at Ephesus, that there were, and so may be, where there is necessity for it, more pastors or bishops than one in a church; unless it can be thought that there were more churches than one in each of these cities; or that the pastors of adjacent churches are here included; neither of which seem to be a clear case, but the contrary: but then these pastors or bishops were all upon an equal foot; one had not any authority or power over another, or more authority than another; they were not metropolitan or diocesan bishops, but pastors of a particular church; and were neither lords over one another, nor of God's heritage. The "deacons" were such as served tables, the Lord's table, the minister's table, and the poor's table; took care of the secular affairs of the church, received and disbursed moneys, kept the church's accounts, and provided everything necessary for its temporal good. The one sort of these officers were concerned with the souls and spiritual estate of the members of the church; the others with their bodies and temporal estate, by visiting the sick, relieving the poor, &c. and both these exhibit the true primitive plan of church offices and discipline; there being no other order of offices or officers, in a Christian church of divine institution, but pastors and deacons; whatever else is introduced is without warrant, and comes from the man of sin. These officers are mentioned by the apostle, not only to show his respect to them, but to observe to the members of this church, that they ought to esteem them highly for their works' sake; these being offices of great importance and usefulness to the church, which, by having such, was a truly organized church of Christ.

Gill: Phi 1:2

Grace be unto you,.... This form of salutation is used by the apostle in all his epistles; See Gill on Rom 1:7;

Gill: Phi 1:3

I thank my God,.... After the inscription and salutation follows a thanksgiving, the object of which is God; to whom thanks is to be given at the remembrance of his name, and the perfections of his nature, and for all his mercies, temporal and spiritual. The apostle expresses his propriety and interest in him, calling him "my God"; thereby distinguishing him from all others, the nominal and fictitious gods of the Gentiles, and the idols and lusts of men's hearts; he was the God whom he served in the Gospel, by whom he was sent, and from whom he received all his possessions, and to whom he was accountable. He had a special, particular, covenant interest in him, had knowledge of it, and faith in it; and therefore could draw nigh to God with freedom, use confidence, plead promises, expect favours, and do all he did, whether in a way of prayer, or praise in faith, and therefore was acceptable unto God. This work of thanksgiving he was often employed in on account of these Philippians, even, says he,

upon every remembrance of you; that is, as often as I remember you, or make mention of you to God at the throne of grace, it being a customary thing with the apostle to mention by name the several churches, the care of which was upon him, in his prayers to God; see Rom 1:9; and so he used to mention this church; and whenever he did, it was with thankfulness. The Arabic version reads it, "for", or "concerning all your remembrance"; meaning of himself, and as if the sense was, that he gave thanks to God for their remembrance of him at all times, and particularly at that time, by sending him relief in his present circumstances. But the former sense is preferable.

Gill: Phi 1:4

Always in every prayer of mine for you all,.... The apostle was a praying believer, and a praying minister: notwithstanding all his gifts, and graces, and high attainments, he was not above the work and duty of prayer, and in which he was sensible he stood in need of the assistance and direction of the Spirit of God, As soon as he was converted he prayed, and continued to do so without ceasing, as he himself directs; he was constant and assiduous at the throne of grace, and was concerned for others, as well as himself, for all the churches, and for this church, and all the saints in it,

Making request with joy; for what God had done for them, and continued with them. Requests are to be made known to God with thanksgiving. When we request a favour of him, it becomes us to return thanks for what we have received from him. Thanksgiving is a branch of prayer; as we have always mercies to ask for, we have always mercies to be thankful for.

Gill: Phi 1:5

For your fellowship in the Gospel,.... Or "for your communication unto the Gospel"; that is, to the support of it. These Philippians were one of the churches of Macedonia the apostle so highly commends for their liberality in 2Co 8:1; they had been very communicative to him, and those that were with him, from the beginning of the Gospel being preached to them: as the instances of Lydia and the jailer show, and which are taken notice of in this epistle, Phi 4:15; And this same generous spirit still continued, of which their present by Epaphroditus was an evidence; and for this the apostle gives thanks, not only that they had an ability to support the Gospel, and assist Gospel ministers, but that they were willing to communicate, and did communicate, readily and cheerfully, largely and liberally; or this may intend their "participation in the Gospel", as the Arabic version renders it. The Gospel was in a very wonderful and providential manner brought unto them, and it was attended with mighty power to the conversion of them; they received it with joy and gladness, and cheerfully submitted to the ordinances of it; they had much light into it, and spiritual knowledge of it; and were made partakers of the blessings of grace, which are revealed and exhibited in it, and of the exceeding great and precious promises of it, for which the apostle gives thanks to God; for all this was from him, and a wonderful instance of his grace it was. Moreover, through the Gospel being thus brought unto them, and succeeded among them, they became a Gospel church, and had, through the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, fellowship one with another; yea, they had fellowship with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, unto which they were called by the Gospel; and in this they remained

from the first day until now; they continued in the Gospel which they were made partakers of, and in fellowship with one another, in breaking of bread, and in prayer, and in hearing the word, which they constantly attended to, and were blessed with communion with Father, Son, and Spirit, to that time; and therefore the apostle continued from the first of their receiving the Gospel, to that moment, to give thanks to God for them on that account: for this last clause may be connected with the words in Phi 1:3, "I thank my God", as well as with those immediately preceding, "your fellowship in the Gospel"; and shows not only their perseverance in the Gospel, from the first to the present time, as the Ethiopic version renders it, for which he was abundantly thankful; but the continuance of his thankfulness on that account, from his first acquaintance with them to that time.

Gill: Phi 1:6

Being confident of this very thing,.... The reason of his thanksgiving, and of his making request with joy continually on the behalf of this church, was the confidence and full persuasion he had of this same thing, of which he could be as much assured as of any thing in the world:

that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: by this good work is not meant the preaching of the Gospel among them, nor a Gospel church state set up in the midst of them: for though the preaching of the Gospel was a good work, and issued well in the conversion of many, in their edification and comfort, and which was still continued; and though a Gospel church state was erected among them, and was now flourishing, yet the apostle could not assure himself of the continuance of either of them, especially until the day of Christ; and both have been removed from thence many hundreds of years ago: nor is their liberal communication to the support of the Gospel intended; for though this was a good work, yet this was not wrought by God, but by themselves, and was not wrought in them, but done by them; nor their good lives and conversations. The Syriac version indeed renders it "good works", but these cannot be designed, for the same reasons as before; for though they are good things, and answer many valuable ends and purposes, yet they are external works done by men, and not internal ones wrought in them by God; wherefore by it is undoubtedly meant the work of grace upon their hearts, sometimes called the work of faith, because that is a principal part of it: this is God's work, and not man's, as may be concluded from the nature of the work itself, which is the transforming of a man by the reviewing of him, a regeneration, a resurrection, and a creation, and therefore requires almighty power; and from the condition man is in by nature, he is dead in sin, and has no power to act spiritually, and much less what is equal to such a work as this; he has no will, desire, and inclination to it, but all the reverse; and if he had, he could no more effect it, than the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision could cause themselves to live. This is the work of God. Sometimes it is ascribed to the Father, who regenerates, calls by his grace, reveals his Son, and draws souls unto him; and sometimes to the Son, who quickens whom he will, whose Spirit is given, whose image is stamped, and out of whose fulness grace is received; but more commonly it is attributed to the Spirit, who is a spirit of regeneration, sanctification, and faith: and this is a "good work", as it must needs be, since it is God's work; he is the efficient cause of it; his good will and pleasure, his grace and mercy are the moving cause of it, and not men's works; and his good word is the means of it. The matter of it is good; it is an illumination of the understanding, a subduing of the will, a taking away of the stony heart, and a giving of an heart of flesh, an infusion of spiritual life, a formation of Christ in the soul, and an implantation of all grace there: it is good in its effects; it makes a man a good man, and fits and qualifies him to perform good works, which without it he cannot do; it makes a man a proper habitation for God, and gives him meetness for the heavenly inheritance. And this is an internal work, a work begun "in" the saints; nothing external is this work; not an outward reformation, which, when right, is the fruit of this good work; nor external humiliation for sin; nor a cessation from the grosser acts of sin; nor a conformity and submission to Gospel ordinances; all which may be where this work is not; but it is something within a man; as appears from the names by which it goes; such as spirit, so called, because it is of a spiritual nature, wrought by the Spirit of God, and has its seat in the spirit of man; it is called the inward man, which is renewed day by day; a seed that remains in him, and a root which is out of sight, and oil in the vessel, the heart, as distinct from the lamp of an outward profession: as also from the several things, which, together, make up the subject of it; it is the understanding which is enlightened; the will which is subdued; the heart and inward parts in which the laws of God are written; the mind and conscience, which are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and cleansed; and the affections, which are set on divine objects. This is a begun work, and but a begun one. It may be said to be begun as soon as light is let into the soul by the Spirit of God; when it sees its lost state, and need of a Saviour, for as the first thing in the old creation was light, so in the new; when the fear of God is put into the heart, which is the beginning of wisdom; when love appears in the soul to God, to Christ, to his people, word, and ordinances; and when there are the seeing, venturing, and relying acts of faith on Christ, though there is a great deal of darkness, trembling, and unbelief; and when it is got thus far, and even much further, it is but a begun work; it is not yet finished and perfect: this appears from the several parts of this work, which are imperfect, as faith, hope, love, knowledge, &c. from the indwelling of sin, and corruption in the best of saints; from their various continual wants and necessities; from their disclaiming perfection in this life, and their desires after it. But the apostle was confident, and so may every good man be confident, both for himself and others, that God who has, and wherever he has begun the good work of grace, will "perform", finish it, or bring it to an end, as the word here used signifies: and this the saints may assure themselves of, from many considerations; as from the nature of the work itself, which is called living water, because it always continues, a well of it, because of its abundance, and is said to spring up to eternal life; because it is inseparably connected with it, where there is grace, there will be glory; grace is the beginning of glory, and glory the perfection of grace; this work of grace is an incorruptible seed, and which remains in the saints, and can never be lost; it is a principle of life, the root of which is hid in Christ, and that itself is maintained by him, and can never be destroyed by men or devils: and also from the concern God has in it, who is unchangeable in his nature, purposes, promises, gifts, and calling; who is a rock, and his work is perfect sooner or later; who is faithful, and will never forsake the work of his hands, and has power to accomplish it; and who has promised his people, that they shall grow stronger and stronger, that they shall not depart from him, and he will never leave them. Moreover, this may be concluded from the indwelling of the Spirit, as a spirit of sanctification, as the earnest and seal of the inheritance, and that for ever; and from the intercession and fulness of grace in Christ, and the saints' union to him, and standing in him; as well as front the impotency of any to hinder the performance of this work, as sin, Satan, or the world: to which may be added the glory of all the three Persons herein concerned; for if this work is not finished, the glory of God the Father in election, in the covenant of grace, in the contrivance of salvation, in the mission of his Son, the glory of Christ in redemption, and of the Spirit in sanctification, would be entirely lost: wherefore it may be depended on, this work will be performed wherever it is begun, and that "until the day of Jesus Christ"; meaning either the day of death, when Christ takes the souls of believers to himself, and they shall be for ever with him, when this work of grace upon the soul will be finished; for God, who is the guide of his people, will be their God and guide even unto death: or else the last day, the day of judgment, the resurrection day, when Christ shall appear and raise the dead, and free the bodies of the saints from all their bondage, corruption, vileness, and weakness, which will be putting the last and finishing hand to this good work; nor will even the bodies of the saints be quitted by the Spirit of God till this is done.

Gill: Phi 1:7

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all,.... Some connect these words with Phi 1:3; as if the apostle's sense was, that it became him to be thus affected to them, and mindful of them in his prayers, to make request for them with joy, and give thanks for their fellowship in the Gospel, and continuance in it; but they seem rather to refer to his confidence of the good work begun in them, being performed until the day of Christ, and which was but just and right in him to entertain and assert; and may be understood either of a judgment of faith, or a judgment of charity: in a judgment of faith the apostle might be confident, and so may every other man, that all that believe in Christ truly, and have a good work begun in them, that shall be finished; for nothing is more certain, nor is there anything that a man can be more confident of, than this, that he that believes in Christ shall be saved; and this the apostle was fully persuaded of with respect to everyone in this church, that was a believer in Christ; and in a judgment of charity, it was meet and proper, just and right, to think, judge, hope, and believe so of everyone of them, since there was nothing in their profession, conduct, and conversation, showing the contrary:

because I have you in my heart; or "you have me in your heart"; and either reading carries in it a reason why it was fit and right that he should so think and judge concerning them; because they were, as the Syriac version renders it, "put" or "laid" upon his heart; whenever he was at the throne of grace, his heart was enlarged on their account, his affections were wonderfully drawn out towards them, and they were ever in his mind, "both in his bonds, and in the defence of the Gospel"; whether in the prison, or in the pulpit, or whatever he was about in the cause or affairs of religion, they were in his heart and thoughts; from whence he concluded they must belong to God, the good work must be in them, and would be performed; it is a token for good when the Lord lays the case of any upon the hearts of his ministers, or any of his people; and also, because they had him in their hearts, they were affectionate to him, ever thoughtful and mindful of him; and had lately given a specimen of their love to him, as a servant of Christ, and prisoner of the Lord; and as they, so he might know, that they had passed from death to life, because they loved the brethren, and him in particular for his works' sake, who had been an useful instrument in the hand of God among them: and another reason follows,

inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace; or "partakers with me of grace"; meaning either that they were partakers of the same electing, redeeming, adopting, justifying, pardoning, and regenerating grace, as he was; had obtained the same like precious faith in Christ, and knowledge of him, as he had, though not to the same degree; and therefore might well be assured of the performance of the good work in them, having no more to doubt of their salvation than of his own: or rather by "grace", or as the Vulgate Latin version reads it, "joy", he designs his sufferings for Christ, and the sake of his Gospel; which he so calls, because it was given him by God, as a token of his favour, and a mark of honour and respect, to suffer for Christ, as well as believe in him; and therefore rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Now these Philippians were partakers with him of this, both in his "bonds", by sympathizing with him, praying for him, sending relief unto him, and by suffering such like things themselves; and "in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel", whether by suffering, preaching, or writing; they stood by him, encouraged and assisted him, when others forsook him, and laid difficulties and discouragements in his way; on account of all which it was but meet and proper he should entertain such sentiments of them as before expressed.

Gill: Phi 1:8

For God is my record,.... Which is all one as swearing by him; it is in form of an oath, being a solemn appeal to him as the searcher of hearts, for the uprightness of his mind, the sincerity of his expressions, and the strength of his affections:

how greatly I long after you all; the common members, as well as the bishops and deacons, the weak as well as the strong believers, the poor as well as the rich; the apostle's respects were universal, and without distinction: he longed after their spiritual welfare, an increase of gifts and grace among them; he was their spiritual father, and he hankered after them; as parents after their children; he longed to see them, that he might enjoy their company and conversation, have communion with them, and impart some spiritual gift unto them: and this he did

in the bowels of Jesus Christ; not with an human and carnal affection, but with a Christian and spiritual one; with a love which came from Christ, and was in imitation of him, and on account of their being in him, loved by him, belonging to him, and being believers in him: it was in the most tender manner that he loved them, and was affected to them; the phrase denotes, that his love towards them was internal, in his heart, and was most tender and strong; and like to that tender concern Christ had for them, and which he stirred up in him.

Gill: Phi 1:9

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more,.... As a proof of his great affection for them, he puts up this petition on their account; which supposes that they had love, as they must certainly have, since the good work of grace was begun in them; for wherever the work of the Spirit of God is, there is love, which is a fruit of the Spirit; and where there is not love, there cannot be that good work; for it signifies nothing what a man says, nor what he has, nor what he does, if love be wanting; but this grace was in these Philippians, they had love to God, to Christ, to one another, to all the saints, and to the ministers of the Gospel, and particularly to the apostle, of which they had lately given him a proof: and it also supposes, that this grace, which was implanted in them in regeneration, was in exercise, which is meant by its "abounding"; it was not only a principle in the heart, and expressed by the mouth, but it was in action; it lay not in word, and in tongue, but showed itself towards the objects of it in deed and in truth; and it was in a very larger and lively exercise; it abounded, it flowed and overflowed; it rose up out of the heart, as water out of a fountain; it was as grace is said to be, a well of living water, springing up, and spreading itself various ways; wherefore the apostle did not pray that they might have love, nor merely that their love might abound, but that it might abound "yet", might continue to abound, that there might be no stop put to its flow and exercise, and so concerns the perseverance of it, and its actings; and that it might abound "more and more"; which regards the increase of it, and enlargement of its exercise. The Syriac version reads it, that it "may be multiplied and abound"; intimating, that spiritual love cannot be exceeded in; there is no going to an extreme in the exercise of it; natural love may, but not spiritual; God and Christ can never be loved too much, nor saints, as saints, though they may as men: wherefore let love abound ever so much to these objects, it is capable of abounding more and more, without any danger of excess; and it is to be wished for; for where it is ever so large and abundant in its actings, it is not perfect, nor will it be in this life; so that there is always room for such a petition; besides, the apostle knew how apt love is to grow cold, and saints to sink in their spiritual affections through the prevalence of sin, the cares of the world, and temptations of Satan: he adds,

in knowledge and in all judgment; that is, either with knowledge and judgment; and the sense be, that as their love abounded, so their knowledge might be increased, and their judgment in spiritual things be better informed and established. Some Christians are more affectionate, and less knowing; others are more knowing, and less affectionate; it is well when love and knowledge go and keep pace together: or it may be rendered "by knowledge", suggesting, that love is increased thereby, which is true; for the more saints know of God and Christ, the more they love them; and the more they know of one another's grace and experience, the more they love each other: by "knowledge" may be meant the knowledge of God; not that which is general, is by the light of nature, and is very obscure and insufficient to salvation; but that which is special, is of God in Christ, as a God gracious and merciful, as a covenant God and Father in him; and which at best is imperfect, and needs increasing: and also knowledge of Christ; not general, notional, and speculative, as that he is the Son of God, the Messiah, and Saviour of the world in common; but that which is special, spiritual, and saving; and which is a knowledge of approbation, whereby a soul approves of Christ above all others, as a Saviour; a fiducial one, whereby it trusts in him, and commits itself to him; an experimental and practical one, to which is joined a cheerful obedience to his commands and ordinances, and becomes an appropriating one; yet is in this life imperfect, and so needs increasing; and all means should be used in order thereunto: moreover, the knowledge of one another may be included; an increase of which is necessary to promote brotherly love, and make communion with one another delightful and profitable. By all "judgment", or "sense", as in the Greek text, is designed a spiritual apprehension, judgment, and sensation of things. The Syriac version renders it, "all spiritual understanding", and may intend a spiritual perception, and sense of the love of God shed abroad in the heart, an enlarged experience of the grace of God, and particularly faith, which is expressed by all the live senses; as by "seeing" the Son, the glory, fulness, suitableness, and excellency of him, and the unseen glories of another world; by "hearing" the joyful sound, the voice of Christ in the Gospel, so as to understand and distinguish it; by "smelling" a sweet smell in the person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ, which are of a sweet smelling savour to faith, as are also the things of God, and of the Spirit of God; and by "tasting" how good the Lord is, how sweet is his word, and delicious his fruit; and by "feeling", laying hold on Christ, embracing and handling him, the word of life: and now a believer having these his spiritual senses exercised, he is capable of discerning between good and evil, and so of approving things most excellent; which is the end of this petition, as appears from the following words.

Gill: Phi 1:10

That ye may approve things that are excellent,.... Or "try things that differ". There are some things that differ one from other; as morality and grace, earthly things, and heavenly things, carnal and spiritual, temporal and eternal things, law and Gospel, the doctrines of men, and the doctrines of Christ; all which differ as much as chaff and wheat, as gold, silver, precious stones, and wood, hay, stubble. These are to be tried and proved; they are not to be received without distinction, but should be examined, which is right and best to be chosen and preferred; and to such trial and examination it is necessary that a man should be transformed, by the renewing of his mind, that he should have spiritual light, knowledge, and experience, have his spiritual senses exercised to discern the difference of things, and also the guidance, direction, and influence of the Spirit of God: and this trial must be made, not according to carnal reason, and the judgment and dictates of it; for the most excellent things are above it, and out of its sphere, and therefore judged foolish, and rejected by it; but according to the word of God, the Scriptures of truth, in the light of the divine Spirit, and with spiritual judgment and sense; when some things will be found excellent, as Christ, and the knowledge of him in his person, offices, grace, righteousness, blood, sacrifice, and satisfaction, and the several truths of the Gospel relating to peace, pardon, justification, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life; and of the several doctrines of the Gospel, some will appear in their nature and use more excellent than others, more grand and sublime; such as concern the sovereign and distinguishing grace of God, the glory of Christ, and the salvation of the elect; some being milk for babes, others meat for strong men. And these being tried and proved, first by the word of God, and then by the experience of the saints, are to be approved above thousands of gold and silver, and esteemed more than our necessary food; even the sincere milk of the word, as it is by newborn babes, as well as the strong meat of it by the adult, and all to be highly valued and abode by, and held fast,

That ye may be sincere; or "pure", as the Syriac version renders it; pure as the sun, discerned and judged by the light of it, as the word signifies, which discovers motes, faults, and flaws; in which, some think, is a metaphor taken either from the eagle, which holds up its young against the sun, and such as can bear the light of it she retains as her own, but such that cannot she rejects as a spurious brood; or from persons in business, who hold up the goods they are buying to the sun, to see if they can observe any fault in them: so such may be said to be sincere, or pure, who are pure in heart, life, and conversation, whose principles and practices will bear the test of light; such are sincere, who are like honey without wax, and fine flour without leaven, that have no mixture of corruption in doctrine, life, or manners; whose grace is genuine and right; whose faith is unfeigned; whose love to God, and Christ, and one another, is without dissimulation; whose hope is lively, and of a soul purifying nature, and is built on a good foundation; and whose repentance is attended with genuine effects, and proper fruits; whose principles are unmixed; who do not corrupt or adulterate the word of God, but desire and retain the sincere milk of it, and hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience; whose worship is also pure and spiritual, who worship God in spirit and truth, under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God, and with their whole hearts and spirits, and according to the truth of the Gospel; who keep the ordinances as they were delivered, without any human inventions, corruptions, and mixtures; who are sincere in their hearts, pure and sound in heart, simple, plain hearted, and single eyed; choose to be good, rather than seem to be so; whose desires after God, and divine things, and whose affections for them, are true and real, and proceed from the bottom of their hearts; and who have their conversation in the world by the grace of God, in simplicity and godly sincerity; and such the apostle wishes these saints to be, and adds,

and without offence until the day of Christ; to God, as considered in the righteousness of Christ, in which they are perfectly without offence, and will always continue so; or in their walk and conversation before God, in which, though they may in many things offend, yet not be guilty of any notorious iniquity, and much less of living in it: and to themselves, to their own consciences, exercising a conscience void of offence towards God and men; acting according to that light they have received, and those principles they have embraced and professed; desiring to be kept from all evil, that it might not grieve and wound them; and doing nothing in things of an indifferent nature, with offence, or against the dictates of conscience, and to the violation of it: and also to others, to Jew or Gentile, to the world, or to the church of God, by avoiding every thing that is offensive to either; not good things, but evil ones, and those that are indifferent; that peace may be preserved, and their own good may not be evil spoken of; that the children of God may not be grieved, staggered, and stumbled, nor sinners hardened, or have any occasion to blaspheme. The phrase denotes an harmless life and conversation, and a continuance in it to the end, to the day of death, or coming of our Lord, which is to be loved, longed, wished, and looked for, and to be always had in view; and that to engage to a becoming life and conversation, with sincerity, and without offence, since in that day all hearts and actions will be exposed and laid open.

Gill: Phi 1:11

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness,.... Good works. Some think alms deeds, or acts of liberality and bounty, are here particularly intended; and that respect is had to the generosity of these Philippians to the apostle, and others: and true it is, that these are sometimes so called, as in 2Co 9:10, but rather good works in general are meant, which are called "fruits", because, like fruits, they spring from a seed, even from the incorruptible seed of grace in the heart, implanted there in regeneration; and because they are owing, as the fruits of the earth are, to divine bounty and goodness, to the dews of grace, the rising and bright shining of the sun of righteousness, and to the south gale of the blessed Spirit, when brought forth aright; and also because they are pleasant and delightful, they are well pleasing to Christ, and are acceptable to God through Christ; and likewise, because they are profitable, not to God, but to men: and they are styled fruits of "righteousness", either of imputed righteousness, the righteousness of Christ imputed without works, the effects of which are good works; for nothing more strongly influences and engages men to the performance of good works, than a view of their free justification by the righteousness of Christ; hence there can be no justification by works, since these are the fruits and effects of justification, and not the cause: or of righteousness and holiness implanted in the soul by the Spirit of God, the new man, which is created unto good works, and in or unto righteousness and true holiness; and which naturally tends thereunto, and which stimulates and qualifies men for the performance of the same: or good works are so called, because they are performed by a righteous man; for as none but a good tree can bring forth good fruit, so none but a tree of righteousness can bear fruits of righteousness; or none but a righteous man do works of righteousness, which are truly such: or because they are such as are done according to the righteous law of God; for this is a necessary requisite of a good work, that it be according to the command and will of God; for otherwise, let it have never such a show of religion and goodness, it is no good work. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, read, "fruit", in the singular number, but other copies and versions, read, "fruits"; and the apostle wishes, that these saints might be "filled" with them; that is, that they might be like trees laden with fruit, which have fruit on every branch, bough, and twig; that they might abound in the performance of them, be ready to, and fruitful in every good work; not doing a few of one sort only, but performing continually all manner of good works; and so be like fruitful trees that yield their fruit in their season, and do not cease from so doing, but still bring forth fruit, and that in large quantities:

which are by Jesus Christ; who is the green fir tree, from whom all fruit, as of grace, so of good works, is found; for all good works, which are truly and properly so, spring from union to Christ, and are owing to his grace: souls are married to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God; they are created in him unto good works, and are ingrafted in him the true vine; and through abiding in him, and deriving life, grace, and strength from him, bear fruit, which otherwise they could not do: without Christ no good work can be performed; it is through him, strengthening his people, they do all they do; for they are insufficient to do anything of themselves, but his grace is sufficient for them, and his strength is made perfect in their weakness. He is the exemplar and pattern, according to which they do their good works; and they are motives drawn and taken from him, from his love, from the doctrines of grace relating to him, which are the most powerful, and do most strongly work upon the saints to perform these things; and which, under his grace, and the influence of it, are directed

unto the glory and praise of God: they are done by believers in Christ, not in order to obtain eternal life and happiness for themselves, which they know is the gift of God, and entirely owing to his free grace and abundant mercy; nor to gain honour and applause from men, but to glorify God; who is glorified when his people bring forth much fruit, and which also is the occasion of others glorifying him likewise: and this end is necessary to a good work, that it be done to the glory of God; for if anything else is in view and not that, let it have ever such an appearance of a good work, it is none at all: and indeed, here we have all the requisites of a good work; as that it should be done according to the righteous law and will of God; that it springs from a principle of grace and holiness; that it be performed in the name, grace, and strength of Christ, and with a view to the honour and glory of God. The Ethiopic version reads, "in" or "to his Christ's glory, and the praise of God"; and the Arabic version thus, "to the glory of God and his praise"; and so the design of the clause is to show, either that both the glory of Christ and the praise of God are concerned in every truly good work; or that the glory of God secretly, and his praise openly, are to be sought therein; even all honour and glory, an abundance of it, and that continually; ascribing nothing to ourselves, but attributing all to him, acknowledging, when we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable servants.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Phi 1:1

¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

² tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

³ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

⁴ sn The overseers (or “church leaders,” L&N 53.71) is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in Titus 1:6-7 and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between Titus 1:6-7 and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

NET Notes: Phi 1:2

¹ tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”

NET Notes: Phi 1:3

¹ tn This could also be translated “for your every remembrance of me.” See discussion below.

