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 ALFRED C. BARNES 
 
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 Date Due 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 PRINTED IN 
 
 U. 3. «, 
 
 cSJ 
 
 NO. 23233 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029294407 
 
Cornell Unlvaralty Library 
 BS2705 .P73 
 
 Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the 
 
 olln 
 
 3 1924 029 294 407 
 
 A COMMENTARY ON ST. PAUL'S 
 EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 
 
By the Rev. 
 ALFRED PLUMMER, D.D. 
 
 An Exegetical Commentary on St. 
 Matthew. i6s. net. 
 
 A Commentary on St. Paul's First 
 Epistle to the Thessalonians. 
 ^s. 6d. net. 
 
 A Commentary on St. Paul's Second 
 Epistle to the Thessalonians. 
 7i. 6d. net. 
 
 Consolation in Bereavement through 
 Prayers for the Departed. 
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 The Churches in Britain. 2 vols. 
 Each 55. net. 
 
 LONDON : ROBERT SCOTT 
 
A COMMENTARY ON 
 
 ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PHILIPPIANS 
 
 By the Rev. 
 
 ALFRED PLUMMER, M.A., D.D. 
 
 Formerly Master of University College, Durham, and sometime Fellow 
 and Tutor of Trinity College, Oxford 
 
 Suscitabo filios tuos, Sion, 
 Super filios tuos, Grcecia. 
 
 LONDON: ROBERT SCOTT 
 
 ROXBURGHE HOUSE 
 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.G. 
 
 MCMXIX 
 All rights reserved 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 I. PHILIPPI 
 
 The passage of the Gospel from Eastern to Western civiliza- 
 tion is an event of the highest importance and interest in 
 the history of the Christian Church. With the exception 
 of the extension of the offer of salvation from Jews to 
 Gentiles, there is hardly anything of greater importance 
 in the progress of Apostolic Christianity. It was an advance 
 from a world in which the best elements of civilization 
 were to be found in Judaism, to a world in which the best 
 elements were centred in the art and literature of Greece, 
 and in the military and political organization of Rome. 
 Divine religion was seeking friendship with human philo- 
 sophy and human law. 
 
 It did not come uninvited. Macedonia, half Greek and 
 half Roman, took the initiative under special guidance 
 from heaven. The Spirit intimated that St. Paul, Silas 
 and Timothy were not to preach the word in Asia, Mysia, 
 or Bithynia : and, when Troas was reached and Luke had 
 joined them, a man of Macedonia appeared to the Apostle 
 with the urgent appeal, ' Come over into Macedonia and help 
 us ' (Acts xvi. 6 a.). Possibly the first ship that was avail- 
 able after this summons reached him was one that was bound 
 for Neapolis {Kavalla), the port of Philippi, about nine or 
 ten miles from it, and separated from it by a ridge which 
 was then called Ssnnbolum, and is about 1600 feet above 
 the sea. More probably St. Paul saw the great advantages 
 of starting from such a centre as PhiUppi, and chose his 
 ship accordingly. 
 
vi INTRODUCTION 
 
 Philippi was founded by Philip of Macedon, father of the 
 great Alexander. Its original name was Crenides (/cprjviSei), 
 from the numerous streams which feed the Gangites or 
 Gangas, the river beside which Lydia and her companions 
 worshipped. B.C. i68 Macedonia was conquered by the 
 Romans, who divided the country into four districts, which 
 were kept rigidly distinct, on the principle of Divide et 
 impera. Philippi was in the first of these four districts, 
 which had Amphipolis as its capital. B.C. ^149 a different 
 policy was adopted. The whole of Macedonia was united 
 with Epirus to form the Roman Province of Macedonia, 
 with Thessalonica as its capital. But the changes of 
 greatest interest to the Christian historian came a centiuy 
 later. B.C. 42, Roman ImperiaUsm, as represented by 
 Octavian, the future Augustus, and Mark Antony, triumphed 
 over the Roman RepubUc, as represented by Brutus and 
 Cassius, in the plain between the mountain ranges of Pan- 
 gaeus and Haemus close to the walls of PhiUppi. The 
 conquerors refounded the city, placing some of their victori- 
 ous soldiers there as citizens. After Octavian's victory 
 over Antony and Cleopatra, 2nd Sept. B.C. 31, the city was 
 once more refounded by the victor, and the Roman popula- 
 tion was considerably augmented by defeated soldiers 
 from the forces of Antony. It was now a Roman colony 
 with the Jus Italicum, which freed it from the tribute usually 
 paid by conquered states to Rome. Thus its inhabitants 
 had aU the rights and privileges of Romans, and like other 
 Roman colonies, it became a miniature Rome. The Mace- 
 donian inhabitants seem to have become completely Roman- 
 ized, rejoicing in imitating Rome, and resenting changes 
 which were not Roman (Acts xvi. 21). Their magistrates 
 were called duumviri, and were attended by lictors, who 
 carried fasces. The colonial duumviri sometimes assumed 
 the title of ' praetors,' and seem to have done so at Philippi, 
 for St. Luke calls them a-rpdrtiyol ; but he leaves us in 
 doubt as to whether these aTpaT-rjyoi were the same as the 
 apxovTe<s before whom the missionaries were first taken 
 by the infuriated mob. His Book of Acts is mainly the 
 
INTRODUCTION vii 
 
 history of the passage of the Gospel from Jerasalem to 
 Rome, and he takes pleasure in thinking of Philippi as 
 a leading Roman city at the opening of the new Christian 
 campaign. The story is of a march from a little modem 
 Rome to the great ancient original.* 
 
 At the present time there are two, if not three, sites to be 
 noted at Philippi. The modern village, Felibedjik (Little 
 PhiUppi, to distinguish it from PhilippopoU in Bulgaria) 
 is some distance from the very considerable ruins of the 
 city founded by Augustus ; and it is doubtful whether these 
 ruins occupy the site of the city founded by Philip. Appian 
 says that Philip's city was on a hill,t whereas the ruins 
 of the city which became so dear to St. Paul are in the 
 plain near the river. 
 
 There had been two reasons for the position and pros- 
 perity of the original Philippi ; the proximity of gold- 
 mines and the fertility of the plain. The mines were ex- 
 hausted long before St. Paul's time, and the fertility of 
 the neighbourhood, if he knew of it, was not one of the 
 things which attracted him. That the inhabitants were, 
 like himself, Roman citizens was no doubt one of the reasons 
 why he selected it as the first centre for the new mission 
 to Western civilization. Another advantage was that the 
 great Via Egnatia, the main high-road between East and 
 West, passed through Philippi, dividing the city into its 
 two main portions. A third point of importance was that 
 there was a Jewish settlement there ; and it was a general 
 principle with the earliest Christian missionaries that the 
 Gospel must be preached first to the Jews (Acts xiii. 46, 47 ; 
 xviii. 6 ; xxviii. 28). 
 
 The Jewish settlement was so small that it did not possess 
 
 * The reading in Acts xvi. 12 is very uncertain. Hort's conjec- 
 tural suggestion of IIwpiSos for fiepC&oi has met with very little 
 approval. Whichever reading we' adopt, the meaning of irpiSrrq 
 remains doubtful ; and Blass would change irpuri/ to irpiinys. 
 Perhaps ' a city of the first rank,' * no mean city,' is St. Luke's 
 meaning. 
 
 I Civil Wars, IV. xiii. 15. 
 
viii INTRODUCTION 
 
 a synagogue, but only a ' place of prayer ' {vpoa-evxv), 
 on the bank of the river Gangites ; and here on the Sabbath 
 the four missionaries began their labours.* The wor- 
 shippers whom they met seem to have been chiefly Gentile 
 women, who, without becoming proselytes, adopted Jewish 
 principles and attended Jewish worship. At any rate 
 the first convert, Lydia, was such a person, and her house 
 became the home of the infant Philippian Church. It was 
 among ' God-fearers,' or " honorary members " of Judaism, 
 that St. Paul found some of his best material in missionary 
 work, and the Jews hated him the more for his success 
 in wresting these " honorary members " from them. 
 
 That ' Lydia ' is not an ordinary proper name, but a nick- 
 name bestowed upon her because she was a Lydian from 
 Thyatira in Lydia, is possible, and Ramsay regards it as 
 " practically certain." But ovofian elsewhere indicates 
 actual proper names (Acts v. i, 34, viii. g, ix. 10, 11, 12, 33, 
 36, X. I, etc.), whereas 6 eiriKoKoviJ.evo^ or o iiriK\rj0ei,<! 
 is used to introduce names that have been substituted for 
 the proper name or added to it (Acts iv. 36, x. 18, xi. 13, 
 xii. 12, 25, XV. 22) ; and Horace shows us that Lydia was a 
 name borne by women who were not Lydians {Odes I. viii. i, 
 III. ix. 6). The Lydian hj^pothesis is not generally adopted. 
 That Lydia is to be identified with either Euodia or Sjmtyche 
 is pure conjecture (see on iv. 2). It need not surprise us 
 that she receives no special message and is not mentioned 
 in the Epistle. No greetings to individuals are sent ; and 
 she may have died or have left Phihppi before the Epistle 
 was written. 
 
 The girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination (Ut. ' a 
 spirit, Pytho ') was probably a slave, and she may have been 
 connected with the oracle of the Thracian Dionysus on the 
 adjoining range of Haemus. That she was exploited by a 
 
 • The reading is again very uncertain. We cannot be sure that 
 worship was regularly held here, or that there was a building in which 
 to hold it. Probably open-air services took place every Sabbath 
 and other Jewish holy day. Jews like to have their places of worship 
 near water with a view to ceremonial purifications. 
 
INTRODUCTION ix 
 
 company, to get money for them by uttering oracles and 
 telling fortunes,* is mere hj^othesis. ' Her masters ' 
 (oi Kvptoi, ainfji) may mean her ' master and mistress,' or 
 a family of brothers and sisters whom she served. Papyri 
 illustrate this use of oi tcvpioi. She seems to have believed 
 in her own inspiration, and she certainly believed in the 
 inspiration of the missionaries. They, Uke herself, were 
 
 • slaves of the Most High God,' and they delivered a message 
 from Him. But just as our Lord refused the aid of demons 
 when they declared Him to be the Messiah, so His Apostle 
 refused the aid of this spirit of divination, when it declared 
 him and his colleagues to be ministers of salvation. Like 
 his Master, he commanded the unclean spirit to come out. 
 The severe beating and subsequent imprisonment of Paul 
 and Silas, which was the result, is alluded to i. 30. How 
 Timothy and Luke escaped outrage we do not know. If 
 there was any evidence that Luke was a PhiUppian, this 
 might account for his escape. Why did not Paul and Silas 
 avoid it by declaring themselves at once to be Roman 
 citizens, as they did the next day ? Possibly they did utter 
 a protest, but in the uproar the duumviri did not hear it. 
 It is also possible that on this occasion they readily accepted 
 the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (iii. 10), and were unwill- 
 ing to deprive themselves of the opportunity of sharing 
 persecution with Him. Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 25. In either case 
 the conduct of the magistrates at Phihppi was in marked 
 contrast to that of almost all Roman officials elsewhere. 
 Whether magistrates or miUtary officers, they usually 
 protected the Apostle from persecution, and treated him 
 with kindness. These Philippian officials, first buUying 
 and then cringing, had probably had no training in the 
 grand traditions of Roman justice. 
 
 The gaoler probably believed that the earthquake was the 
 result of the prayers which Paul and Silas had been chanting 
 
 * " She belonged to some masters, possibly a corporation of 
 priests, who made a good business out of her fortune-telling " 
 (Rackham). "Hired by Philippian citizens" (Smith, D.B. art. 
 
 * Philippi '). 
 
viii INTRODUCTION 
 
 a synagogue, but only a 'place of prayer' [vpoaevxri), 
 on the bank of the river Gangites ; and here on the Sabbath 
 the four missionaries began their labours.* The wor- 
 shippers whom they met seem to have been chiefly Gentile 
 women, who, without becoming proselytes, adopted Jewish 
 principles and attended Jewish worship. At any rate 
 the first convert, Lydia, was such a person, and her house 
 became the home of the infant Philippian Church. It was 
 among ' God-fearers,' or " honorary members " of Judaism, 
 that St. Paul found some of his best material in missionary 
 work, and the Jews hated him the more for his success 
 in wresting these " honorary members " from them. 
 
 That ' Lydia ' is not an ordinary proper name, but a nick- 
 name bestowed upon her because she was a Lydian from 
 Thyatira in Lydia, is possible, and Ramsay regards it as 
 " practically certain." But ovoimti elsewhere indicates 
 actual proper names (Acts v. i, 34, viii. 9, ix. 10, 11, 12, 33, 
 36, X. I, etc.), whereas eVt/caXou/ievo? or o iiriKXrjOeCv 
 is used to introduce names that have been substituted for 
 the proper name or added to it (Acts iv. 36, x. 18, xi. 13, 
 xii. 12, 25, XV. 22) ; and Horace shows us that Lydia was a 
 name borne by women who were not Lydians {Odes I. viii. i, 
 III. ix. 6). The Lydian hypothesis is not generally adopted. 
 That Lydia is to be identified with either Euodia or S3mtyche 
 is pure conjecture (see on iv. 2). It need not surprise us 
 that she receives no special message and is not mentioned 
 in the Epistle. No greetings to individuals are sent ; and 
 she may have died or have left Philippi before the Epistle 
 was written. 
 
 The girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination (lit. ' a 
 spirit, Pytho ') was probably a slave, and she may have been 
 connected with the oracle of the Thracian Dionysus on the 
 adjoining range of Haemus. That she was exploited by a 
 
 * The reading is again very uncertain. We cannot be sure that 
 worship was regularly held here, or that there was a building in which 
 to hold it. Probably open-air services took place every Sabbath 
 and other Jewish holy day. Jews like to have their places of worship 
 near water with a view to ceremonial purifications. 
 
INTRODUCTION ix 
 
 company, to get money for them by uttering oracles and 
 telling fortunes,* is mere hj^pothesis. ' Her masters ' 
 {ol Kvpiot aiTTJi) may mean her ' master and mistress,' or 
 a family of brothers and sisters whom she served. Papyri 
 illustrate this use of ol Kvpiot. She seems to have believed 
 in her own inspiration, and she certainly beheved in the 
 inspiration of the missionaries. They, like herself, were 
 ' slaves of the Most High God,' and they delivered a message 
 from Him. But just as our Lord refused the aid of demons 
 when they declared Him to be the Messiah, so His Apostle 
 refused the aid of this spirit of divination, when it declared 
 him and his colleagues to be ministers of salvation. Like 
 his Master, he commanded the unclean spirit to come out. 
 The severe beating and subsequent imprisonment of Paul 
 and Silas, which was the result, is alluded to i. 30. How 
 Timothy and Luke escaped outrage we do not know. If 
 there was any evidence that Luke was a Philippian, this 
 might account for his escape. Why did not Paul and Silas 
 avoid it by declaring themselves at once to be Roman 
 citizens, as they did the next day ? Possibly they did utter 
 a protest, but in the uproar the duumviri did not hear it. 
 It is also possible that on this occasion they readily accepted 
 the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (iii. 10), and were unwill- 
 ing to deprive themselves of the opportunity of sharing 
 persecution with Him. Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 25. In either case 
 the conduct of the magistrates at PhiUppi was in marked 
 contrast to that of almost all Roman officials elsewhere. 
 Whether magistrates or military ofl&cers, they usually 
 protected the Apostle from persecution, and treated him 
 with kindness. These Philippian officials, first bullying 
 and then cringing, had probably had no training in the 
 grand traditions of Roman justice. 
 
 The gaoler probably believed that the earthquake was the 
 result of the prayers which Paul and Silas had been chanting 
 
 * " She belonged to some masters, possibly a corporation of 
 priests, who made a good business out of her fortune-telling " 
 (Rackham). "Hired by Philippian citizens" (Smith, D.B. art, 
 'PhiUppi'). 
 
X INTRODUCTION 
 
 during the night.* This convinced him that they had a 
 Divine commission, just as the substance of their preaching 
 had convinced the oracle-giving slave-girl of the reahty of 
 their inspiration. Both saw in them ministers of salvation 
 (Acts xvi. 17, 30). Lydia, the slave-girl, and the gaoler, 
 all of them Gentiles, give us three very different examples 
 of the population of Philippi, and therefore of the very 
 different elements with which the missionaries had to deal 
 in this virgin missionary soU. Lydia and the gaoler show 
 the early spread of the Gospel to whole households. We are 
 tempted to see in these three converts t3^es which respec- 
 tively represent Jewish, Greek, and Roman civilization. 
 But Lydia was not a Jewess, though she was powerfully 
 attracted by the Jewish religion. That the slave-girl 
 was a Greek, and the gaoler a Roman, is not improbable, 
 but cannot be proved. 
 