NET Notes: Phi 1:5

¹ sn Your participation (Grk “fellowship”) could refer to Paul rejoicing because of the Philippian converts’ “fellowship” in the gospel along with him, but it is more likely that this refers to their active “participation” with him in the gospel by means of the financial support they sent to Paul on more than one occasion, discussed later in this letter (4:10-19, esp. 4:15-16).

² tn Several alternatives for translating vv. 3-5 are possible: (1) “I thank my God every time I remember you, yes, always in my every prayer for all of you. I pray with joy because of your participation…” (see NAB; also M. Silva, Philippians [BECNT], 43-44; G. D. Fee, Philippians [NICNT], 76-80); (2) “I thank my God because of your every remembrance of me. Always in my every prayer for all of you I pray with joy. [I am grateful] for your participation…” (see Moffatt; also P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 58-61). Option (1) is quite similar to the translation above, but sees v. 4a as more or less parenthetical. Option (2) is significantly different in that Paul thanks God because the Philippians remember him rather than when he remembers them.

NET Notes: Phi 1:6

¹ tn Grk “since I am sure of this very thing.” The verse begins with an adverbial participle that is dependent on the main verb in v. 3 (“I thank”). Paul here gives one reason for his thankfulness.

² tn The referent is clearly God from the overall context of the paragraph and the mention of “the day of Christ Jesus” at the end, which would be redundant if Christ were referred to here.

³ tn Or “among.”

⁴ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

NET Notes: Phi 1:7

¹ tn Grk “Just as.” The sense here is probably, “So I give thanks (v. 3) just as it is right for me…”

² tn Or possibly “because you have me in your heart.”

³ tn Grk “in my bonds.” The meaning “imprisonment” derives from a figurative extension of the literal meaning (“bonds,” “fetters,” “chains”), L&N 37.115.

⁴ tn The word “God’s” is supplied from the context (v. 2) to clarify the meaning.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:1

Paul ^{( 1 )} and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the ^{( a )} bishops and deacons:

^{( 1 )} The Paul's point in writing this epistle, is to strengthen and encourage the Philippians by all means possible, not to faint, but more than that, to go forward. And first of all he commends their former deeds, to exhort them to go forward: which thing he says he fully hopes they will do, and that by the testimony of their abundant charity. But in the meantime he refers all things to the grace of God.

^{( a )} By the bishops are meant both the pastors who have the dispensation of the word, and the elders that govern: and by deacons are meant those that were stewards of the treasury of the Church, and had to look after the poor.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:5

For your ^{( b )} fellowship in the gospel from the ^{( c )} first day until now;

^{( b )} Because you also are made partakers of the Gospel.

^{( c )} Ever since I knew you.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the ^{( d )} day of Jesus Christ:

^{( d )} The Spirit of God will not forsake you to the very latter end, until your mortal bodies will appear before the judgment of Christ to be glorified.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:7

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my ^{( e )} bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my ^{( f )} grace.

^{( e )} A true proof of a true knitting together with Christ.

^{( f )} He calls his bonds "grace", as though he had received some singular benefit.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:8

^{( 2 )} For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

^{( 2 )} He declares his good will towards them, in addition showing by what means they may chiefly be strengthened and encouraged, that is, by continual prayer.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:9

^{( 3 )} And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment;

^{( 3 )} He shows what thing we ought to chiefly desire, that is, first of all that we may increase in the true knowledge of God (so that we may be able to discern things that differ from one another), and also in charity, that even to the end we may give ourselves to truly good works, to the glory of God by Jesus Christ.

Geneva Bible: Phi 1:11

Being filled with the ^{( g )} fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

^{( g )} If righteousness is the tree, and good works the fruits, then the papists are truly deceived indeed, when they say that works are the cause of righteousness.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Phi 1:1-30

1 Paul testifies his thankfulness to God, and his love towards them, for the fruits of their faith, and fellowship in his sufferings;

9 daily praying to him for their increase in grace;

12 he shows what good the faith of Christ had received by his troubles at Rome;

21 and how ready he is to glorify Christ either by his life or death;

27 exhorting them to unity;

28 and to fortitude in persecution.

Maclaren: Phi 1:1-8

Loving Greetings

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, 4. Always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, 5. For your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; 6. Being confident of this very thing, that He which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7. Even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace. 8. For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.'-Phil. 1:1-8 (R.V).

THE bond between Paul and the church at Philippi was peculiarly close. It had been founded by himself, as is narrated at unusual length in the book of Acts. It was the first church established in Europe. Ten years had elapsed since then, possibly more. Paul is now a prisoner in Rome, not suffering the extremest rigour of imprisonment, but still a prisoner in his own hired house, accessible to his friends and able to do work for God, but still in the custody of soldiers, chained and waiting till the tardy steps of Roman law should come up to him, or perhaps till the caprice of Nero should deign to hear his cause. In that imprisonment we have his letters to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, which latter three are closely connected in time, the two former in subject, and the two latter in destination. This letter stands apart from those to the great Asiatic churches.

Its tone and general cast are unlike those of most of his letters. It contains no doctrinal discussions and no rebukes of evil, but is an outpouring of happy love and confidence. Like all Paul's epistles it begins with salutations, and like most of them with prayer, but from the very beginning is a long gush of love. These early verses seem to me very beautiful if we regard them either as a revelation of the personal character of the Apostle, or as a picture of the relation between teacher and taught in its most blessed and undisturbed form, or as a lovely ideal of friendship and love in any relation, hallowed and solemnised by Christian feeling.

Verses one and two contain the apostolic greeting. In it we note the senders. Timothy is associated with Paul, according to his custom in all his letters even when he goes on immediately to speak in the singular. He ever sought to hide his own supremacy and to bring his friends into prominence. He was a great, lowly soul, who had no pride in the dignity of his position but felt the weight of its responsibility and would fain have had it shared. He calls Timothy and himself the slaves of Christ. He regarded it as his highest honour to be Christ's born servant, bound to absolute submission to the all-worthy Lord who had died to win him. It is to be noted that there is no reference here to apostolic authority, and the contrast is very remarkable in this respect with the Epistle to the Galatians, where with scornful emphasis he asserts it as bestowed not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.' In this designation of himself, we have already the first trace of the intimate and loving relationship in which Paul stood to the Philippians. There was no need for him to assert what was not denied, and he did not wish to deal with them officially, but rather personally. There is a similar omission in Philemon and a pathetic substitution there of the prisoner of Jesus Christ' for the' slave of Christ Jesus.'

The persons addressed are all the saints in Christ Jesus.' As he had not called himself an apostle, so he does not call them a church. He will not lose in an abstraction the personal bond which unites them. They are saints, which is not primarily a designation of moral purity, but of consecration to God, from whom indeed purity flows. The primitive meaning of the word is separation; the secondary meaning is holiness, and the connection between these two meanings contains a whole ethical philosophy. They are saints in Christ Jesus; union with Him is the condition both of consecration and of purity.

The Philippian community had an organisation primitive but sufficient. We do not enter on the discussion of its two offices further than to note that the bishops are evidently identical with the elders, in the account in Acts 20. of Paul's parting with the Ephesian Christians, where the same persons are designated by both titles, as is also the case in Titus 1:5, 7; the one name (eider) coming from the Hebrew and designating the office on the side of dignity, the other (bishop) being of Greek origin and representing it in terms of function. We note that there were several elders then in the Philippian church, and that their place in the salutation negatives the idea of hierarchical supremacy.

The benediction or prayer for grace and peace is couched in the form which it assumes in all Paul's letters. It blends Eastern and Western forms of greeting,' Grace' being the Greek and' Peace' the Hebrew form of salutation. So Christ fuses and fulfils the world's desires. The grace which He gives is the self-imparting love of God, the peace which He gives is its consequence, and the salutation is an unmistakable evidence of Paul's belief in Christ's divinity.

This salutation is followed by a great burst of thankful love, for the full apprehension of which we must look briefly at the details of these verses. We have first Paul's thankfulness in all his remembrance of the Philippians, then he further defines the times of his thankfulness as always in every supplication of mind on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy.' His gratitude for them is expressed in all his prayers which are all thank-offerings. He never thinks of them nor prays for them without thanking God for them. Then comes the reason for his gratitude--their fellowship in furtherance of the gospel, from the first day when Lydia constrained him to come into her house, until this moment when now at the last their care of him had flourished again. The Revised Version's rendering fellowship in furtherance of' instead of fellowship in' conveys the great lesson which the other rendering obscures--that the true fellowship is not in enjoyment but in service, and refers not so much to a common participation in the blessedness as in the toils and trials of Christian work. This is apparent in an immediately following verso where the Philippians' fellowship with Christ is again spoken of as consisting in sharing both in His bonds and in the double work of defending the gospel from gainsayers and in positively proclaiming it. Very beautifully in this connection does he designate that work and toil as my grace.'

The fellowship which thus is the basis of his thanksgiving leads on to a confidence which he cherishes for them and which helps to make his prayers joyful thanksgivings. And such confidence becomes him because he has them in his heart, and' love hopeth all things' and delights to believe in and anticipate all good concerning its object. He has them in his heart because they faithfully share with him his honourable, blessed burdens. But that is not all, it is in the tender mercies' of Christ that he loved them. His love is the love of Christ in him; his being is so united to Jesus that his heart beats with the same emotion as throbs in Christ's, and all that is merely natural and of self in his love is changed into a solemn participation in the great love which Christ has to them. This, then, being the general exposition of the words, let us now dwell for a little while on the broad principles suggested by them.

I. Participation In The Work Of Christ Is The Noblest Basis For Love And Friendship.

Paul had tremendous courage and yet hungered for sympathy. He had no outlets for his love but his fellow Christians. There had, no doubt, been a wrenching of the ties of kindred when he became a Christian, and his love, dammed back and restrained, had to pour itself on his brethren.

The Church is a workshop, not a dormitory, and every Christian man and woman is bound to help in the common cause. These Philippians help Paul by sympathy and gifts, indeed, but by their own direct work as well, and things are not right with us unless leaders can say, Ye all are partakers of my grace.' There are other real and sweet bonds of love and friendship, but the most real and sweetest is to be found in our common relation to Jesus Christ and in our co-operation in the work which is ours because it is His and we are His.

II. Thankful, Glad Prayer Flows From Such Co-Operation.

The prisoner in his bonds in the alien city had the remembrance of his friends coming into his chamber like fresh, cool air, or fragrance from far-off gardens. A thrill of gladness was in his soul as often as he thought on them. It is blessed if in our experience teacher and taught are knit together thus; without some such bond of union no good will be done. The relation of pastor and people is so delicate and spiritual, the purpose of it so different from that of mere teaching, the laws of it so informal and elastic, the whole power of it, therefore, so dependent on sympathy and mutual kindliness that, unless there be something like the bond which United Paul and the Philippians, there will be no prosperity or blessing. The thinnest film of cloud prevents deposition of dew. If all men in pulpits could say what Paul said of the Philippians, and all men in pews could deserve to have it said of them, the world would feel the power of a quickened Church.

III. Confidence Is Born Of Love And Common Service.

Paul delights to think that God will go on because God has already begun a good work in them, and Paul delights to think of their perfection because he loves them. God is not a man that He should lie, or the son of man that He should repent.' His past is the guarantee for His future; what He begins He finishes.

IV. Our Love Is Hallowed And Greatened In The Love Of Christ.

Paul lived, yet not he, but Christ lived in him. It is but one illustration of the principle of his being that Christ who was the life of his life, is the heart of his love. He longed after his Philippian friends in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. This and this only is the true consecration of love when we live and love in the Lord; when we will as Christ does, think as He does, love as He does, when the mind that was in Christ Jesus was in us. It is needful to guard against the intrusion of mere human affection and regard into our sacred relations in the Church; it is needful to guard against it in our own personal love and friendship. Let us see that we ourselves know and believe the love wherewith Christ hath loved us, and then let us see that that love dwells in us informing and hallowing our hearts, making them tender with His great tenderness, and turning all the water of our earthly affections into the new wine of His kingdom. Let the law for our hearts, as well as for our minds and wills, be I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me.'

Maclaren: Phi 1:9-11

A Comprehensive Prayer

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 10. So that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ; 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.'--Phil. 1:9-11 (R.V.).

WHAT a blessed friendship is that of which the natural language is prayer! We have many ways, thank God, of showing our love and of helping one another, but the best way is by praying for one another. All that is selfish and low is purged out of our hearts in the act, suspicions and doubts fade away when we pray for those whom we love. Many an alienation would have melted like morning mists if it had been prayed about, added tenderness and delicacy come to our friendships so like the bloom on ripening grapes. We may test our loves by this simple criterion--Can we pray about them? If not, should we have them? Are they blessings to us or to others?

This prayer, like all those in Paul's epistles, is wonderfully full. His deep affection for, and joy in, the Philippian church breathes in every word of it. Even his jealous watchfulness saw nothing in them to desire but progress in what they possessed. Such a desire is the highest that love can frame. We can wish nothing better for one another than growth in the love of God. Paul's estimate of the highest good of those who were dearest to him was that they should be more and more completely filled with the love of God and with its fruits of holiness and purity, and what was his supreme desire for the Philippians is the highest purpose of the gospel for us all, and should be the aim of our effort and longing, dominating all others as some sovereign mountain peak towers above the valleys. Looking then at this prayer as containing an outline of true progress in the Christian life, we may note:

I. The Growth In Keenness Of Conscience Founded On Growth In Love.

Paul does not merely desire that their love may abound, but that it may become more and more rich in knowledge and all discernment.' The former is perhaps accurate knowledge, and the latter the application of it. Discernment' literally means sense,' and here, of course, when employed about spiritual and moral things it means the power of apprehending good and bad as such. It is, I suppose, substantially equivalent to conscience, the moral tact or touch of the soul by which, in a manner analogous to bodily sense, it ascertains the moral character of things. This growth of love in the power of spiritual and moral discernment is desired in order to its exercise in proving things that differ.' It is a process of discrimination and testing that is meant, which is, I think, fairly represented by the more modern expression which I have used--keenness of conscience.

I need spend little time in remarking on the absolute need of such a process of discrimination. We are surrounded by temptations to evil, and live in a world where maxims and principles not in accordance with the gospel abound. Our own natures are but partially sanctified. The shows of things must be tested. Apparent good must be proved. The Christian life is not merely to unfold itself in peace and order, but through conflict. We are not merely to follow impulses, or to live as angels do, who are above sin, or as animals do who are beneath it. When false coin is current it is folly to accept any without a test. All around us there is glamour, and so within us there is need for careful watchfulness and quick discrimination.

This keenness of conscience follows on the growth of love. Nothing makes a man more sensitive to evil than a hearty love to God. Such a heart is keener to discern what is contrary to its love than any ethical maxims can make it. A man who lives in love will be delivered from the blinding influence of his own evil tastes, and a heart steadfast in love will not be swayed by lower temptations. Communion with God will, from its very familiarity with Him, instinctively discern the evil of evil, as a man coming out of pure air is conscious of vitiated atmosphere which those who dwell in it do not perceive. It used to be said that Venice glass would shiver into fragments if poison were poured into the cup. As evil spirits were supposed to be cast out by the presence of an innocent child or a pure virgin, so the ugly shapes that sometimes tempt us by assuming fair disguises will be shown in their native hideousness when confronted with a heart filled with the love of God.

Such keenness of judgment is capable of indefinite increase. Our consciences should become more and more sensitive: we should always be advancing in our discovery of our own evils, and be more conscious of our sins, the fewer we have of them. Twilight in a chamber may reveal some foul things, and the growing light will disclose more. Secret faults' will cease to be secret when our love abounds more and more in knowledge, and in all discernment.

II. The Purity And Completeness Of Character Flowing From This Keenness Of Conscience.

The Apostle desires that the knowledge which he asks for his Philippian friends may pass over into character, and he describes the sort of men which he desires them to be in two clauses, sincere and void of offence' being the one, filled with the fruits of righteousness' being the other. The former is perhaps predominantly negative, the latter positive. That which is sincere is so because when held up to the light it shows no flaws, and that which is without offence is so because the stones in the path have been cleared away by the power of discrimination, so that there is no stumbling. The life which discerns keenly will bring forth the fruit which consists of righteousness, and that fruit is to fill the whole nature so that no part shall be without it.

Nothing lower than this is the lofty standard towards which each Christian life is to aim, and to which it can indefinitely approximate. It is not enough to aim at the negative virtue of sincerity so that the most searching scrutiny of the web of our lives shall detect no flaws in the weaving, and no threads dropped or broken. There must also be the actual presence of positive righteousness filling life in all its parts. That lofty standard is pressed upon us by a solemn motive, unto the day of Christ.' We are ever to keep before us the thought that in that coming day all our works will be made manifest, and that all of them should be done, so that when we have to give account of them we shall not be ashamed.

The Apostle takes it for granted here that if the Philippian Christians know what is right and what is wrong, they will immediately choose and do the right. Is he forgetting the great gulf between knowledge and practice? Not so, but he is strong in the faith that love needs only to know in order to do. The love which abounds more and more in knowledge and in all discernment will be the soul of obedience, and will delight in fulfilling the law which it has delighted in beholding. Other knowledge has no tendency to lead to practice, but this knowledge which is the fruit of love has for its fruit righteousness.

III. The Great Name In Which This Completeness Is Secured.

The Apostle's prayer dwells not only on the way by which a Christian life may increase itself, but in its close reaches the yet deeper thought that all that growth comes through Jesus Christ.' He is the Giver of it all, so that we are not so much called to a painful toil as to a glad reception. Our love fills us with the fruits of righteousness, because it takes all these from His hands. It is from His gift that conscience derives its sensitiveness. It is by His inspiration that conscience becomes strong enough to determine action, and that even our dull hearts are quickened into a glow of desiring to have in our lives, the law of the spirit of life, that was in Christ Jesus, and to make our own all that we see in Him of things that are lovely and of good report.'

The prayer closes with a reference to the highest end of all our perfecting--the glory and praise of God; the former referring rather to the transcendent majesty of God in itself, and the latter to the exaltation of it by men. The highest glory of God comes from the gradual increase in redeemed men's likeness to Him. They are the secretaries of His praise,' and some portion of that great honour and responsibility lies on each of us. If all Christian men were what they all might be and should be, swift and sure in their condemnation of evil and loyal fidelity to conscience, and if their lives were richly hung with ripened clusters of the fruits of righteousness, the glory of God would be more resplendent in the world, and new tongues would break into praise of Him who had made men so like Himself.

MHCC: Phi 1:1-7

The highest honour of the most eminent ministers is, to be servants of Christ. And those who are not really saints on earth, never will be saints in heaven. Out of Christ, the best saints are sinners, and unable to stand before God. There is no peace without grace. Inward peace springs from a sense of Divine favour. And there is no grace and peace but from God our Father, the fountain and origin of all blessings. At Philippi the apostle was evil entreated, and saw little fruit of his labour; yet he remembers Philippi with joy. We must thank our God for the graces and comforts, gifts and usefulness of others, as we receive the benefit, and God receives the glory. The work of grace will never be perfected till the day of Jesus Christ, the day of his appearance. But we may always be confident God will perform his good work, in every soul wherein he has really begun it by regeneration; though we must not trust in outward appearances, nor in any thing but a new creation to holiness. People are dear to their ministers, when they receive benefit by their ministry. Fellow-sufferers in the cause of God should be dear one to another.

MHCC: Phi 1:8-11

Shall not we pity and love those souls whom Christ loves and pities? Those who abound in any grace, need to abound more. Try things which differ; that we may approve the things which are excellent. The truths and laws of Christ are excellent; and they recommend themselves as such to any attentive mind. Sincerity is that in which we should have our conversation in the world, and it is the glory of all our graces. Christians should not be apt to take offence, and should be very careful not to offend God or the brethren. The things which most honour God will most benefit us. Let us not leave it doubtful whether any good fruit is found in us or not. A small measure of Christian love, knowledge, and fruitfulness should not satisfy any.

Matthew Henry: Phi 1:1-2

We have here the inscription and benediction. Observe,

I. The persons writing the epistle - Paul and Timotheus. Though Paul was alone divinely inspired, he joins Timothy with himself, to express his own humility, and put honour upon Timothy. Those who are aged, and strong, and eminent, should pay respect to, and support the reputation of, those who are younger, and weaker, and of less note. The servants of Jesus Christ; not only in the common relation of his disciples, but in the peculiar work of the ministry, the high office of an apostle and an evangelist. Observe, The highest honour of the greatest apostle, and most eminent ministers, is to be the servants of Jesus Christ; not the masters of the churches, but the servants of Christ. Observe,

II. The persons to whom it is directed. 1. To all the saints in Christ who are at Philippi. He mentions the church before the ministers, because the ministers are for the church, for their edification and benefit, not the churches for the ministers, for their dignity, dominion, and wealth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, 2Co 1:24. They are not only the servants of Christ, but the servants of the church for his sake. Ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake, 2Co 4:5. Observe, The Christians here are called saints; set apart for God, or sanctified by his Spirit, either by visible profession or real holiness. And those who are not really saints on earth will never be saints in heaven. Observe, It is directed to all the saints, one as well as another, even the meanest, the poorest, and those of the least gifts. Christ makes no difference; the rich and the poor meet together in him: and the ministers must not make a difference in their care and tenderness upon these accounts. We must not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons, Jam 2:1. Saints in Christ Jesus; saints are accepted only by virtue of their being in Christ Jesus, or as they are Christians. Out of Christ the best saints will appear sinners, and unable to stand before God. 2. It is directed to the ministers, or church-officers - with the bishops and deacons, the bishops or elders, in the first place, whose office it was to teach and rule, and the deacons, or overseers of the poor, who took care of the outward business of the house of God: the place, the furniture, the maintenance of the ministers, and provision for the poor. These were all the offices which were then known in the church, and which were of divine appointment. The apostle, in the direction of his epistle to a Christian church, acknowledges but two orders, which he calls bishops and deacons. And whosoever shall consider that the same characters and titles, the same qualifications, the same acts of office, and the same honour and respect, are every where ascribed throughout the New Testament to those who are called bishops and presbyters (as Dr. Hammond and other learned men allow), will find it difficult to make them a different office or distinct order of ministry in the scripture times.

III. Here is the apostolical benediction: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, Phi 1:2. This is the same, almost word for word, in all the epistles, to teach us that we must not be shy of forms, though we are not to be tied down to them, especially such as are not scriptural. The only form in the Old Testament is that of a benediction (Num 6:23-26), On this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. So in the New Testament, the good which is wished is spiritual good, grace and peace - the free favour and good-will of God, and all the blessed fruits and effects of it, and that from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, jointly from them both, though in a different way. Observe, 1. No peace without grace. Inward peace springs from a sense of divine favour. 2. No grace and peace but from God our Father, the fountain and original of all blessings, the Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, Jam 1:17. 3. No grace and peace from God our Father, but in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, as Mediator, is the channel of conveyance of all spiritual blessings to the church, and directs the disposal of them to all his members.

Matthew Henry: Phi 1:3-6

The apostle proceeds after the inscription and benediction to thanksgiving for the saints at Philippi. He tells them what it was he thanked God for, upon their account. Observe here,

I. Paul remembered them: he bore them much in his thoughts; and though they were out of sight, and he was at a distance from them, yet they were not out of his mind: or, Upon every mention of you - epi pasē tē mneia . As he often thought of them, so he often spoke of them, and delighted to hear them spoken of. The very mention of them was grateful to him: it is a pleasure to hear of the welfare of an absent friend.

II. He remembered them with joy. At Philippi he was maltreated; there he was scourged and put into the stocks, and for the present saw little of the fruit of his labour; and yet he remembers Philippi with joy. He looked upon his sufferings for Christ as his credit, his comfort, his crown, and was pleased at every mention of the place where he suffered. So far was he from being ashamed of them, or loth to hear of the scene of his sufferings, that he remembered it with joy.

III. He remembered them in prayer: Always in every prayer of mine for you all, Phi 1:4. The best remembrance of our friends is to remember them at the throne of grace. Paul was much in prayer for his friends, for all his friends, for these particularly. It should seem, by this manner of expression, that he mentioned at the throne of grace the several churches he was interested in and concerned for particularly and by name. He had seasons of prayer for the church at Philippi. God gives us leave to be thus free with him, though, for our comfort, he knows whom we mean when we do not name them.

IV. He thanked God upon every joyful remembrance of them. Observe, Thanksgiving must have a part in every prayer; and whatsoever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. What we have the comfort of, God must have the glory of. He thanked God, as well as made requests with joy. As holy joy is the heart and soul of thankful praise, so thankful praise is the lip and language of holy joy.

V. As in our prayers, so in our thanksgiving, we must eye God as our God: I thank my God. It encourages us in prayer, and enlarges the heart in praise, to see every mercy coming from the hand of God as our God. - I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. We must thank our God for others' graces and comforts, and gifts and usefulness, as we receive the benefit of them, and God receives glory by them. But what is the matter of this thanksgiving? 1. He gives thanks to God for the comfort he had in them: for your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now, Phi 1:5. Observe, Gospel fellowship is a good fellowship; and the meanest Christians have fellowship in the gospel with the greatest apostles, for the gospel salvation is a common salvation (Jud 1:3), and they obtain like precious faith with them, 2Pe 1:1. Those who sincerely receive and embrace the gospel have fellowship in it from the very first day: a new-born Christian, if he is true-born, is interested in all the promises and privileges of the gospel from the first day of his becoming such. - Until now. Observe, It is a great comfort to ministers when those who begin well hold on and persevere. Some, by their fellowship in the gospel, understand their liberality towards propagating the gospel, and translate koinōnia , not communion, but communication. But, comparing it with Paul's thanksgiving on the account of other churches, it rather seems to be taken more generally for the fellowship which they had, in faith, and hope, and holy love, with all good Christians - a fellowship in gospel promises, ordinances, privileges, and hopes; and this from the first day until now. 2. For the confidence he had concerning them (Phi 1:6): Being confident of this very thing, etc. Observe, The confidence of Christians is the great comfort of Christians, and we may fetch matter of praise from our hopes as well as from our joys; we must give thanks not only for what we have the present possession and evidence of, but for what we have the future prospect of. Paul speaks with much confidence concerning the good estate of others, hoping well concerning them in the judgment of charity, and being confident in the judgment of faith that if they were sincere they would be happy: That he who has begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. A good work among you - En humin , so it may be read: understand it, in the general, of the planting of the church among them. He who hath planted Christianity in the world will preserve it as long as the world stands. Christ will have a church till the mystery of God shall be finished and the mystical body completed. The church is built upon a rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. But it is rather to be applied to particular persons, and then it speaks of the certain accomplishment of the work of grace wherever it is begun. Observe here, (1.) The work of grace is a good work, a blessed work; for it makes us good, and is an earnest of good to us. It makes us like God, and fits us for the enjoyment of God. That may well be called a good work which does us the greatest good. (2.) Wherever this good work is begun it is of God's beginning: He has begun a good work in you. We could not begin it ourselves, for we are by nature dead in trespasses and sins: and what can dead men do towards raising themselves to life; or how can they begin to act till they are enlivened in the same respect in which they are said to be dead? It is God who quickens those who are thus dead, Eph 2:1; Col 2:13. (3.) The work of grace is but begun in this life; it is not finished here; as long as we are in this imperfect state there is something more to be done. (4.) If the same God who begins the good work did not undertake the carrying on and finishing of it, it would lie for ever unfinished. He must perform it who began it. (5.) We may be confident, or well persuaded, that God not only will not forsake, but that he will finish and crown the work of his own hands. For, as for God, his work is perfect. (6.) The work of grace will never be perfected till the day of Jesus Christ, the day of his appearance. When he shall come to judge the world, and finish his mediation, then this work will be complete, and the top-stone will be brought forth with shouting. We have the same expression, Phi 1:10.

Matthew Henry: Phi 1:7-8

The apostle expresses the ardent affection he had for them, and his concern for their spiritual welfare: I have you in my heart, Phi 1:7. He loved them as his own soul, and they lay near his heart. He thought much of them, and was in care about them. Observe, 1. Why he had them in his heart: Inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace; that is, they had received benefit by him and by his ministry; they were partakers of that grace of God which by him, and through his hands, was communicated to them. This makes people dear to their ministers - their receiving benefit by their ministry. Or, " You are partakers of my grace, you have joined with me in doing and suffering."They were partakers of his affliction by sympathy and concern, and readiness to assist him. Thus he calls being partakers of his grace; for those who suffer with the saints are and shall be comforted with them; and those shall share in the reward, who bear their part of the burden. He loved them because they adhered to him in his bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel: they were as ready to appear in their places, and according to their capacity, for the defence of the gospel, as the apostle was in his; and therefore he had them in his heart. Fellow sufferers should be dear one to another; those who have ventured and suffered in the same good cause of God and religion should for that reason love one another dearly: or, because you have me at heart - dia to echein me en tē kardia humas . They manifested their respect for him by adhering firmly to the doctrine he preached, and readily suffering for it along with him. The truest mark of respect towards our ministers is receiving and abiding by the doctrine they preach. 2. The evidence of it: It is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart. By this it appeared that he had them in his heart, because he had a good opinion of them and good hopes concerning them. Observe, It is very proper to think the best of other people, and as well as we can of them - to suppose as well of them as the matter will admit in all cases. 3. An appeal to God concerning the truth of this (Phi 1:8): For God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. Having them in his heart, he longed after them; either he longed to see them, longed to hear from them, or he longed for their spiritual welfare and their increase and improvement in knowledge and grace. He had joy in them (Phi 1:4), because of the good he saw and heard of among them; yet still he longed after them, to hear of more of it among them; and he longed after them all, not only those among them who were witty and wealthy, but even the meanest and poorest; and he longed greatly after them, or with strong affection and great good-will; and this in the bowels of Jesus Christ, with that tender concern which Christ himself has and has shown to precious souls. Paul was herein a follower of Christ, and all good ministers should aim to be so. O the bowels of compassion which are in Jesus Christ to poor souls! It was in compassion to them that he undertook their salvation, and put himself to so vast an expense to compass it. Now, in conformity to the example of Christ, Paul had a compassion for them, and longed after them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. Shall not we pity and love those souls whom Christ had such a love and pity for? For this he appeals to God: God is my record. It was an inward disposition of mind that he expressed towards them, to the sincerity of which God only was witness, and therefore to him he appeals. "Whether you know it or not, or are sensible of it, God, who knows the heart, knows it."

Matthew Henry: Phi 1:9-11

These verses contain the prayers he put up for them. Paul often let his friends know what it was he begged of God for them, that they might know what to beg for themselves and be directed in their own prayers, and that they might be encouraged to hope they should receive from God the quickening, strengthening, everlasting, comforting grace, which so powerful an intercessor as Paul asked of God for them. It is an encouragement to us to know that we are prayed for by our friends, who, we have reason to think, have an interest at the throne of grace. It was intended likewise for their direction in their walk, and that they might labour to answer his prayers for them; for by this it would appear that God had answered them. Paul, in praying thus for them, expected good concerning them. It is an inducement to us to do our duty, that we may not disappoint the expectations of praying friends and ministers. He prayed, 1. That they might be a loving people, and that good affections might abound among them; That your love might abound yet more and more. He means it of their love to God, and one another, and all men. Love is the fulfilling both of the law and of the gospel. Observe, Those who abound much in any grace have still need to abound more and more, because there is still something wanting in it and we are imperfect in our best attainments. 2. That they might be a knowing and judicious people: that love might abound in knowledge and in all judgment. It is not a blind love that will recommend us to God, but a love grounded upon knowledge and judgment. We must love God because of his infinite excellence and loveliness, and love our brethren because of what we see of the image of God upon them. Strong passions, without knowledge and a settled judgment, will not make us complete in the will of God, and sometimes do more hurt than good. The Jews had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, and were transported by it to violence and rage, Rom 10:2; Joh 16:2. 3. That they might be a discerning people. This would be the effect of their knowledge and judgment: That you may approve the things which are excellent (Phi 1:10); or, as it is in the margin, Try the things which differ; eis to dokimazein , that we may approve the things which are excellent upon the trial of them, and discern their difference from other things. Observe, The truths and laws of Christ are excellent things; and it is necessary that we every one approve them, and esteem them such. We only need to try them, to approve of them; and they will easily recommend themselves to any searching and discerning mind. 4. That they might be an honest upright-hearted people: That you may be sincere. Sincerity is our gospel perfection, that in which we should have our conversation in the world, and which is the glory of all our graces. When the eye is single, when we are inward with God in what we do, are really what we appear to be, and mean honestly, then we are sincere. 5. That they might be an inoffensive people: that you may be without offence until the day of Christ; not apt to take offence; and very careful not to give offence to God or their brethren, to live in all good conscience before God (Act 23:1), and to exercise ourselves to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men, Act 24:16. And we must continue to the end blameless, that we may be presented so at the day of Christ. He will present the church without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:27), and present believers faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jud 1:24. 6. That they might be a fruitful useful people (Phi 1:11): Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, etc. From God is our fruit found, and therefore from him it must be asked. The fruits of righteousness are the evidences and effects of our sanctification, the duties of holiness springing from a renewed heart, the root of the matter in us. Being filled with them. Observe, Those who do much good should still endeavour to do more. The fruits of righteousness, brought forth for the glory of God and edification of his church, should really fill us, and wholly take us up. Fear not being emptied by bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, for you will be filled with them. These fruits are by Jesus Christ, by his strength and grace, for without him we can do nothing. He is the root of the good olive, from which it derives its fatness. We are strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus (2Ti 2:1) and strengthened with might by his Spirit (Eph 3:16), and they are unto the glory and praise of God. We must not aim at our own glory in our fruitfulness, but at the praise and glory of God, that God may be glorified in all things (1Pe 4:11), and whatsoever we do we must do all to the glory of God, 1Co 10:31. It is much for the honour of God, when Christians not only are good, but do good, and abound in good works.

Barclay: Phi 1:1-2

The opening sentence sets the tone of the whole letter. It is characteristically a letter from a friend to his friends. With the exception of the letter to the Thessalonians and the little personal note to Philemon, Paul begins every letter with a statement of his apostleship; he begins, for instance, the letter to the Romans: "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle" (compare 1Co 1:1; 2Co 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1). In the other letters he begins with a statement of his official position, why he has the right to write, and why the recipients have the duty to listen; but not when he writes to the Philippians. There is no need; he knows that they will listen, and listen lovingly. Of all his Churches, the Church at Philippi was the one to which Paul was closest; and he writes, not as an apostle to members of his Church, but as a friend to his friends.

Nonetheless, Paul does lay claim to one title. He claims to be the servant (doulos, 1401) of Christ, as the King James and Revised Standard Versions have it; but doulos (1401) is more than servant, it is slave. A servant is free to come and go; but a slave is the possession of his master for ever. When Paul calls himself the slave of Jesus Christ, he does three things. (i) He lays it down that he is the absolute possession of Christ. Christ has loved him and bought him with a price (1Co 6:20), and he can never belong to anyone else. (ii) He lays it down that he owes an absolute obedience to Christ. The slave has no will of his own; his master's will must be his. So Paul has no will but Christ's, and no obedience but to his Saviour and Lord. (iii) In the Old Testament the regular title of the prophets is the servants of God (Amo 3:7; Jer 7:25). That is the title which is given to Moses, to Joshua and to David (Jos 1:2; Jdg 2:8; Psa 78:70; Psa 89:3; Psa 89:20). In fact, the highest of all titles of honour is servant of God; and when Paul takes this title, he humbly places himself in the succession of the prophets and of the great ones of God. The Christian's slavery to Jesus Christ is no cringing subjection. As the Latin tag has it: Illi servire est regnare, to be his slave is to be a king.

Barclay: Phi 1:1-2

The letter is addressed, as the Revised Standard Version has it, to all the saints in Christ Jesus. The word translated saint is hagios, (40); and saint is a misleading translation. To modern ears it paints a picture of almost unworldly piety. Its connection is rather with stained glass windows than with the market-place. Although it is easy to see the meaning of hagios (40) it is hard to translate it.

Hagios (40), and its Hebrew equivalent qadowsh (06918), are usually translated holy. In Hebrew thought, if a thing is described as holy, the basic idea is that it is different from other things; it is in some sense set apart. The better to understand this, let us look at how holy is actually used in the Old Testament. When the regulations regarding the priesthood are being laid down, it is written: "They shall be holy to their God" (Lev 21:6). The priests were to be different from other men, for they were set apart for a special function. The tithe was the tenth part of all produce which was to be set apart for God, and it is laid down: "The tenth shall be holy to the Lord, because it is the Lord's" (Lev 27:30, Lev 27:32). The tithe was different from other things which could be used as food. The central part of the Temple was the Holy Place (Exo 26:33); it was different from all other places. The word was specially used of the Jewish nation itself. The Jews were a holy nation (Exo 19:6). They were holy unto the Lord; God had severed them from other nations that they might be his (Lev 20:26); it was they of all nations on the face of the earth whom God had specially known (Amo 3:2). The Jews were different from all other nations, for they had a special place in the purpose of God.

But they refused to play the part which God meant them to play; when his Son came into the world, they failed to recognize him, and rejected and crucified him. The privileges and the responsibilities they should have had were taken away from the nation of Israel and given to the Church, which became the new Israel, the real people of God. Therefore, just as the Jews had once been hagios (40), holy, different, so now the Christians must be hagios (40); the Christians are the holy ones, the different ones, the saints. Thus Paul in his pre-Christian days was a notorious persecutor of the saints, the hagioi (40) (Act 9:13); Peter goes to visit the saints, the hagioi (40), at Lydda (Act 9:32).

To say that the Christians are the saints means, therefore, that the Christians are different from other people. Wherein does that difference lie?

Paul addresses his people as saints in Christ Jesus. No one can read his letters without seeing how often the phrases in Christ, in Christ Jesus, in the Lord occur. In Christ Jesus occurs 48 times, in Christ 34 times, and in the Lord 50 times. Clearly this was for Paul the very essence of Christianity. What did he mean? Marvin R. Vincent says that when Paul spoke of the Christian being in Christ, he meant that the Christian lives in Christ as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, the roots of a tree in the soil. What makes the Christian different is that he is always and everywhere conscious of the encircling presence of Jesus Christ.

When Paul speaks of the saints in Christ Jesus, he means those who are different from other people and who are consecrated to God because of their special relationship to Jesus Christ--and that is what every Christian should be.

Barclay: Phi 1:1-2

Paul's greeting to his friends is: Grace be to you and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ (compare Rom 1:7; 1Co 1:3; 2Co 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:2; Phm 1:3).

When Paul put together these two great words, grace and peace, (charis, 5485, and eirene, 1515), he was doing something very wonderful. He was taking the normal greeting phrases of two great nations and moulding them into one. Charis (5485) is the greeting with which Greek letters always began and eirene (1515) the greeting with which Jews met each other. Each of these words had its own flavour and each was deepened by the new meaning which Christianity poured into it.

Charis (5485) is a lovely word; the basic ideas in it are joy and pleasure, brightness and beauty; it is, in fact, connected with the English word charm. But with Jesus Christ there comes a new beauty to add to the beauty that was there. And that beauty is born of a new relationship to God. With Christ life becomes lovely because man is no longer the victim of God's law but the child of his love.

Eirene (1515) is a comprehensive word. We translate it peace; but it never means a negative peace, never simply the absence of trouble. It means total well-being, everything that makes for a man's highest good.

It may well be connected with the Greek word eirein (1515), which means to join, to weave together. And this peace has always got to do with personal relationships, a man's relationship to himself, to his fellow-men, and to God. It is always the peace that is born of reconciliation.

So, when Paul prays for grace and peace on his people he is praying that they should have the joy of knowing God as Father and the peace of being reconciled to God, to men, and to themselves--and that grace and peace can come only through Jesus Christ.

Barclay: Phi 1:3-11

It is a lovely thing when, as Ellicott puts it, remembrance and gratitude are bound up together. In our personal relationships it is a great thing to have nothing but happy memories; and that was how Paul was with the Christians at Philippi. To remember brought no regrets, only happiness.

In this passage there are set out the marks of the Christian life.

There is Christian joy. It is with joy that Paul prays for his friends. The Letter to the Philippians has been called The Epistle of Joy. Bengel in his terse Latin commented: "Summa epistolae gaudeo--gaudete." "The whole point of the letter is I do rejoice; do you rejoice." Let us look at the picture of Christian joy which this letter paints.

(i) In Phi 1:4there is the joy of Christian prayer, the joy of bringing those we love to the mercy seat of God.

George Raindrop in his book No Common Task tells how a nurse once taught a man to pray and in doing so changed his whole life, until a dull, disgruntled and dispirited creature became a man of joy. Much of the nurse's work was done with her hands, and she used her hands as a scheme of prayer. Each finger stood for someone. Her thumb was nearest to her, and it reminded her to pray for those who were closest to her. The second finger was used for pointing and it stood for all her teachers in school and in the hospital. The third finger was the tallest and it stood for the V.I.P.s, the leaders in every sphere of life. The fourth finger was the weakest, as every pianist knows, and it stood for those who were in trouble and in pain. The little finger was the smallest and the least important and to the nurse it stood for herself.

There must always be a deep joy and peace in bringing our loved ones and others to God in prayer.

(ii) There is the joy that Jesus Christ is preached (Phi 1:18). When a man enjoys a great blessing surely his first instinct must be to share it; and there is joy in thinking of the gospel being preached all over the world, so that another and another and another is brought within the love of Christ.

(iii) There is the joy of faith (Phi 1:25). If Christianity does not make a man happy, it will not make him anything at all. There is a certain type of Christianity which is a tortured affair. The Psalmist said, "They looked to him and were radiant." When Moses came down from the mountain top his face shone. Christianity is the faith of the happy heart and the shining face

(iv) There is the joy of seeing Christians in fellowship together (Phi 2:2). As the Psalmist sang (Psa 133:1):

Behold how good a thing it is,

And how becoming well,

Together such as brethren are

In unity to dwell!

There is peace for no one where there are broken human relationships and strife between man and man. There is no lovelier sight than a family linked in love to each other or a Church whose members are one with each other because they are one in Christ Jesus their Lord.

(v) There is the joy of suffering for Christ (Phi 2:17). In the hour of his martyrdom in the flames Polycarp prayed, "I thank thee, O Father, that thou hast judged me worthy of this hour." To suffer for Christ is a privilege, for it is an opportunity to demonstrate beyond mistake where our loyalty lies and to share in the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God.

(vi) There is the joy of news of the loved one (Phi 2:28). Life is full of separations, and there is always joy when news comes to us of those loved ones from whom we are temporarily separated. A great Scottish preacher once spoke of the joy that man can give with a postage stamp. It is worth remembering how easily we can bring joy to those who love us and how easily we can bring anxiety, by keeping in touch or failing to keep in touch with them.

(vii) There is the joy of Christian hospitality (Phi 2:29). There is the home of the shut door and there is the home of the open door. The shut door is the door of selfishness; the open door is the door of Christian welcome and Christian love. It is a great thing to have a door from which the stranger and the one in trouble know that they will never be turned away.

(viii) There is the joy of the man in Christ (Phi 3:1; Phi 4:1). We have already seen that to be in Christ to live in his presence as the bird lives in the air, the fish in the sea, and the roots of the trees in the soil. It is human nature to be happy when we are with the person whom we love; and Christ is the lover from whom nothing in time or eternity can ever separate us.

(ix) There is the joy of the man who has won one soul for Christ (Phi 4:1). The Philippians are Paul's joy and crown, for he was the means of bringing them to Jesus Christ. It is the joy of the parent, the teacher, the preacher to bring others, especially the child, into the love of Jesus Christ. Surely he who enjoys a great privilege cannot rest content until he shares it with his family and his friends. For the Christian evangelism is not a duty; it is a joy.

(x) There is the joy in a gift (Phi 4:10). This joy does not lie so much in the gift itself, as in being remembered and realizing that some one cares. This is a joy that we could bring to others far oftener than we do.

Barclay: Phi 1:3-11

In Phi 1:6Paul says that he is confident that God who has begun a good work in the Philippians will complete it so that they will be ready for the day of Christ. There is a picture here in the Greek which it is not possible to reproduce in translation. The point is that the words Paul uses for to begin (enarchesthai, 1728) and for to complete (epitelein, 2005) are technical terms for the beginning and the ending of a sacrifice.

There was an initial ritual in connection with a Greek sacrifice. A torch was lit from the fire on the altar and then dipped into a bowl of water to cleanse it with its sacred flame; and with the purified water the victim and the people were sprinkled to make them holy and clean. Then followed what was known as the euphemia (2162), the sacred silence, in which the worshipper was meant to make his prayers to his god. Finally a basket of barley was brought, and some grains of the barley were scattered on the victim, and on the ground round about it. These actions were the beginning of the sacrifice, and the technical term for making this beginning was the verb enarchesthai (1728) which Paul uses here. The verb used for completing the whole ritual of sacrifice was the verb epitelein (2005) which Paul uses here for to complete. Paul's whole sentence moves in an atmosphere of sacrifice.

Paul is seeing the life of every Christian as a sacrifice ready to be offered to Jesus Christ. It is the same picture as he draws when he urges the Romans to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1).

On the day when Christ comes it will be like the coming of a king. On such a day the king's subjects are bound to present him with gifts to mark their loyalty and to show their love. The only gift Jesus Christ desires from us is ourselves. So, then, a man's supreme task is to make his life fit to offer to him. Only the grace of God can enable us to do that.

Barclay: Phi 1:3-11

Phi 1:10, Phi 1:11

In this passage the idea of Christian partnership is strongly stressed. There are certain things which Christians share.

(i) Christians are partners in grace. They are people who owe a common debt to the grace of God.

(ii) Christians are partners in the work of the gospel. Christians do not only share a gift; they also share a task; and that task is the furtherance of the gospel. Paul uses two words to express the work of Christians for the sake of the gospel; he speaks of the defence and the confirmation of the gospel. The defence (apologia, 627) of the gospel means its defence against the attacks which come from outside. The Christian has to be ready to be a defender of the faith and to give a reason for the hope that is in him. The confirmation (bebaiosis, 951) of the gospel is the building up of its strength from within, the edifying of Christians. The Christian must further the gospel by defending it against the attacks of its enemies and by building up the faith and devotion of its friends.

(iii) Christians are partners in suffering for the gospel. Whenever the Christian is called upon to suffer for the sake of the gospel, he must find strength and comfort in the memory that he is one of a great fellowship in every age and every generation and every land who have suffered for Christ rather than deny their faith.

(iv) Christians are partners with Christ. In Phi 1:8Paul has a very vivid saying. The literal translation is, "I yearn for you all with the bowels of Jesus Christ." The Greek word for bowels is splagchna (4698). The splagchna were the upper intestines, the heart, the liver, and the lungs. These the Greeks believed to be the seat of the emotions and the affections. So Paul is saying: "I yearn for you with the very compassion of Jesus Christ himself. I love you as Jesus loves you." The love which Paul feels towards his Christian friends is nothing other than the love of Christ himself. J. B. Lightfoot, writing on this passage says, "The believer has no yearnings apart from his Lord; his pulse beats with the pulse of Christ; his heart throbs with the heart of Christ." When we are really one with Jesus, his love goes out through us to our fellow-men whom he loves and for whom he died. The Christian is a partner in the love of Christ.

Barclay: Phi 1:3-11

It was Paul's prayer for his people that their love would grow greater every day (Phi 1:9-10). That love, which was not merely a sentimental thing, was to grow in knowledge and in sensitive perception so that they would be more and more able to distinguish between right and wrong. Love is always the way to knowledge. If we love any subject, we want to learn more about it; if we love any person, we want to learn more about him; if we love Jesus, we will want to learn more about him and about his truth.

Love is always sensitive to the mind and the heart of the one it loves. If it blindly and blunderingly hurts the feelings of the one it claims to love, it is not love at all. If we really love Jesus, we will be sensitive to his will and his desires; the more we love him; the more we will instinctively shrink from what is evil and desire what is right. The word Paul uses for testing the things that differ is dokimazein (1381), which is the word used for testing metal to see that it is genuine. Real love is not blind; it will enable us always to see the difference between the false and the true.

So, then, the Christian will become himself pure and will cause no other to stumble. The word used for pure is interesting. It is eilikrines (1506). The Greeks suggested two possible derivations, each of which has a vivid picture. It may come from eile, sunshine, and krinein (2919), to judge, and may describe that which is able to stand the test of the sunshine, without any flaw appearing. On that basis the word means that the Christian character can stand any light that is turned upon it. The other possibility is that eilikrines (1506) is derived from eilein which means to whirl round and round as in a sieve and so to sift until every impurity is extracted. On that basis the Christian character is cleansed of all evil until it is altogether pure.

But the Christian is not pure; he is also aproskopos (677), he never causes any other person to stumble. There are people who are themselves faultless, but who are so austere that they drive people away from Christianity. The Christian is himself pure, but his love and gentleness are such that he attracts others to the Christian way and never repels them from it.

Finally, Paul sets down the Christian aim. This is to live such a life that the glory and the praise are given to God. Christian goodness is not meant to win credit for a man himself; it is meant to win praise for God. The Christian knows, and witnesses, that he is what he is, not by his own unaided efforts, but only by the grace of God.

Constable: Phi 1:1-2

I. Salutation 1:1-2

Paul began this epistle by identifying himself and his companion and by wishing God's richest blessings on his readers.

"Almost all letters from the Greco-Roman period began with a threefold salutation: The Writer, to the Addressee, Greetings. Very often the next item in the letter would be a wish (sometimes a prayer) for the health or well-being of the addressee. Paul's letters, which generally follow this standard form, usually include a thanksgiving; in some of these, as here, he also includes a prayer-report. But in contrast to most of the ancient letters, which tend to be stereotyped, Paul tends to elaborate these formal items; and in so doing, everything Paul's hands touch come under the influence of the gospel, and thereby become distinctively Christian."⁹

1:1 Timothy was an associate of Paul's and may have served as his secretary as Paul wrote this letter (cf. 2 Thess. 3:17), but Timothy was not the co-author of this letter (cf. 1:3; 2:19-23). The Philippians knew him since he had been with Paul when Paul had founded the church in Philippi (Acts 16:1-12) and on subsequent occasions (Acts 19:22; 20:3-6).

Paul's lack of reference to his apostleship is in harmony with the overall emphasis of this epistle. This was a personal letter rather than one giving correction that needed apostolic authority behind it so the recipients would accept it and act on its instructions.

The writer characterized himself and Timothy as bond-servants (Greek douloi) of Christ, a favorite title of early Christian leaders (cf. James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1). It stressed the strong commitment of the Christian to his or her Lord. The Septuagint translators of the Old Testament used douloi to describe Moses and other dedicated prophets (Ps. 105:26; Jer. 25:4; Amos 3:7) as did John when he described Moses (Rev. 15:3).

The apostle Paul was fond of addressing his fellow believers as saints (cf. Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:10; Phile. 5, 7). This title reflects the Christian's present justified standing before God though not necessarily his or her present sanctified standing in the sight of other people.

In no other of his epistles did Paul address the elders and deacons of the church specifically in the salutation. Perhaps they received special mention because Epaphroditus had come to Paul with money from the Philippian church (2:25) and or because friction existed within this church (4:2-3). These are the two offices of the church that Paul expounded elsewhere (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1).

"Even though these titles occur only here and in the Pastoral Epistles in the Pauline corpus, one should not construe this to suggest either that the other Pauline churches did not have such leaders or that this is a later development in his churches."¹⁰

Normally Paul appointed elders in the churches that he founded (Acts 14:23). This was an office that carried over from Jewish synagogue life.¹¹ The elders whom Paul appointed were probably Jewish converts who had good backgrounds in the Old Testament. The terms elder, overseer, bishop, and pastor all refer to the same office.

The deacons were the official servants of the church who functioned as the elders' assistants. This is the only place in the New Testament beside 1 Timothy 3 where a New Testament writer mentioned both elders and deacons together as the leaders of the church. Note that in Philippi there was a plurality of both elders and deacons in the church. At this stage in the growth of the church probably there was only one church in Philippi and there was a plurality of both elders and deacons in the one assembly.¹²

This reference to elders and deacons does not prescribe that there must be a plurality of elders and or deacons in every modern church. The verse is descriptive rather than prescriptive. However it does indicate that there was a plurality of official leaders in this church. In this respect the Philippian church was typical of many others in its day (cf. Acts 14:13).