 The ■ we '-section in Acts which began suddenly at Troas 
 (xvi. 10) comes suddenly to an end with the departure of 
 Paul and Silas from Philippi (xvi. 17-40), showing that Luke 
 did not leave Philippi with them. The fact that the duum- 
 virs came to the prison, and personally apologized for their 
 conduct on the previous day, would teU in favour of the 
 work of the missionaries, and would gain respect for Luke 
 and any who worked with him. 
 
 Some five years later St. Paul was again in Macedonia, 
 and doubtless at Philippi (Acts xx. i). The next year he was 
 certainly at Philippi (xx. 5, 6), where the ' we '-sections begin 
 again. Some five or six years later this Epistle was written. 
 In it there is no direct allusion to intermediate visits ; but 
 the general tone of interest, intimacy, and affection is in 
 harmony with such facts, and it is possible that ' many 
 times used to tell ' (iii. 18) refers to what was said at a second 
 or third visit. 
 
 Ignatius passed through PhiUppi on his way to be mar- 
 t3Ted at Rome, and a Httle later Polycarp wrote to the 
 
 * Tlpo(Tevx6iJi.€voi v/ivovv may refer to liturgical usage ; but 
 v/ivouc may mean no more than repetition. So often in Plato ; 
 cf. Soph. Ajax, 292, 
 
INTRODUCTION xi 
 
 Philippians a letter in which he alludes to our Epistle, 
 and possibly to more than one, from the Apostle to the 
 Philippians. After that our knowledge of the Philippian 
 Church is ahnost a blank. "Born into the world with 
 the brightest promise, the Church of Philippi has Uved 
 without a history and perished without a memorial" 
 (Lightfoot). 
 
 II. AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY 
 
 The genuineness of the Epistle to the Philippians is now 
 so generally admitted even by scholars who are hjTper- 
 critical in other directions, that one might be justified in 
 assuming it without discussion as certain. Answering 
 objections is sla3dng the slain, a process which is all the more 
 superfluous, because in some cases it is an objector who 
 convincingly replies to the arguments which a previous 
 assailant of the Epistle has used. Thus Holsten demolishes 
 the criticisms of Baur, only to have his own criticisms 
 similarly treated by later writers. Schiirer regards them 
 as more hke slips of the pen than serious arguments, and 
 Paul Ewald pulverizes them in detail. Sometimes the words 
 of the letter are misinterpreted, in order to make out a case 
 against it ; sometimes historical situations are invented, 
 in order to show that the letter must have been written 
 after the death of the Apostle. Arguments are used which 
 " are really so weak, that we can hardly believe that the 
 objector could have attached any importance to them 
 himself " (Bleek). " The objections raised by a few hyper- 
 critics are not worthy of serious refutation " (P. S chaff). 
 
 The internal evidence is of the strongest. It would be 
 difficult to point to any four consecutive chapters in the 
 N.T. as more intensely Pauline. " The tone is Pauline 
 beyond the possibility of imitation " (Jiilicher) ; and it 
 is so in so many different ways. Assuming, however, 
 that any primitive writer was capable of imitating thus 
 minutely the Apostle's mental and moral characteristics, 
 it is impossible to find any adequate motive for such a 
 
xii INTRODUCTION 
 
 forgery. Non cuivis Paulinum pecUis effingere, says Bengel ; 
 and if so consummate an artist had existed, would he have 
 produced such a simple, affectionate, grateful, and undog- 
 matic letter as this ? 
 
 The external evidence is hardly less conclusive. There is 
 little doubt that Clement of Rome (a.d. 95) knew this 
 Epistle. No one passage in his letter can be called a quota- 
 tion ; but the cumulative effect of the various expressions 
 which may be echoes of Philippians is almost stringent ; 
 so many resemblances can hardly be accidental. Ignatius 
 seems to have known it. Polycarp certainly did. From 
 A.D. 175 onwards testimonies to it become abundant. 
 
 Among foreign scholars of high rank the following accept 
 it as genuine ; Bleek, B. Bruckner, W. Bruckner, Clemen, 
 De Wette, Ernesti, P. Ewald, Godet, Grimm, Hamack, 
 E. Haupt, Hilgenfeld, Holtzmann, JiiUcher, Klopper, 
 Lipsius, Lueken, Liinemann, Mangold, Pfleiderer, Renan, 
 Resch, Reuss, Sabatier, Schenkel, P. W. Schmidt, Schiirer, 
 B. Weiss, Zahn.* 
 
 The same may be said with regard to its integrity. It 
 was probably not all dictated at one sitting ; and at iii. i 
 there may have been some disturbing interruption. But 
 that we really have two letters joined together at this point, 
 either of which may have been written first, is an hypothesis 
 which solves no difficulties, and which has httle evidence to 
 support it ; for the possibility that St. Paul wrote more than 
 one letter to the Philippians is no evidence that in this 
 Epistle we have two letters dovetailed. Yet this gratmtous 
 suggestion is better than the wild theory that fragments 
 of two genuine letters He scattered about through all four 
 chapters. There is no reasonable doubt that aU four 
 chapters were written as parts of one and the same letter, 
 and in the order in which we have them. 
 
 * " The attempts made during the nineteenth century to disprove 
 the Pauline authorship now possess merely an historic interest " 
 (MofEat). See also C. R. Gregory, Canon and Text of N.T. pp. 
 205 f., and R. J. Knowling, Testimony of St. Pattl to Christ, pp. iiif. 
 
INTRODUCTION xiii 
 
 III. PLACE AND DATE 
 
 Here again we are on firm ground. Almost every indica- 
 tion in the letter itself points to one place only, viz. Rome. 
 The hypothesis suggested by some modern critics, that it 
 was written during the imprisonment at Caesarea, will not 
 bear investigation. In i. 13 and iv. 22 we have what almost 
 amounts to proof in favour of Rome, and what the Apostle 
 tells us about his own surroundings harmonizes with this. 
 His hope of being released and coming soon to visit Philippi 
 (i. 25, ii. 24) is fatal to the view of Caesarea. Cessation 
 of the imprisonment at Caesarea would mean transfer to 
 Rome. 
 
 But during the last few years some scholars, including 
 B. W. Bacon, Deissmann, and Kirsopp Lake, have suggested 
 Ephesus as the place from which the letter was written. 
 The theory is less incredible than that which advocates 
 Caesarea, but it fails altogether when weighed against 
 the almost universally accepted view that the letter was 
 written during the two years' imprisonment at Rome. 
 The Ephesus theory is based upon a number of more or 
 less probable conjectures ; the accepted view is based 
 upon well-ascertained facts, (i) We do not know that 
 St. Paul was ever imprisoned at Ephesus. We know that 
 he was imprisoned for two years at Rome, and the letter 
 imphes an imprisonment of many months' duration. It is 
 true that 2 Cor. xi. 23 and Clem. Rom. Cor. vi. show that the 
 Apostle was thrown into prison more often than the occasions 
 mentioned in Acts, and one of these additional imprison- 
 ments may have been at Ephesus. But it is very improbable 
 that there was an imprisonment of many months at 
 Ephesus. St. Luke's silence respecting such an event 
 would be extraordinary. (2) ' I fought with beasts at 
 Ephesus ' is supposed to imply imprisonment and sentence 
 of death, a death from which, in some strange way, the 
 Apostle escaped. But it is incredible that a Roman citizen 
 was sentenced to fight with wild beasts in the arena. The 
 phrase is a metaphor for conflict with brutal men. (3) 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION 
 
 There may have been a praetorium of some kind at Ephesus. 
 We know that there was one at Rome. (4) There were 
 persons at Ephesus related to the Imperial court who might 
 be Said to be ' of the household of Caesar.' We know that 
 ' the household of Caesar ' was a well-known institution at 
 Rome. (5) Many scholars hold that Rom. xvi. really 
 belongs to a letter addressed to Ephesus, and in Rom. xvi. 7 
 Andronicus and Junias are called ' my feUow-prisoners,' 
 and they were probably imprisoned with him at Ephesus. 
 But it is far from certain that Rom. xvi. was originally 
 addressed to Ephesus ; many scholars regard the theory 
 as untenable ; and ' my fellow-prisoners ' need not mean 
 more than that ' they, like myself, have suffered imprison- 
 ment.' (6) At Ephesus there is a fort called " St. Paul's 
 Prison." It is certain that the Apostle was never imprisoned 
 in it. 
 
 The Date of the letter, Uke all other dates in the life of 
 St. Paul, cannot be determined with exactness. It was 
 probably in the spring of a.d. 50 that he first visited Philippi. 
 About A.D. 55 he was probably again there, and in the follow- 
 ing year he was certainly there. Then comes his arrest at 
 Jerusalem, the imprisonment at Caesarea, and the two years' 
 imprisonment at Rome, near the end of which he wrote this 
 Epistle, about a.d. 60-62. Perhaps a.d. 61 is right, about 
 ten years later than i Thessalonians. Some put the dates 
 one or two years later, and a few prefer one or two years 
 earher. 
 
 But, whatever the year may be, the letter was written 
 late in the two years at Rome. His imprisonment has 
 had time to produce momentous effects (i. 12-18) ; he is 
 expecting to be released before long (i, 25, ii. 24) ; the PhiUp- 
 pians have had time to hear of his necessities and, after 
 considerable delay (iv. 10), to send Epaphroditus, to hear 
 of his arrival in Rome and serious iUness there, and to let 
 him know of their anxiety about him (U. 24-27). Moreover, 
 St. Luke has evidently left the Apostle (ii. 21, iv. 22 ; of. 
 Col. iv. 14). 
 
 We have no means of knowing whether St. Paul's condi- 
 
INTRODUCTION xv 
 
 tion had been affected by two events, either of which might 
 have made his imprisonment more stringent, and his pros- 
 pect of acquittal less, i. The Praetorian Prefect Burrhus, 
 an upright man, who had treated St. Paul humanely, died, 
 and one of his successors was the infamous TigeUinus. 
 2. Nero married Poppaea, who was a Jewish proselyte, 
 and would be Ukely to support the Apostle's Jewish prosecu- 
 tors. Our Epistle was probably written before either of 
 these events took place. No trace of them, therefore, can 
 be looked for in it. See Lewin, Fasti Sacri, p. 326. 
 
 IV. OCCASION 
 
 We may be sure that during the five years between 
 the Apostle's first and second visits to PhiHppi there were 
 communications between him and his converts. He would 
 not have remained silent, and we know that on several 
 occasions they sent supplies to him, and no doubt were 
 among the Macedonians who were so generous in contri- 
 buting to the fund for the relief of the poor Christians at 
 Jerusalem (2 Cor. viii. 1-5). As PhiUppi was on the great 
 highway between Asia Minor and much of Europe, oppor- 
 tunities of sending messages or letters would be considerable. 
 That St. Paul had previously written to the Phihppians 
 is more than we know ; but there is no improbability in 
 the supposition, and rd, aind in iii. i is regarded by some 
 as an allusion to a former letter. On the other side, the 
 PhUippians may have sent a letter along with one or more 
 of their contributions. In the present Epistle there are 
 possible allusions to a letter sent by them after the arrival 
 of Epaphroditus in Rome. They may have inquired about 
 the Apostle's progress and prospects (i. 12 f.), told him that 
 they prayed for him (i. 19), wondered whether they would 
 ever see him again (i. 24, 25, ii. 24), inquired about the 
 illness of Epaphroditus (ii. 26), and expressed regret that 
 the money had not been sent to the Apostle sooner (iv. 10). 
 Every one of these features in the Epistle would be quite 
 natural, if no such letter had been sent from Philippi, 
 and therefore all of them put together do not amount 
 
XV INTRODUCTION 
 
 to evidence that the Apostle is answering a letter. All 
 that can safely be said is that, if such a letter was sent, 
 our Epistle is to some extent an answer to it. The hypo- 
 thesis of a PhiUppian letter sent after Epaphroditus reached 
 Rome does not help us to understand anything in the 
 Epistle ; it merely agrees very well with certain features 
 in it. The Apostle was sympathetic enough to have sus- 
 pected that the PhiUppians were disturbed about the delay 
 in sending help, and about the course of events in Rome, 
 and resolved to reassure them. This, then, was one reason 
 for writing. 
 
 In addition to this, there was Epaphroditus, about whose 
 iUness they were so anxious, now restored to bodily health, 
 but home-sick, who would gladly carry a letter to Phihppi. 
 
 And, if the Philippians were anxious about the Apostle, 
 he also was anxious about them. On the whole, he could 
 rejoice greatly at their spiritual condition (i. 3-6, ii. 12) ; 
 but there was a want of Christian unity, and a tendency to 
 unchristian despondency and gloom. He must exhort them 
 to be more united (i. 9, ii. 2-17, iii. 16, iv. 2, 3, 9), and must 
 encourage them to rejoice without ceasing (ii. 18, 28, 
 iv. 4). He also knew that they were suffering persecution 
 (i. 30), and would urge them to stand fast (iv. i). More- 
 over, he was anxious about grave evils, which existed 
 elsewhere in Christian Churches, and which might find their 
 way to PhiUppi. He therefore warns them earnestly 
 against the Judaizers who wanted to enslave Christians 
 under the Law (iii. 2-11), and against Antinomians who 
 taught that Christian hberty meant Gentile laxity about 
 sin (iii. 17-21). 
 
 The immediate occafion of the Epistle was the eagerness 
 of Epaphroditus to return home. 
 
 V. CHARACTERISTICS AND CONTENTS 
 
 The Epistle to the PhiUppians has received a number of 
 descriptive epithets. It has been called " the Epistle of 
 Joy," " the Epistle of Love." " the Epistle of Humility," 
 " the most beautiful of all the Pauline Epistles," " the most 
 
INTRODUCTION xvii 
 
 affectionate," "the happiest," "the noblest reflexion of St. 
 Paul's personal character and spiritual illumination," " the 
 most attractive picture in the N.T. of Christian life and a 
 Christian Church," " the love-letter " among the Pauline 
 Epistles, " the testament of the Apostle and the most 
 epistolary of all Epistles " (der brieflichste alter Briefe). 
 Let us begin with the last of these descriptions ; " it is the 
 most letter-Hke of all letters." In other words, it is a real 
 letter, and not a treatise, or an essay, or a homily, or any- 
 thing else, dressed up to look Uke a letter. It is one of the 
 significcint indications of Van Manen's incompetence as a 
 critic that he can pronounce it to be " not really a letter, 
 but an edifying composition in the form of a letter." Its 
 simplicity and artlessness are conspicuous all through as the 
 natural outpoiuring of a very affectionate, cheerful, and 
 grateful, but somewhat anxious and sensitive friend and 
 teacher, to disciples who (as he knows) admire and love 
 him, but are in need of both encouragement and warning. 
 Indications of mutual affection abound (i. 7-9, 25, 26, ii. 2, 
 12, 17, 18, 28, iii. 16, iv. I, 14-17). The topics come one 
 after another in a manner which is natural enough, but 
 which shows no very careful plan ; and the letter is therefore 
 delightfully informal, but somewhat difficult to analyse. 
 Here and there, as in the great doctrinal passage (ii. 6-11), 
 and in personal explanations (iii. 4-12, iv. 11-13), the word- 
 ing seems to have been prepared with some care beforehand. 
 But, for the most part, the Apostle has simply made up his 
 mind as to the subjects which he will talk about, and he 
 utters them as they occvi to his memory. Talk about them 
 is exactly what he does. The most perfect kind of letter- 
 writing is that which comes nearest to good conversation ; 
 and of all the Pauline Epistles none comes nearer to that 
 than the letter before us. As one might expect in what is 
 addressed by a loving master to loving and dutiful pupils, 
 the letter simply swings backwards and forwards between 
 what concerns them, and therefore greatly interests him, and 
 what concerns him, and is sure to interest them. Both of 
 these element s are a self-revelation of the writer. They tell 
 
 B 
 
xviii INTRODUCTION 
 
 us of his prison-thoughts ; — ^his joys and his sorrows and the 
 source of his strength in combinipg joy and sorrow with 
 regard to the chequered present and the uncertain future. 
 