"No evidence exists for a single leader as the head' of the local assembly in the Pauline churches."¹³

1:2 Grace and peace were Paul's favorite words of blessing in his epistles. He wished that God would bestow these gifts on the Philippians even more than He had. Grace refers to God's unmerited favor and divine enablement. Peace is the cessation of hostilities and the inner tranquillity that are the result of God's grace. Charis (grace) is a variation on the word usually used in Greek salutations, namely chairein meaning "greetings." Shalom (peace) was the traditional Jewish greeting that meant the full measure of divine blessing.

The source of these blessings is God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul believed that Jesus possesses full authority with the Father.

". . . How is one to begin to attack selfishness and disunity? By subtly showing from the very beginning that in the Church seniority and high calling do not put one Christian leader above another (Paul and Timothy together are one--they are slaves of Christ Jesus) and that church supervisors' are not above serving, but are by virtue of their office, called to serve (to be diakonoi) ministering to the needs of their fellows."¹⁴

Constable: Phi 1:3-8

A. Thanksgiving 1:3-8

The apostle proceeded to express his sincere gratitude to God for his friends in Philippi. He did this to assure them of God's continuing working for them and his satisfaction with their partnership in the work of the gospel. In this section Paul introduced and summarized the main theme of Philippians, namely partnership in the gospel. He stated it explicitly in verse 5 and developed it later in the body of the epistle (1:27-4:9).

1:3 The Christians in Philippi always caused Paul to give thanks to God when he prayed for them at his set times of prayer.¹⁵ All of Paul's epistles begin with a similar commendation except Galatians. This thanksgiving is particularly warm.

1:4 Paul's imprisonment limited his ministry to the Philippian church, but he still prayed for his brethren in Philippi. His prayers were full of joy as he petitioned God for the saints there. Joy is a recurring motif in Philippians where the joy word group appears 16 times. The Greek word translated "prayer" (deesis) refers to requests. Several years of absence from these Christians had not led Paul to drop them from his prayer list. Every time Paul prayed for them, he did so with thanksgiving.

1:5 The reason Paul was always joyful as he prayed for the Philippians was their participation (NASB) or partnership (NIV, lit. fellowship, Gr. koinonia) in the gospel.

"It does not take much reading of Paul's letters to recognize that the gospel is the singular passion of his life; that passion is the glue that in particular holds this letter together. By the gospel,' especially in Philippians, Paul refers primarily neither to a body of teaching nor to proclamation. Above all, the gospel has to do with Christ, both his person and his work."¹⁶

The fellowship in view, as the use of this word in the New Testament indicates, means sharing together with mutual activity and mutual benefit in a close bond.¹⁷ Partnership in the gospel includes partnership with God and with other believers that the gospel makes possible. It also involves participation in the work of getting the gospel to people. The Philippians had recently sent Paul a gift (4:10-14) and had done so more than once before (4:16; 2 Cor. 11:9). Even in Philippi he had received hospitality from Lydia (Acts 16:15) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33-34). However, Paul's use of koinonia here implies a broader meaning than just physical assistance. It probably includes all that Paul and his readers shared as committed Christians who sought to disseminate the gospel.

"Paul's letter to the Philippians can be ranked as the second most important source for study of the biblical principles of financial stewardship. Only 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 provide a more extensive discussion of the topic."¹⁸

1:6 What was the good work to which Paul referred? If he had in mind only the generosity of his original readers, he may have meant that good work. However, as I have suggested, he seems to have had a much broader concept in mind, namely what the work of the gospel produces: salvation. Who had begun this good work of salvation? It could only be God. Paul was confident that God would finish what He had begun in his beloved Philippians.

In the New Testament, God has revealed that salvation is a process. It involves justification when a sinner trusts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. It includes progressive sanctification that occurs from the time of justification to the Christian's death or the Rapture. It culminates in glorification when the redeemed sinner finally sees Jesus Christ and experiences transformation into His image. Paul was confident that just as surely as God had justified the Philippians He would also continue to sanctify and eventually glorify them. Whereas we have a hand in the process of sanctification and can affect it by our obedience or disobedience, God alone justifies us. Regardless of our carnality or spirituality He will also glorify us (1 Cor. 15:50-57).

The aspect of sanctification that Paul had in view, considering verse 5, was the Philippians' partnership with him in the work of propagating the gospel. He was confident that God would continue His sanctifying work in them so they might become even more effective partners with him in this great task.

This verse does not teach that God will keep all Christians persevering in the faith and in good works faithfully until they die. Believers can and do resist, oppose, and limit God's sanctifying work in them (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). Perseverance in faith and good works is not automatic for the Christian. The New Testament writers consistently urged us to persevere recognizing that some Christians will not do so (Titus 2:11-13; Heb. 2:1; 4:1; 6:1-8; et al.). Even some of Paul's fellow workers did not persevere faithfully (1 Tim. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:17-18; 4:10). Even though some Christians do not persevere in faith and good works, God will persevere in bringing them to glory (i.e., will glorify them).¹⁹ Thus it is God who perseveres in the work of salvation, not necessarily man.

Paul's reference to the day of Christ Jesus as the culmination of the Lord's work of salvation in the believer points to the day when He will return for His own, the Rapture. There are at least 18 references to this day in the New Testament (Rom. 13:12; 1 Cor. 1:8; 3:13; 5:5; 15:51; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16; 3:11, 20-21; 1 Thess. 4:17; 5:2, 4; 2 Thess. 1:10; 2 Tim. 1:12, 18; 4:8).

"The expression is similar to the day of the Lord' (1 Thess 5:2) and the OT day of Jehovah' (Amos 5:18-20). However, in contrast to the OT emphasis on judgment, the day of Christ Jesus' is mentioned in all cases with reference to the NT church. It will be the time when Christ returns for his church, salvation is finally completed, and believers' works are examined and the believer rewarded."²⁰

This is one of the most comforting verses in the Bible for Christians. Our getting to heaven safely does not depend on us, on our ability to hold on and to persevere faithfully to the end of our lives. The Lord will see to it that we reach heaven safely in spite of our failures and shortcomings. Salvation is God's work, not man's (Jonah 2:9). As surely as He has already delivered us from the penalty of sin (Rom. 5:1), He will one day deliver us from the presence of sin (cf. Rom. 8:31-39).

Verses 3-6 summarize the entire epistle. They introduce the main theme, which is the Philippians' partnership in the gospel.

"All the rest of the letter is concerned primarily with their development as koinonoi [partners] so that they may be blessed with a temporally fruitful, eternally rewardable partnership in the gospel."²¹

1:7 Verses 7 and 8 express the basis of Paul's confidence that he just expressed (v. 6). They also develop the theme of partnership in the gospel.

How did Paul feel about the Philippians? He felt joyful (v. 4; cf. 1:9-11, 25, 27-28; 2:2, 12-18; 3:16-17; 4:17). The reason he said it was right for him to feel that way was the partnership in the gospel that they shared with him. The figurative use of "heart" (Gr. kardia) refers to the whole personality: intellect, emotions, and will, not just sentiment.²² The Philippians were in Paul's prayers (vv. 3-4) and on his mind (not on his nerves). This is the proof that they were on his heart. Here is the first use of a key word in Philippians (Gr. phroneo) translated "to feel." The word means to hold a mind-set that expresses itself in proper action. Paul developed this concept later (cf. 2:1-5; 3:15, 19; 4:2, 10). The same "mind" is necessary if partners are to progress toward perfection (v. 6).

Even though many miles separated the writer and the original readers, Paul viewed their relationship as intimate since they shared salvation and their calling to spread the gospel. Not only were they bound together in the gospel (v. 5) but more specifically they were one in imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. The Philippians had not only been in prison with Paul in spirit, but they had been willing to associate with and minister to him in prison through Epaphroditus.

Defending and confirming the gospel are positive and negative aspects of proclaiming it. However, Paul may have meant more than that since these terms have legal connotations. A defense (Gr. apologia) elsewhere sometimes refers to a legal defense (e.g., Acts 22:1; 25:16: 2 Tim. 4:16). Moreover confirming (Gr. bebaiosis) meant to guarantee security (e.g., Heb. 6:16). Paul may have had his upcoming trial in mind. That occasion would be one more opportunity to herald the gospel. It was that great task that united Paul and the Philippians in such close bonds of fellowship.

"Partakers . . . with me" (NASB) and "you share . . . with me" (NIV) are translations of a Greek word (sugkoinonous) that means fellow partners. Paul and the Philippians partook together of the enabling grace that God provides for those who confirm and defend the gospel (cf. 1:29-30; 3:1; 4:4). Here Paul introduced the idea of suffering in the work of proclaiming the gospel, which he developed later.

"While suffering is not the dominant motif in Philippians, it constitutes the church's primary historical context in Philippi and thus underlies much of the letter. . . .

"Second, opposition and suffering probably lie behind a further--seldom noted--major motif in the letter: Paul's repeated emphasis on the believer's sure future with its eschatological triumph."²³

1:8 Only God really knew how strongly Paul longed for his brothers and sisters back in Philippi. Consequently the apostle called on Him as his witness to his professions of affection. Paul's feelings were similar to those of his Lord Jesus Christ who generated them in the apostle.

". . . Paul took this solemn oath because he was aware that within the church that he founded and for which he cared so deeply there were those who were not at all convinced of his right to lead them nor certain of the reality of his love for them. What more could he do to convince them than swear before God that they all (pantas humas) had the same great place in his affections? Nothing. In his day and in his culture a solemn oath was the end of every dispute (cf. Heb 6:16)."²⁴

These expressions of thanksgiving provide insight into the unity that exists among believers and between believers and our Lord. The gospel and salvation are the great unifying elements.

Constable: Phi 1:9-11

B. Prayer 1:9-11

Paul had already written that he prayed for the Philippians (vv. 3-4). Now he explained what he prayed so his readers would know specifically what the apostle was asking God to do for them. In response to God's working in them (v. 6) it was imperative that they continue to grow in the virtues identified here, specifically intelligent discerning love. Note the balance of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in this pericope.

1:9 By praying Paul acknowledged the importance of asking God to work (cf. James 4:2). We may not be able to explain fully why God has ordained prayer as a vehicle whereby He works in the world or how prayer works. Nevertheless Scripture is unmistakably clear that prayer does affect objective change.²⁵ Consequently we should make use of this great privilege as Paul did.

Paul's petition was three-fold. He prayed that his readers would be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ (v. 10b). In order for them to be that he prayed that they would approve excellent things (v. 10a). To do that he prayed that their love would abound even more (v. 9). Self-sacrificing love (Gr. agape) should be the motive behind partnership (Gr. koinonia) in the gospel. Paul illustrated the importance of this shortly with examples of preachers who demonstrated improper and proper motives (1:15-18).

The Philippians had already given evidence of possessing the love that God alone can produce (1 Cor. 13:1-3; Gal. 5:22) in their dealings with the apostle. Paul asked God that that love might increase even more. He did not limit the objects of that love in this verse. They probably included God, Paul, other believers, and all people.

However, he did qualify that love as resting on real knowledge and all discernment. It should arise from an intelligent appraisal of reality. It should also rest on spiritual sensitivity to truth as God has revealed it in His Word and not on mere sentimentality. God's revelation and His Spirit were to guide their loving. This kind of loving becomes apparent when a Christian values highly the things that God loves and turns away from situations and influences that God hates. In the context this discernment applies primarily to what will advance the gospel best (cf. vv. 12-26).

1:10 Possessing this kind of abounding love would enable the Philippians to give approval to things of the greatest value and importance. Conversely they would disapprove things of lesser significance. Most of the choices that a spiritual believer faces are not between morally good and morally evil things but between things of lesser and greater value. The things that we choose because we love them reflect how discerning our love really is.

The ultimate end in view emerges in the second part of this verse. We need to love in harmony with God's revelation and with His Spirit's guidance (v. 9) so we will choose the best over the good (v. 10a). This will result in our being without flaw (sincere) and without blame (blameless) when we stand before God to give an account of the stewardship of our lives at the judgment seat (v. 10b; 2 Cor. 5:10; cf. 1 John 3:3).

"Aproskopos has to do with being blameless' in the sense of not offending' or not causing someone else to stumble."²⁶

1:11 This verse modifies the last half of verse 10. The only way we will be able to stand before God sincere and blameless is if we allow the Holy Spirit to control us. If we do, He will fill our lives with the fruit that is the product of His righteousness (Gal. 5:22-23). This righteousness and its fruit come to us through Jesus Christ, not as a result of our own good deeds. Therefore all the glory and praise for our righteousness, our fruit, and hopefully our flawless and blameless condition at the judgment seat of Christ, goes to God. He is the ultimate source of it all (cf. Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).

What an excellent prayer this is! In our day when we tend to voice prayer requests for physical needs primarily we need to follow Paul's example of putting the spiritual needs of others high on our prayer lists. Christians still need God's supernatural enablement to value highly the things of greatest importance as revealed in Scripture. Only then will we make choices that will prepare us to give a good account of ourselves at the judgment seat of Christ.

"Paul uses three thoughts in Philippians 1:1-11 that describe true Christian fellowship: I have you in my mind (Phil. 1:3-6), I have you in my heart (Phil. 1:7-8), I have you in my prayers (Phil. 9-11).²⁷

College: Phi 1:1-30

PHILIPPIANS 1

SALUTATION (1:1-2)

¹ Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers ^a and deacons:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^a 1 Traditionally bishops

Though Paul was writing Scripture, he used the common letter style of his day. The content, however, was far from the same. It was enriched by the common experience of being "in Christ" which he shared with his readers. We should not expect here a carefully outlined document. It was a letter, and as letters do, addressed a particular occasion without giving exacting attention to the niceties of strict logical development. But neither was the progress of Paul's thought haphazard.

1:1 Paul and Timothy,

Paul may well have suited the introductory self-descriptions in his letters to the needs he addressed in those letters. In some letters he called himself an apostle. But not here. His apostolate was not in question in Philippi.

Paul joined Timothy with himself in the greeting. Timothy was apparently part of the team which founded the Philippian church (Acts 16:1-3,6,10; 17:14). Why was his name included in this greeting? Certainly because he was with Paul and was known to the Philippians. His name was also joined with Paul's in the greetings in Second Corinthians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, and Philemon. He was probably not Paul's scribe, as some have suggested, since he is mentioned in the third person in 2:19-23. For the same reason we know the letter was Paul's product, not Timothy's. If Timothy's name was included for other reasons, perhaps it was because Paul wished to enhance his status in view of his intention to send him to Philippi. Others think that inclusion of the name was to indicate Timothy's "amen" to Paul's words. It has also been suggested that Paul's use of "servants" as a mutual description of himself and Timothy was to show their equality. Thus Paul would not elevate himself by the title "apostle," since humility was the virtue which he would urge on the Philippians in the letter.

servants of Christ Jesus,

The word dou'loi ( douloi ) translated "servants" was the word normally used in the Greek world for slaves. The corresponding Hebrew term was used to refer to a person through whom God had acted (Moses in Num 12:7; the prophets in Jer 25:4; Ezek 38:17; Amos 3:7; and Zech 1:6). Thus some argue that Paul used the term to indicate that he and Timothy were God's instruments. This Hebrew sense is possible, but we prefer to understand the term in the Greek sense of slavery, as in 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23, where Paul described the brethren as those "bought with a price." This seems to fit more neatly into the call for humility and unselfishness which is sounded often in this letter. Paul offered himself as a servant to the Philippians so that they could interpret his exhortations as "service" and not as "command." As Christ became a servant, so were they to become servants. Thus Paul opened the letter with a word that set the tone for what would follow.

To all the saints

It is noteworthy how often Paul uses the term "all" in this letter. One writer has suggested that it was sounded like the pealing of a bell (1:4,7,8,25; 2:17,26; and 4:21). Quite likely this language was used deliberately to reassure the church that no one was excluded from Paul's concern. He would not be accused of favoritism as he pleaded for unity.

"Saints" (a{gioi , hagioi ) is the special term used for the recipients of this letter. Paul also employed the term in Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthains 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; and Colossians 1:2. The basic idea of the word is to be "set apart." It draws its meaning from the Old Testament concept of the people of Israel being set apart because God chose them. In this unique relationship to God the Philippians enjoyed special privilege, as the letter will show. Further, they were also characterized by a particular lifestyle, as we will also see. These differences were obvious to the public, so that the followers of Christ became a visible element among the nonsaints in Philippi.

in Christ Jesus at Philippi,

Their special status was no human invention, but was made possible in Christ Jesus. Thus the cause of saintliness anticipates the greeting "grace" in verse 2. The expression "in Christ Jesus" and similar expressions such as "in Christ," "in the Lord," and "in the Lord Jesus" frequently punctuate this letter. If one searches for these occurrences, one is amazed at how central for Paul was the experience of relationship to Christ. This was no mere acquaintance, nor was it simply following the teaching of Jesus. It was a union with him, in which the saints shared Christ's resurrection life (3:9f). Though they were a special group in the city of Philippi, they were special there because they were first special "in Christ Jesus." These words indicate how extraordinary was the context in which this letter must be set.

together with the overseers and deacons:

Among the saints at Philippi were those called "overseers" and deacons. Some translations render "overseers" (ejpivskopoi , episkopoi ) as "bishops," a term that derives from a transliteration of the word. This is the earliest literary reference to these groups to be found in Christian literature. This is also the only Pauline letter where these people were included in the address. Who were these overseers and deacons, and why did Paul mention them in his greetings only here? When we appeal to later New Testament writings we find the term for overseers employed in Acts 20:28 as well as in the climactic usage in 1 Peter 2:25. The basic idea in these texts is oversight, supervision, or protective care. In this case these ideas would have spiritual implications in terms of relationship to Christ. Though in later Christian writings overseers were involved with expenditures of money, when Paul mentions monetary gifts in Philippians 4:10-18, he does not mention them. It may be that in the providence of God oversight within the church ripened into more developed concepts found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-8; 1 Peter 2:25 and 5:1-4. Here, in addition another church leader is mentioned in Philippians 4:3.

The term translated "deacons" (diavkonoi , diakonoi ) simply means servant. (In fact, "deacon" is actually more of a transliteration that a translation of the word's meaning.) Christians were often referred to in the New Testament by both the noun and verb forms of this word. First Timothy 3:8-10,12f gives qualifications of deacons who seem to have had a formal office in the church. They seem to have been special servants who operated in performing the tasks of the church under the supervision of the bishops.

Why did Paul address these groups specifically here? Some say he was responding to a letter the Philippians had sent him in which they were mentioned. Therefore he noted them in his response.

Others suggest that he wished the leaders to be foremost in recognizing Epaphroditus and receiving him properly when he came, and also in receiving Timothy (2:19-30). He may have wished the cooperation of these leaders in dealing with the Philippian problems addressed in the letter. If that was the case, however, it is puzzling why Paul did not mention such leaders in his other letters. It is possible that the Philippian church was the first to have appointed individuals to these positions.

We should also note that the term "overseers" is plural. There was no single bishop (overseer) in the church at this point.

1:2 Grace and peace to you

The term "grace" (cavri" , charis ) is similar in form to the usual Greek greeting cai're ( chaire ), "hail," but this subtle change in meaning catches up the essence of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Everything is from God, and because grace has been given from God, peace is possible. "Peace" (eijrhvnh , eirçnç ) was also frequently used in Paul's greetings. It implies health, well-being, and prosperity. When properly understood, these were blessings of following Jesus and of being of God's special race of people. Thus, as God had given him grace and peace, so now Paul blessed others with the same gifts. But he recognized that he could offer them only because they had been offered by God in Christ.

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus had taught his followers the special dimensions of the fatherhood of God. Note especially the use of the term in Luke 11:2,13. Therefore as God's sons through Christ they could address him as "Father."

To address Jesus as "Lord" was to recognize his sovereignty and equality with God, as God was Lord. It was also to recognize his role as Messiah. The theme of Lordship becomes particularly pointed in 2:9-11.

I. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER (1:3-11)

A. THANKSGIVING (1:3-8)

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Letters of Paul's day often included a section which could have one or more basic functions. It could be an expression of thanksgiving, or a prayer to the gods in whom the writer believed. It might include some favorable reference to the recipients of the letter, as best wishes or a prayer for them. There may have been something about the circumstances of the writer. Paul has taken this section of the normal letter and expanded it. Normally the themes that were touched were those that were expanded and developed later in the letter. Thus in verses 3 and following we will see many ideas that were important in Paul's mind as he wrote.

Verses 3-6 are centered in remembrance; that is, in Paul's past experience with the Philippians. In verse 7, as he had done briefly in verse 3, Paul indicates his present attitude as he writes. In verses 9-11 Paul prays that God will bless his readers in the future.

He begins by thanking God for them. Before he will finish this section, we will learn that Paul was thankful because they had remembered him and thus been his partners; and he was thankful because he was confident that God would complete the good work in them which he had begun. There is then in these verses a sense of confidence in the power of prayer. Paul was not merely extending good wishes, but believed that God would work in their lives.

1:3 I thank my God

There is an intimacy in the expression "my God" - an expression found elsewhere in Romans 1:8 and Philemon 4. Paul recognized that the goodness of the Philippians was due to God's work in them, and not to their natural graciousness.

every time I remember you.

Some have argued that a legitimate translation of the Greek mneiva/ uJmw'n (mneia hymôn , literally "remembrance of you") rendered "I remember you" could be "you remember me." If that translation were accepted it could refer to the gifts they had sent Paul (4:10-18) as well as to other ways in which the Philippians had cared for him. Both translations reflect concepts found in the letter, and which are Christian. It is difficult to know which to accept here.

Verses 3 and 4 seem to indicate a regular regimen of prayer on Paul's part. We would say that the Philippians were on Paul's "prayer list."

1:4 In all my prayers for all of you,

Here, as in verse 1, Paul mentions "all" the Christians at Philippi. Again he wished to indicate that none were omitted. This would be an appropriate response to any division in the church which would separate Christians from one another. Paul was not going to take sides and exclude some.

I always pray with joy

The joy theme is here first introduced in the letter. It will be sounded again and again. References are found in 1:18, 25; 2:2,17,18,28,29; 3:1; and 4:1,4,10. The noun form of the word (carav , chara ) is found five times and the verb form (caivrw , chairô ) is found eleven times in Philippians. Paul speaks of more than just a mood. This is a deep confidence that was rooted in God's sovereign control of the universe and the assurance of ultimate victory for those in Christ. Emotional fluctuations would not trouble this source of joy. Note Paul's statement of this confidence in 3:20. Statements of joy are significant given the fact that Paul was in prison. But imprisonment did not diminish his joy because that joy was grounded in something deeper.

Paul prayed for the Philippians as they prayed for him (1:19). The word for prayer here is not Paul's usual term, but indicates a specific need that was carried to God. The content of the prayer, however, is not given until verse 9, after Paul has spoken of his relationship to the Philippians and his feelings for them.

1:5 because of your partnership in the gospel

Paul's relations with the Philippians had been special through the years. The term "partnership" is the Greek koinwniva (koinônia ), used by Paul in thirteen of the nineteen New Testament usages. In Philippians it occurs in 1:7; 2:1; 3:10 and 4:15, besides the present text. It has a broad realm of significance, and certainly would include here the financial help they had sent (4:10-18). We know that Paul was sent help in Thessalonica more than once (Phil 4:16); that help was sent once to him in Corinth (2 Cor 11:9); and now help had been sent to him as he was in prison. But, beyond financial help, the larger sense of partnership here seems to be sharing in the gospel, or in the life in Christ.

from the first day until now,

This partnership took place "from the first day." Meanings of the term "first day" range from the suggestion that it meant the beginning of Paul's evangelism in Philippi, to that it was the beginning of his evangelism after leaving Philippi, to that it was the beginning of the European mission. These conjectures may be overworking the point. Paul may simply have been saying that the Philippians, in all the time of their acquaintance, had shared with him in the work of the Lord.

1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion

Now Paul moves from the past to the future, expressing confidence in the work that God would do in the lives of the Philippians. His confidence was not merely humanistic, but was based in the very nature of God. God, if men would allow it, would complete the work that he does in human lives. Though the "good work" could include financial help given Paul, it seems likely, from the nature of this verse, that it embraced more than that, i.e., embraced the entire experience of living in Christ. There was need for perseverance in this endeavor, but there was also the expectation of increased growth and experienced richness in relationship to Christ. Paul's prayer suggests a prayer that all Christians would do well to employ.

until the day of Christ Jesus.

The "day of Christ Jesus" is understood as the day of his return. It is possible to read these words in a way that implies an expectation that this event would occur soon. There is no doubt that the early Christians expected the Lord to return at any time, though the exact time was unknown. The passage of the centuries has dimmed the modern church's expectation of the Lord's return. It might be well if the church could recapture the sense of an event which could at any time break into history.

1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you,

Although the term "it is right," which was Paul's affirmation that he had the Philippians in his heart, may seem defensive, as if Paul were criticized for his prayers, actually he was choosing a strong way to indicate how deep his feelings were. Verses 7 and 8 are characterized by strong emotion, and show in a beautiful way the relationship between the church and the prisoner. Paul's days in prison were brightened by the contemplation of these brothers and sisters.

The word "feel" translates an important Greek term (fronei'n , phronein ). Philippians contains one third of its New Testament usages (2:2 [twice], 5; 3:15 [twice], 16 [variant], 19; 4:2, 10 [twice].) The basic idea conveyed by the word was a frame of mind, or a life direction. The sense is of thought, but there are emotional overtones. It is a mistake, however, to interpret the term simply as an emotion.

It is often easy to feel deeply for one segment of a group and not for another, but Paul by using "all" made it clear that this passionate language excluded none of those in the Philippian church. Note the same term in verses 1 and 4. So Paul knew about these people, but also cared deeply about them.

since I have you in my heart;

Some translations render the Greek behind "since I have you in my heart" as "you hold me in your heart." Both renderings are possible from the Greek and commentators are divided. We believe, on the basis of verse eight, that the reading of the NIV makes better sense here.

for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel,

Defending and confirming the gospel are part of the same experience, since only one article is used with the two terms, indicating that they were one thing. These were legal terms, and probably referred to Paul's coming trial, though other opinions have been offered.

all of you share in God's grace with me.

In these traumatic times Paul was comforted by a sense of God's grace, but was also comforted by the realization that others shared in that grace. He was not alone, but was part of a supportive community, which, though not with him in person, was involved with him in prayer. One author has suggested that the church might be described as "sharers in God's grace."

1:8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul continued expressing his deep attachment to his readers in this verse by calling God to testify to his longing for them. If they could not see Paul's heart, God could. So in this serious way he affirmed his concern for them. Though he had affection for them, the sense was intensified by reference to the affection of Jesus. Paul might have spoken of "my affection," but the passage as it reads makes the statement more powerful. Any understanding of Christ would have to begin with a sense of Jesus' deep affection and compassion. To describe affection in that way was to describe it as powerfully as possible. Paul may have expressed himself this way in the event any doubted the sincerity of his words. To invoke the names of God and Christ when a statement of love was made falsely would be a terrible thing indeed.

B. PRAYER FOR LOVE GROWING TOWARD GLORY (1:9-11)

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

We come now to the prayer to which reference was made in verses 3 and 4. Just as verse 6 had expressed confidence for the readers' Christian growth until the day of Christ, now in verses 9-11 the same thought is repeated, keeping in mind the ultimate return of the Lord (v. 10).

1:9 And this is my prayer:

The word for prayer here is the broader term (proseuvcomai , proseuchomai ) contrasted to the narrower term found in verse 4, which there indicated a more specific petition. The content of the prayer was for love, but love defined in the very specific ways the context indicates. The result of this love was that the quality of life would be such that God would be glorified.

that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

There were two things for which Paul prayed. The first was love that was abounding and able to discern. Secondly, he prayed for their character, that they might be pure and blameless. The love for which he prayed could be love for God, but in context it seems more appropriately to indicate love for others. The need for this love would become obvious as the letter progressed, and as Paul discussed the need for the church to seek unity. This love, which was enhanced through prayer, was not simply a feeling, but on the other hand neither was it just a bookish kind of knowledge. Genuine love would produce moral insight and thus appropriate action. One commentator has even suggested that Paul was combatting an "enthusiastic" love which needed to be tempered and guided by knowledge and insight.

Paul prayed that this love would abound, which implied it would be overflowing. As one has said, there was to be so much love there would be no room to store it. The new age of men in Christ was to be marked by this remarkable excess of love, characterized by knowledge and insight. It was not an easy tolerance of any belief or manner of life. Love would weigh matters in view of the deeper purposes of God, and thus make decisions and carry them into action.

1:10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

To "be able to discern what is best," as this verse indicates, required that some things would be rejected by love as not being best. Love was therefore a thinking thing, which, like wisdom, observed, and sifted, and decided. There may be many ways to make decisions, but Paul prayed that their way would be the highest; the way of love. Thus the pure and blameless quality of life came through prayer, as did the righteousness indicated in the next verse. The pure person was one who was sincere and honest and whose mind was not polluted by those things which did not come from God. The basic idea of "blameless" (ajprovskopoi , aproskopoi ) seems to relate to the idea of stumbling; either not causing others to stumble, or not stumbling oneself. As in verse 6 there was a reference to the day of Christ, so again this end of time reality is noted as the goal and climax of Christian striving.

1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -

The theme of personal integrity continues here, with the expression "fruit of righteousness" (karpoΙn dikaiosuvnh" , karpon dikaiosynçs ). This could mean either righteousness which was itself the fruit (like an orchard), or it could mean that righteousness within one produced the right kind of fruit. Here it was not the sinlessness which was given because of what Christ had done, but it was a moral quality. Consonant with the idea that prayer produces righteousness, here Paul said it came through Jesus Christ.

to the glory and praise of God.

The conclusion, or doxology, of this section is the expression "to the glory and praise of God." Paul has not been discussing human achievement, but that which comes as the result of prayer and God's intercession. It was not how good humans had been, but rather how good and gracious God has been.

II. PAUL'S SITUATION AND ATTITUDE (1:12-26)

A. THE INFLUENCE OF PAUL'S CHAINS (1:12-14)

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard ^a and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

^a 13 Or whole palace

In verses 12-14 Paul reassured the brothers that his experiences had advanced the gospel. Consequently the palace guard and all others knew that his chains were for Christ. And the Christians had been encouraged to speak God's word with greater courage.

The form of Philippians differs from some of Paul's other letters in that he intersperses biographical material with instruction and exhortation. Even the biography, however, has an instructive purpose. Verses 12-26 comprise this first biographical section. The two others are 2:19-3:14 and 4:10-20. Though Paul speaks about himself, verses 12-18 seem to be more basically about the preaching of Christ. In verse 14 it is mentioned specifically, and verses 15-18 describe an unusual situation which Paul resolved by rejoicing that regardless of motives Christ was preached. As one author has said the picture is not so much a Pauline self-portrait, as one of the gospel's progress.

1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers,

The words "I want you to know" may have implied an inquiry by the Philippians, or may indicate that people would expect the opposite result from the one Paul now announced. His language may imply the expectation that his circumstances would hinder the gospel. He made it clear that the opposite had occurred. This had two results. First, (v. 13) his guard and "everyone else" had further understanding of his circumstances, centering in the knowledge of Christ. Second, most of the brothers had been emboldened by Paul's circumstances to overcome any reticence to speak God's word.

Some have even suggested (though the text does not hint at it) that Paul may have been responding to those who might argue that if God were really with him, he would not have allowed Paul to be imprisoned.

that what has happened to me

As Paul had prayed for deepened knowledge to characterize the Philippians (v. 9), so now he advances their knowledge of his situation. He calls his state "what has happened to me." This may have referred to his imprisonment and its consequences. But it is also possible that it referred to some subsequent episode, perhaps even that mentioned in verses 15-18. The Greek expression is literally "my affairs." This is so general that we cannot exactly define Paul's situation. Whatever it was, it was assumed that it might harm the cause of Christ.

has really served to advance the gospel.

The word "advance" (prokophv , prokopç ) commonly described the removing of obstacles, as might be done before an advancing army. Here a circumstance that might have appeared to be an obstacle really had the opposite result.

1:13 As a result, it has become clear

It would appear that either ignorance or misconception had once characterized what people knew of Paul's imprisonment, but no longer. One would assume from "it has become clear" that the gospel had become quite a topic of conversation. One might also assume, knowing Paul, that he had not been passive during his imprisonment.

throughout the whole palace guard

"Palace guard" (praitwvrion , praitôrion ) was an expression which originally designated a leader's tent in a Roman camp, then later the official residence of the governor in a Roman palace. It is generally held, however, that in this context the reference was not to a location, but to soldiers. The next expression indicates individuals ("everyone else") and this would imply that "palace guard" also indicates individuals.

and to everyone else

"Everyone else" may have been others concerned with the disposition of Paul's case. Since the term is general, it could extend even beyond that. This prisoner was not hidden away in anonymity.

that I am in chains for Christ.

Why was Paul initially imprisoned? Was it assumed that he was a political prisoner? If so, that assumption had now been placed aside. He was in prison for Christ. Does this suggest that his jailers considered that was a legitimate grounds for incarceration, or that it was not a legitimate reason and they were not aware of it? Perhaps these questions are not the major interest in the text. Most important was that Christ was now known through Paul and his circumstances. In a sense it could be said that Paul was acknowledging a higher imprisoning authority than Rome; that he was indeed God's prisoner.

Yet it is tantalizing to know exactly how and why Paul was imprisoned. If a Roman imprisonment is assumed the narrative in Acts still leaves the reader with some dissatisfaction as to any solid legal reason for Paul's presence in jail. The expression "in Christ," nonetheless, must indicate the imprisonment had something to do with Paul's Christian activity. In 3:10 he speaks of himself as a sharer in Christ's sufferings.

1:14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers

Now Paul "moves out" of prison, to consider the brothers. Behind his words we sense reticence, perhaps even embarrassment, on the part of the brothers, reluctant to preach because of danger or humiliation. If there was danger, Paul's circumstances had emboldened them to rise above it. Boldness and shame in Philippi are noted in verse 20. Apparently both in Paul's location and in Philippi the problem of reticence in proclamation and discipleship occurred.

The word "most" is intriguing. Were there brethren who, despite Paul, still held back from proclamation? Perhaps shyness to preach the word is a problem with which the church must always deal.

in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

The expression "in the Lord" (ejn kurivw/ , en kyriô ) in the NIV modifies "brothers." Some feel this is unnecessarily repetitive and note that the Greek could just as well use the words to modify "encourage"; i.e., the brothers are encouraged in the Lord. This might imply that God had given them supernatural help, likely in response to prayer, leading them to overcome reluctance in evangelism. We can conjecture the circumstances. Some might have asked, when learning that Paul was in prison for Christ, what it was about Christ that would lead a person to accept jail. This might have opened up preaching opportunities for the brethren. Or his circumstances might have demonstrated that prison was not that tragic, or that if one followed Christ, prison did not matter. They may have thought that if Paul had such courage, so should they.

B. OPPOSITE MOTIVES FOR PREACHING CHRIST (1:15-18a)

¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ^{a 18} But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

^a 16, 17 Some late manuscripts have verses 16 and 17 in reverse order.

Those who preached Christ did so from two motives. Some who did so out of envy and rivalry, selfish ambition and insincerity hoped to create trouble for Paul (vv. 15,17). Others preached out of love, thus showing their respect for Paul (v. 16). In any event, said the apostle, the important thing was that Christ was preached, whatever the motives (v. 18), and that made him joyful.

1:15 It is true that some preach Christ

Besides imprisonment Paul experienced another troublesome situation. The words "it is true that" (in Greek, the single word mevn , men , "indeed") may imply that the Philippians had heard of it. The preaching of Christ, referred to in verse 14, was being done appropriately by some, but by others with tainted motivations. It has been argued that the two groups spoken of in these verses were sub-groups of the brothers who spoke courageously, to whom verse 14 referred. Careful examination of the text, however, would indicate that those whom Paul complimented in verse 14 would not be spoken of disparagingly here. Therefore we assume that he spoke of another situation in this verse.

out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

Paul's concern here was motives, not message. There is no suggestion that what was proclaimed was heretical. Conjectures about those who preached out of envy and rivalry have been varied. Some have said their intent was to hasten Paul's punishment in the belief that such tribulation would hasten the return of the Lord. Others have argued that the preaching of Christ had been done against the Jews (see chapter 3) and the intent was to use the imprisonment to embarrass them, rather than to increase Paul's difficulties. Others have held that some believed Paul should accept martyrdom, and they were trying to increase the likelihood it would occur. Another view is that some believed Christianity would triumph immediately, and Paul's imprisonment seemed a denial of that. Therefore they opposed him because his situation conflicted with their theology. We believe the circumstance was a matter of rivalry. Certain church members aspired to positions of leadership and to the accolades and acceptance that came with that. Consequently they did what they could to increase Paul's difficulties, on the premise that the more he was subdued, the more their cause would be amplified. Thus they preached the correct message, but their intent was not so much to lead men to Christ as to enhance their own prestige as "leading figures" in the church. Though no view may answer all the questions, a lust for importance can explain the words "envy," "rivalry" (v. 15), "selfish ambition" and "not sincerely" (v. 17).

The words "envy" (fqovno" , phthonos ) and "rivalry" (e[ri" , eris ) often occur together in Paul, and only he uses the latter word in the New Testament. "Good will" could indicate good will toward Paul, or toward God. In the latter case the idea would be that those who preached Christ in the appropriate way were grateful for God's good will toward Paul.

1:16 The latter do so in love,

As with the interpretation of good will (v. 15), so "love" in this verse can be understood as love for Paul, or for God, or for the lost. But it may be stretching the text too far to attempt to make such distinctions here.

knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The last of this verse relates to the ideas of verse 14. The words "put here" often conveyed the sense of divine appointment. Was Paul saying that he was put on earth to preach the gospel, or, more likely, that he was put in prison for the defense of the gospel? Was he referring to God's mandate to preach as the cause of his imprisonment, or to the imprisonment as an opportunity given by God? In the latter case even the harmful designs of men would work to the glory of God. Since God cannot be thwarted by human intent, what of those in verse 17 who were attempting to thwart God's will by corrupt motivations? "Defense" is the Greek word ajpologiva ( apologia ) from which we get our word "apology." It referred to Paul's coming trial.

1:17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely,

In this carefully structured paragraph Paul turned to the second of the groups mentioned two verses earlier. Unfortunately there were those who put their own egos and self-enhancement above God himself and above the salvation of mankind. As Melick suggests, all of the groups in the church knew Paul, but not all welcomed him. We might also infer from Paul's knowledge of the situation that their motives and opposition were not concealed.

supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

The word "trouble" (qli'yi" , thlipsis ) indicates inner distress or pain. We do not know the exact significance of this. Perhaps it implied inward annoyance or implied Paul's frustration because his imprisonment limited him. Perhaps some thought his imprisonment could be made more severe, or that his influence on the outside, especially in the church, could be diminished.

1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.

Paul's response to all this was remarkable. When one compares the severity of his language in other texts, as in Gal 1:8-9, these words appear most charitable. Perhaps Paul had mellowed as he aged. In this case, however, it was not the message that was threatened, as in Galatians. Rather it was a question of motivation. What people heard was what people ought to hear, regardless of the reasons it was proclaimed. Certainly Paul would argue the character of ministers was important, but he also recognized that the nature and power of the message would do their work regardless of the character of the minister. Truth is truth, despite the mind or mouth from which it comes. Paul here rose above any personal irritation or hostility to achieve a more noble perspective. The preaching of Christ, even from wrong motives, was for him a cause of joy.

And because of this I rejoice.

Here the verb for "rejoice" (caivrw , chairô ) is used, as elsewhere in 1:25; 2:2,17,18,28,29; 3:1; 4:1,4,10 (cf. notes at 1:4). Someone has said this was an extraordinary statement from an extraordinary man.

It is possible there was more to this issue than is indicated here. Paul's focus, however, was on the preaching of Christ, and he simply had no interest in developing more fully the exact circumstance that prevailed.

Why had he told this to the Philippians? Certainly to inform them about his situation. But he may also have recognized that problems of self-aggrandizement characterized the church in many places. He may have felt so strongly that he was giving the Philippians an indirect warning, even if he saw no immediate problem among them. Has the church ever been free from the problems caused by human ego wishing to transcend God's glory? Paul's veiled warning is appropriate in every age.

C. TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN (1:18b-26)

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. ^{a 20} I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

^a 19 Or salvation

Paul continued to rejoice (v. 18) because he knew that the prayers of the Philippians and the help of the Spirit would produce his deliverance (v. 19). He anticipated that he would not be ashamed, but would have courage that Christ would continue to be exalted in his life, whether he lived or died (v. 20). For him to live was Christ; to die was gain (v. 21). If he continued to live he would labor for the Lord, but he did not know which option to choose (v. 22). In his dilemma he wished to depart and be with Christ, which was better (v. 23), but felt a call to remain in the body for the sake of his brothers (v. 24). Thus convinced, he said he would remain and continue with the Christians for their progress and joy in the faith (v. 25) so that by his reunion with them they would all rejoice in Christ Jesus.

Several interpretive problems surface in this paragraph. First, what is meant by "deliverance" (swthriva , sôtçria ) in verse 20? Does it deal with release from prison, or was there a more spiritual significance? Secondly, what did Paul anticipate: release from prison, or the possibility that he would suffer capital punishment? Further, was prison really Paul's main concern? Would it not more likely have been the proclamation of Christ?

Paul's theme has been the preaching of Christ. In verse 14 he had expressed gratification that the brothers had preached courageously and fearlessly, as Paul's situation in prison had encouraged them. In verse 18 he had rejoiced that Christ was preached even though some did so from false motives. Now he elaborates the idea of being in chains for Christ (v. 13), but rejoices that not even his present experience could diminish his commitment to and service for Jesus Christ.

1:18b Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

As in the end of the previous paragraph Paul had rejoiced because Christ was preached, now he continued to rejoice, because of his own experience of having been blessed by prayer and by the help of God's Spirit. Again we are impressed at Paul's joy in distressing circumstances.

1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

Paul knew that he would be delivered, and he knew that the prayers of the Philippians and the help of the Spirit of Christ had been crucial. For what had the Philippians prayed? Our understanding of the content of their prayers will depend on the understanding of the term "deliverance." In addition to prayer Paul spoke of the help of the Spirit. These two are often closely linked in Scripture (Luke 11:13; Acts 4:30f.). We are convinced that the Spirit operates in response to human prayer. The Philippians prayed, and God responded through his Spirit. If the distinction is even significant, we would argue that Paul spoke both of the possession of the Spirit, and of the help given by the Spirit. We recall the promises of Jesus in Mark 13:11; Matthew 10:20; and Luke 12:12. Paul here recognized a higher force than that possessed by his jailers and by the powers that put him in prison. When Paul spoke of "what has happened" he may have referred to the basic fact of his imprisonment, but it is quite likely he was also referring to those matters described in verses 12-18 (being in chains for Christ, the courage of the brothers, and the motives by which Christ was preached.)

We come now to the crux of this passage, the word "deliverance." The NIV footnote suggests the alternate reading "salvation." The Greek word swthriva (sôtçria ), is often translated "salvation" in the New Testament. At least four suggestions have been given for the meaning of this word. (1) Release from imprisonment. (2) Inner spiritual strength for Paul in his circumstances. (3) A vindication of the message Paul preached. (4) Eternal salvation. Most commentators opt for (1) or (4). If Paul were speaking about release from prison, how could he have such conviction that it would occur? Though in verses 25f he seems to express a like confidence, it is difficult to know, given the overall tenor of his words, whether he would have absolute assurance. Furthermore, in 2:17 he seems again to contemplate the possibility of his death. Did he anticipate release, or did he think that if he were released it was clear he would continue to serve Christ, and thereby benefit the Philippians? On the other hand, if "deliverance" referred to eternal salvation, the idea may be that their prayers gave him the ability to endure, so that he would not be ashamed or in some way deny Christ (cf. v. 20) and thus would be assured of vindication at judgment. It may not be necessary to accept any of these options. Verse 20 may be a modification of the word "deliverance" and Paul may have been saying that he was in a "no lose" situation. It seems to us that the issue of imprisonment was of less importance to Paul than the issue of living for Christ and serving him. Prison was discussed as it impinged on the matter of Christian service.

It should be noted that the expression "turn out for my deliverance" is an exact quotation of the Septuagint of Job 13:16. In that context Job, though fearful, said he would still approach God, because he was convinced of his own righteousness. This could be applied to Paul's coming trial, but it could also be applied to his standing before God. It should be noted that in verse 20 Paul spoke of shame and courage, picking up the themes from Job. This parallel may be the reason why the Job passage was employed here.

1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Certainly the rigors of imprisonment and the shame of being jailed had the possibility of destroying faith. Even Paul recognized the threat. As in verse 14 he expressed thanks for the courage of the brothers in the Lord, so now he discussed the same with regard to himself. "Eagerly expect" (one word, ajpokaradokiva , apokaradokia , in Greek) is a strong term indicating one who strains forward with total energy and who has turned aside from all other interests. It was a strong way to express confidence in the help of God. Paul expressed himself first negatively (he would not be ashamed), and then in two positive ways (first, courage, and then the exaltation of Christ in his body.) "Ashamed" (aijscuvnomai , aischynomai ) has an interesting heritage. In the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls it referred to the humble pious persons who trusted that God would not allow them to be shamed. Though some see the term as referring to shame at judgment, we are convinced it means shame before men, which shame might have kept Paul from exalting Christ in his body. He was not ashamed of being in prison, nor of being imprisoned for Christ. "Courage" could refer to courage in trial, but it more likely had a broader meaning, as indicated by the words "whether by life or by death." The expression "life or death" was Paul's way of indicating his absolute dedication to Christ. Verse 21 will explain the expression more fully.

The term "death" (qavnato" , thanatos ) may not mean that Paul here anticipated the end of his life, but might simply be a way of showing that he would glorify Christ in any circumstance.

1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This verse explains what Paul meant in verse 20. At the same time it gives one of the great statements of personal conviction and one of the outstanding devotional texts of the entire New Testament. The reader is always challenged to ask if he or she could make this their own personal statement. Paul would speak particularly of his own perspective in verses 21-24. There is a contrast drawn all the way through. Life is Christ, life is worthwhile work, life benefits others; death on the other hand is gain, death is to be with Christ. Paul could in no way lose or be defeated. His whole life was centered in Christ. Since he had been discussing preaching and since we know this was the driving force of his life, we presume here that he had preaching (evangelistic and hortatory) in mind. Certainly, however, we cannot limit the term to that. "Fruitful labor" (v. 22) implies more than interior spiritual development; rather it indicates activity on behalf of others.

Verse 23 will show why dying in Christ was gain. Some suggest, in addition, that if one were to die a martyr's death, that death would glorify Christ as well. Paul's gain was to be with Christ. It is doubtful that Paul was expressing a sense of relief that death would deliver him from earthly troubles. In fact, in Romans 5:3-5 Paul expressed some sense of joy even in suffering. Hawthorne has paraphrased this magnificent statement by saying that Paul could see no reason for being, except to be for Christ.

1:22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!

Paul continued his meditation, in a verse which is somewhat obscure in the Greek. Some have suggested that the disjointed style may be because Paul wrote with intense emotion. However he was certainly emotional in other parts of this letter in which the style is not as chaotic as here. As the NIV reads the idea is that if Paul were to continue living he could continue reaping the fruit of his toil. This seems to us the preferable translation. Others have suggested that Paul was saying that if living meant reaping fruits of his past toil, he wasn't sure which to prefer. Still others argue that Paul was saying that if living meant he would be able in the future to reap the fruit of his toil, he did not know which to prefer. Though there are translational problems we believe the option we have chosen fits best with Paul's words in verses 24 and 25. When Paul said "I do not know" he may be indicating that he had received no revelation about the issue of life or death. The Greek term rendered "know" (gnwrivzw , gnôrizô ) was always used by Paul to indicate "making known" or revealing something. Thus he is not expressing indecision about his choice. Hawthorne suggests "I cannot tell" better reflects the Greek. He leaves the matter in God's hands. If so, this would indicate that verse 20 was not referring to his release from prison. Paul was choosing this way to indicate that service for Christ would be a blessing and a profit regardless of his destiny.

1:23 I am torn between the two:

When Paul said "I am torn between the two" he used a word (sunevcomai , synechomai ) which indicated pressure from two equally strong desires, bearing upon him from either side. Whichever way Paul went the opposite urging would bear upon him as strongly as the decision he chose. It was not a matter of sacrificing a greater desire for a lesser.

Notice the parallel Paul makes in this and the following verses. To depart and be with Christ was better for him; to remain in the body was more urgent for them. Paul chose to remain, and thus set an example of service and humility. This is an important point, because in subsequent verses, beginning with verse 27, Paul's exhortation would call the Philippians to service and humility. He would bring before them the example of Christ (2:5-11), and later in chapter two the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus (vv. 19ff). But first he offered his own example. Thus with his example, the reference to Christ, and the references to Timothy and Epaphroditus he made a fourfold illustration of his point. All, however, centered in the example of Christ.

I desire to depart

The term for "depart" (ajnaluvw , analuô ) is used in other contexts of the military breaking camp, or of a ship being released from its moorings. So, were Paul to be released, what of those left behind? It was this meditation that occupied him in verse 24.

and be with Christ, which is better by far;

He spoke of being "with Christ." If one were to take all the Pauline texts that deal with the destiny of the righteous after death, it would still not be clear how all the details fit together (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-55; 1 Thess 4:13-5:10). Here in Philippians 3:20-21 Paul seems to indicate a period of awaiting the return of the Lord, at which time the righteous would be transformed into his image. In the present text, however, he seems to indicate he would be with Christ at death. Speculations on this issue do not reveal a totally satisfactory picture. Paul, however, as was the case with Jesus, was no doubt convinced that being prepared for death was more important than being able to sketch the after-death landscape. What mattered was to be with Christ. God would deal with matters in an appropriate way, and there was no need for humans to be anxious about exactly how this would happen. Thus Paul was not interested here in speculation about the afterlife.

1:24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Paul now turns from what was better to what was more necessary. His concern for the good of others underlay what he would say in 2:4, when he would call for Christians to be concerned for the interests of others. Some have suggested he felt it was more necessary for him to remain in the body because he was still alive, and interpreted that as an indication that God had more for him to do.

1:25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

This verse is puzzling, for at first glance it seems to express a conviction of release, which we have already seen was questionable. It would make more sense to understand Paul as saying that he was convinced of the necessity of ministry. Thus if he remained he would work for the enhancement of the faith of the Philippians and of others. Thus Paul's confidence was not in his release, but in what he would do if he were released. He knew in any event, as verse 19 has indicated, that he would be delivered, whether he lived or died. Perhaps Paul was not primarily concerned here with the issues of life or death, but rather was concerned with the issue of service, and was using his own case to make that point to his readers. This idea of progress in faith picks up the language of verse 6, where he expressed confidence that God would continue to do a good work in the Philippians. It also picks up the idea of verse 12 where reference was made to advancing the gospel.

Note also the word "joy" (carav , chara ). This paragraph had begun and is ending with this note. However, the word in verse 26 is a different Greek term.

1:26 so that through my being with you again

The reference to being with the Philippians again is subjected to the same variety of translations as the term "deliverance" earlier. The most logical interpretation is that he hoped to be released from prison and to rejoin them in Philippi. Some, however, would interpret it of the ultimate union of Christians at the second coming of the Lord. We prefer the first option.

your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Paul spoke of "overflowing joy." The word kauvchma (kauchçma ) translated "joy" here in the NIV is rendered in some translations as "boasting" and in others as "glory." It may have been their joy in Christ because of what he had done through Paul and through them. Or it may have been their joy in the fact that Paul had been released. It has been argued that Paul was concerned that were he released they should not rejoice in him, but rather rejoice in what Christ had done.

III. ONENESS THROUGH SERVICE (1:27-2:18)

A. EXHORTATION TO A UNIFIED STAND (1:27-30)

²⁷ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved - and that by God. ²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, ³⁰ since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

To this point Paul has been giving biographical information. He will do this subsequently in 2:19-3:14 and 4:10-20. In verse 27 he begins his first section of exhortation, which will continue through 2:18.

The Philippians are called upon to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, whether Paul was present or absent. This involved standing firm in one spirit and in a unified way contending for the gospel (v. 27). This contending was to be without fear from opponents. This would be a sign that the opponents would be destroyed, but that the Christians would be saved by God (v. 28). Verses 29 and 30 speak of belief and of suffering as gifts of Christ, with which both Paul and the Philippians could identify because of their experiences.

1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

The first sentence stands as a heading for this entire section of exhortation. The exhortation is defined specifically in the next sentence as standing firm in unity and in unity contending for the gospel. In addition to the exhortation to unity, which implies a problem with disunity, Paul also speaks in the next verse of the need to overcome fear. Paul, in verse 6, had already expressed confidence in the growth that God would produce in the Philippians and had prayed for them to have a discerning love in verse 11. He had referred to their prayers for him in verse 19 and in verse 25 he spoke again of their progress in the faith. Now, however, he begins to specifically address problems in the church, and these themes, especially the theme of unity, will be sounded again and again through the letter.

"Whatever happens" translates a Greek word, movno" ( monos ), which conveys the idea of the one essential thing. It focuses attention on the next few words of Paul. The call to worthy conduct was one issued to a community, so that Paul was dealing with more than personal piety. Though the issue has been debated, it has been suggested that Paul's words had as their background the pride that citizens of Philippi would take in their citizenship. Thus he would have said they should be concerned to let their "citizenship" as Christians be appropriate, as people in Philippi were concerned about their Roman citizenship.

Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel

Paul called upon them to be faithful, whether he was present or absent. Their obedience was not because of him, but rather because of their relation to the Lord. One wonders if there is any subtle indication of what Paul might do were he to come and find the problems in the church still unresolved. The call to stand firm makes specific what "worthy conduct" has said in a more general way. The call would be repeated in 4:1. It may be a military usage, implying the idea of a soldier standing firm at his post. This firmness of spirit was expressed outwardly in their contending for the gospel. The word sunaqlevw (synathlço ), translated "contending," is composed of the root for our word "athlete" prefixed by the preposition "with." They were to be athletes with each other as one man.

Notice the twofold use of "one" in this verse. It was a basic premise of Paul's exhortations.

1:28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

In addition to a unified firmness, which led to struggle for the gospel, the Philippians were not to be frightened in the face of opposition. This exhortation implied that they may have been frightened, or even that their fear had in some way created compromise. The nature of the opponents is problematic. Some would suggest the false teachers of chapter 3, but the language indicating fear does not seem to fit the problem described there. Further, in verse 30 Paul seems to imply persecution from outside, likely from pagan forces. For that reason we prefer to think that they were outsiders who in some way were responsible for persecuting the church. The rest of Philippians, however, is silent about such a group.

This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved -

There has been considerable discussion about the "sign" in the last sentence. What was it? Was it the faith, or the steadfastness of the Christians, or their suffering, or was the opposition itself a sign of destruction? Perhaps the meaning of the sentence would not change regardless of which of these alternatives we choose. The second question is whether the sign would be recognized by the opponents. Some indicate that they would recognize from the events themselves that they would be destroyed, but this seems a strange meaning unless we presume that God would force such a recognition upon them. Perhaps it is better to argue that whether the opponents recognized the sign or not, the gospel, if true, indicates that enemies of the faith would be destroyed and that the Christians would be saved. The expression is intended to encourage the Christians and assure them of God's working both to save and to condemn. This interpretation, however, is tentative. We must recognize that the text is difficult, and various conjectures and interpretations have been offered to explain words that do seem to be somewhat strange.

and that by God.

We would argue that "and that by God" indicates that the process of judgment that resulted in salvation or destruction was God's business.

1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

Paul's statement about belief being granted is an unusual one, since the word for "granted" (carivzomai , charizomai ) comes from the same root as the word "grace" (cavri" , charis ) in verses 2 and 7. It is as if Paul were saying they were graced, not only to have faith, but also to suffer. Perhaps they had not thought of suffering as a grace, but rather as a disgrace. Thus Paul issues a call to go beyond resignation to suffering, to a realization that there were privileges that could come through suffering. A certain identification with Christ, which was the center of their lives, was offered in this way (cf. Matt 5:10-12; Acts 5:41; 14:22; Rom 5:1-5; 1 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 3:12; and 1 Pet 4:13). Paul would continue the theme of suffering for Christ in 3:7-10. Paul's oft repeated note of joy as he writes from prison is a demonstration of the grace that was given him even in suffering.

1:30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Here Paul identifies himself with the Philippians in struggle, implying they could rejoice as he rejoiced. "Struggle" here comes from the same root (ajgw'n , agôn ) as our word "agony." The struggle that Paul experienced was the same conflict that the Philippians experienced. There were not many conflicts but one basic conflict. Paul had gone through difficulty in Philippi, as indicated in Acts 16:19-40 and 2 Corinthians 11:25. This may have been the circumstance to which he referred when he said "you saw I had." But it was not over for Paul, for they heard that he still had struggles. Paul's dealing with the experience could encourage them to have a like endurance and faithfulness.

His suffering led to the advancement of the gospel, according to verses 12 and 13 of this chapter. Thus it was not a defeat, but rather a victory.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

Commentary -- Other

Evidence: Phi 1:6

Do you ever think about how many faces there are upon the earth? As you line up in a store, do you sometimes feel like a tiny grain of sand in the massive desert? Then lift your head and look to the heavens—God Almighty is your Maker. Like a giant heavenly zoom lens, He focused in on you from eternity. He foreknew every sinew of your fearfully and wonderfully made body. He is the lover of your soul. He breathed life into your human frame, and is at work in you to will and do of His good pleasure.

His good pleasure is to conform you to the image of His Son. Never let discouragement fall upon your mind, for God will complete the good work He has begun in you. He picked you out of the ranks of the masses, called you by His Grace, justified you through faith, and glorified you in Christ.

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: Philippians (Book Introduction)

The Epistle to the Philippians

From Rome About a.d. 61

By Way of Introduction

There is something to be said for the idea that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians while a prisoner in Ephesus if he ever was a prisoner there. All that can be said for that view has been presented by Professor George S. Duncan in St. Paul’s Ephesian Ministry (1930). But, when all is considered carefully in the light of the facts in the Acts and the Epistles, the best that one can say is that a possible case is made out with many difficulties remaining unexplained. The argument is more ingenious than convincing. It is not possible here to review the arguments pro and con that convince me that Paul was in Rome when he wrote this letter to Philippi. It is not clear whether it was written before the three that went together (Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians) or afterwards. Probably there was no great difference in time, but there was time for Epaphroditus to come to Rome, to fall sick, for the news to reach Philippi and for Epaphroditus to hear of their concern about him. The church in Philippi was Paul’s joy and pride and they had helped him before as they did this time.

The Epistle is a beautiful expression of gratitude for the love and gifts of the Philippian saints. He is a prisoner of hope in Rome with possible death before him, but with the note of joy running through all that Paul says. He hopes to be set free and to see them again.

Meanwhile he tells the Philippians about the difficulties and triumphs in Rome. The Judaizers have followed Paul here and there is an echo in chapters Philippians 1; 3 of their opposition. But Paul rises to full stature in the great Christological passages in chapters Philippians 2; 3 which prepare the way for the controversy with the Gnostics over the Person of Christ in Colossians and Ephesians.

Vincent: Philippians (Book Introduction)

The Epistle to the Philippians

For Philippi, see on Phi 1:1.

With the arrival of Paul at Philippi (Acts 16), the Gospel entered Europe. On his departure he left Luke to complete the organization of the Church. He subsequently visited the city twice, after which we hear nothing of the Philippian church until he writes to it from his Roman prison. On hearing of his transfer to Rome, the Philippians, with the same generosity which they had shown on former occasions (Phi 4:15, Phi 4:16; 2Co 11:8, 2Co 11:9), sent a supply of money by Epaphroditus, who, on his return, brought this letter.

The epistle is unofficial and familiar in character, even the apostolic title being dropped in the opening salutation. In its unsystematic structure it rivals Second Corinthians. It opens with an account of the progress of the Gospel in Rome since his arrival, the efforts of his opposers, and the zeal of his friends, and an expression of his own feelings as to his possible death or continued life. An exhortation follows to christian unity, courage, and humility, the latter illustrated by the great act of Christ's humiliation. He hopes soon to be released: he is about to send Timothy to Philippi; Epaphroditus has been sick, and is about to return home. Let them beware of the Judaizers - the dogs, the concision. Their arrogant claims are contrasted with the rights and privileges of Christians, and the contrast is pointed by his own spiritual history and a recital of the legal privileges which he relinquished for Christ. Then follow an exhortation to steadfastness, a lament over the victims of sensuality, and a contrast of such with those whose life and hope are heavenly. Two prominent ladies are entreated to reconcile their differences, after which come some parting admonitions to entertain pure thoughts and high aims, and a grateful acknowledgment of the gift brought by Epaphroditus.

In the tone of strong personal attachment which pervades the epistle, it resembles the first to the Thessalonians. It contains no formulated doctrinal teaching, and no indication of the presence of doctrinal errors within the Church. Only the severe allusions in the third chapter, to Judaizers and Antinomian loose-livers, have the flavor of controversy, and the treatment of these is not argumentative, but denunciatory, hortative, and expostulatory. The only warning to the Church is against internal dissensions. Christ is set forth, not in His relation to great christian mysteries, but as a living power in personal experience - notably in the apostle's own.

The words and imagery reveal occasional traces of the contact of Stoicism, as citizenship (Phi 1:28; Phi 3:20); content , or self-sufficient (Phi 4:2); and the passage, Phi 1:21-27, presents a vivid contrast with the Stoic's theory of life and his justification of suicide. The epistle abounds in picturesque words, as earnest expectation (Phi 1:20); terrified (Phi 1:28); depart (Phi 1:23); robbery (Phi 2:6); holding forth (Phi 2:16); offered: (Phi 2:17); not regarding (Phi 2:30); keep (Phi 4:7); learned (Phi 4:11), etc. See notes.

Bishop Lightfoot observes: " The Epistle to the Philippians is not only the noblest reflection of Paul's personal character and spiritual illumination, his large sympathies, his womanly tenderness, his delicate courtesy, his frank independence, his entire devotion to the Master's service - but as a monument of the power of the Gospel it yields in importance to none of the apostolic writings.... To all ages of the Church - to our own especially - this epistle reads a great lesson. While we are expending our strength on theological definitions or ecclesiastical rules, it recalls us from these distractions to the very heart and center of the Gospel - the life of Christ and the life in Christ. Here is the meeting-point of all our differences, the healing of all our feuds, the true life alike of individuals and sects and churches; here doctrine and practice are wedded together; for here is the 'creed of creeds' involved in and arising out of the 'work of works.'"

The authenticity and genuineness are generally conceded, though violently assailed by the Tubingen critics. The date of composition is probably about a.d. 62, and the epistle is, I think, to be placed in order before the other three.

JFB: Philippians (Book Introduction)

The INTERNAL EVIDENCE for the authenticity of this Epistle is strong. The style, manner of thought, and doctrine, accord with Paul's. The incidental allusions also establish his authorship. PALEY [Horæ Paulinæ, ch. 7] instances the mention of the object of Epaphroditus' journey to Rome, the Philippian contribution to Paul's wants, Epaphroditus' sickness (Phi 1:7; Phi 2:25-30; Phi 4:10-18), the fact that Timothy had been long with Paul at Philippi (Phi 1:1; Phi 2:19), the reference to his being a prisoner at Rome now for a long time (Phi 1:12-14; Phi 2:17-28), his willingness to die (compare Phi 1:23, with 2Co 5:8), the reference to the Philippians having seen his maltreatment at Philippi (Phi 1:29-30; Phi 2:1-2).

The EXTERNAL EVIDENCE is equally decisive: POLYCARP [Epistle to the Philippians, 3; 11]; IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 4.18.4]; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [The Instructor, 1.1, p. 107]; EUSEBIUS [The Epistle of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne, in Ecclesiastical History, 5. 2]; TERTULLIAN [On the Resurrection of the Flesh, 23]; ORIGEN [Against Celsus, 1.3, p. 122]; CYPRIAN [Testimonies against the Jews, 3.39].

Philippi was the first (that is, the farthest from Rome, and first which met Paul in entering Macedonia) Macedonian city of the district, called Macedonia Prima (so called as lying farthest eastward). The Greek (Act 16:12) should not be translated "the chief city," as English Version, but as above [ALFORD]. Not it, but Thessalonica, was the chief city of the province, and Amphipolis, of the district called Macedonia Prima. It was a Roman "colony" (Act 16:12), made so by Augustus, to commemorate his famous victory over Brutus and Cassius. A colony was in fact a portion of Rome itself transplanted to the provinces, an offshoot from Rome, and as it were a portrait of the mother city on a small scale [AULUS GELLIUS, Attic Nights, 16.13]. Its inhabitants were Roman citizens, having the right of voting in the Roman tribes, governed by their own senate and magistrates, and not by the governor of the province, with the Roman law and Latin language.

Paul, with Silas and Timothy, planted the Gospel there (Act 16:12, &c.), in his second missionary journey, A.D. 51. Doubtless he visited it again on his journey from Ephesus into Macedonia (Act 20:1); and Act 20:3, Act 20:6, expressly mentions his third visit on his return from Greece (Corinth) to Syria by way of Macedonia. His sufferings at Philippi (Act 16:19, &c.) strengthened the Christian bond of union between him and his Philippian converts, who also, like him, were exposed to trials for the Gospel's sake (1Th 2:2). They alone sent supplies for his temporal wants, twice shortly after he had left them (Phi 4:15-16), and again a third time shortly before writing this Epistle (Phi 4:10, Phi 4:18; 2Co 11:9). This fervent attachment on their part was, perhaps, also in part due to the fact that few Jews were in Philippi, as in other scenes of his labors, to sow the seeds of distrust and suspicion. There was no synagogue, but merely a Jewish Proseucha, or oratory, by the riverside. So that there only do we read of his meeting no opposition from Jews, but only from the masters of the divining damsel, whose gains had been put an end to by her being dispossessed.

Though the Philippian Church was as yet free from Judaizing influence, yet it needed to be forewarned of that danger which might at any time assail it from without (Phi 3:2); even as such evil influences had crept into the Galatian churches. In Phi 4:2-3 we find a trace of the fact recorded in the history (Act 16:13-14), that female converts were among the first to receive the Gospel at Philippi.

As to the state of the Church, we gather from 2Co 8:1-2 that its members were poor, yet most liberal; and from Phi 1:28-30, that they were undergoing persecution. The only blemish referred to in their character was, on the part of some members, a tendency to dissension. Hence arise his admonitions against disputings (Phi 1:27; Phi 2:1-4, Phi 2:12, Phi 2:14; Phi 4:2).

The OBJECT of the Epistle is general: not only to thank the Philippians for their contribution sent by Epaphroditus, who was now in returning to take back the apostle's letter, but to express his Christian love and sympathy, and to exhort them to a life consonant with that of Christ, and to warn them against existing dissensions and future possible assaults of Judaizers from without. It is remarkable in this Epistle alone, as compared with the others, that, amidst many commendations, there are no express censures of those to whom it is addressed. No doctrinal error, or schism, has as yet sprung up; the only blemish hinted at is, that some of the Philippian Church were somewhat wanting in lowliness of mind, the result of which want was disputation. Two women, Euodias and Syntyche, are mentioned as having erred in this respect (Phi 4:2-3). The Epistle may be divided into three parts: (1) Affectionate address to the Philippians; reference to his own state as a prisoner at Rome, and to theirs, and to his mission of Epaphroditus to them (the first and second chapters). Epaphroditus probably held a leading office in the Philippian Church, perhaps as a presbyter. After Tychicus and Onesimus had departed (A.D. 62), carrying the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, Paul was cheered in his imprisonment by the arrival of Epaphroditus with the Philippian contribution. That faithful "brother, companion in labor, and fellow soldier" (Phi 2:25), had brought on himself by the fatigues of the journey a dangerous sickness (Phi 2:26, Phi 2:30). But now that he was recovered, he "longed" (Phi 2:26) to return to his Philippian flock, and in person to relieve their anxiety on his behalf, in respect to his sickness; and the apostle gladly availed himself of the opportunity of writing to them a letter of grateful acknowledgments and Christian exhortations. (2) Caution against Judaizing teachers, supported by reference to his own former and present feeling towards Jewish legalism (Phi. 3:1-21). (3) Admonitions to individuals, and to the Church in general, thanks for their seasonable aid, and concluding benedictions and salutations (Phi. 4:1-23).

This Epistle was written from Rome during the imprisonment, the beginning of which is related in Act 28:16, Act 28:20, Act 28:30-31. The reference to "Cæsar's household" (Phi 4:22), and to the "palace" (Phi 1:13, Greek, "Prætorium," probably, the barrack of the Prætorian bodyguard, attached to the palace of Nero) confirms this. It must have been during his first imprisonment at Rome, for the mention of the Prætorium agrees with the fact that it was during his first imprisonment he was in the custody of the Prætorian Prefect, and his situation, described in Phi 1:12-14, agrees with his situation in the first two years of his imprisonment (Act 28:30-31). The following reasons show, moreover, that it was written towards the close of that imprisonment: (1) He, in it, expresses his expectation of the immediate decision of his cause (Phi 2:23). (2) Enough time had elapsed for the Philippians to hear of his imprisonment, to send Epaphroditus to him, to hear of Epaphroditus' arrival and sickness, and send back word to Rome of their distress (Phi 2:26). (3) It must have been written after the three other Epistles sent from Rome, namely, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon; for Luke is no longer with him (Phi 2:20); otherwise he would have been specified as saluting them, having formerly labored among them, whereas he is mentioned as with him, Col 4:14; Phm 1:24. Again, in Eph 6:19-20, his freedom to preach is implied: but in Phi 1:13-18, his bondage is dwelt on, and it is implied that, not himself, but others, preached, and made his imprisonment known. Again, in Phm 1:22, he confidently anticipates his release, which contrasts with the more depressed anticipations of this Epistle. (4) A considerable time had elapsed since the beginning of his imprisonment, for "his bonds" to have become so widely known, and to have produced such good effects for the Gospel (Phi 1:13). (5) There is evidently an increase in the rigor of his imprisonment implied now, as compared with the early stage of it, as described in Acts 28:1-31; compare Phi 1:29-30; Phi 2:27. History furnishes a probable clue to account for this increase of vigor. In the second year of Paul's imprisonment (A.D. 62), Burrus, the Prætorian Prefect, to whose custody he had been committed (Act 28:16, "the captain of the guard"), died; and Nero the emperor having divorced Octavia, and married Poppoea, a Jewish proselytess (who then caused her rival, Octavia, to be murdered, and gloated over the head of her victim), exalted Tigellinus, the chief promoter of the marriage, a monster of wickedness, to the Prætorian Prefecture. It was then he seems to have been removed from his own house into the Prætorium, or barrack of the Prætorian guards, attached to the palace, for stricter custody; and hence he writes with less hopeful anticipations as to the result of his trial (Phi 2:17; Phi 3:11). Some of the Prætorian guards who had the custody of him before, would then naturally make known his "bonds," in accordance with Phi 1:13; from the smaller Prætorian bodyguard at the palace the report would spread to the general permanent Prætorian camp, which Tiberius had established north of the city, outside of the walls. He had arrived in Rome, February, 61; the "two whole years (Act 20:30) in his own hired house" ended February, 63, so that the date of this Epistle, written shortly after, evidently while the danger was imminent, would be about spring or summer, 63. The providence of God averted the danger. He probably was thought beneath the notice of Tigellinus, who was more intent on court intrigues. The death of Nero's favorite, Pallas, the brother of Felix, this same year, also took out of the way another source of danger.

The STYLE is abrupt and discontinuous, his fervor of affection leading him to pass rapidly from one theme to another (Phi 2:18, Phi 2:19-24, Phi 2:25-30; Phi 3:1, Phi 3:2-3, Phi 3:4-14, Phi 3:15). In no Epistle does he use so warm expressions of love. In Phi 4:1 he seems at a loss for words sufficient to express all the extent and ardor of his affection for the Philippians: "My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." The mention of bishops and deacons in Phi 1:1 is due to the late date of the Epistle, at a time when the Church had begun to assume that order which is laid down in the Pastoral Epistles, and which continued the prevalent one in the first and purest age of the Church.

JFB: Philippians (Outline)

• INSCRIPTION. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYERS FOR THE FLOURISHING SPIRITUAL STATE OF THE PHILIPPIANS. HIS OWN STATE AT ROME, AND THE RESULT OF HIS IMPRISONMENT IN SPREADING THE GOSPEL. EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN CONSISTENCY. (Phi. 1:1-30)
• CONTINUED EXHORTATION: TO UNITY: TO HUMILITY AFTER CHRIST'S EXAMPLE, WHOSE GLORY FOLLOWED HIS HUMILIATION: TO EARNESTNESS IN SEEKING PERFECTION, THAT THEY MAY BE HIS JOY IN THE DAY OF CHRIST: HIS JOYFUL READINESS TO BE OFFERED NOW BY DEATH, SO AS TO PROMOTE THEIR FAITH. HIS INTENTION TO SEND TIMOTHY: HIS SENDING EPAPHRODITUS MEANTIME. (Phi. 2:1-30) The "therefore" implies that he is here expanding on the exhortation (Phi 1:27), "In one Spirit, with one mind (soul)." He urges four influencing motives in this verse, to inculcate the four Christian duties corresponding respectively to them (Phi 2:2). "That ye be like-minded, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind"; (1) "If there be (with you) any consolation in Christ," that is, any consolation of which Christ is the source, leading you to wish to console me in my afflictions borne for Christ's sake, ye owe it to me to grant my request "that ye be like-minded" [CHRYSOSTOM and ESTIUS]: (2) "If there be any comfort of (that is, flowing from) love," the adjunct of "consolation in Christ"; (3) "If any fellowship of (communion together as Christians, flowing from joint participation in) the Spirit" (2Co 13:14). As Pagans meant literally those who were of one village, and drank of one fountain, how much greater is the union which conjoins those who drink of the same Spirit! (1Co 12:4, 1Co 12:13) [GROTIUS]: (4) "If any bowels (tender emotions) and mercies (compassions)," the adjuncts of "fellowship of the Spirit." The opposites of the two pairs, into which the four fall, are reprobated, Phi 2:3-4.
• WARNING AGAINST JUDAIZERS: HE HAS GREATER CAUSE THAN THEY TO TRUST IN LEGAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT RENOUNCED IT FOR CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, IN WHICH HE PRESSES AFTER PERFECTION: WARNING AGAINST CARNAL PERSONS: CONTRAST OF THE BELIEVER'S LIFE AND HOPE. (Phi. 3:1-21)
• EXHORTATIONS: THANKS FOR THE SUPPLY FROM PHILIPPI: GREETING; AND CLOSING BENEDICTION. (Phi. 4:1-23) "Wherefore"; since we have such a glorious hope (Phi 3:20-21).

TSK: Philippians (Book Introduction)

The Church at Philippi in Macedonia was planted by the Apostle Paul about ad 53 (Acts 16:9-40); and it appears he visited them again, ad 60, though no particulars are recorded concerning that visit (Act 20:6). The Philippians were greatly attached to St. Paul, and testified their affection by sending him supplies, even when labouring for other churches (Phi 4:15, Phi 4:16; 2Co 11:9); and when they heard that he was under confinement at Rome, they sent Epaphroditus, one of their pastors, to him with a present, lest he should want necessaries during his imprisonment (Phi 2:25; Phi 4:10, Phi 4:14-18). The more immediate occasion of the Epistle was the return of Epaphroditus, by whom the apostle sent it as a grateful acknowledgment of their kindness; which occurred towards the close of his first imprisonment, about the end of ad 62, or the commencement of 63.

TSK: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

Phi 1:1, Paul testifies his thankfulness to God, and his love towards them, for the fruits of their faith, and fellowship in his sufferings; Phi 1:9, daily praying to him for their increase in grace; Phi 1:12, he shows what good the faith of Christ had received by his troubles at Rome; Phi 1:21, and how ready he is to glorify Christ either by his life or death; Phi 1:27, exhorting them to unity; Phi 1:28, and to fortitude in persecution.

Poole: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

THE ARGUMENT

Paul, being called of the Lord to preach the gospel in Macedonia, having touched at Neapolis of Greece, came to Philippi, the first city, in regard of its situation, within that part of Macedonia, on his way from Samothracia Act 16:11,12into that country, through Amphipolis and Apollonia, to Thessalonica. Appian describes this Philippi to be seated on a little hill near the foot of the Pangaean mountain, in old time called Crenides, from the fountains and gold mines adjoining, and Datus or Dathus, from the treasure, agreeing with the island Thasus near it; afterwards enlarged and fortified by Philip king of Macedon, who therefore gave it the name of Philippi, as a frontier town within his dominions on the confines of Thracia. Yet afterwards it fell into the hands of the Romans, and became memorable for the victory which Augustus and Antony obtained there over Brutus and Cassius; and in Paul’ s time it was a colony, Act 16:12,21 . But there is no evidence from Scripture, or the most authentic civil history, that it was (as a learned man would have it) the metropolis of Macedonia when this Epistle was written to it. For it doth not appear that it had so much as a proconsul, or deputy, (as in some other colonies of Macedonia), Act 16:12 , but rather that the magistrates and military officers Act 16:20,22,35,36,38show themselves to be of an under city, which (some affirm) did depend on the great mother city Thessalonica, in a civil sense, and some centuries after (say others) in an ecclesiastical. However, it received Paul, who planted the gospel here; who now being prisoner at Rome, (probably the first, not second time), Phi 1:7,13,14,16 , with 2Ti 4:6 , and having received by Epaphroditus, their messenger, Phi 2:25 , their acceptable and liberal present, Phi 4:18 , and understood from him their constancy in the doctrine they had received, (though it seems some affecting pre-eminencies did trouble them), he doth most pathetically, as full of paternal affections towards them his dear children, move them to persevere in faith and godliness; and not to be at all discouraged by his present sufferings, but to live as becomes the gospel, in humility and unity; intimating his tender love and care of them in designing to send Timothy to them, and then to come and visit them; whom he cautions to beware of seducers, who might else pervert them in mingling the law and gospel: whereupon he quickens them to a heavenly conversation in the exercise of several graces; and, expressing his thankfulness for their repeated bounty, concludes with his salutations and apostolical blessing.

Chapter Summary

Phi 1:1,2 Paul saluteth the Philippians,

Phi 1:3-7 and testifieth his thankfulness to God for their

uninterrupted fellowship in the gospel,

Phi 1:8 his affection for them,

Phi 1:9-11 and prayers for their spiritual improvement.

Phi 1:12-20 He informeth them that his bonds at Rome had turned

out to the advancement of the gospel: which many were

thereby induced to preach, though with different views,

Phi 1:21-24 that, considering how serviceable his life might be

to the cause of Christ, though for himself it were

happier to die, he was doubtful in his choice,

Phi 1:25,26 but that he knew he should soon be at liberty to

visit them again for their comfort,

Phi 1:25-30 He exhorteth them to walk worthy of their profession,

and to be steady and unanimous in the faith, for

which they had already been fellow sufferers with him.

Paul and Timotheus i.e. the author and approver, intimating the good agreement between Paul and Timothy, whom they well knew, to gain their fuller assent to what should be written, Mat 18:16 : see 1Co 1:1 2Co 1:1 .

The servants of Jesus Christ in a special manner being wholly and perpetually dedicated to his more immediate service in the ministry of reconciliation, Act 13:2 Rom 1:1 1Co 4:1 2Co 5:18 Gal 1:1 Jam 1:1 .

To all the saints in Christ Jesus i.e. all the community of church members at Philippi, called out of the world to Christ, sanctified, separated, and dedicated to him, by a credible profession of faith in him and obedience to him, 1Co 1:2 Eph 1:1 Col 1:2 ; the apostle now being well persuaded of their perseverance, Phi 1:6,7 .