 The alternations between those whom he addresses and 
 himself are roughly as follows : i. 3-11 Thanksgiving 
 and Prayer for the Philippians ; i. 12-26 Personal Informa- 
 tion about the Apostle ; i. 27-ii. 18 Exhortation and Coimsel 
 to the Philippians ; ii. 19-iii. i Personal Information 
 about the Apostle ; iii. 2-iv. 9 Warnings and Exhortations 
 to the Philippians ; iv. 10-20 The Apostle's Gratitude for 
 their affectionate Gift. 
 
 There is no hint, not even in ii. 6-11 or iii. 2-19, that the 
 Philippians needed correction in matters of doctrine ; ii. 
 6-11 is part of an exhortation with regard to conduct, and 
 iii. 2-19 is a warning against evils of doctrine and practice 
 which exist elsewhere and might become rife at PhiMppi. 
 
 As already stated, the absence of a prearranged plan 
 makes the letter difficult to analyse. But the following 
 scheme may be of some help towards a connected view of 
 its contents. 
 
 I. The Salutation, i. i, 2. 
 
 II. Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippians. 
 
 i. 3-II- 
 
 III. Historical and Personal, i. 12-26. 
 
 1. Results of the Apostle's Captivity, i. 12-14. 
 
 2. The Friendly and Unfriendly Preachers, i. 15-20. 
 
 3. The Apostle's Perplexity and Hope. i. 21-26. 
 
 IV. Hortatory and Doctrinal, i. 27-ii. 18. 
 
 1. Exhortation to Unity and Self-Negation, i. 27-ii. 4. 
 
 2. The Great Example of Self-Negation and Humility. 
 
 ii. 5-11. 
 
 3. Exhortation to Unity and Submission, ii. 12-18. 
 
 V. Explanatory and Personal, ii. 19-iii. i. 
 
 1. Timothy to be sent very soon, ii, 19—24. 
 
 2. Epaphroditus to be sent at once. ii. 25-30. 
 
 3. Transitional, iii. i. 
 
INTRODUCTION xix 
 
 VI. Warnings and Exhortations, iii. 2-iv. g. 
 
 1. Warning against Judaism, iii. 2-11. 
 
 2. Warning against Antinomianism. iii. 12-21. 
 
 3. Transitional, iv. 1. 
 
 4. Exhortation to Unity, iv. 2, 3. 
 
 5. Exhortation to Joy. iv. 4-7. 
 
 6. Exhortation to practise what is Noblest and Best. 
 
 iv. 8, 9. 
 
 VII. Historical and Personal, iv. 10-20. 
 
 1. Gratitude for the PhiUppians' Gift. iv. 10-18. 
 
 2. Requital and Doxology. iv. 19, 20. 
 
 VIII. Concluding Salutations and Benedictions. 
 
 iv. 21-23. 
 
 VI. THE EPISTLES TO THE MACEDONIAN CHURCHES 
 
 The Epistle to the PhiUppians closes the httle group of 
 letters which St. Paul addressed to the Churches of Mace- 
 donia, a group of intense interest for the student of the work 
 and character of St. Paul. These three Epistles are an 
 imperishable memorial of his labour and method in founding, 
 cherishing and educating these Churches : and that work 
 was one of the most momentous ventures in his courageous 
 experiments for the furtherance of the Gospel. The Epis- 
 tles are only a portion, and perhaps a small portion, of the 
 intercourse, Uterary and oral, which passed between the 
 Apostle of the Gentiles and the congregations who were 
 his first and most beloved converts on European soil. 
 It is highly instructive to study the three Epistles together 
 and to notice the characteristics which they have in common : 
 and it is hoped that commentaries on each of them, similar 
 in plan and in the amount of explanation offered, will 
 contribute something to such study. Although ten years 
 of a very active and very varied hf e Ue between i Thessa- 
 lonians and PhiUppians, yet the resemblance in tone is 
 remarkable, especiaUy as regards the mutual affection 
 between the Apostle and his converts. Neither to the 
 
XX INTRODUCTION 
 
 Thessalonians nor to the Philippians does he use his official 
 title of Apostle. They have never resisted his authority 
 and he has no need to remind them of it. In all three letters 
 he thanks God for the converts' steadfastness and progress. 
 He can say of both Thessalonians (i. Thess. ii. 19) and 
 Philippians (iv. i) that they are his crown and his joy, 
 his joy in this life and a crown that will do him honour 
 in the Ufe to come. He is as sure of their love for him as of 
 his own for them ; and he is willing to part with his beloved 
 and most helpful Timothy in order to serve either of them 
 (i Thess. iii. 2 ; Phil. ii. 19). He prays for them, and he 
 counts on their prayers for himself. Both he and they know 
 what it is to suffer persecution, and therefore can not only 
 feel sympathy for one another, but share in the same kind of 
 suffering. 
 
 Apart from the spiritual welfare of his converts there 
 were few objects which he had more at heart than the fund 
 for the succour of the poor Christians in Judaea, the Pales- 
 tine Relief Fund ; and in supporting this his dear Mace- 
 donians had done excellently. He says to the Corinthians, 
 ' Let me make known to you, my Brothers, the grace of God 
 which has been and still is being exhibited very remarkably 
 in the Churches of Macedonia. In the midst of an ordeal 
 of affliction which has served to bring out their genuine 
 Christianity, their overflowing happiness, combined with 
 quite desperate poverty, has issued in a rich stream of 
 simpleminded generosity. For I can testify that up to the 
 very limits, yes, and beyond the limits of their very slender 
 means, they have given freely, and this without one word 
 of suggestion from me. So far from my asking them for 
 help, they begged us most urgently to be allowed the 
 privilege of taking part in the work of ministering to the 
 necessities of their fellow-Christians in Jerusalem. I should 
 be misleading you if I were to say that in this they acted 
 just as we expected that they would ; one does not expect 
 very much from very poor people ; they did far more than 
 we expected. It was their own selves that they gave first 
 and foremost to the Lord and also to us, and they made 
 
INTRODUCTION xxi 
 
 the offering in both cases because it was so willed by God ' 
 (2 Cor. viii. i f.). 
 
 This generous commendation of the Macedonians to 
 another Church is quite in harmony with the expressions 
 which he uses respecting them in the letters addressed 
 to themselves. 
 
 VII. COMMENTARIES 
 
 Only a selection is given here. A similar list with 
 descriptive notes on the various commentaries will be 
 found in the excellent volume on the Epistle in the Inter- 
 national Critical Commentary by Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, 
 who has had the advantage of coming late (1897) in a very 
 distinguished series of commentators. In the following 
 summary foreign works which have been translated into 
 EngUsh are inserted in the English list. 
 
 On the Greek Text. 
 
 Patristic. 
 
 Greek. Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia,* Theodoret, 
 
 Oecumenius, Theophylact. 
 Latin. Ambrosiaster, Pelagius. 
 
 Reformers. 
 Erasmus, Zwingli, Beza, Calvin, Musculus. 
 
 Modern. 
 
 Bengel, Gnomon Novi Testamenti, 1742 ; tr. 1:857, i860. 
 
 Neander, tr. 1851. 
 
 Webster and Wilkinson, 1855-1861. 
 
 * Swete's admirable edition of the Latin Version with the Greek 
 fragments has been often used for the notes in this volume. For 
 information respecting all these writers see Swete's Patristic Study, 
 and Hastings, D.B. vol, V. art. ' Patristic Commentaries ' by 
 C. H. Turner, 
 
xxii INTRODUCTION 
 
 Alford, 1857, 5th ed. 1871. 
 
 Olshausen, 1830 ; tr. 1858. 
 
 C. Wordsworth, 1859. 
 
 Meyer, 4th ed. tr. 1875. 
 
 Eadie, 1877, 2nd ed. 1884. 
 
 Ellicott, 2nd ed. 1861, 5th ed. 1888. 
 
 Lightfoot, 6th ed. 1891. 
 
 C. J. Vaughan, 1885. 
 
 J. Agar Beet, 1890. 
 
 Moule {^Cambridge Greek Testament), 1897. 
 
 B. Weiss, 1902 ; tr. 1906. 
 
 Kennedy [Expositor's Greek Testament), 1903. 
 
 On the English Versions. 
 
 A. Barry [EUicott's Commentary), 1879. 
 
 Gwjmn {Speaker's Commentary), 1881. 
 
 Lumby {Schaff's Commentary), 1882. 
 
 G. C. Martin (Century Bible). 
 
 Sadler, 1889. 
 
 Drummond (International Handbooks), 1899. 
 
 R. R. Smith, The Epistle of St. Paul's First Trial, 1899. 
 
 Rainy (Expositor's Bible). 
 
 Strachan (Westminster New Testament), 1910. 
 
 Maurice Jones (Westminster Commentaries), 1917. 
 
 A. T. Robertson, Paul's Joy in Christ, 1918. 
 
 New Translations in English. 
 
 The Twentieth Century New Testament, 1900. 
 Weymouth, The N.T. in Modern Speech, 1905. 
 Way, The Letters of St. Paul, 2nd ed. 1906. 
 Moffat, The N.T., a New Translation, 1913. 
 Cunnington, The New Covenant, 1914. 
 
 There are valuable articles on the Epistle in Smith's 
 DB. by W. T. BuUock ; Hastings' DB. by J. Gibb ; Hastings' 
 DAC. by D. Mackensie ; Encyclopaedia Britannica, nth ed., 
 by Moffatt ; Murray's Illustr. BD. by Moule. 
 
INTRODUCTION xxiii 
 
 See also the article on ' Paul ' in Hastings' DCG. II. by 
 Sanday. 
 
 The Uterature on the great doctrinal passage ii. 5-11. 
 especially with regard to the Kenosis, is considerable ; e.g. 
 Godet on Jn. i. 14, 1879 ; Westcott on Jn. i. 14, 1880. 
 Hutton, Theological Essays, 1881, 1888, Essay vii. 
 Bruce, Humiliation of Christ, 1889. 
 Fairbairn, Christ in Modern Theology, 1893. 
 Bright, Waymarks in Church History, 1894. 
 Gore, Dissertations, 1895. 
 
 Mason, Conditions of our Lord's Life on Earth, 1896- 
 PoweU, Principle of the Incarnation, 1896. 
 Gifford, The Incarnation, 1897. 
 Somerville, St. Paul's Conception of Christ, 1897. 
 Hall, Kenotic Theory, 1898. 
 Forsyth, The Person and Place of Christ, 1910. 
 Weston, The One Christ, and art. ' Kenosis ' in Murray's 
 
 lUustr. BD. 
 
 Among German commentaries on the Epistle the following 
 will be found useful : De Wette, 1841, 3 ; B. Weiss, 1859 ; 
 Von Soden, 1889 ; Lipsius, 1892 ; Klopper, 1893 ; Haupt 
 (in Meyer), 1902 ; Lueken (in J. Weiss), 1908 ; P. EwaJd 
 (in Zahn), 1908. 
 
 Frequent references are given in the notes to the very 
 valuable Vocabulary of the Greek Testament illustrated from 
 Papyri and other Non-literary Sources, by Moulton and Milli- 
 gan, which has reached the word Qmpa^, and which Dr. 
 Milligan is now carrying on since the lamented death of 
 Dr. Moulton through enemy action in the war. 
 
A COMMENTARY ON ST. PAUL'S 
 EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 
 
 i. I, 2. THE SALUTATION 
 
 ^ Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the Saints 
 in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons : 
 2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 The Salutation in Philippians is somewhat longer than 
 the one in 2 Thessalonians, and much longer than the one in 
 I Thessalonians. Secular letters of the period have similar 
 openings, but they are conventional, and have less fullness 
 of wording, and still less fuUness of meaning. What the 
 Apostle meant by the Greek words which he uses, and what 
 the better instructed among his converts would understand 
 by them, is more than is conveyed to us by the English word- 
 ing. For us they must be expanded. 
 
 1 Paul and Timothy, well known to you as being, like yourselves, 
 devoted bondservants of Christ Jesus, give greeting to the whole body 
 of Christians in Philippi, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have been 
 consecrated in Christ Jesus as a new Israel, together with their minis- 
 ters — the bishops and deacons. ^ We give you the Christian and the 
 Jews greeting combined — grace, the source of all spiritual blessings, 
 and peace, the end and issue of them all — desiring that you may 
 receive them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 I. As in the two Epistles to the Thessalonians and in the 
 private letter to Philemon, St. Paul refrains from calling 
 himself an Apostle, an official title which he uses at the open- 
 ing of all his other letters, whether to Churches or to indi- 
 vidual ministers, and on which he lays very great emphasis 
 
 1 
 
2 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. i 
 
 in writing to the renegade Galatians. The omission in these 
 four cases indicates that the recipients of the letters had no 
 need to be reminded of his Apostleship, and that he writes 
 in a spirit of friendship, to exhort, instruct, and express 
 affection and gratitude, rather than magisterially, to rebuke 
 misconduct or correct misbelief. All three of the letters to 
 the Macedonian Christians, especially i Thessalonians and 
 PhUippians, are of this gentle and genial character. 
 
 In all three letters Timothy is joined with St. Paul in the 
 Salutation, as being with him at the time of writing and as 
 having been his colleague in the original mission to Mace- 
 donia.* Timothy had visited Philippi at least once since 
 then, and he is about to visit them again (ii. 19). That 
 Timothy was acting as the Apostle's amanuensis is possible, 
 but not probable. St. Paul would hardly have dictated 
 ii. 19-23 to Timothy himself. But, whereas in i and 2 
 Thessalonians the ist pers. plur, is used almost imiformly 
 throughout, and the " we ' seems to embrace Timothy and 
 Silvanus, here the ist pers. sing, begins at once (' I thank,' 
 not ' we thank ') and is continued throughout. Timothy 
 is dropped as completely as Sosthenes in i Corinthians ; and 
 when he is mentioned again in ii. 19 it is as one who has no 
 part in the contents of the letter. See on 2 Thessalonians i. 
 1, p. 3. A vrai dire, Paul ecrasa toujoufs ses disciples ; ils 
 nejou&rent aupres de lui que le role de secretaires, de serviteurs, 
 de courfiers. Quand Paul etait avec sa troupe, il existait 
 seul. Renan, Saint Paul, p. 565. 
 
 devoted bondservants of Christ Jesus] Cf. Rom. i. i 
 
 * " The name is an Attic one and first occurs as the father of 
 Conon the celebrated general (Thucyd. vii. 52) : the name afterwards 
 often occurs in the literary and artistic history of Greece, and it is 
 interesting to note its relation to Asia Minor. It is not improbable 
 that St. Timothy may have received his name out of compliment 
 to the sculptor Timotheus, who was a contemporary of Praxiteles " 
 (C. H. Hoole, The Classical Element in the N.T. p. 64). 
 
 The A.V. wavers between ' Timothy ' and ' Timotheus," and the 
 latter is often misread as three long syllables, instead of four sylla- 
 bles, one long and three short, thus Tlmotheiis. R.V. has ' Timothy ' 
 throughout. 
 
i. I] THE SALUTATION 3 
 
 and Tit. i. i. It is not servitude but ownership that is 
 indicated. Christians are free, but they are not their own, 
 they are not independent ; and in their dependence and 
 service they find their true freedom (Rom. vi. 22 ; i Cor. 
 vii. 22 ; 2 Cor. iii. 17). The expression SovXoi unites the 
 two missionaries, on the one hand with their Philippian 
 converts, on the other with the O.T. Prophets. Teachers 
 and taught were aUke devoted to the service of God ; and 
 • servant of God ' or " of the Lord ' is a frequent designation 
 of Prophets (Amos iii. 7 ; Jer. vii. 25, xxv. 4, xxix. 19 ; 
 Dan. ix. 6 ; Ezra ix. 11). The Greek word is commonly 
 SovXoi, as here, but sometimes depd-n-eov, and sometimes 
 Tat?. It places the relation between God or Christ and 
 His ministers at a wider distance than Oepdntov, and a still 
 wider than -n-at?. On the other hand, it makes the tie 
 stronger. They are boimd to Him for life ; they are His 
 property ; Gal. vi. 17. See Deissmann, Light from the 
 Ancient East, pp. 323 f. ; Thackeray, Gram, of O.T. Grk. 
 p. 8. The word here is perhaps meant to be in humble 
 contrast to ' the saints.' 
 
 of Christ Jesus] The words in this order are a proper 
 name indicating the glorified Christ, and the order is almost 
 peculiar to St. Paul. ' Jesus Christ ' may mean Jesus of 
 Nazareth who was the Messiah. 
 
 to the whole body of Christians] With remarkable persist- 
 ency St. Paul intimates that the Philippians are a united 
 whole, and that aU of them have an equal share of his 
 affection and solicitude. He excludes no one from his love 
 and care, and there ought to be no dissensions among them ; 
 see vv. 3-8, 25-27, ii. 17, 26, iv. 21, 23. This feature in the 
 Epistle is unique. 
 
 who have been consecrated] This is the meaning of 
 ■ saints ' (aytot) ; not some who have attained to special 
 hoHness of life, but aU who have been admitted to the 
 Christian Church. As by circumcision the Jew was conse- 
 crated to Jehovah, so by baptism the Christian is consecrated 
 to Christ. In each case there is a covenant implying an 
 obligation to live a holy life. Cf. iv. 21, 22. Here again 
 
4 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. i 
 
 O.T. phraseology is adopted, and adapted to N.T. use. The 
 Israelites were set apart as a ' holy people ' ; Deut. vii. 6, 
 xiv. 2, xxvi. 19, xxviii. 9 ; Isa. Ixii. 12 ; Dan. xii. 7 ; cf. i 
 Pet. ii. 9. The new Israel is set apart, in a simpler but 
 higher way. This is emphasized by ' in Christ Jesus ' ; 
 they are holy by spiritual union with Him ; and this addi- 
 tion differentiates them from the Jewish wytot. On the 
 uniformity of readings in the combination ' in Christ Jesus ' 
 and ' in Christ ' see Sanday and Headlam on Rom. i. i and 
 iii. 24. 
 
 The word ayi,o<i is rare in classical Greek, 
 
 with the bishops and deacons] Neither word has the article, 
 abv ein<TKoiroi<i Kal SiaKovoi^, which perhaps indicates 
 that St. Paul did not know them personally. But he knew 
 that there were such ministers, and he wishes his readers 
 to understand that he addresses every one, officials included. 
 We have a-vv, which implies a closer connexion than iJ^rd : 
 Simcox, Lan. of the N.T. p. 150; una cum (Beza). The 
 reading ffweiriaKoiroti, though accepted by Chrysostom, 
 Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theophylact, and Cassiodorus, is 
 " meaningless and indefensible " (EUicott). Translators 
 differ considerably ; Vincent, ' with the superintendents 
 and ministers ' ; Way, ' along with their Church-overseers 
 and church stewards ' ; Weymouth, " with the ministers 
 of the Church and their assistants ' ; 20th Cent. N.T., 
 ' with the Presidents and Assistant-Officers ' ; Cimnington, 
 ■ with overseers and deacons.' Colloquially we might say, 
 ' bishops, deacons, and all.' 
 
 This is the earliest use of these terms as the names of 
 two distinct classes of Church officials. Among their fimo- 
 tions they probably managed the funds of the congregation, 
 and had been instrumental in sending financial help to the 
 Apostle. This may be the reason why he mentions them 
 here, as an indirect acknowledgment of their trouble 
 on his behalf. The PhiUppians would know why they are 
 mentioned. On the one hand, there is an advance on i 
 Thess. v. 12, where the single article shows that only one class 
 of officials is indicated (see note there). On the other, the 
 
i. I, 2] THE SALUTATION 5 
 
 plural shows that the condition of a monarchical bishop, dis- 
 tinct from and above the presbyters, has not yet been reached. 
 In the N.T., as in Clement of Rome (xlii. 4, :div. i), iwlaKoiro^ 
 and 7r/3e«r/8uT6/3os are convertible terms. Hie ' episcopos ' pres- 
 byteros intellegimus ; non enim in una urie plures episcopi 
 esse potuissent (Pelagius). Theodore says the same, and 
 remarks that presbyters would not have been omitted if 
 bishops had meant the superior order.* That the Seven 
 in Acts vi. were the original deacons is doubtful ; Acts 
 xxi. 8 Philip, one of the Seven, is not called ' the deacon,' 
 but ' the evangeUst.' See Lightfoot, PMlippians, pp. 95 f. ; 
 Motdton and Milligan, Vocabulary of the Grk. Test. p. 149 ; 
 Hastings' DAC. artt. ' Bishops ' and ' Church Govern- 
 ment.' 
 
 The ' bishops and deacons ' are mentioned after the whole 
 body of Christians, just as in Acts xv. 4 ' the apostles and 
 elders ' are mentioned after 'the Church.' Contrast Heb. xiii. 
 24. The order is indifferent ; and the curious explanation 
 of Aquinas, that " shepherds go behind their flocks," is 
 not required. 
 
 2. grace and peace] This combination of Western and 
 Eastern salutations is found in all the Pauline Epistles, 
 with ' mercy ' inserted between the two in the Pastorals. 
 It occurs in i and 2 Peter, 2 John, and Revelation, and we do 
 not know who originated it. It evidently became widely 
 current at an early date. See Charles on Rev. i. 4. In the 
 O.T., ■ grace ' (xajot?) is frequent in the Wisdom Books ; 
 and in the N.T. is extraordinarily frequent in the Pauline, 
 especially of God's favour to man as manifested in His 
 incarnate Son, a favour which generates peace of mind. 
 ' Peace ' is not the mere absence of anxiety, or the mere 
 cessation of antagonism between man and man. It is 
 the cessation of antagonism between man and God, the 
 product of permanent reconciliation. See on 2 Thess. 
 i. 2 ; J. A. Robinson, Ephesians, p. 221; Sanday and 
 
 * In the Ep. of Polycarp to the Philippians there are " presbyters ' 
 and ' deacons/ but no ' bishops.' 
 
6 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 3 
 
 Headlam on Rom. i. 5 ; Renan, Hibbert Lectures, 1880, 
 p. II ; T. R. Glover, The Jesus of History, p. 206. 
 
 God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ] This equal 
 emphasis on the Father and Christ is very remarkable 
 and very frequent in the Pauline Epistles from first to last, 
 and is not confined to them. It is specially remarkable 
 for the transfer of the Greek equivalent of the ineffable 
 ' Jehovah ' to Jesus Christ as His usual title. St. Paul 
 rarely uses it of the Father, but constantly of the Messiah. 
 In these four chapters it is thus used 14 times. See Renan, 
 Saint Paul, p. 274 ; Briggs, The Messiah of the Apostles, 
 p. 86 ; Hort on i Pet. i. 3 ; Simcox, Lang, of N.T. p. 49 ; 
 Case, Evolution of Early Christianity, pp. 112, 236, 356. 
 
 i. 3-26. HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 
 
 The first main portion of the letter begins here, and it has 
 two sections, one concerning the Philippians, and one 
 concerning himself. These two subjects alternate in this 
 intimate and affectionate letter, and at last are blended 
 together. We have here i. 3-11 Thanksgiving and Prayer 
 for the Philippians, and 12-26 the Apostle's Circumstances 
 and Feelings. 
 
 i. 3-11. Thanksgiving and Prayer for the 
 Philippians. 
 
 ' I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, • Always in 
 every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, » For 
 your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now ; • Being 
 confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work 
 in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: ^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 bonds, and in the defence and con- 
 firmation of the Gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace, s For 
 God is my record, how greatly I long after you all, in the bowels of 
 Jesus Christ.* And this I pray, that your love may abound yet 
 more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment. "That 
 
i. 3] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 7 
 
 ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere 
 and without offence till the day of Christ. " Being filled with the 
 fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory 
 and praise of God. 
 
 It has long been noticed that aU the PauHne Epistles, 
 except Galatians, i Timothy, and Titus, begin with Thanks- 
 giving. The recovery from the rubbish-heaps of Egj^t 
 of numerous secular letters of the period has shown that 
 at the beginning of them expressions of thankfulness to 
 the gods were a conventional feature in ordinary corres- 
 pondence. Deissmann, Light from the A.E. p. 169. With 
 St. Paul they are studied introductions to the serious 
 words which foUow, calculated to rouse the attention 
 of the recipients and win their sjmipathies. As Chrysostom 
 remarks, " because he knows so much good about them." 
 Quite naturally, here and elsewhere, the thanksgiving 
 passes into prayer. Thankful for their goodness in the 
 past, the Apostle prays that it may be made to increase 
 still more in love, knowledge and discernment. 
 
 The Thanksgiving portion is a long sentence, extending 
 over six verses (3-8), and some of the clauses are interlaced. 
 In order to bring out the meaning it is necessary to disen- 
 tangle and expand them. The exact connexions of the 
 different expressions in ?;. 3 are uncertain, but unimportant. 
 Editors are not agreed as to the best arrangement. For 
 similar transitions from thanksgiving to prayer, see on 
 I Thess. iii. 9-11. See also on 2 Thess. i. 11, 12, ii. 16, 17, 
 iii. 5, 16. We have similar transitions Eph. i. 16 and Col. 
 i. 9. Not only conventional thanksgivings, but brief 
 mentions of prayer, are found in pagan letters of the Aposto- 
 lic Age. In a papyrus of the 2nd cent. Antonius Maximus, 
 after greeting his sister Sabina, says " Before all things 
 I pray that thou art in health, for I myself also am in health." 
 In an intensely interesting papsnrus of similar date Antonis 
 Longus, after greeting his mother Nilus, says " Continually 
 r pray that thou art in health. My supplication for 
 thee I make daily before the Lord Serapis." Deissmann, 
 Light, pp. 172, 176. Here again, therefore, St. Paul follows 
 
8 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [L 3 
 
 the custom of the time, giving it an intense reaUty and rich 
 fulhiess. 
 
 ^ I thank my God on all my remembrance of you for the work which 
 all of you have done for him and for me, * on all occasions, in all my 
 supplications for all of you, making my supplication With joy. ^ I 
 thank Him, I say, for your fellowship with me in contributing to 
 the spread of the Gospel from the earliest days of your conversion 
 down to the present moment. ^ My thankfulness and joy have an- 
 other basis besides our happily united past and present ; for about 
 the future I have this very confidence, that He who initiated in you 
 this good work of co-operating with me will be sure to bring it to 
 perfection, so as to last till the day of Christ's Return and stand 
 the testing of it. ^ I have full justification for being thus minded 
 on behalf of all of you, because the affectionate remembrance is 
 ever in my heart, how you had fellowship with me in the sufierings 
 of my imprisonment, and in my labours in defence and establishment 
 of the Gospel ; and this shows that you are partakers with me of the 
 grace of God — all of you. ^ That this is ever in my mind is no 
 exaggeration, for I call God to Witness how I yearn after you all with 
 the tenderness of Christ Jesus, in whom I live and have my being. 
 
 * And this is the substance of my prayers for you ; that your love 
 for God and for one another and for me, warm as it is, may ever abound 
 and expand more and more in perfect knowledge of the Christian life 
 and unfailing discernment as to its attainment ; ^^ so that you can with 
 sureness approve the things that are really excellent, and thus be free 
 from stain and stumbling, fit for the day of Christ ; " as being filled 
 with the fruit of righteousness, which is won, not by our own power, 
 but through Jesus Christ, to promote, not our own glory, but the glory 
 of God and our praise of the same. 
 
 3. my God] ' It is because He is mine that I thank.' 
 Contrast i Thess. i. 2 and 2 Thess. i. 3, where ' our,' which 
 would be ambiguous, as possibly including the Thessalonians, 
 is omitted.* Cf. Acts xxvii. 23. 
 
 on all my remembrance] On the whole of it ; not ' upon 
 every remembrance ' (A.V.), in omni memoria (Viilg.). 
 The thankfulness is based on the sum total of remembrance.' 
 Timothy is at once completely discarded ; ' I,' ' my,' ' my.' 
 
 for the work which all of you have done] The intercon- 
 
 * St. Paul has ■ my God ' after ' I thank ' Rom. i. 8 ; i Cor. i. 4 ; 
 Philem. 4. As a rule there is no pronoun with ' God.' 
 
i. 5] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 9 
 
 nexion of the clauses is not clear, but v'T^p irdvreav ifi&v 
 probably belongs to eu;j^aptcrra) : Eph. i. 16 ; Rom. i. 8. 
 
 4. on all occasions] A stronger expression [vavTore) 
 than ' always ' {aei), which in N.T. has almost fallen out 
 of use. Neither A.V. nor R.V. distinguishes the two words. 
 Cf. i. 20, ii. 12, iv. 4 ; and eV Tram, iv. 2.I Note the repetition 
 
 of Tra?. 
 
 in all my supplications] ' In every kind of suppUcation.' 
 The word {Sirjai^) implies an expression of need, in N.T. 
 addressed by man to God, but not necessarily intercession. 
 Here and iv. 6 we need a word to distinguish it from irpoaev- 
 Xo/iai and irpoaevxv- Here A.V. has both ' prayer ' and 
 ' request ' for Seijcrt?. See Suicer, I. 824. 
 
 with joy] The dominant note of the Epistle ; i. 18, 25, ii. 2, 
 17, 18, 28, 29, iii. I, iv. I, 4, 10. Summa epistolae, says 
 Bengel, Gaudeo, gaudete. Joy is a leading feature in the 
 Apostolic Church ; Rom. xvi. 19 ; 2 Cor. vi. 10, vii. 4 ; 
 Col. i. 24 ; Acts viii. 8, 39, xiii. 52, xv. 3, xx. 24 ; etc. 
 See on i Thess. i. 6, and Maurice Jones on Phil. iv. 4 ; Hast- 
 ings' DAC. art. ' Joy.' Here the word is emphatic by 
 position. 
 
 5. I thank Him, I say] The insertion is necessary to show 
 that what follows looks back to the first clause. 
 
 fellowship in contributing to] Lit. ' fellowship towards,' 
 not ' fellowship in ' (A.V.). We have the same construction 
 (leoiviovla ek) Rom. XV. 26 ; 2 Cor. ix. 13. ' Contributing 
 to ' (cf. iii. 22) is in point here, because the Philippians' 
 co-operation towards the spread of the Gospel had several 
 times taken the form of supplying the Apostle with funds. 
 That was by no means the only form which it took ; but 
 this form was a service to God (iv. 18) as well as to His 
 Apostle, and it was doubtless in his mind when he dictated 
 these words. As De Wette points out, it would be unworthy 
 of the Apostle not to think of their generosity in this con- 
 nexion. Every convert had become a missionary. ' Fel- 
 lowship ' is a frequent idea in this letter ; ii. i, iii. 10, iv. 15 ; 
 cf. i. 7, iv. 14. Suicer, II. 125. 
 
 from the earliest days] Such constancy ! 
 
 c 
 
10 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 6 
 
 6. about the future] His knowledge respecting their past 
 and present conduct is one reason for thankfuLiess and 
 joy : there is another, — ^his sure hope that God will help 
 them onwards to perfection. 
 
 this very] For avTo tovto, which is frequent in Paul, 
 cf. 2. Cor. ii. 3, iii. 5, etc. ' This thing, if nothing else.' 
 Haec fiducia nervus est gratiarum aotionis (Bengel). ' Con- 
 fidence ' {■n-iiroiBa) is another frequent idea ; i. 14, 25, ii. 
 24, iii. 3, 4 ; " the firm touch of an intent mind " (Moule). 
 
 He who initiated . . , will bring to perfection] Both ex- 
 pressions (o evap^dfievof and e7rtT6\6<ret) are used in the 
 language of mystery-religions of the beginning and conclu- 
 sion of the ceremonies of initiation, and also in reference 
 to sacrifices. Cf . iv. 12. St. Paul was familiar with such 
 language. Some of his Gentile converts had been initiated 
 in one or other of these mysteries, and the langimge 
 would suggest to them the right kind of ideas. That is a 
 very different thing from the extravagant view that his 
 Gospel was derived from these mysteries, and that Christian 
 doctiines and sacraments are copied from such rites. Hast- 
 ings' DAC. II. pp. 622, 134b, 426.* 
 
 Theodore remarks that without the Divine aid their 
 future would be imcertain ; but St. Paul is confident that 
 the aid will be given : God is not like one who begins and is 
 not able to finish. " The task we have in hand will find its 
 end by the power of God, who is able, wherever He speaks, 
 to turn word into deed " (Gregory of Nyssa Ep. xvi.). 
 
 good work] This may have a wider meaning than their 
 co-operation with the Apostle. 
 
 bring to perfection] Or ' complete ' ; not " perform ' 
 
 * " In Christianity, as understood by Paul, we may trace great 
 likeness to the pagan mysteries. I do not mean that he plagiarized 
 from them. When he speaks of them it is in tenns of the greatest 
 dislike and contempt. It is not a field in which he would choose 
 to dig, even for pearls of price" (Gardner, Religious ExperieMce 
 of St. Paul, p. 80 ; see also p. no, where he withdraws his much 
 earlier view that Eleusis suggested the Pauline account of the 
 Lord's Supper). 
 
i. 6. 7] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 11 
 
 (A. v.). For ' begin . . . complete ' cf. 2 Cor. viii. 6 ; Gal. 
 iii. 3. 
 
 till the Day of Christ's Return] * Right up to the Day ' ; 
 also called the ' Day of the Lord ' (see on i Thess. v. 2) and 
 ' that Day ' (see on 2 Thess. i. 10), a dominant thought with 
 the first Christians. The expression suggests a day of trial 
 in which every one's work will be tested (i Cor. iii. 13), and 
 this needs to be stated in EngHsh. St. Paul nowhere says 
 that he wiU Uve till then ; he merely suggests that he may be 
 among those who will do so. As to the details of the ' Day 
 of Jesus Christ' — an expression peculiar to this Epistle^ 
 he has no fixed eschatological system ; but he believed that 
 the Day was near. Here, as often, we have a difference of 
 reading between ' Christ Jesus ' and ' Jesus Christ ' ; but 
 not when ' in ' precedes. 
 
 7. I have full justification] Lit. ' Even as it is just for 
 me,' Kaddx; ea-Tiv BUaiov ifioi. The pronoun is emphatic. 
 
 for being thus minded] Or ' to feel this,' tovto tf>poveiv, a 
 Pauline verb, very frequent in this letter and in Romans. 
 See on ii. 2. He is sure that his converts will have neither 
 so much trust in themselves as to suppose that it was in 
 their own strength that they began the Christian life, nor 
 so much distrust in God as to fear that after all He will faU 
 them. Cf. ii. 12, 13. 
 
 in my heart] There is no possessive pronoun in the Greek 
 [iv TTj KapSia), and the two personal pronoims might be 
 transposed. Either ' I have you in my heart ' or ' you have 
 me in your heart ' is possible grammatically. The context 
 {v. 8) and the order of the words decide for the former. 
 
 had fellowship with me] ' Shared it with me.' ' SjTmpa- 
 thized with me ' is inadequate ; actual fellow-suffering is 
 meant. See on iv. 14. Compounds with (^vv are frequent 
 in Paul ; in this letter we have ffvvKoi,vwv6<i, awixonat, 
 <Tvv<^v')(p'i) a-vvx<^ipo^i irwepryo';, a-vvarparuarrj^, avfifiop^i^o- 
 lievos, avfifiop<f)o^, avvfii/jLijTT]!;, avvXafi^dvm, avvKOivcaveto, 
 
 in the sufferings of my imprisonment] Two things are 
 coupled {ev T€ . . . Kol €v), and two aspects are given of 
 the second. The first sums up the Apostle's suffering ; 
 
12 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 7, 8 
 
 the second describes his work under two aspects — ^his 
 defence of the Gospel against criticism and his confirmation 
 of it by argument. But the two aspects are treated as one, 
 under one and the same article {iv ry a-jroXoyia kuI ^e^auoerei), 
 they sum up missionary effort. The ' defence ' might 
 refer to pleading before the Imperial Court at Rome, as 
 Zahn contends ; but this is less likely ; cf . v. 16. For 
 ^e^aiaxrm see M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 108 ; Deissmarm, 
 Bible Studies, p. 104 ; and cf . Heb. vi. 16. 
 
 of the grace] ' Grace ' has the article (t% ^^aptro?) and 
 means the grace of God, a Divine privilege ; 2 Cor. iv. 15 ; 
 Gal. v. 4 ; Eph. ii. 8, iv. 7. This ' grace ' is the ground of 
 the ' justification ' mentioned above. Vulg. has gaudil ; 
 confusion of x^P''"''"^ with x^'P^'- The Divine privilege 
 in this case is their fellowship in his sufferings and in the 
 sufferings of Christ ; cf. ixapi(r07) in v. 29.* 
 
 8. for I call God to witness] Not ' lecord ' (A.V.). The 
 ' for ' {ydp) refers to the truth of the declaration of his 
 affectionate remembrance of his converts. He often uses 
 this solemn asseveration with regard to what was hidden 
 from himian eyes, sometimes to repel charges or suspicions, 
 as in 2 Cor. i. 23 and Gal. i. 20, sometimes, as here and Rom. 
 i. 9, to emphasize his intense affection. Cf . Rom. be. i ; 
 2 Cor. xi. 31. " In regard to what was hidden, to whom 
 could he appeal but to God ? " (Aug. Ep. cxxvi. 10). No 
 other reason need be sought. 
 
 yearn after you all] The compoimd kiriiroBa is probably 
 to some extent intensive, although the eiri marks tiie direc- 
 tion of the longing rather than its intensity; cf. ii. 26, 
 and see on i Thess. iii. 6. The yearning may include 
 their eternal salvation ; it is no mere human affection. 
 II s'etait mis en etat de ne se rejouir du bien qu'on lui 
 
 * La seule chose qui depende de nous, c'est de rendre nos souffrances 
 meritoires : mais souffrir, oune pas souffrir.n'ist point laissS d notre 
 choix. Nous sommes ing6nieux d nous priver nous-memes de tout 
 le mivite de nos souffrances. Ce que damne la plupart des kommes 
 ne sont pas les plaisirs seulement ; c'est encore I'usage pen chritien 
 qu'ilsfont de lews peines (Massillon, Sermon for the 2nd S. in Advent). 
 
i. 8] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 13 
 
 faisait, que pour V amour de ceux qui le faisaient (Bossuet). 
 with the tenderness of Christ Jesus] ' With a heart which 
 is one with the heart of Messiah Christ ' (Way). ' With 
 tender Christian affection ' (Weymouth). It is a spiritual 
 yearning. ' In the bowels ' is a clumsy mistranslation of 
 airXdyxvO', frequent in A.V. The <T7r\. included the heart, 
 lungs, and Uver, as distinct from the intestines or bowels. 
 The Greek poets regarded the a-n-\. as the seat of the stormy 
 affections, as anger and love ; the Hebrews as the seat of the 
 tender affections, as pity and charity. Here the meaning is 
 much the same as ' heart ' in v. 7 ; but we have two words 
 in Greek and need two words in English. ' Breast ' would 
 serve here, but not in ii. i ; ' tenderness ' will do in both 
 places. No one word will suit all the passages. Here and 
 ii. I R.V. has ' tender mercies ' ; Col. iii. 12 and Philem. 
 12, 20 ' heart ' ; 2 Cor. vi. 12 ' affections ' ; vii. 15 ' inward 
 affection ' ; i Jn. iii. 17 ' compassion.' On St. Paul's " mystic 
 genitive," expressing mystic fellowship, see on 2 Thess. 
 ii. 18, iii. 5 ; Deissmann, St. Paul, p. 140. Wiclif thinks 
 that viscera Christi are the ordinances contained in the 
 Church, which ought to be revived, Sermo Ivi. Better 
 Bengel ; In Paulo non Paulus vivit sed Christus ; quare 
 Paulus in Christi movetur visceribus. See Rostron, Christo- 
 logy, p. 138 ; Suicer, II. 997. 
 
 We say ' in the heart,' ' with the tenderness ' ; in the 
 Greek we have iv in both verses. In late Greek iv is a 
 hard-worked preposition. 
 
 We may note again how repeatedly in this section St. 
 Paul insists that what he says applies to all his converts. 
 There are no exceptions. There had been disputes of some 
 kind (iv. 2, 3), which he deplored, and about which he would 
 not take sides. In his estimation and affection they aU 
 stand high. The affectionate words lead on naturally to 
 prayer for them. 
 
 The prayer portion illuminates the meaning of ' Pray 
 without ceasing,' i Thess. v. 17. All work must be done, 
 all Ufe must be lived, with a sense of the presence of God 
 which is the spirit of prayer. The Apostle is ever conscious 
 
14 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 9 
 
 that his work cannot prosper without the blessing of God,' 
 for which from time to time he definitely prays. " No- 
 where doeis this brave, strenuous, kind and loving person- 
 ality stand forth revealed more clearly than in his prayers " 
 (Weinel, St. Paul, the Man and his Work, p. 129). 
 
 9. this is the substance] What follows looks back to the 
 statement that he constantly prays for the Philippians 
 {v. 4). Gaudiwm ad praeteritum temfus refertur, precatio ad 
 futurum. Redit ad frecationem, quam obiter tantwm uno verba 
 attigerat (Calvin). 
 
 that] The Xva gives the purport rather than the pur- 
 pose of the prayer, as in i Thess. iii. i ; Col. i. 9. 
 
 your love] Possibly love for one another is specially meant, 
 but rt dyairri seems to be used here, as in i Cor. xiii., for 
 ' love ' in its fullest sense. It comes first, before ' knowledge ' 
 and ' discernment.' Prayer for its increase implies that it 
 already exists. For en cf. Heb. vii. 15. 
 
 more and more] For the characteristic addition cf . v. 23 ; i 
 Thess. iv. i, 10 ; 2 Cor. vii. 13. Here we have en fiaXXov 
 Koi fiaXXov, which in conjunction with the special verb in 
 the present tense {irepiara-evy) conveys the idea of extreme 
 and continually increasing abundance. He can hardly 
 find words strong enough to express the affectionate large- 
 ness of his requests for them. Ignis in apostolo nunquam 
 dicit, Sufficit (Bengel). 
 
 in perfect knowledge] It is another characteristic of St. 
 Paul that he always desires that his converts should have, 
 by instruction and experience, fuU appreciation of the real 
 meaniag of Christian belief and duty. Such is specially 
 the case in the four Epistles of this group. Without these, 
 love may go grievously astray. Misty thought, emotional 
 conduct, and indiscriminate good nature are perilous. 
 As in Eph. i. 17, iv. 13 ; Col. i. 9, 10, ii. 2, iii. 10 ; Philem. 
 6, we have the compound eirlr/vaai,^, which perhaps generally 
 implies advanced and full knowledge. Here the eVt- corre- 
 sponds to the Trao-?; before alaOrjaei. See Evans on i Cor. 
 xiii. 12, Lightfoot on Col. i. 9, and Maurice Jones here. 
 
 unfailing discernment] Every kind of sensitiveness with 
 
i. 9, 10] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 15 
 
 regard to Christian feeling and conduct. The converts 
 should become experts in spiritual things, and know in- 
 stinctively what matters, and .what does not matter, in 
 thought and action. A new sense, a moral taste, is acquired ; 
 Heb. V. 14. As regards such things, the whole Church must 
 (as Newman has said), " like its Divine Founder during the 
 time of His education, be ever in the midst of the doctors, 
 both hearing them and asking them questions." Aia07jo-i<; 
 occurs nowhere else in N.T. Cf. Prov. i. 4, 22, ii. 10. A.V. 
 has ' judgment ' or 'sense.' See M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 14. 
 
 It is love that is to have this knowledge and discern- 
 ment. Christian love is not blind, and while it increases, 
 it is regulated. The Philippians' affection for the Apostle 
 ought not to make them gloomy about his condition. 
 
 10. so that you can] For eii to of the result cf. i Thess. 
 ii. 12, iii. 10 ; 2 Thess. i. 5 ; 2 Cor. viii. 6. Burton, N. T. 
 Moods and Tenses, § 409. 
 
 with sureness approve] Because SoKifid^eiv means appro- 
 val after a testing investigation ; i Thess. ii. 3, v. 21. It 
 is assumed that approval leads to action. M. and M., 
 Vocabulary, p. 167. 
 
 the things which are really excellent] The same phrase, 
 SoKifid^eiv TO. Si,a4>epovTa, occurs Rom. ii. 15, and in both 
 places opinions differ as to the meaning ; see R.V. and 
 margin. For rd Ska<j>6povra may mean either ' things that 
 surpass, that are excellent,' or ' things that differ.' If the 
 latter is adopted, So/ctfid^etv refers to the testing rather 
 than to the approval which is the result of the testing. 
 But it does not require much spiritual knowledge and dis- 
 cernment to test things which differ. Such powers are much 
 more necessary to decide with sureness what things are really 
 excellent and worthy of adoption in practice ; Tij/a /lev iea\d, 
 Tiva Se KpeiTTova (Theodoret) ; probare fotiora (Vulg.). 
 I Cor. abounds with instances of the Apostle's moral taste 
 and tact. 
 
 and thus be] The second "va depends on the preceding 
 clause, and not on the first clause in v. 9. A repetition 
 of ' I pray ' {Trpoaevj(pnai) is not to be understood. 
 
i6 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. lo.ii 
 
 free from stain and from stumbling] The derivation of 
 elXiKpivek remains an unsolved problem ; but it certainly 
 means ' unsullied,' " pure ' ; cf . 2 Pet. iii. 10 and see on 2 
 Cor. i. 12. Trench, Syn. § Ixxxv. It is probable that 
 u'rrpoaKO'iro'i is here intransitive as in a speech of St. Paul in 
 Acts xxiv. 16. So also in papyri, " free from hurt or harm.' 
 See also Suicer. But ' without giving offence,' ' without 
 causing to s\mab\&,' as in i Cor. x.'32 and Ecclus. xxxii. 21, 
 makes good sense ; ' spotless ' in the sight of God, and ' harm- 
 less ' in the sight of men. M. and M.^ Vocabulary, pp. 72, 
 183 f. 
 
 fit for the Day of Christ] Or ' with a view to,' ' against,' 
 el? rjfiepav. The Day of Judgment is meant, as in i/. 6 and 
 ii. 16. It is their condition in reference to God that is in 
 the Apostle's mind ; on that Day there must be nothing 
 to offend Him. His prayer, Hke his thanksgiving («. 6), 
 looks forward to that decisive moment, which would be 
 often in his mind as years, and especially years of imprison- 
 ment, passed. Case, The Evolution of Early Christianity, 
 p. III. 
 
 II. as being filled] Perf . part. {ireirXijpco/ievoi) ; they have 
 been filled and the fullness abides. 
 
 fruit of righteousness] The fruit which righteousness 
 produces ; Amos vi. 12 ; Prov. xi. 30 ; Jas. iii. 18. ' Righte- 
 ousness ' means fulfilment of duties to God and to man. 
 
 not by our power] This is the point of stating that the 
 fruit of righteousness is won ' through Jesus Christ.' The 
 Philippians must not suppose that they can attain this 
 rich fruit by their own unaided effort and merit. Only 
 through union with Christ can this be done ; iv. 13 ; 2 
 Cor. xii. 9. ' The branch cannot bear fruit of itself.' * 
 
 to promote the glory of God] Bearing much fruit is specially 
 to His glory ; Jn. xv. 8. This is the true end of all Christian 
 action ; i Cor. x. 31 ; i Pet. iv. 11. No other end, however 
 holy, can supersede it. Cf . ' That they might be called trees 
 of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might 
 
 • A heathen does good work, yet not consciously through Christ ; 
 a hypocrite does good work, yet not for God's praise, but man's. 
 
i. 12] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 17 
 
 be glorified,' Is. Ixi. 3. For B6^a see Kennedy, St. Paul's 
 Conception of the Last Things, p. 299 ; Milligan, Thessa- 
 lonians, p. 27. 
 
 our praise] ' Glory ' and ' praise ' are not mere synonjmis. 
 ' Glory ' refers to Divine grace exhibited in holy lives, 
 ' praise ' to human gratitude for this gift ,; Eph. i. 6, 12. 
 See Hort on the combination of the two words in i Pet. i. 7, 
 and M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 227. 
 
 Having thanked God for his readers' happy condition and 
 prayed for their further progress, he now tells them about 
 himself. 
 
 i. 12-26. HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 
 
 We have here a brief description of St. Paul's bodily and 
 mental condition during his imprisonment in Rome, and of 
 the somewhat chequered furtherance of the Gospel there. 
 The Philippians must not suppose that his imprisonment 
 has put a stop to this furtherance : on the contrary, it has 
 helped it, especially among the troops of the Imperial 
 Guard. Some preachers are unfriendly .; but even this will 
 prove a blessing through the Philippians' prayers, which he 
 is sure to have. His sufferings inspire friendly preachers 
 with fresh zeal. He expects to be set free and to visit 
 the Philippians again. 
 
 It is possible that the Philippians had sent a letter of 
 inquiry and sympathy, in which they spoke of their pride 
 in him (i. 26) and apologized for their slowness in send- 
 ing help (iv. 10). More probably Epaphroditus brought 
 messages from them. 
 
 The paragraph consists of three sections, each of which 
 forms a complete sentence in the Greek ; 12-14, 15-20, 21-26. 
 It is convenient to break two of these into shorter sentences 
 in English. 
 
 i. 12-14. Results of the Apostle's Captivity. 
 
 " But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things 
 which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance 
 
i8 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 12 
 
 of the Gospel. " So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all 
 the palace, and in all other places. " And many of the brethren 
 in the Lord, waxing confident in my bonds, are much more bold 
 to speak the word without fear. 
 
 This section can, without serious disadvantage, be kept 
 as one sentence in paraphrasing. 
 
 ^^ Now I am afraid that you may be under some apprehension about 
 myself and my doings, and I therefore would have you understand, 
 Brethren, that my condition of captivity, so far from being an impedi- 
 ment to the spread of the Gospel, has really come to be a help to its 
 advance ; ^* so that the fact of my being in bonds became, in the 
 power of Christ, a manifest influence among all the soldiers of the 
 Imperial Guards and all the rest ; ^^ and also so that the large majority 
 of the brethren here, having found in the Lord a ground for confidence 
 in my endurance of my bonds, have gained still more abundant courage 
 to speak the word of God emd to speak it fearlessly. 
 
 12. I therefore would have you understand] St. Paul 
 was very sensitive as to what his converts might think of 
 him, his circtimstances, and his work. This feeling is 
 apparent in i Thess. ii. 1-12 and 2 Thess. ii. 2, iii. 7-9. 
 It is still more apparent in 2 Cor. i. 12, iii. i, iv. 7, vi. 10, 
 X. i-xii. 18. When the Apostle was for years in prison, 
 his converts would be specially perplexed ; ' An ambassador 
 in chains ' (Eph. vi. 20) was such a contradiction. There- 
 fore in the Epistles of the Captivity this feature is conspicu- 
 ous ; Eph. iii. 1-13 ; Col. i. 24-29 ; Philem. 9, 13. But we 
 cannot safely infer from what is said here that the easy 
 method of imprisonment of Acts xxviii. 30 had ended and a 
 more severe kind been imposed. With ' would have you 
 understand ' cf. ' do not wish you to remain in ignorance,' 
 I Thess. iv. 13 ; i Cor. x. i ; 2 Cor. i. 8. In these phrases 
 6eX(o is more common than 8ov\ofx,ai, which we have here, 
 and this exact phrase occurs nowhere else. BovXo/un 
 implies " will with premeditation " ; Hort on Jas. iv. 4 ; and 
 here ' to understand ' is emphatic. Such expressions are 
 so common in correspondence that we are not surprised 
 to find them in secular letters preserved in papyri. See 
 M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 115. We say In commercial 
 prose ' I beg to inform you.' 
 
i. 12,13] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 19 
 
 Brethren] The address occurs six times in this affectionate 
 letter. For aSe\<f>ot as members of a religious guild see 
 M. and M., p. 9 ; Hamack, Mission and Expansion of 
 Christianity, I. pp. 405 ff. ; see also Kennedy, Sources 
 of N.T. Grk. p. gs. 
 
 my condition] He does not say " my sufferings and perils,' 
 but ' my circumstances' [ra xar ifii), as in Eph. vi. 21 ; 
 Col. iv. 7 ; cf. Tobit x. 8. A. T. Robertson, Grammar of 
 Greek N.T. p. 608. 
 
 so far from being] ' As you may be supposing.' Perhaps 
 his enemies said that his prolonged imprisonment was 
 proof of God's displeasure. This use of fiaWov, ' rather than 
 the contrary,' is idiomatic. Vulg. has magis, but potius 
 would be better. Winer, p. 304. 
 
 has come to be] Cf. Wisd. xv. 5 eh ovetBo^ ep'j^erai. 
 Vulg. has venerVfVit ; better evenerunt. 
 
 advance] IIpoKoiriq (i Tim. iv. 15 ; Ecclus. li. 17 ; 2 Mace, 
 viii. 8) is a military metaphor from removing trees and 
 other obstacles [irpoKo-KTeiv) before an advancing army. 
 
 13. became in the power of Christ] A.V. wrongly con- 
 nects this phrase with ' bonds,' and in ' are manifest ' 
 ignores the change from perfect to aorist.* On the thor- 
 oughly Pauline expression eV Xpiarm, which sums up the 
 relation of the believer to the Saviour, see Sanday and 
 Headlam on Rom. vi. 11 ; Headlam, St. Paul and Chris- 
 tianity, pp. 143 f. ; Pfleiderer, Paulinism, I. pp. 197 ff. 
 
 among all the soldiers of the imperial guards] Lit. ' in 
 the whole of the praetorium.' Does this mean a particular 
 residence, and if so, which ? Or, a particular body of men ? 
 Praetorium meant originally ' the praetor's or general's 
 tent in a camp,' i.e. 'head-quarters.' When the praetors 
 became civil magistrates in Rome and were often sent to 
 provinces as governors, their official residence in the province 
 was called praetorium (Matt, xxvii. 27 ; Mk. xv. 16 ; Jn. xviii. 
 28, 33 ; Acts xxiii. 35). That is not the meaning here ; the 
 
 * That Iv 'S.puTTw must go with (ftavepoi, and that ' all the rest ' 
 means all who visited St. Paul in his dwelling, is pointed out by 
 Wieseler, Chronologie, p. 457. 
 
20 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 13 
 
 praetorium which St. Paul influenced was in Rome. On 
 the assumption that it means a place, two hypotheses are 
 advocated, (i) The Imperial residence on the Palatine, 
 ' the palace ' (A.V). The opinion of Greek Fathers (who 
 are not good authorities about Roman technical terms) 
 cannot make this explanation probable. Nowhere is the 
 word used in this sense ; nor is it likely that it ever was so 
 used, or that St. Paul, who was in Rome at the time of writ- 
 ing, has here made an ignorant blunder. (2) The camp 
 established for the praetorian cohorts by Tiberius, traces 
 of which survive near the present Porta Pia. This meaning 
 also lacks authority. On the assumption that it means 
 persons rather than a place, two other hypotheses are advo- 
 cated. (3) The Praetorian regiments or Imperial Guards. 
 There is abundant evidence (Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius, 
 Pliny, Josephus and inscriptions) that the word was used 
 in this sense. Evidently ' and all the rest ' points to persons 
 rather than a place. Lightfoot and most modems adopt 
 this view. (4) Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, p. 357, 
 follows Mommsen in thinking that the persons connected 
 with the imperial court which tried St. Paul are meant. 
 The Apostle might have impressed them. Seeing, however, 
 that he was imprisoned in Rome for two years, that a soldier 
 was always with him, and that the soldier was frequently 
 changed, his opportunities of influencing large numbers of 
 the soldiers must have been far greater. He was in the 
 custody of the Prefect of the Praetorians, and in the course 
 of two years the same soldiers must often have sat with 
 him for hours. Sa cellule de prisonnier devint un foyer 
 de predication ardente. . . . La prison de Paul fut ainsi 
 pUcs fdconde, que ne I'avait He sa libre activite. Ses chaines 
 etait d elles comme une prddication (Renan, L'Antechrist, 
 pp. 9, 10). See Lightfoot's detached note and Hastings' 
 DAC. artt. 'Guard' and 'Palace.' All these interpreta- 
 tions point to Rome, not Caesarea, as the place where the 
 letter was written. Cf. iv. 22. 
 
 all the rest] An indefinite expression [ical rolt Xonroii 
 Traatv), meaning that there were many other persons in 
 
L 14] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 21 
 
 Rome who were influenced by the ' ambassador in chains.' 
 It was evident to all who visited this interesting prisoner 
 that he was no vulgar criminal or dangerous leader of 
 revolt. Cf. 2 Cor. xiii. 8 ; Col. i. 23. There is no need 
 to confine it to the rest of the soldiers. We all use similar 
 hyperbole, knowing that it will not be understood Uterally. 
 " The words intimate a wide personal influence " (Moule). 
 ' The palace and all other -places ' (A.V.) cannot stand. 
 
 14. the large majority] Cf. i Cor. ix. 19 ; 2 Cor. ii. 6, 
 iv. 15. This is another good result of the imprisonment, 
 ' Many ' (A.V.) may perhaps stand for roix; 7r\et'oi»a? in 
 spite of the article ; Blass, § 44, 3. 
 
 having found in the Lord] A.V. and R.V. connect ' in the 
 Lord' with ' brethren,' which has little point. ' Brethren '= 
 ' Christians,' who of course are " in the Lord.' In Col. 
 iv. 7 the brother is ' beloved in the Lord ' ; in Col. i. 2 the 
 brethren are ' faithful in Christ.' Here it is the confidence 
 that is 'rooted in the Lord.' Nowhere is 'in the Lord ' 
 connected with 'brethren.' Cf. ii. 24; 2 Thess. iii. 4; 
 Gal. v. 10. Respecting ' confidence ' {ireiroiOoTa';) see on 
 i. 6. For the construction cf. 2 Cor. x. 7. 
 
 my bonds] His endurance of them was evidence that the 
 Gospel was something worth suffering for. ' The word 
 of God is not bound,' 2 Tim. ii. 9. 
 
 more abundant courage] Through contemplating the 
 heroic endurance of the prisoner.* Courage had already 
 been exhibited by them, and in him they had a pledge of 
 their own victory, signus victoriae nostrae habentes (Calvin). 
 All Christians are regarded as " speaking the word of God.' 
 
 the word of God] Following inferior MSS. the A.V. omits 
 ' of God.' Cf. Acts iv. 31 ; i Cor. xiv. 36 ; 2 Cor. iv. 2 ; 
 Col. i. 25. 
 
 fearlessly] The Apostle harps on courage and confi- 
 dence. 
 
 * Moreover, " the clearer it became that nothing of a suspicious 
 character could be alleged against his work, the bolder they could 
 become in preaching, without fear that they would be suspected 
 of any crime " (B. Weiss ad loc). Cf. axcoXwcos, Acts xxviii. 31. 
 
22 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 15 
 
 i. 15-20. The Friendly and the Unfriendly Preachers. 
 
 IS Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also 
 of good will. " The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, 
 supposing to add affliction to my bonds : '^ But the other of love, 
 knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel. »8 What then ? 
 Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, 
 Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. 
 1' For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your 
 prayer, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, " According to 
 my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be 
 ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ 
 shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. 
 
 We have here a second paradox. It was paradoxical 
 that the imprisonment of the Apostle should tend to the 
 spread of the Gospel. It was a still greater paradox that 
 the Gospel of love and peace should be preached out of 
 envy and strife. 
 
 ^ I say that the majority of the brethren are inspired by my suffer- 
 ings to speak the word of God nobly. The truth is that some whom I 
 could mention are actually preaching the Christ of envy and strife, 
 while others do so also of benevolent purpose both to the cause and 
 me. ^^ The latter do this out of love to me, because they know that I 
 am set here by God to defend the Gospel, ^'^ while the former proclaim 
 [the] Christ out of partisanship, with sadly mixed motives, thinking in 
 this way to increase the pressure of my bonds. ^^ Then what is the 
 result ? Only that in every kind of way, whether by a mere show 
 of disinterestedness, or with what is truly such, Christ is being pro- 
 clfiimed ; and therein I rejoice. Yes, and I shall go on rejoicing. 
 ^' Surely that is the right thing to do ; for I know that all this che- 
 quered success and suffering, so far from injuring me, v^ill conduce 
 to my salvation here and hereafter, through your entreaty for me, 
 and the consequent bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 
 ^*' All this is in accordance with my intense anticipation and hope that 
 no atom of shame will be found in me ; on the contrary, that with 
 every form of boldness of speech, as on all previous occasions, so 
 also in the present crisis, Christ will be magnified in my person, 
 whether I continue to live or am sentenced to death. 
 
 15. some whom I could mention] This use of rtve? occurs 
 in all four groups of the Pauline Epistles ; 2 Thess. iii. 11 ; 
 
i. 15-17] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 23 
 
 1 Cor. iv. 18, XV. 12 ; 2 Cor. iii. i, x. 2 ; Gal. i. 7 ; Tim. 
 i. 3, 19, etc., A. T. Robertson, Gf. pp. 743, 1200. 
 
 actually] A frequent use of icaC : Gal. ii. 13, 17. 
 
 of envy and strife] Through (Sia) envious and contentious 
 dispositions. Cf. Mk. xv. 10 ; Mt. xxii. 18. Envy and 
 strife are often in combination ; Rom. i. 29 ; Gal. v. 20 ; 
 I Tim. vi. 4. This strange contradiction is not rare. Reli- 
 gious teaching often aims more at the discomfiture of those 
 who dissent from us than at bringing men to Christ. Calvin 
 says that in this he had the same experience as St. Paul. 
 ' The Christ ' may indicate that these missionaries were 
 Judaizers, who chiefly insisted on the fact that Jesus was 
 the promised Messiah. 
 
 benevolent purpose] The meaning of the Biblical word 
 evSoKia varies according to the context. Here the opposi- 
 tion to ' envy and strife ' requires ' kindly intention ' or 
 ' goodwill ' ; Eph. i. 5, 9 ; Ecclus. i. 27, ii. 16, xii. 17, etc. 
 The ' goodwill ' is general ; not merely to the Apostle, 
 but also to his work. Cf. ii. 13. Propensa volwntate (Beza). 
 
 16. The latter] Inverted order ; chiasmus is frequent 
 in the Pauline Epistles. See on 2 Cor. ii. 16, vi. 8, ix. 6, 
 xiii. 3 ; etc. A.V. transposes vv. 16 and 17. 
 
 I am set here] Or, ' I am appointed ' {tceiiiai) ; ' this is 
 why God keeps me in Rome.' Cf. i Thess. iii. 3 ; Lk. ii. 
 34 ; Ecclus. xxxix. 29. ' Lying inactive ' is not the mean- 
 ing ; rather ' posted as a sentinel.' 
 
 to defend] Not ' to give an account ' of his ministry to God, 
 as Chrysostom and others understand ets d-noXoyuiv. See 
 on V. 7. 
 
 17. proclaim] A.V. has ' preach ' for both Kijpvaaeiv and 
 KarayyeKXeiv. 
 
 Christ out of partisanship] The words are in proximity for 
 the sake of contrast ; what has partisanship or intrigue 
 to do with Christ ? The words " proclaim Christ ' are 
 rather superfluous, and may be inserted for the sake of 
 the contrast. 'EpiBeCa is not connected with epi^, but 
 with epido'i, 'a hired labourer.' Hence 'electioneering 
 with hired canvassers,' and so ' party spirit.' A.V. has 
 
24 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 17, 18 
 
 • strife,' as if from ept?. See on 2 Cor. xii. 20, and Lightfoot 
 on Gal. V. 20.* 
 
 with sadly mixed motives] Lit. ' not purely,' ovx a/yvm.^ 
 Some of their motives were utterly base ; laXa fiiv, oii 
 KaX&<{ Se, Theodoret ; rem castam non caste, Augustine. 
 P. Ewald's proposal to make ovx «7''<»? apply to both the 
 parties is surprising. 
 
 think] There is marked contrast between elh6r€<i 
 and oioiievot ; the friendly preachers know, the unfriendly 
 ones suppose. Olofievot suggests that the thinking is 
 erroneous ; Jas. i. 7 ; i Mace. v. 61 ; 2 Mace. v. 21. Chry- 
 sostom and Theodoret surmise that these unfriendly 
 preachers said that Paul's vigorous preaching would excite 
 Nero to persecute. Similarly Pelagius and Erasmus. 
 
 in this way] Present infinitive, not future. 
 
 to increase the pressure] ©X-t'i^t?, commonly rendered 
 ' affliction ' or ' tribulation,' Vulg. pressura or trihulatio, 
 impUes pressure, and in classical Greek is used of actual 
 crushing. Here the idea of pressure is appropriate. These 
 unfriendly preachers suppose that they aggravate the galling 
 of the chains. Vincula jam pressura erat ; afflicto afflictionem 
 addere putabant (Bengal). But the true reading is iyetpetv, 
 ' to raise,' not iiri^pipeiv^ ' to add ' (A.V.). 
 
 18. Then what is the result?] Lit. 'For what ? ' or * What 
 then ? ' ' Well, what of that ? ' This usage of ri yap 
 is classical. Cf. Rom. iii. 3. Vaughan follows Meyer and 
 transfers the interrogation to the end of the sentence ; ' For 
 what is it but that every way, etc' That is, ' The result 
 is nothing but this.' 
 
 * Kennedy thinks that ' selfish ' ambition may be the prevailing 
 meaning in N.T. Possibly they gloated over the fact that they 
 were free to preach where and when they pleased, while his oppor- 
 tunities were greatly curtailed. Envious themselves, they thought 
 that this would make him envious. That they hoped " to increase 
 the severity of his imprisonment by exciting the jealousy of the 
 Court " cannot be the meaning. He was not the founder of 
 the Church in Rome, and they may have regarded him as an 
 intruder. 
 
i. i8, 19] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 25 
 
 only that] They meant to produce affliction, and they have 
 caused joy. Cf. Acts xx. 23. Some texts here omit irXrjv 
 and some (with more probabiUty) omit on. 
 
 in every kind of way] Cf . 2 Thess. iii. 16 ; Rom. iii. 2. 
 
 a mere show] Or, ' ostensible motive ' (Trpo^ao-ei). As in 
 I Thess. ii. 5, this would be disinterestedness. The word 
 commonly implies that the ostensible motive is insincere ; 
 Acts xxvii. 30. Vulg. has fer occasionem, which is not the 
 meaning ; Beza in speciem. 
 
 therein I rejoice] The ptmctuation is uncertain. Appar- 
 ently St. Paul checks himself here ; it seems so strange to 
 , rejoice at insincere preaching of Christ. But on the whole 
 he feels justified and decides that he may go on rejoicing. 
 This requires a full stop after " rejoice ' and after ' rejoicing. ' 
 But it is possible to place only a comma after ' rejoicing ' and 
 connect closely with what follows ; ' I shall go on rejoicing, 
 for I know that, etc. ' Both ways make good sense. The 
 punctuation of A.V. and R.V. is less forcible. See on 2 
 Cor. xi. I, where there is similar doubt about aXKh kuL and 
 punctuation. 
 
 These outbursts of joy from one who for years hadjbeen 
 a prisoner are remarkable. But Renan says with truth. 
 En somme pen d'annSes dans la vie de I'apotre furent.plus 
 heureuses que celles-ci {L'Antechrist, p. 17). Moreover, 
 this spirit of resignation, which is not found in Galatians 
 or 2 Corinthians, is natural enough towards the end of a 
 very chequered imprisonment. See Augustine, Letter 
 to Vincentius, Ep. XCIII. iv. 15. We learn from Chrysos- 
 tom, Theodore, and Theodoret that this passage was mis- 
 interpreted to mean that St. Paul did not approve of attacks 
 upon heresy. But in this case it was not the teaching, 
 but the spirit of the teachers, that was wrong. 
 
 19. All this] This perplexing combination of what is 
 wholly satisfactory with what is mainly very much the 
 reverse. 
 
 will conduce to] ' Will turn out to ' ; non modo non in 
 pressaram (Bengel) : Lk. xx. 13 ; 2 Mace. ix. 24. Here we 
 have a quotation from Job xiii. 16 ; cf. xv. 3. Quotations 
 
 D 
 
26 COMMEN'TARY On t'HlLll'I'lAiSfS [i. 19,20 
 
 from Job are rare in N.T. Cf. i Thess. v. 22 ; Rom. xi. 
 35 ; Lk. i. 52. 
 
 my salvation] In its widest sense, as is shown by what 
 follows respecting the Holy Spirit. Chrysostom limits 
 it to deliverance from peril ; but cf. v. 28, ii. 22, and the 
 similar passage 2 Thess. ii. 13. 
 
 through your entreaty] Same word as in «. 4. He is con- 
 fident that they will pray for him and pray effectually. 
 Intercession on the hmnan side, and supply of the Spirit 
 on the Divine side, secure his salvation. See on i Thess. 
 V. 25 ; 2 Thess. iii. i ; 2 Cor. i. 11. He believed intensely 
 in intercession. 
 
 and the consequent supply] The ' supply ' is bracketed 
 with ■ your entreaty ' under one article, so that ' your ' 
 belongs to both. The response to prayer is regarded as 
 certain and immediate ; Mk. xi. 24. The Philippians' 
 prayer ascends to heaven, and from heaven the supply 
 descends. It is doubtful whether eiri^opiffia means a 
 ' bountiful supply ' or even an ' additional supply. ' Lan- 
 guage becomes weakened in course of time, and then addi- 
 tions are made to restore the original strength. Compounds 
 are often more common in late Greek than the simple 
 words. Thus iirixopvyelv is used in much the same sense 
 as x°PV1/^^v, and in N.T. it is more frequent. M. and M., 
 Vocabulary, p. 251. So also airodvrjaKetv than dvrjtrKeiv : 
 airoKTeiveiv is frequent, while Kreiveiv does not occm:. 
 
 the Spirit of Jesus Christ] We need not ask whether this 
 means the Spirit which Jesus gives or the Spirit which He is. 
 St. Paul makes no hard and fast distinctions. See on 2 Cor. 
 iii. 17. See also Burton, Spirit, Soul, and Flesh, p. 190 ; 
 Headlam, Si. Paul and Christianity, pp. 106 f. "It is, in fact, 
 impossible to make a rigid distinction in the Pauline Epistles 
 between the Holy Spirit and the Spiritual Christ. Life 
 in Christ and Ufe in the Spirit are the same " (Gardner, 
 Religious Experience of St. Paul, p. 176). 
 
 20. intense anticipation] Or, ' eager expectation, ' ' earnest 
 desire.' ' Attoku paSoKia, which occurs elsewhere in Bibhcal 
 Greek, Rom. viii. 19 only, combines the ideas of turning 
 
i. 20] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 27 
 
 away from other objects {diro) and stretching out the head 
 with eagerness to some one thing. The dvo might indicate 
 the quarter whence the thing desired is expected to come ; 
 or waiting right on to the end. In any case it impUes fixedness. 
 Theodore makes the diro negative, so that diroKapaBoKia = 
 TO d-rreKirl^eiv = ' despair ' ; ' I am moved by despair and 
 help.' This can hardly be right. See Deissmann, Light, p. 
 377 ; Cremer, Lex. p. 177. Josephus says of himself 
 during the siege, that he disregarded those who were bringing 
 ladders, direKapaSo/cei Se rijv opfirjv tSsv /SeXwi/, BJ. III. 
 vii. 26. Suicer, I. 451. 
 
 no atom of abject shame] With regard to the defence 
 and commendation of the Gospel. There wiU be no cowardly 
 reticence. Other possible failures, such as miscalculation 
 and disappointment, may be included in the comprehensive 
 eV ovSevL which is balanced by the comprehensive ei* irdari 
 vappijaia. 
 
 every form of boldness of speech] The opposite of base 
 shame ; i Jn. ii. 28. See on 2 Cor. iii. 12 and x. 8, and cf. 
 Eph. vi. 19. 
 
 the present crisis] His imprisonment and approaching 
 trial. His conviction is based on past and present experience. 
 
 Christ will be magnified] With characteristic humility 
 he does not say ' I wiU magnify Christ ' ; he claims no inde- 
 pendent action, as if Christ were in his debt. Cf . fieyaXvv- 
 Brjvai, 2 Cor. x. 15. 
 
 in my person] Cf . i Cor. vi. 20 ; 2 Cor. iv. 10. His body 
 will be the sphere in which Christ's majesty wiU be made 
 conspicuous. It was his body that was in prison and 
 affliction. 
 
 whether ... or] So that, whatever his enemies do to 
 him, they wiU promote the glory of Christ; not that, 
 as Jerome puts it, they cannot hurt Paul. Evidently this 
 is late ia his imprisonment. 
 
 He has told the Phihppians about his work and fellow- 
 workers ; he now goes on to tell them of his feelings 
 
28 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 21 
 
 i. 21-26. The Apostle's Perplexity and Hope. 
 
 " For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. " But if I live 
 in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour : yet what I shall choose, 
 I wot not. " For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to 
 depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. " Nevertheless, 
 to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you. " And having this 
 confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, 
 for your furtherance and joy of faith, " That your rejoicing may be 
 more abundant in Jesus Christ for me, by my coming to you again. 
 
 We have here a third paradox ; this time an internal one, 
 in the heart of the Apostle himself. He longs to die, and 
 he longs to Uve. He yearns to depart, and be more closely 
 with Christ ; and he yearns to stay, and do Christ's work 
 among his beloved PhiMppians. 
 
 ^^ I am confident that He will be glorified by my life or my death, 
 for, whatever it may be to others, to me life means Christ, and there- 
 fore death, which will take me to Him, meems gain. ^' But if my life 
 in the flesh thus far, if this has been fruitful of good work, and there- 
 fore may be equally fruitful in the future — then I do not decide what 
 I am to choose ; ^^ but I am held in a strait between the two alterna- 
 tives ; having my desire towards striking camp and being with Christ, 
 for it is far, far better ; "* but to abide by the flesh is more necessary on 
 account of you. '^ And of this being fully confident, I know that I 
 shall bide and abide here with all of you, to promote your advance 
 in believing and your joy in believing, ^^ in order that your reason 
 for boasting may, because of your relation to Christ Jesus, be more 
 abundant in me. His Apostle, through my presence with you again. 
 
 21. to me life means Christ] The ' me ' is very emphatic. 
 ' For myself there is no life worth calling life, except what is 
 spent with Christ.' Not merely ' in my opinion,' but ' in 
 my experience.' Si vixero, Christo ; or better, Qmcquid 
 vivo, Christum vivo (Bengel). Cf. iii. 8, 9 ; Gal. ii. 20. Not 
 • Christ is to me l5^e ' (Tindale), but " to me living is Christ.' 
 
 death] ' Life ' means continuing to Uve, pres. infin., to 
 iv"' Note the change to the aor. infin., to aTrodavelv, 
 ' to have died,' ' to be dead,' not to airodu-^aKsiv^ ' the act 
 of dying.' Cf. 2 Cor. vii. 3, et? to avvairodavetv koI aw^r/v, 
 'to share life after death and before death with you.' 
 
 is gain] St. Paul is preparing for the statement in v. 23, 
 
i. 22,23] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 29 
 
 that for him to have left this life is preferable to being 
 in it. Of course he does not mean that only this life is 
 Christ, and that leaving this life [i.e. leaving Christ) is gain. 
 Cf. Wisd. iii. 1-3. Calvin remarks that this passage is fatal 
 to the view that the intermediate state is one of sleep and 
 unconsciousness. 
 
 22. But if my life in the flesh] The verse is [a well- 
 known crux, and certainty as to its exact interpretation 
 is impossible. The A.V. hardly does justice to the Greek. 
 The R.V. gives two renderings, one in the text, and one 
 in the margin. WH. margin suggests eprfov koX n 
 alp'^aofiai ; oil ryvapi^o). If . . . work, ' then what am I 
 to choose ? I cannot say.' So also Blass, § 65, i, §77, 6. 
 Otherwise Winer, pp. 374, 751. In any case something 
 not in the Greek must be supplied, and ellipses are common 
 in Paul. The general meaning, however one may reach it, 
 is clear ; ' If my continuing to live in the flesh is to be 
 fruitful for the Gospel, I cannot declare what I am to 
 choose.' He adds ' in the flesh,' because ' death ' does not 
 mean ceasing to live ; for the same reason he substitutes 
 ' striking camp ' for d3dng. 
 
 I do not decide] Or, ' I do not perceive,' ' I do not under- 
 stand.' In classical Greek yvcopl^a) means ' I get know- 
 ledge of,' or ' I have fuU knowledge of,' and this may be the 
 meaning here. But in N.T. the verb is commonly transi- 
 tive, ' I make known,' ' I declare ' ; i Cor. xii. 3, xv. i ; 
 2 Cor. viii. i ; Gal. i. 11 ; etc. ' I do not decide ' may 
 represent either use. See M. and M., p. 120. 
 
 23. But I am held in a strait] ' For I am in ' (A.V.) is a 
 false reading {yap for 8e) and an inadequate rendering of 
 avvexofiai. The verb implies the pressure which confines 
 and restricts ; Lk. viii. 45 ; xii. 50, xix. 43 ; Acts xviii. 
 5. See on 2 Cor. v. 4, where awexei ■^fta<i means ' hems us 
 in,' keeping us from aU selfish motives. Cf; awoxv, 2 Cor. 
 ii. 4. 
 
 between the two alternatives] ' From both the sides,' 
 CK reov Svo, ' betwixt ihe two,' the two just mentioned. 
 As Seneca says (Ep. Ixv. 18), Sapiens assectaforque sapien- 
 
50 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 23. 24 
 
 tiae adhaeret qmdem in corpore suo, sed optima sm parte 
 abest : et ita formatus est, ut ilii nee amor vitae, nee odium sit. 
 Patitur mortalia ; scit ampliora superesse. " To many of us 
 life and death have seemed like two evils, and we knew not 
 which was the less. To the Apostle they seem like two 
 immense blessings, and he knows not which is the better." 
 (Ad. Monod, quoted by Moule). 
 
 my desire towards] ' The desire/ the one which now con- 
 sumes him and is decidedly in one direction. 
 
 striking camp] This is probably the metaphor by which 
 * to unloose ' {avaXvaai) comes to mean ' to depart from 
 Ufe.' M. and M., p. 36 ; Burton, Moods and Tenses, § 107, 
 413. Dissolvi Vulg. represents the inferior reading avoKv- 
 6r)vai. In inscriptions the verb is Tised of departing in 
 death. Cf. 2 Cor. v. i ; 2 Tim. iv. 6 ; Clem. Rom. Cor. 
 xliv. 5. Others suggest ' unloosiag from moorings and 
 setting sail ' as the metaphor. Tobit ii. 9 ; Judith xiii. i ; 
 see Suicer. 
 
 being with Christ] Cf. i Thess. iv. 17. In both passages, as 
 in Col. ii. 20, iii. 3, we have o-uv, which impUes closer union 
 than Merd. Thackeray, St. Paul and Jewish Thought, 
 pp. 128 f. The two infinitives have only one article ; de- 
 parting and being with Christ are closely connected. Cf. 
 ' To-day thou shalt be with me in Paradise,' Lk. xxiii. 43 ; 
 also Acts vii. 59, words which St. Paul heard ; 2 Cor. v. 8. 
 In I Thess. iv. 14, 16 and i Cor. xv. 51, 52 the dead are 
 asleep and awake to be with Christ at His Return ; St. Paul 
 has no fixed scheme of eschatology. Deissmaim, St. Paul, 
 p. 189. 
 
 far, far better] The comparative Kpelaaov is doubly 
 strengthened with ttoWoS fiaWov, a combination unique in 
 N.T. Cf. 2 Cor. iii. 9, vii. 13. Blass, § 44, 5. Decedere est 
 melius quam manere in came : cum Christo esse, multo magis 
 melius (Bengel). Such strengthened comparatives occur 
 in colloquial Latin. Plautus has magis dulcius and magis 
 certius. 
 
 24. to abide by the flesh] Not ' in the flesh' (A.V., R.V.) ; 
 the iv is an interpolation from v. 22. Except in the 
 
i. 24-26] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 31 
 
 strictly local sense, as ' in Ephesus,' i Cor. xvi. 8, St. Paul 
 never has ev after i-ntfikveiv. ' To abide by ' means " to 
 retain with all its consequences.' ' Nevertheless ' (A.V.) is 
 too strong for Se. 
 
 more necessary] There is more obligation to adopt this 
 alternative. Cf- St. Paul's speech, Acts xiii. 46. 
 
 on account of you] Or, " for your sake,' 81 vfiu^. He has 
 no weak longing for death as an escape from the work 
 and worry of this world. Nam i-pse vitae flenus est, cui 
 adjici nihil desiderat sua causa, sed eorum quibus utilis est, 
 Liberaliter facit, quod vivit. . . . Dolorem fert, mortem expectaf 
 (Seneca, Ep. xcviii. 15, 17). Wetstein quotes Ingentis 
 animi est aliena causa ad vitam reverti : quod magni viri saep 
 fecerunt (Ep. civ. 4). 
 
 25. of this being fully confident] He is not claiming to have 
 had a diviae revelation to this effect ; he is giving his own 
 conviction. He said that he knew [olSa there as here) that 
 the Ephesians would never see him again (Acts xx. 25) ; yet 
 he did return to Ephesus (2 Tim. i. 15, 18, iv. 20). Nihil 
 nisi sub conditione sperat (Calvin). For ire-n-oiOa see on v. 6. 
 
 bide and abide with] MevSi xal irapafj,eva). The latter means 
 ■ remain beside,' ' continue with.' The verb often impUes 
 a voluntary remaining when one might depart. For similar 
 playing on words see on iii. 3 ; 2 Thess. iii. 11 ; 2 Cor. i. 13, 
 iv. 8, etc. This is some indication that he expects his trial 
 to take place soon, and therefore that he had already been 
 imprisoned for a long time. 
 
 all of you] He once more (see on v. 8) intimates that all 
 his Philippian converts are included. It is not likely 
 that all his converts everywhere are meant. 
 
 advance in believing] ' Advance ' and ' joy ' have only 
 one article (see on v. 19), and therefore ' in believing ' (-nj? 
 TTto-rews) belongs to both. See on v. 12 for ' advance.' 
 ' Joy/ the dominant note, sounds once more. 
 
 26. reason for boasting] Cf. Ecdus. ix. 16. The sentence 
 is somewhat obscure ; but iv Xpta-rm 'Irjaov belongs to 
 Trepiaaeiirj, not to Kdivxv/^a, for which A.V. wrongly has 
 ' rejoicing ' here, ii. 16 and iii. 3. 
 
32 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS {i. 27 
 
 presence with you again] Or, ' my coming to visit you 
 again ' ; cf. ii. 12 ; i Cor. xvi. 17 ; 2 Cor. x. 10.* This mean- 
 ing of irapovaia is common in papyri. The idea of ' coming 
 in state,' or ' pajdng an official visit/ which the word 
 sometimes implies, is probably absent here. See on i 
 Thess. ii. 19. Meanwhile, until he can come, he sends 
 exhortations and instructions. 
 
 i. 27-ii. 18. HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 
 
 This portion of the Epistle falls easily into three distinct 
 paragraphs, which, however, are closely connected with 
 one another, the doctrinal part forming a link between the 
 two exhortations, both of which are directed to the SEime 
 end, viz., the promotion of unity by the practice of self- 
 suppression. Evidently there had been at PhiUppi rivalries 
 and disputes, if not something more serious. This was a 
 real drawback to the Apostle's general satisfaction, and he 
 now begins to deal with it. We have i. 27-ii. 4 Exhorta- 
 tion to Unity and Self-negation ; ii. 5-1 1 Christ the great 
 Example of Self-negation and Humility ; and ii. 12-18 
 Further Exhortation to Unity and Submission. As before, 
 it is convenient to break up the long Greek sentences. 
 
 i. 27-ii. 4. Exhortation to Unity and Self-negation. 
 
 "1 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of 
 Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear 
 of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striv- 
 ing together for the faith of the Gospel, "s And in nothing terrified 
 by your adversaries : which is to them an evident token of perdition, 
 but to you of salvation, and that of God. " For unto you it is 
 given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also 
 to suffer for his sake, "> Having the same conflict which ye saw in 
 me, and now hear to be in me. 
 
 ii. > If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort 
 of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 
 * Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, 
 
 * If this letter had been written at Caesarea, he would be ex- 
 pecting to visit, not Philippi, but Rome, to which he had appealed. 
 
i. 27] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 33 
 
 being of one accord, of one mind. ' Let nothing be done through 
 strife, or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other 
 better than themselves. * Look not every man on his own things, 
 but every man also on the things of others. 
 
 We have the usual alternation of subject. Having for 
 a while spoken of himself, he now turns again to his converts. 
 
 *^ Only, whatever happens to me, do remember of what Kingdom 
 you are citizens, and do live worthily of the Gospel of Christ. So that 
 whether I come and see you with my own eyes, or stay away and hear 
 all about you from others, let me have the joy of knowing that you are 
 standing firm in one and the same spirit, with one soul fighting side by 
 side in alliance with the Faith of the Gospel. ^^ And never be scared 
 by any assault made upon you by those who oppose you. Fearlessness 
 of this kind is a clear intimation to them of their perdition, but of 
 your salvation. And the fearlessness with its meaning comes of 
 course from God ; ^^ because on you there was conferred by Him the 
 privilege that on Christ's behalf you should not only in faith surrender 
 to Him, but also on His behalf suffer. '* For you have entered the 
 same sort of arena of conflict in which you saw me contending at 
 Philippi and now hear of my contending in Rome. 
 
 ii. ^ It is therefore to your own experience that I can appeal. If 
 your life in Christ has any power to persuade you, if love supplies any 
 encouragement, if fellowship with the Spirit of love is a reality, if you 
 feel any tenderness and compassion, ^ complete in^me the joy which 
 you have already inspired. You can do this by being of the same 
 mind among yourselves, by mutual and impartial love, by being knit 
 together in soul, by being of one mind. ^ Do nothing under the 
 influence of peirtisanship, nothing under the influence of personal 
 vanity ; on the contrary, with lowliness of mind, each of you re- 
 garding one another to be superior to himself, * each and all of you 
 adopting as your aim, not your own interests alone, but beyond them 
 the interests of others. 
 
 27. whatever happens to me] This is impUed in the ' only ' 
 [fiovov). For a similar ellipse after fiovov see Gal. ii. 10, vi. 
 12. In 2 Thess. ii. 7 there is probably no eUipse. What 
 follows here is very emphatic. 
 
 of what Kingdom you are citizens] TIoKLrsveade impHes 
 ' behaving as citizens ' (R.V. margin), and m iii. 20 the 
 Philippians are reminded that ' our citizenship (TroXiTevfia) 
 is by its very nature [vTrdpxei) in heaven.' The expression 
 oftffl? TToXirevofievoi is used by Clement of Rome Cor. 
 
34 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 27 
 
 xxi. I ; cf. xxi. i, liv. 4. The verb is no doubt purposely 
 substituted for the more usual Trepiirareiv to remind the 
 Philippians that they are fellow-citizens and ought to be 
 united. Philippi was a Roman colony, and the idea of 
 citizenship would be readily appreciated there. Elsewhere 
 in N.T. the verb occurs only in Acts xxiii. 1, in a speech 
 of St. Paul. Cf . 2 Mace. vi. i, xi. 25, and see Suicer, II. 799. 
 
 worthily of] Cf . I Thess. ii. 12 ; Rom. xvi. 2 •; Eph. iv. i ; 
 i. 10. Deissmann, Bible Studies, pp, 248 f. 
 
 whether ... or] The construction is not quite smooth, 
 but the meaning is plata. 
 
 all about you] With ra irepl v/i&v here and ii. 19, 20, cf. 
 TO. -rrepl ^fi&v, Eph. vi. 22. 
 
 are standing firm] The present of the strong form ffTij/ew is 
 used, as in 2 Thess. ii. 15 and Gal. v. i, followed by iv, as in 
 iv. I ; I Thess. iii. 8 ; i Cor. xvi. 13. Kennedy, Sources of 
 N.T. Grk. p. 158. The thought of contests in the arena 
 seems to be in the Apostle's mind throughout the passage ; 
 cf. V. 30 ; ii. 16, iii. 14. While our Lord's illustrations are 
 mostly from external nature and country life, those of His 
 Apostiie are mostly from city life — the stadium, the army, 
 slavery, legal institutions, trade, etc. Conybeare and 
 Howson, ch. xx. sub init. E. A. Abbott, The Fourfold Gospel, 
 V. p. 236. 
 
 in one and the same spirit] P. EwaJd takes eV evl irveviMTi 
 to mean the Holy Spirit, comparing Eph. i. 17, iv. 3 ; so also 
 Moule, comparing i Cor. xii. 13 ; Eph. ii. 18. 
 
 with one soul] Cf. Acts iv. 32. The best ancient Versions 
 and Chrysostom coimect ' with one soul ' with ' stand firm.' 
 The emphatic position before ' fighting side by side with ' 
 is more forcible. On •^vx'7 see Hatch, Biblical Greek, pp. 
 101-109. 
 
 in alliance with the Faith] This rather than ' for the faith ' 
 (A. v., R.V.) seems to be the meaning; but 'shoulder 
 to shoulder with one another ' may be right. This, however, 
 is already expressed by ' with one soul.' 
 
 ' The Faith ' is personified, as the Truth is in i Cor. xiii. 
 6. In any conflict. Christians must range themselves 
 
i. 28, 29] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 35 
 
 on its side. The Faith of the Gospel is that which Chris- 
 tians have to behave and practise. Hamack, Dogmen- 
 geschichte, I. pp. 129 ff. 
 
 28. never be scared] tlrvpofiai occurs nowhere else in 
 Scripture. It is used of animals shsdng when startled, and 
 often figuratively. The opponents are Jews or heathen, 
 and this is one o several indications that Christians in 
 PhiUppi and elsewhere in Macedonia were suffering perse- 
 cution. See on i. Cor. xvi. 9 and 2 Cor. vii. 5. 
 
 of this kind] ' Of such a character as to be.' The pro- 
 noun ^Tt? is attracted into the gender of evSetf t?, ' intima- 
 tion,' or ' demonstration.' This word is Pauline in N.T. 
 (Rom. iii. 25, 26 ; 2 Cor. viii. 24), and it is not found in 
 LXX. It means an appeal to facts. For the attraction cf. 
 Eph. iii. 13. 
 
 their perdition] The fearlessness of the Christian athlete 
 shows his opponents that they are contending against 
 something more than human force. If they kill him, 
 they send him to the eternal joy which he desires, while 
 they make their own entrance into it less possible. St. 
 Paul nowhere defines ' perdition,' which is the opposite of 
 ' salvation.' Cf. iii. 19. 
 
 your salvation] In complete generality of meaning. See 
 Hort on atorijpiav ■>^v)(S)v, i Pet. i. 9. ' To you of salvation ' 
 (A.V.) is an inferior reading, vpTiv for vfi&v. The pronoun is 
 emphatic here and in the next verse. 
 
 the fearlessness with its meaning] This is included in the 
 neuter tovto. It is owing to Divine agency that the 
 Christian athlete is free from fear, and that this fact has its 
 twofold message, whether the world recognizes this or not. 
 This twofold message is a ' cloud and darkness ' to the 
 adversaries, but ' light by night ' to those whom they 
 persecute (Barry). 
 
 29. because on you] How does the Apostle know that 
 this comes from God ? Because an immense privilege 
 and honour has been conferred on his converts, which would 
 be unintelligible otherwise. Gratiae munus signum sahttis 
 (Bengel). The verb ixapLaQii implies this ; it was a free 
 
36 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [i. 29, 30 
 
 gift, and an invaluable one ; Lk. vii. 21, 42. Cf. v x«/"'. i- 7, 
 and exapi<TaTo, n. 9. 
 
 on Christ's behalf] We have this repeated for emphasis, 
 and between we have the surrender to Him ; t6 iirep . . . 
 TO ek . . . TO virep. Evidently ' to suffer ' was to have 
 come after ' on Christ's behalf.' But it adds point to 
 insert the free gift of faith as the first step in the high privi- 
 lege, and the ' suffer ' comes with emphasis at the close. 
 * Given (or granted) in the behalf of Christ ' (A.V., R.V.) 
 is not the right connexion. 
 
 not only] For ov fiovov see Burton, § 481. 
 
 in faith surrender to Him] Elt avrhv iriaTeveiv is frequent 
 in John : elsewhere in Paul, Rom. x. 14 and Gal. ii. 16 only. 
 
 We see here the boldness and sureness of St. Paid. Chris- 
 tian courage must come from God, because, after enabling us 
 to put our whole trust in Christ, He grants the glory of 
 suffering for Christ. See on 2 Cor. xii. 10 ; also F. B. 
 Westcott, Si!. Paul and Justification, pp. 307 f. To the 
 pagan this is absurd paradox ; he does not wish to suffer at 
 all. But Christian experience proves that the paradox is 
 true ; Acts v. 41 ; Rom. v. 3 ; Col. i. 24. IIia-Teveiv eit 
 is the most common formula for absolute trust with regard 
 to Christ or God. 
 
 30. the same sort of arena of conflict] Cf. i Tim. vi. 12 ; 
 2 Tim. iv. 7. In i Thess. ii. 2 he alludes, as here, to what 
 he had suffered from the Jewish mob and the Roman 
 duumvirs at Philippi. The nominative participle {tov 
 avTov ay&va exovTss), though not Strictly grammatical, 
 for it looks back to vjiZv, is very natural, especially when 
 we remember that St. Paul was dictating. Moulton, Prole- 
 gomena, p. 225. Cf. dvexofievoi,, Eph. iv. 2. It is not 
 necessary, in order to save the grammar, to make ^rt? . . . 
 Trdaxeiv a long parenthesis. Note olov, not ov : it was not 
 identical, for the Philippians were not in prison ; but they 
 were exposed to persecution.* 
 
 * That " some of the Christians were in the custody of the military 
 authorities as seditious persons " at Phihppi at this time is rather 
 more than can safely be inferred from this passage. 
 
ii. I, 2] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 37 
 
 now hear] From Epaphroditus, or whoever read this 
 letter to them. 
 
 ii. I. in Christ] See on i. 13. The four clauses seem to 
 be arranged in pairs, one relating to union with Christ and its 
 benefit, the other to communion with the Spirit and its 
 benefit. 
 
 any power to persuade you] The context shows that irapa- 
 tcXfja-K! here means ' exhortation ' rather than ' supplica- 
 tion ' or ' consolation ' (Vulg.). Cf. i Cor. xiv. 3 ; 2 Cor. 
 viii. 17). 
 
 encouragement] With Tra/ja/tXJjo-ts and Trapafivdiov (Wisd. 
 iii. 18) cf. irapaKoXovvTe'i and irapafivdov/ievoi (i Thess. 
 ii. 12). 
 
 fellowship with the Spirit] Koivwvla (i. 5, iii. 10), avvicoi- 
 v(ov6i (i. 7) and Koivtovelv (iv. 15) are characteristic words 
 in this letter, which pleads for unity, and the renderings 
 ought to harmonize. This passage decides for ' fellowship. ' 
 See Robertson and Plummer on i Cor. x. 16 and cf. 2 Cor. 
 xiii. 13. 
 
 tenderness] SvXar/'xya as in i. 8 ; and the word for ' com- 
 passion ' is also plural, olKTipiMoL. In Scripture both 
 words are commonly plural. In N.T. oUnpiiov, Col. iii. 
 12, is the sole exception. It is extraordinary that these 
 plurals, according to overwhelming evidence, are preceded, 
 like KoivavCa, by et Tt?. St. Paul, in dictating, probably 
 said ei rt?, meaning to use another singular noun ; and then 
 used two plurals, as best expressing his meaning. Scrivener, 
 Introd. II. p. 386 ; Moulton, Prokg. p. 59 ; A. T. Robertson, 
 Gr. p. 410. On the fondness of St. Paul for long enumera- 
 tions of cognate moral qualities see Simcox, Writers of the 
 N.T. pp. 35 f. Chrysostom calls attention to the intense 
 earnestness of these four clauses. The need of unity is 
 so great that exhortation has become entreaty; 
 
 2. complete in me the joy] Already mentioned in i. 4, 5. 
 We have here the same verb as in Jn. iii. 29, ' This my 
 joy has been made complete, ' •n-eirX'qpayTat : also i Jn. i. 4 ; 
 2 Jn. 12. 
 
 being of the same mind] He has prayer for all of them 
 
38 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 2, 3 
 
 (i. 4), he thinks well of them all (i. 7), they all share grace 
 with him (i. 7), he yearns after all of them (i. 8). He has 
 begged them to be miited in fighting on the side of the 
 Faith (i. 27). Here, in the " tautology of earnestness," he 
 enlarges on the great need for miited thought and action. 
 For vva see Burton, § 215, 217 ; Lightfoot on Col. i. 9 ; 
 for TO avTo (f>p., Deissmann, B.S. p. 256. 
 
 by mutual and impeurtial love] So that the love may be 
 ' the same ' in all relations. There is such a thing as 
 unity in hatred. 
 
 knit together in soul] S^vyfrvxoi occurs nowhere else in 
 N.T. The classical word is avfjui^pwv. It is better to have