With the bishops and deacons: from the Syriac version it is rendered presbyters and ministers. And there appears no cogent reason why we should not adhere to the exposition of ancient and modern interpreters, who understand the apostle writing in the plural number, particularly, to the church and her officers living in this city, as meaning the two orders of ordinary standing officers, which are appointed for the church, and not the church for the officers. By the former of which are meant such pastors and teachers as did agree in name, office, and power with the bishops during the apostles’ times, as they collect from several other scriptures besides this, compared together, viz. Act 20:17,20,25,28 , with Act 11:30 1Co 4:1 12:28 1Th 5:12,13 1Ti 3:1-8 5:17 Tit 1:5,7 Heb 13:17 Jam 5:14 1Pe 5:1,3 3Jo 1:1,9 : these, whether bishops or elders, having the oversight, rule, guidance, feeding of the people, preaching of the word, and administration of the sacraments or mystical ordinances of the gospel, committed to them in common. By the latter, those to whom the special care was committed for serving of tables, the Lord’ s table and the poor’ s, together with a receiving and orderly disposing and distributing the collected alms and other goods of the church given to pious uses, according to their own discretion, taking advice of the pastors, for the support and benefit of the poor members of the church who needed as to this temporal life, to orphans, widows, yea, and strangers, especially of the household of faith, that their bodily necessities might be supplied, Act 6:2 , &c. with Rom 12:7,8 Ro 15:25-27 16:1 1Co 12:28 2Co 9:1,2,12 1Ti 3:8 , with 1Pe 4:11 Gal 6:10,11 Php 2:1,25,30 , with Phi 4:18 Jud 1:12 . "But two learned doctors amongst us have opposed this and made it difficult, the one by restraining the word bishops to diocesans, and the other by enlarging the word deacons to note their presbyters. He would have no such order of presbyters as now in the apostles’ days; this would have deacons then to be only temporary, not standing officers in the church; and so they agree not. The former finding Clement and Polycarp agreed with the apostle here, as to two distinct orders of bishops and deacons, going upon an unproved supposition that Philippi was then a metropolis, he would, without any satisfactory evidence to one that doubted, infer the bishops here were diocesans; however, the forementioned scriptures compared, all prove the words bishop and elder in the apostles’ days, to be used promiscuously, only the word elders, or presbyters, more frequently than that of bishops; conceiving that the office of presbyters was not in use till after-ages, though he assigns not the time how and when it came in. So that in effect he would have Philippi to be a mother church (that then had several daughter churches) in her infancy. Whereas the apostle writes to those who were church officers in that city, yet he would have them none of that order which we now call presbyters; thinking, whatever the apostle writes of laying on the hands of the presbytery, there were then no presbyters ordained in the church: which is a singular opinion, of holding all the places in the New Testament where presbyters are named, precisely to intend diocesan bishops in distinction from them who are only deacons, allowing the office of deacons, and the continuance of it, to be appointed therein, when that of elders (acknowledged to be superior) is not. But if, according to this novel tenet, there were not then preaching presbyters, that were not metropolitans or diocesans, how could diocesans have presbyters under them? And if they had none, what should denominate them properly diocesans? When it seems to be of the formal reason of a diocesan, to be chosen out of presbyters, or to have them to govern. And if the diocesan bishops were then as the apostles, who must the pastors and teachers be? 1Co 12:28,29 Eph 4:11,12 . Exhorting, teaching, ruling were then present offices, which the apostles ordained in every church, Act 14:23 . Cenchrea was no diocess or metropolis, neither was Aquila’ s and Priscilla’ s house, Rom 16:3,4 1Co 16:19 , yet are said to be churches, in the plural number, 1Co 14:33,34 . If metropolitical or diocesan, how hath not the Scripture the name or thing? This appears not to be agreeable to the apostle’ s way who writes particularly to churches in cities, towns, and countries, as to the Hebrews. He distinguisheth Thessalonica, in directions from Macedonia and Achaia, 1Th 1:7,8 ; Colosse and Laodicea, Col 4:13 . And as there were bishops, plural, in this city of Philippi, so more doing the office in Thessalonica. 1Th 5:12 , which was in Macedonia too. And would it not look oddly: Ye Christians of Macedonia are examples to all the Christians of Macedonia? In Colosse were more bishops or presbyters, because there is mention made of Epaphras and Archippus, Col 4:12,17 . And would it not appear strange, when they were charged, upon persons being sick, to send for the elders of the church, to conclude the intent of the injunction was to send for all the diocesans of the metropolis? Jam 5:14 . If so he would likely have enjoined them to have called the elders of the churches, not of the church, of which, in the singular, at Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas were received, and of the apostles and elders, Act 15:4 , who were all present at Jerusalem, Act 21:18 , which, under the Roman power, was not the metropolis of Palestine, but Caesarea was chief. The latter, contradictory to the former doctor, and to the office of the Church of England for ordaining of deacons, would have the term deacons to note the order of presbyters, looking upon deacons only as temporary and occasional trustees, whose office Paul in his Epistle did not so much as hint, thinking it unreasonable by deacon in those Epistles to understand any other office than that of presbyters as now used. Whereas the word deacons being analogous and put absolutely here, in contradistinction to bishops, should, according to right reason, be expounded in the most famous and distinctive signification, wherein, no doubt, Luke, a good Grecian, and Paul’ s companion at Philippi, used it in the Acts, Act 6:3,4 , &c.written after this Epistle; unto which special import we should rather understand Paul using it here, for those who were not mere occasional and prudential temporary officers, but such as were to abide in the church: wherein, upon the multiplying of disciples, the bodily necessities of the poor saints, always with us, Joh 12:8 , did require such who should have the peculiar care of these committed to them, Act 20:34,35 . We find the apostle in his Epistles evidently enough appointing and describing such a special ministry, yea, and giving directions about it as a distinct branch from prophecy and teaching, if we compare places, Rom 12:6-8 , with Rom 15:26,27 16:1 2Co 8:19 9:1,2,12 ; and what is said in this Epistle, Phi 2:25,30 4:18 ; answerable to Luke’ s history of the Acts, and to what is written by Peter, 1Pe 4:11 ; taking in what Paul wrote to Timothy about this office, in distinction from his who was to be apt to teach, that he should be grave, temperate, giving proof of freedom from covetousness, of conversation blameless, having a faithful wife, and governing his family (that he may be hospitable) orderly, 1Ti 3:8-13 , qualified to distribute, as in the texts forementioned, &c. The Church of England, in her ordination, hath reference to this special office, when yet it calls deacons, ministers; declaring there, ‘ It appertains to the deacon’ s office to assist the presbyter in distribution of the elements, gladly and willingly to search for the poor, sick, and impotent, that they may be relieved. Praying that they may be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration.’ "

MHCC: Philippians (Book Introduction)

The Philippians felt a very deep interest for the apostle. The scope of the epistle is to confirm them in the faith, to encourage them to walk as becomes the gospel of Christ, to caution them against judaizing teachers, and to express gratitude for their Christian bounty. This epistle is the only one, among those written by St. Paul, in which no censures are implied or expressed. Full commendation and confidence are in every part, and the Philippians are addressed with a peculiar affection, which every serious reader will perceive.

MHCC: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

(Phi 1:1-7) The apostle offers up thanksgivings and prayers, for the good work of grace in the Philippians.

(Phi 1:8-11) He expresses affection, and prays for them.

(Phi 1:12-20) Fortifies them against being cast down at his sufferings.

(Phi 1:21-26) He stood prepared for glorifying Christ by life, or death.

(Phi 1:27-30) Exhortations to zeal, and constancy in professing the gospel.

Matthew Henry: Philippians (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians

Philippi was a chief city of the western part of Macedonia, prōtē tēs Makedonias polis , Act 16:12. It took its name from Philip, the famous king of Macedon, who repaired and beautified it, and it was afterwards made a Roman colony. Near this place were the Campi Philippici, remarkable for the famous battles between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great, and that between Augustus and Antony on one side and Cassius and Brutus on the other. But it is most remarkable among Christians for this epistle, which was written when Paul was a prisoner at Rome, a.d. 62. Paul seems to have had a very particular kindness for the church at Philippi, which he himself had been instrumental in planting; and, though he had the care of all the churches, he had, upon that account, a particular fatherly tender care of this. To those to whom God has employed us to do any good we should look upon ourselves both as encouraged and engaged to study to do more good. He looked upon them as his children, and, having begotten them by the gospel, he was desirous by the same gospel to nourish and nurse them up. I. He was called in an extraordinary manner to preach the gospel at Philippi, Act 16:9. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. He saw God going before him, and was encouraged to use all means for carrying on the good work which was begun among them, and building upon the foundation which was laid. II. At Philippi he suffered hard things; he was scourged, and put into the stocks (Act 16:23, Act 16:24); yet he had not the less kindness for the place for the hard usage he met with there. We must never love our friends the less for the ill treatment which our enemies give us. III. The beginnings of that church were very small; Lydia was converted there, and the jailer, and a few more: yet that did not discourage him. If good be not done at first, it may be done afterwards, and the last works may be more abundant. We must not be discouraged by small beginnings. IV. It seems, by many passages in this epistle, that this church at Philippi grew into a flourishing church, and particularly that the brethren were very kind to Paul. He had reaped of their temporal things, and he made a return in spiritual things. He acknowledges the receipt of a present they had sent him (Phi 4:18), and this when no other church communicated with him as concerning giving and receiving (Phi 4:15); and he gives them a prophet's, an apostle's reward, in this epistle, which is of more value than thousands of gold and silver.

Matthew Henry: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

He begins with the inscription and benediction (Phi 1:1, Phi 1:2). He gives thanks for the saints at Philippi (Phi 1:3-6). He speaks of his great affection and concern for their spiritual welfare (Phi 1:7, Phi 1:8), his prayers for them (Phi 1:9-11), his care to prevent their offence at his sufferings (Phi 1:12-20), his readiness to glorify Christ by life or death (Phi 1:21-26), and then concludes with a double exhortation to strictness and constancy (Phi 1:27-30).

Barclay: Philippians (Book Introduction)

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The Letters Of Paul

There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letters of Paul. That is because of all forms of literature a letter is most personal. Demetrius, one of the old Greek literary critics, once wrote, "Every one reveals his own soul in his letters. In every other form of composition it is possible to discern the writercharacter, but in none so clearly as the epistolary." (Demetrius, On Style, 227). It is just because he left us so many letters that we feel we know Paul so well. In them he opened his mind and heart to the folk he loved so much; and in them, to this day, we can see that great mind grappling with the problems of the early church, and feel that great heart throbbing with love for men, even when they were misguided and mistaken.

The Difficulty Of Letters

At the same time, there is often nothing so difficult to understand as a letter. Demetrius (On Style, 223) quotes a saying of Artemon, who edited the letters of Aristotle. Artemon said that a letter ought to be written in the same manner as a dialogue, because it was one of the two sides of a dialogue. In other words, to read a letter is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We do not possess the letter which he was answering; we do not fully know the circumstances with which he was dealing; it is only from the letter itself that we can deduce the situation which prompted it. Before we can hope to understand fully any letter Paul wrote, we must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.

The Ancient Letters

It is a great pity that Paulletters were ever called epistles. They are in the most literal sense letters. One of the great lights shed on the interpretation of the New Testament has been the discovery and the publication of the papyri. In the ancient world, papyrus was the substance on which most documents were written. It was composed of strips of the pith of a certain bulrush that grew on the banks of the Nile. These strips were laid one on top of the other to form a substance very like brown paper. The sands of the Egyptian desert were ideal for preservation, for papyrus, although very brittle, will last forever so long as moisture does not get at it. As a result, from the Egyptian rubbish heaps, archaeologists have rescued hundreds of documents, marriage contracts, legal agreements, government forms, and, most interesting of all, private letters. When we read these private letters we find that there was a pattern to which nearly all conformed; and we find that Paulletters reproduce exactly that pattern. Here is one of these ancient letters. It is from a soldier, called Apion, to his father Epimachus. He is writing from Misenum to tell his father that he has arrived safely after a stormy passage.

"Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus.

I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are

going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother.

I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe when I was

in peril on the sea. As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey

money from Caesar--three gold pieces. And things are going fine

with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let

me know how you are, and then about my brothers, and thirdly, that

I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up well, and because

of that I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted. Give Capito my

heartiest greetings, and my brothers and Serenilla and my friends.

I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon. My

military name is Antonius Maximus. I pray for your good health.

Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimonboy, and Turbo,

Galloniuson." (G. Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri,

36.)

Little did Apion think that we would be reading his letter to his father 1800 years after he had written it. It shows how little human nature changes. The lad is hoping for promotion quickly. Who would Serenilla be but the girl he left behind him? He sends the ancient equivalent of a photograph to the folk at home. Now that letter falls into certain sections. (i) There is a greeting. (ii) There is a prayer for the health of the recipients. (iii) There is a thanksgiving to the gods. (iv) There are the special contents. (v) Finally, there are the special salutations and the personal greetings. Practically every one of Paulletters shows exactly the same sections, as we now demonstrate.

(i) The Greeting: Rom_1:1 ; 1Co_1:1 ; 2Co_1:1 ; Gal_1:1 ; Eph_1:1 ; Phi_1:1 ; Col_1:1-2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:1 .

(ii) The Prayer: in every case Paul prays for the grace of God on the people to whom he writes: Rom_1:7 ; 1Co_1:3 ; 2Co_1:2 ; Gal_1:3 ; Eph_1:2 ; Phi_1:3 ; Col_1:2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:2 .

(iii) The Thanksgiving: Rom_1:8 ; 1Co_1:4 ; 2Co_1:3 ; Eph_1:3 ; Phi_1:3 ; 1Th_1:3 ; 2Th_1:3 .

(iv) The Special Contents: the main body of the letters.

(v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings: Rom 16 ; 1Co_16:19 ; 2Co_13:13 ; Phi_4:21-22 ; Col_4:12-15 ; 1Th_5:26 .

When Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on the pattern which everyone used. Deissmann says of them, "They differ from the messages of the homely papyrus leaves of Egypt, not as letters but only as the letters of Paul." When we read Paulletters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises and theological treatises, but human documents written by a friend to his friends.

The Immediate Situation

With a very few exceptions, all Paulletters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, "Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation.... He had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in existence in the next generation, far less that one day people would look at them as Holy Scripture." We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paulletters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.

The Spoken Word

One other thing we must note about these letters. Paul did what most people did in his day. He did not normally pen his own letters but dictated them to a secretary, and then added Ws own authenticating signature. (We actually know the name of one of the people who did the writing for him. In Rom_16:22 Tertius, the secretary, slips in his own greeting before the letter draws to an end). In 1Co_16:21 Paul says, "This is my own signature, my autograph, so that you can be sure this letter comes from me." (compare Col_4:18 ; 2Th_3:17 .)

This explains a great deal. Sometimes Paul is hard to understand, because his sentences begin and never finish; his grammar breaks down and the construction becomes involved. We must not think of him sitting quietly at a desk, carefully polishing each sentence as he writes. We must think of him striding up and down some little room, pouring out a torrent of words, while his secretary races to get them down. When Paul composed his letters, he had in his mindeye a vision of the folk to whom he was writing, and he was pouring out his heart to them in words that fell over each other in his eagerness to help.

THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

Introduction To The Letter To The Philippians

We are fortunate in one thing in our study of Philippians--there are practically no critical problems involved; for no reputable New Testament critic has ever doubted its genuineness. We can accept Philippians as undoubtedly an authentic letter of Paul.

Philippi

When Paul chose a place wherein to preach the gospel, he always did so with the eye of a strategist. He always chose one which was not only important in itself but was also the key point of a whole area. To this day many of Paulpreaching-centres are still great road centres and railway junctions. Such was Philippi which had at least three great claims to distinction.

(i) In the neighbourhood there were gold and silver mines, which had been worked as far back as the time of the Phoenicians. It is true that by the time of the Christian era they had become exhausted, but they had made Philippi a great commercial centre of the ancient world.

(ii) The city had been founded by Philip, father of Alexander the Great, and it is his name that it bears. It was founded on the site of an ancient city called Krenides, a name which means The Wells or Fountains. Philip had founded Philippi in 368 B.C. because there was no more strategic site in all Europe. There is a range of hills which divides Europe from Asia, east from west and just at Philippi that chain of hills dips into a pass so that the city commanded the road from Europe to Asia, since the road must go through the pass. This was the reason that one of the great battles of history was fought at Philippi; for it was here that Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius, and thereby decided the future of the Roman Empire.

(iii) Not very long after, Philippi attained the dignity of a Roman Colony. The Roman Colonies were amazing institutions. They were not colonies in the sense of being outposts of civilization in unexplored parts of the world. They had begun by having a military significance. It was the custom of Rome to send out parties of veteran soldiers, who had served their time and been granted citizenship, to settle in strategic road centres. Usually these parties consisted of three hundred veterans with their wives and children. These colonies were the focal points of the great Roman road systems which were so engineered that reinforcements could speedily be sent from one colony to another. They were founded to keep the peace and to command the strategic centres in Romefar-flung Empire. At first they had been founded in Italy; but soon they were scattered throughout the whole Empire, as the Empire grew. In later days the title of colony was given by the government to any city which it wished to honour for faithful service.

Wherever they were, these colonies were little fragments of Rome and their pride in their Roman citizenship was their dominating characteristic. The Roman language was spoken; Roman dress was worn; Roman customs were observed; their magistrates had Roman titles, and carried out the am ceremonies as were carried out in Rome itself. They were stubbornly and unalterably Roman and would never have dreamt of becoming assimilated to the people amidst whom they wert set. We can hear the Roman pride breathing through the charge against Paul and Silas in Ac 16:20-21: "These men are Jews, and they are trying to teach and to introduce laws and customs which it is not right for us to observe--for we are Romans."

"You are a colony of heaven" (King James Version), Paul wrote to the Philippian Church (Phi_3:20 ). Just as the Roman colonist never forgot in any environment that he was a Roman, so they must never forget in any society that they were Christians. Nowhere were men prouder of being Roman citizens than in these colonies; and such was Philippi.

Paul And Philippi

It was on the second missionary journey, about the year A.D. 52, that Paul first came to Philippi. Urged on by the vision of the man of Macedonia with his appeal to come over and help us, Paul had sailed from Alexandrian Troas in Asia Minor. He had landed at Neapolis in Europe, and thence made his way to Philippi.

The story of Paulstay in Philippi is told in Ac 16 ; and an interesting story it is. It centres round three people--Lydia, the seller of purple; the demented slave-girl, used by her masters to tell fortunes; and the Roman jailor. It is an extraordinary cross-section of ancient life. These three people were of different nationalities. Lydia was an Asiatic, and her name may well be not a proper name at all but simply "the Lydian lady." The slave-girl was a native Greek. The jailor was a Roman citizen. The whole Empire was being gathered into the Christian Church. But not only were these three of different nationalities; they came from very different grades of society. Lydia was a dealer in purple, one of the most costly substances in the ancient world, and was the equivalent of a merchant prince. The girl was a slave, and, therefore, in the eyes of the law not a person at all, but a living tool. The jailor was a Roman citizen, member of the sturdy Roman middle-class from which the civil service was drawn. In these three the top, the bottom and middle of society are all represented. No chapter in the Bible shows so well the all-embracing faith which Jesus Christ brought to men.

Persecution

Paul had to leave Philippi after a storm of persecution and an illegal imprisonment. That persecution was inherited by the Philippian Church. He tells them that they have shared in his bonds and in his defence of the gospel (Phi_1:7 ). He bids them not to fear their adversaries for they are going through what he himself has gone through and is now enduring (Phi_1:28-30 ).

True Friendship

There had grown up between Paul and the Philippian Church a bond of friendship closer than that which existed between him and any other Church. It was his proud boast that he had never taken help from any man or from any Church, and that, with his own two hands, he had satisfied his needs. It was from the Philippians alone that he had agreed to accept a gift. Soon after he left them and moved on to Thessalonica, they sent him a present (Phi_4:16 ). When he moved on and arrived in Corinth by way of Athens, they alone again remembered him with their gifts (2Co_11:9 ). "My brethren whom I love and long for," he calls them, "my joy and crown in the Lord" (Phi_4:1 ).

The Occasion Of The Writing Of The Letter

When Paul wrote this letter he was in prison in Rome, and he wrote it with certain definite objects.

(i) It is a letter of thanks. The years have passed; it is now A.D. 63 or 64 and once again the Philippians have sent him a gift (Phi_4:10-11 ).

(ii) It has to do with Epaphroditus. It seems that the Philippians had sent him not only as a bearer of their gift, but that he might stay with Paul and be his personal servant. But Epaphroditus had fallen ill. He was sick for home; and he was worried because he knew that the people at home were worried about him. Paul sent him home, but he had the unhappy feeling that the people in Philippi might think Epaphroditus a quilter, so he goes out of his way to give him a testimonial: "Receive him with all joy, and honour such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ" (Phi_2:29-30 ). There is something very moving in the sight of Paul, himself in prison and awaiting death, seeking to make things easier for Epaphroditus, when he was unexpectedly and unwillingly compelled to go home. Here is the peak of Christian courtesy.

(iii) It is a letter of encouragement to the Philippians in the trials which they are going through (Phi_1:28-30 ).

(iv) It is an appeal for unity. It is from that, that there rises the great passage which speaks of the selfless humility of Jesus Christ (Phi_2:1-11 ). In the Church at Philippi there were two women who had quarrelled and were endangering the peace (Phi_4:2 ); and there were false teachers who were seeking to lure the Philippians from the true path (Phi_3:2 ). This letter is an appeal to maintain the unity of the Church.

The Problem

It is just here that the problem of Philippians arises. At Phi_3:2 there is an extraordinary break in the letter. Up to Phi_3:1 everything is serenity and the letter seems to be drawing gently to its close; then without warning comes the outburst: "Beware of dogs; beware of evil workers; beware of the concision." There is no connection with what goes before. Further, Phi_3:1 looks like the end. "Finally, my brethren," says Paul, "rejoice in the Lord" and having said finally he begins all over again! (That, of course, is not an unknown phenomenon in preaching).

Because of this break many scholars think that Philippians, as we possess it, is not one letter but two letters put together. They regard Phi_3:2-21 and Phi_4:1-3 as a letter of thanks and warning sent quite early after the arrival of Epaphroditus in Rome; and they regard Php 1 - 2; Phi_3:1 and Phi_4:4-23 as a letter written a good deal later, and sent with Epaphroditus when he had to go home. That is perfectly possible. We know that Paul almost certainly did, in fact, write more than one letter to Philippi, for Polycarp, in his letter to the Philippian Church, says of him, "when he was absent he wrote letters to you."

The Explanation

And yet it seems to us that there is no good reason for splitting this letter into two. The sudden break between Phi_3:1 and Phi_3:2 can be otherwise explained in one of two ways.

(i) As Paul was writing, fresh news may have come of trouble at Philippi; and there and then he may have interrupted his line of thought to deal with it.

(ii) The simplest explanation is this. Philippians is a personal letter and a personal letter is never logically ordered like a treatise. In such a letter we put things down as they come into our heads; we chat on paper with our friends; and an association of ideas which may be clear enough to us may not be so obvious to anyone else. The sudden change of subject here is just the kind of thing which might occur in any such letter.

The Lovely Letter

For many of us Philippians is the loveliest letter Paul ever wrote. It has been called by two titles. It has been called The Epistle of excellent Things--and so indeed it is; and it has been called The Epistle of Joy. Again and again the words joy and rejoice recur. "Rejoice," writes Paul, "again I will say rejoice," even in prison directing the hearts of his friends--and ours--to the joy that no man can take from us.

FURTHER READINGS

Philippians

J. B. Lightfoot, Saint PaulEpistle to the Philippians (MmC; G)

R. P. Martin, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (TC; E)

J. H. Michael, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (MC; E)

M. R. Vincent, Philippians and Philemon (ICC; G)

Abbreviations

CGT: Cambridge Greek Testament

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

MmC: Macmillan Commentary

TC: Tyndale Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

A Friend To His Friends (Phi_1:1-2)

The Christian Distinction (Phi_1:1-2 Continued)

The All-Inclusive Greeting (Phi_1:1-2 Continued)

The Marks Of The Christian Life (Phi_1:3-11)

(1) The Christian Joy (Phi_1:3-11)

(2) The Christian Sacrifice (Phi_1:3-11 Continued)

(3) The Christian Partnership (Phi_1:3-11 Continued)

(4) The Christian Progress And The Christian Goal (Phi_1:3-11 Continued)

The Bonds Destroy The Barriers (Phi_1:12-14)

The All-Important Proclamation (Phi_1:15-18)

The Happy Ending (Phi_1:19-20)

In Life And In Death (Phi_1:21-26)

Citizens Of The Kingdom (Phi_1:27-30)

Constable: Philippians (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical background

The name of the city of Philippi was originally Krinides (lit. springs). It stood about 10 miles inland from the Aegean Sea in the Roman province of Macedonia. In 356 B.C. Philip II, king of Macedonia and father of Alexander the Great, renamed the town after himself and enlarged it.

In 42 B.C. the Romans Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus defeated Brutus and Cassius in a battle fought just west of Philippi. After that battle Philippi became a military colony. Subsequent battles in 42 and 31 B.C. resulted in Philippi receiving even higher status. The citizens enjoyed autonomous government, immunity from taxes, and treatment as if they lived in Italy.¹ Some commentators have seen indications of the pride the Philippians took in their city in Acts 16:20-21 and Philippians 1:27 and 3:20. Luke's description of Philippi as a "leading city of the district of Macedonia" (Acts 16:12) probably refers to its colonial status since it was the only colony in the area. Amphipolis was the capital of the district, and Thessalonica was the capital of the province.

The Via Egnatia, the main highway from Rome to the east, ran through Philippi and brought much commerce and many travelers to Philippi. Also the nearby Gangites (modern Angitis) River was another natural advantage since it constituted another ancient thoroughfare (cf. Acts 16:13).

The story of the founding of the church in Philippi appears in Acts 16. Philippi was the first town in which Paul preached after he crossed the Aegean Sea from Troas and entered Europe. Then (50 A.D.) the city had few Jewish residents and the first converts were Lydia, a Gentile businesswoman from Thyatira in the province of Asia Minor, and the Philippian jailer. The church evidently met in Lydia's home at first (Acts 16:15). Paul's companions on his first visit to Philippi included Silas, Timothy, and Luke. Luke may have stayed in Philippi to establish the new converts when the other members of Paul's missionary team moved on to Thessalonica.² The Philippian Christians sent financial support to Paul in Thessalonica more than once (Phil. 4:15-16).

Probably Paul visited Philippi again during his third missionary journey in 57 A.D. He travelled from Ephesus to Corinth by land and then from Corinth back to Miletus mostly by land. From there he took a ship to Jerusalem. The land route he took on both occasions would have led him through Philippi.

No serious question about the Pauline authorship of this epistle arose until the nineteenth century. Paul claimed to have written it (Phil. l:1), and the references to his acquaintances, events in his life, and his way of thinking all point to him as the writer.

The apostle was a prisoner when he penned this letter (Phil. 1:7, 13, 16). References to the palace guard (1:13) and Caesar's household (4:22) have led most interpreters to conclude that Paul wrote from Rome rather than from Caesarea (cf. 1:19-24; 2:24).³ The Marcionite Prologue (c. 170 A.D.) also refers to Paul writing Philippians from Rome. Evidently he did so during his first Roman imprisonment (60-62 A.D.) during which time he also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, the other Prison Epistles.⁴

The primary purpose Paul had in mind in writing this epistle seems to have been to reassure the Philippians. Epaphroditus, whom they had sent with a gift for Paul and to minister to his needs in prison, had recovered from a serious illness and was about to return to Philippi. Paul built up Epaphroditus in the eyes of his readers (2:25-30), which suggests that they may not have appreciated him adequately for some reason. Secondary reasons for sending this letter include expressing thanks for the Philippians' gift to Paul in prison (4:10-14) and announcing Timothy's approaching visit (2:19). Paul also wanted to explain his desire to revisit his readers (2:24) and to deal with the problem of the two women in the church who needed to reconcile (4:2). One commentator identified the genre of this epistle as a letter of friendship and moral exhortation.⁵

Of all Paul's epistles Philippians is the most consistently positive and personal. It reflects a joyful spirit.⁶ Paul did not rebuke this church sharply nor did he refer to any major problems in it. His warnings are of a precautionary nature. His occupation with Jesus Christ also stands out. In 104 verses there are 51 references to the Lord Jesus by name.

". . . what is most noticeable in this letter is the general paucity of Paul's more specialized theological vocabulary and the infrequency of the explanatory for,' which is always a dead giveaway that Paul is involved in heavy argumentation."⁷

Message⁸

The Philippian Christians were special favorites of the apostle Paul. Their response to the gospel and their subsequent progress in the faith were exemplary. However the connections between Paul and Philippi that the New Testament records, both in Acts and in this letter, reveal an interesting paradox.

In both books there is a lot about prison and a lot about rejoicing. Paul ended up in prison when he first evangelized Philippi. Yet in prison Paul and Silas sang praises to God. When Paul wrote Philippians he was in prison, this time in Rome. However the dominant emotion that he projected in this book was rejoicing.

The paradox of a man in prison rejoicing lies at the root of what this book is all about. Such an attitude demonstrates an unusual view of life. It is a uniquely Christian view of life. It demonstrates the mind of Christ, which is the key to this epistle.

The theme of the epistle is participation in the gospel. Everything in this letter deals with that subject in some way, as I have pointed out in the notes. By participation in the gospel I mean the fellowship that Paul and the Philippians shared in the work of disseminating the gospel. This is the work in which all Christians should participate as well. Paul, the Philippians, and we are all partners in the work of the gospel. The key to working together effectively as partners in the gospel is having the mind of Christ. Therefore in this overview of the book I would like to emphasize this fundamental attitude about which Paul had so much to say in this book.

The key revelation in this epistle is that of the Christian attitude, or viewpoint, or consciousness. Note some of the references to the mind or attitude in this epistle: 1:7; 2:2, 3, 5; 3:15, 19; 4:2, 10. This is a key word in this book, and it indicates the emphasis of Philippians.

Paul revealed what the mind of Christ was in the Savior. We find this revelation in 2:5-11, one of the greatest Christological passages in the Bible. The Gospels reveal Jesus' words and works, but this passage unveils His mind.

Notice first the mental attitude of our Savior in 2:6. He did not regard His privileged position as something that He needed to retain. He did not value His position for the sake of the position. He laid it aside and stooped to unbelievable depths to lift those who needed redemption out of ruin.

This attitude resulted in certain activity, which we read of in verses 7 and 8. Jesus Christ selflessly gave up what was in His own best interests for the sake of the betterment of others. He left the heights of heaven for the lowliness of earth. He who was sovereign became a servant. Instead of becoming the highest of servants, an angel, he became a lowly servant, a man. He could have lived a life of ease, but He submitted to shame and death. He might have died in comfort and private surrounded by those who loved Him. Instead He died in agony and shame in public surrounded by those who hated Him. He could have died appreciated, but instead he died hated and misunderstood. This is the mind of Christ, a lowly mind, a loving mind.

This activity resulted in an award: verses 9-11.

Paul also revealed what the mind of the saints who are in Christ should be. We too should have a certain attitude that expresses itself in specific activity, which God will just as surely reward.

Our attitude should be that our love abounds increasingly and that we are sincere and void of offense (1:9-10). Christ's love is to be our love. His attitude is to be our attitude. Regardless of the present privileged position we may occupy we must not retain it as a prize.

Paul had this attitude. We can see it clearly in the statement he made in Romans 9:1-3. Just before he wrote these words, Paul wrote that nothing could separate him for the love of God in Christ Jesus. Yet he did not count that secure position something to retain for his own benefit. He was willing to give it up for the welfare of the Jews. You may remember that Moses voiced a similar sentiment in Exodus 32:32.

What is the activity that should flow out of this attitude?

Look first at 1:27. Our life should be worthy of the gospel. This was one of Paul's favorite ways to describe our conduct responsibility as Christians (cf. Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12). Worthy conduct is not just morally upright behavior. It is conduct that the gospel drives, conduct that aims at proclaiming the gospel, making it known. It is conduct that responds appropriately to God's gift of grace to us.

Notice also 2:14-15. We are to be blameless in our relationship to God. Moreover we are to be harmless in our relationships with people, not doing them harm but good. Our Lord's example of humble service to the point of death is our model. How much do we know about emptying ourselves, humbling ourselves, becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross?

What is the award that will follow this attitude and this activity? It is twofold.

There is present victory over circumstances. This whole epistle is a revelation of Paul's triumph over circumstances that would have defeated many people. The pioneer missionary to the regions beyond sat confined in prison. Rather than saying everything was against him, Paul rejoiced that God's program was advancing. In all the Prison Epistles, Paul viewed himself not as the prisoner of Nero but of Jesus Christ. He believed the Lord had placed him where he was for the best purpose. Anyone can sing when he or she escapes from prison, but Paul sang in prison.

Second, there is also future reward. Throughout this epistle Paul had the judgment seat of Christ in view (1:6, 10-11, 20; 2:16; 3:8-9, 14; 4:1, 5). God will reward the mind of Christ in the saints just as He has rewarded the mind of Christ in the Savior. We should strive to gain that prize, not to glorify ourselves in heaven but to have a crown to lay down at Jesus' feet in worship in heaven (cf. Rev. 4:10).

We have seen that the mind of Christ is the key to this epistle. We have also seen that Paul revealed this mind in the Savior and in the saints. What did he say about this mind or attitude? He said, "Have this mind in you" (2:5).

What is the resource for this kind of thinking? Where do we find what it takes to have the mind of Christ in us? We find it in Christ. Specifically we find it when we orient our lives with Him at the center. Paul put it this way: "To me, to live is Christ" (1:21). For some people to live is finances. For others it is fame. For some it is family. For others to live is fun. Life is whatever we put at the center of living. Paul put Christ there. Consequently he viewed God as Christ did. He saw people as Christ did. He viewed his purpose as Christ did. He established his priorities as Christ did. He conducted his daily affairs as Christ did. His life was Christ.

What is our responsibility with this attitude? It is to work out our own salvation in response to God's working in us (2:12-13). We work out what God works in. How do we do this? We do this by forgetting what is past and by pressing on to God's goal for us. Paul used the same Greek word to describe his persecution of Christians (3:6) and his pressing toward his new goal (3:14; dioko). He pursued both goals zealously. He transferred all the passion and fervor that he once expended on tearing down the church into building it up. Our responsibility is absolute dedication and unfailing endeavor to the goal of building the church.

What are the rules we must follow with this attitude? Primarily we must rejoice in the Lord (3:1; 4:4). Rejoicing is not only a privilege, but it is a duty for the Christian. God has commanded us to rejoice. To do this we need to focus our thinking on what God is really doing as He has revealed this in His Word. We must also be forbearing toward all men rather than antagonistic (4:5). We must also give ourselves to prayer rather than to anxiety (4:6). These are the basic rules we need to follow.

By way of application, what does adopting the mind of Christ mean?

For the church the measure of her authority is the measure of her conformity to the mind of Christ. The church, the corporate body of believers, depends on many different things today to give it authority: political power, charismatic leaders, social influence, etc. Yet the church's real authority today is the same as Jesus Christ's authority was when He walked this earth, His humble attitude of submissiveness and obedience to His Father. The essence of the mind of Christ is love. Its consciousness is joy. Its expression is sacrifice. If love, joy, and sacrificial service characterize the church, it will have authority in the world.

For the individual Christian the application is that we should allow Jesus Christ to master us completely. We should view ourselves as His captives, His prisoners (cf. 1:1). It is only by entering into bondage to the Savior that we can find true liberty. His ideal must become our ideal. His power should be what we depend on to fulfill that ideal. Furthermore the certainty of His ultimate victory and ours now and in the future should be the inspiration for our ceaseless song. The present joy of our lives should come from our comradeship with Him day by day. Sharing the mind of Christ will teach us how to love, to serve, and to sing as we live the Christian life.

Constable: Philippians (Outline)

Outline

I. Salutation 1:1-2

II. Prologue 1:3-26

A. Thanksgiving 1:3-8

B. Prayer 1:9-11

C. Progress report 1:12-26

1. Paul's present imprisonment 1:12-18

2. Paul's anticipated deliverance 1:19-26

III. Partnership in the gospel 1:27-4:9

A. A worthy walk 1:27-30

B. Unity and steadfastness 2:1-4:1

1. Walking in unity ch. 2

2. Walking in steadfastness 3:1-4:1

C. Specific duties 4:2-9

1. Restoring unity 4:2-3

2. Maintaining tranquillity 4:4-9

IV. Epilogue 4:10-20

A. The recent gift 4:10-14

B. The previous gifts 4:15-20

V. Greetings and benediction 4:21-23

Constable: Philippians

Philippians

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Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1907.

Swift, Robert C. "The Theme and Structure of Philippians." Bibliotheca Sacra 141:563 (July-September 1984):234-54.

Swindoll, Charles R. Laugh Again. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992.

Tatford, Frederick A. The Patmos Letters. By the Author, 1969; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, n.d.

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich. Translated and edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 1964-74. S.v. "kardia," by Friedrich Baumgartel and Johannes Behm, 3 (1965):605-14.

_____. S.v. "koinonos," et al., by Friedrich Hauck, 3 (1965):797-809.

_____. S.v. "tareinos," et at., by Walter Grundmann, 8 (1972):11-12.

Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament. Revised ed. London: James Clarke & Co. Ltd., 1961.

Vincent, Marvin. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897.

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_____. Philippians. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1971.

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_____. "Raised to Run." Grace Evangelical Society News 6:8 (August 1991):2-3.

_____. "Working Out Your Salvation." Grace Evangelical Society News 8:3 (May-June 1993):2-3.

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: Philippians (Book Introduction)

THE

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

INTRODUCTION.

Philippi, a considerable city in Macedonia, so called from Philip, father of Alexander the Great. St. Paul had preached there. (Acts xvi.) Those people had a great veneration for him, and supplied his wants when he was at Corinth, and again when he was a prisoner at Rome, sending to him by Epaphroditus, who is thought to have been the bishop of Philippi. St. Paul sent this letter by him to the Philippians, (written during his imprisonment) from Rome; but whether during his first or second imprisonment, is uncertain. (Witham) --- It is generally believed that St. Paul wrote it about the year 62, in his first confinement. In it he testifies to the faithful his most tender gratitude and acknowledgement for the assistance they had sent him, and a zeal the most ardent for their salvation. He felicitates them on their courage under sufferings for the cause of Jesus Christ, on their good works also, and forcibly excites them to confidence and joy. --- The Philippians were the first among the Macedonians converted to the faith. St. Paul, in this epistle, recommends charity, unity, and humility; and warns against false teachers, whom he calls dogs, and enemies of the cross of Christ. He also returns thanks for their benefactions. It was written about twenty-nine years after our Lord's ascension. (Challoner)

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Gill: Philippians (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS

Philippi was a Roman colony, and the chief city of one part of Macedonia, Act 16:12, it is by Appianus called Datos which was its original name; and by Diodorus Siculus it is called Crenidae ^a, from, the fountains about it; and it took its name Philippi, from Philip king of Macedon, father of Alexander the great, who rebuilt and fortified it; near this place a famous battle was fought, and a victory obtained by Augustus Caesar and Mark Antony, over Brutus and Cassius; it is now called Chrixopolis, properly Chrysopolis, from the plenty of golden mines near it: here the apostle was directed by a vision, to go and preach the Gospel; and which was succeeded, to the conversion of Lydia, and the jailer, and their families; which laid the foundation of a Gospel church in this place, to whom this epistle is written; and which was written by the apostle when he was a prisoner at Rome, as many things in it show; for he more than once makes mention of his bonds, and of these being made manifest in Caesar's palace, and of some of Caesar's household sending their Christian salutations to this church: Dr. Hammond makes the date of this epistle to be the year 59, and Dr. Lightfoot places it in the year 60, and the sixth of Nero; the occasion of it was this, the Philippians, to whom the apostle was very dear, he being the first preacher of the Gospel to them, and the instrument of their conversion, hearing that he was a prisoner at Rome, send their minister and pastor Epaphroditus to him, to visit him, and by him a present to support him under his afflicted circumstances, and who related to him the case of this church; and at his departure he sent by him this letter; the design of which is, to express his love and affection to them; to give them an account of his bonds, and the usefulness of them, and how he was supported under them; to encourage them under all the afflictions and persecutions, they endured for the sake of Christ; to excite them to love, unity, and peace, among themselves; to caution them against false teachers, judaizing Christians, that were for joining Moses and Christ, law and Gospel, works and grace together, in the business of salvation; to exhort them to a holy life and conversation, and to return them thanks for their kind present.

Gill: Philippians 1 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS 1

This chapter contains the inscription of the epistle; the apostle's salutation of the Philippians; an account of his thanksgivings, prayers, and affection for them, and confidence of them; a narrative of his sufferings, and the use of them; and an exhortation to a conversation becoming the Gospel, to abide by it, and suffer cheerfully for it. The inscription is in Phi 1:1, in which are mentioned by name the persons that subscribed the epistle, Paul and Timothy; and who are described by their character, servants of Jesus Christ; and also the persons to whom the epistle was sent, by the place of their abode, Philippi; the members of the church by their general character, saints in Christ Jesus; and the officers of it, by those that are peculiar to them as such, bishops and deacons: the salutation is in Phi 1:2, and then follows a thanksgiving for them to God, which was made in prayer, and upon every remembrance of them at the throne of grace, and that for their constant fellowship in the Gospel, Phi 1:3, and the apostle expresses his strong confidence of the good work of grace being begun in them, and of the performance of it, until the day of Christ; grounded upon a judgment of charity, and a belief of their being partakers of the same grace with himself, Phi 1:6, and declares the most tender and affectionate love to them, for the truth of which he calls God to witness, Phi 1:8, and as a proof of it, puts up several petitions for them; that they might have an increase of love, and spiritual knowledge, judgment, and sense, that so they might be capable of trying and approving things that differ, and which are the most excellent of them; that they might be sincere and harmless in their lives, and always doing good works in the strength of Christ, and to the glory of God, Phi 1:9, next follows an account of his bonds and imprisonment, and the usefulness of them, as that they were for the further spread of the Gospel in many places, and even in Caesar's palace, Phi 1:12, yea, by means of them several of the ministering brethren were the more emboldened to preach the Gospel without fear of men; though there was a difference among them, some preached Christ of envy, strife, and contention, thinking to add to the apostle's troubles, and others, of good will, and of love to the apostle, who they knew was set for the defence of the Gospel, Phi 1:14, upon all which the apostle gives his sentiments, and makes his reflections, that whatever were the views of some men in preaching, it was, and ever would be, constant matter of joy to him that Christ was preached, Phi 1:18, yea, he was satisfied, that the ill designed by some to him would be overruled for his good, by means of the prayers of the saints, and the supply of the Spirit; for he had a pure and well grounded hope and expectation, that he should never be brought to shame and confusion, but that Christ would be magnified in him living and dying; for he knew that both his life, and his death, would be gain to Christ, or that it would be for the glory of Christ for him to live, and his own gain should he die, Phi 1:19, which put him in a strait what was most eligible in this case, whether, to live in the flesh, or depart out of the world; seeing to live in the flesh, and labour in the ministry, were fruitful and profitable, and more necessary and useful for the churches of Christ, and to die, and be with Christ, were better for himself, Phi 1:22, but upon maturely weighing things on both sides, like one of a truly noble public spirit, he inclines to the former; nay, is persuaded, that he should continue longer to be an instrument of increasing the faith and joy of the Lord's people, which he knew would abound in Christ on his account, should he be restored again, Phi 1:25, and then he concludes the chapter with an exhortation to the Philippians, to order their conversation agreeably to the Gospel of Christ, and to continue firm and unanimous in it, and use their utmost endeavours to keep it themselves, and spread it among others, Phi 1:27, being not daunted and intimidated by the persecutions of men, which to the persecutors was a sign of perdition, looked darkly, and with an ill aspect upon them, but to the persecuted was a token that they had an interest in that salvation which is of God, Phi 1:28, for as it is a gift of grace to believe in Christ, so likewise to suffer for him, Phi 1:29, to which the apostle animates them by his own example, that which they were called unto being no other than what they had seen endured by him, and had heard concerning high, Phi 1:30.

College: Philippians (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION

THE CITY

When Paul bypassed the seaport at Neapolis and moved eight miles inland to Philippi, he did so because Philippi, though small, was a city of some importance. The history of the city stretched back several centuries. A small village, known as Krenides, was captured by Philip of Macedon and annexed to his empire in 356 B.C. The area was attractive because of the many springs in the vicinity, and because of the nearby gold mines. Hence Philip named the city after himself, i.e., Philippi.

The city remained insignificant until conquered by the Romans almost two centuries later (168, 167 B.C.). The area was made a Roman province, and included in the first of the four districts into which the Romans divided Macedonia.

The most significant event of the pre-Pauline city took place in 42 B.C. There, on the plain of Philippi, the forces of Brutus and Cassius (Caesar's assassins) clashed with the armies of Antony and Octavian, only to go down in defeat. Thus Philippi was the spot at which the destiny of the Roman empire was set for some time to come.

Later (31 B.C.) Octavian defeated Antony. As a result of the battles of 42 and 31 B.C. a number of military veterans, from both the victors and the vanquished, were settled there. In 31 B.C. the name of the town was enhanced to honor Octavian (Caesar Augustus), its conqueror.

Philippi was made a Roman colony, a high privilege indeed for a provincial city within the empire. Rights of the citizenry included Roman citizenship, the right to own and transfer property, and exemption from certain taxes. The city was in municipal pattern and architecture modeled on Rome, as well as in legal and administrative detail. The citizens wore Roman dress, had coinage with Roman inscriptions, and used (though not exclusively) the Latin language. Roman citizens had certain rights under Roman law, a fact that stood to Paul's advantage when he came to Philippi (Acts 16:37ff).

The city was located on the Via Egnatia, one of the major Roman roads of the time. Some evidence indicates the road in this area was in bad condition during the time of Paul's visit, so that visitors to Philippi may have used the sea route (as Paul did) with greater frequency. However, bad roads, though an inconvenience to travel, did not stop it completely. When Paul left the city it was by road toward the west.

Residents of the city would have included a core of veterans of the Roman wars or their descendants. Also in residence were Greeks, descendants of the native Thracian population, and some Jews. Some read the story of the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16 to indicate there were not enough male Jews in the city to constitute a synagogue. But others argue that there was a synagogue built by the river to which Paul went to preach.

ORIGINS OF THE CHURCH

The origins of this church are recorded in Acts 16:6-40. Compare the commentary by Dennis Gaertner in this series for detailed comments. The following should be noted.

First, it was by divine impulse that the mission to Philippi and Europe was undertaken. A vision, coupled with earlier prohibitions, spurred Paul on his way (Acts 16:6-10). Paul traveled with Silas, Timothy (who had joined the party earlier), and, by assumption, Luke, who is identified by "we" in Acts 16:10. This is based on the view that Acts was written by Luke. When Paul and Silas left the city, Luke was apparently left with the fledgling church, to be picked up by Paul when he passed through Philippi on his third journey (Acts 20:5).

Second, the initial convert in the city was Lydia (Acts 16:13-15), an open-minded God-fearer, whose profession (a dealer in purple cloth) and hospitality lead to the conclusion she was a person of some means. Though she is not mentioned in Philippians, two of the four specific names of Philippian Christians given in the letter are women, and it is generally thought that the women exercised significant roles in the church.

Third, a slave girl was exorcised, and this good deed destroyed her commercial advantage to her owners. In retaliation they inflamed a crowd, with the result that Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in the most miserable of conditions (Acts 16:16-24).

Fourth, this incarceration served to make the faith of Paul and Silas shine more brightly, as they sang praises to God from their cell, rather than uttering the groans of pain that might have been expected. An earthquake so devastated the prison that the prisoner's cells were opened and their bonds loosed. The jailer, contemplating suicide because he thought his prisoners would have escaped, was reassured by Paul and Silas that they were all still there. More importantly, he found Christ, and he and his family became Christians in what is one of the remarkable conversions of the New Testament (Acts 16:23-34).

Finally, the release of Paul and Silas from prison and the embarrassment of the Philippian officials when they learned they had afflicted Roman citizens is told with a touch of humor. Paul and Silas, apparently taking their time, finally left the city, no doubt much to the relief of the city authorities (Acts 16:35-40). But their companion Luke stayed behind, with a group of believers whose ties to Paul through the years were especially affectionate. Though the first convert was a God-fearer, evidence indicates the church was composed predominantly of Gentiles who had not necessarily been sympathetic to Judaism. The date for these events is generally considered to be from A.D. 49-52.

PAUL'S LOCALE

Paul nowhere in this letter names the place of his imprisonment. A long held tradition, dating as early as the second century, identifies Rome as his locale. In recent years two other main options have been advanced: Ephesus and Caesarea. In considering this issue there are basic data to be kept in mind.

(1) Paul was a prisoner (1:7) and did not know the outcome of his trial (1:19f; 2:17).

(2) The place from which Paul wrote was also populated by those of "Caesar's household" (4:22).

(3) Timothy was with Paul (1:1; 2:19ff).

(4) The Christians in Paul's locale were engaged in evangelism (1:14ff).

(5) Paul hoped to visit Philippi if circumstances allowed (2:24).

(6) There was frequent communication between Philippi and Paul. The Philippians had heard Paul was in prison and sent Epaphroditus, who became ill. This news reached Philippi, and their anxiety reached back to Paul. The letter Paul wrote would be sent to Philippi, to be followed by visits from Timothy, and later (if possible) Paul himself (2:19-28).

A theoretical Ephesian imprisonment meets some of these criteria, but founders on others. Most telling is the fact that though Acts says Paul was in Ephesus for some time (Acts 19:8, 10) there is no record of an imprisonment there.

Paul was imprisoned for at least two years at Caesarea (Acts 24:27), but again that imprisonment does not account for all the statements in Philippians. One of the reasons for objection to Rome as the place of origin was that the distance between Rome and Philippi was too great for all the trips indicated by Philippians. But the distance was just as great to Caesarea. Actually the journey from Rome to Philippi took about forty days. Thus a major objection to a Roman imprisonment, and justification for a Caesarean, is removed.

Two major objections to Rome have to do with the amount of time needed for travel, just discussed, and the change in Paul's travel plans from his announced intention to visit Spain (Rom 15:24, 29) to his intent to visit Philippi (Phil 1:25-27; 2:24). Given Paul's unexpected changes in circumstances due to his arrest and imprisonment (Acts 21), a change of intent should not be found too surprising.

Though Rome cannot be proved to be the place from which Paul wrote, it does seem to fit the circumstances better than the alternatives. If from Rome, the date of writing was probably the early 60s. While holding this view, students still should not close themselves to evidence suggesting other possibilities. Despite the details in Acts and his biographical statements in the letters, there is still a great deal we do not know about Paul's activities.

REASONS FOR WRITING

Hawthorne lists a number of reasons Paul wrote this letter. From his list we may select the following as the most obvious.

First, there was the matter of Epaphroditus and the gift sent to Paul by his hand. Paul wished to respond to their generosity (4:10-20). He also wished to allay their apprehensions about Epaphroditus (2:25-30), with whom he doubtless sent the letter.

Second, he took the opportunity to share certain news about himself and his situation. He especially told them of a problem he faced because some brethren hoped to create trouble for him by preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry (1:14-18). At the same time he addressed the issue of his imprisonment and his possible future (1:19-30; 2:24).

Third, he wished to address a serious problem of division within the church. He names two women (4:2), but we suspect the problem was of wider dimension. There are touches throughout the book directed to this need, but it is addressed most powerfully in 2:1-11.

Fourth, Paul wished to warn about those he calls "dogs," "men who do evil," and "mutilators of the flesh" in 3:2. Later in the chapter he laments about "enemies of the cross" ( v. 18).

EMPHASES

In addition to these central purposes there are certain notes sounded throughout the book which can enrich pursuit by the serious student. The joy motif through the book has been often observed (cf. the reference at 1:4). Though some have argued the church was a joyful one, we believe that not to have been the case. Paul's repeated exhortations indicate their lack of joy, and we suppose that a capturing of the "joy of the Lord" would go far to resolving the Philippians' problems.

Another noteworthy emphasis is the repeated use of the forms of the root fron- ( phron ; references at 1:7). From examining these it can be discerned how Paul's call was for a whole approach to life, not just to superficial thought or action. Study of this term makes it clear that Christianity was a deep and total commitment to the Lord and to a way of life.

In addition the reader might examine the texts listed under "all" (1:1), "partnership" (1:5), and "in the Lord" (4:1).

DEVOTIONAL TEXTS

Some of the great devotional New Testament texts are found in Philippians (see 1:21; 2:5-11,12f; 3:7-11; 4:4-7,8f, and 11-13). Often these verses are taken out of context, and are given an independent existence. We note this to stress the fact that Paul did not write Philippians (or any letter) so it could be the subject of a commentary - though commentaries have real value. To follow Christ meant to live a life, not to judiciously make detailed observations about grammar, word meanings, syntax, etc. So if a commentary enhances understanding, that is a noble thing. But understanding may stop short of salvation. As Paul wrote to enhance discipleship, so this author hopes this work will have the same effect! To God be the glory!

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PHILIPPIANS

Beare, F.W. The Epistle to the Philippians . London: Adam and Charles Black, 1959.

Bruce, F.F. Philippians . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1983.

Craddock, Fred. Philippians . Atlanta: John Knox, 1985.

Harrell, Pat. The Letter of Paul to the Philippians . Austin: Sweet, 1969.

Hawthorne, Gerald. Philippians . Waco: Word Books, 1983.

Martin, Ralph. Philippians . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Melick, Richard. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Nashville: Broadman, 1991.

O'Brien, Peter. Philippians . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Saunders, Ernest. First Thessalonians, Second Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon . Atlanta: John Knox, 1981.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV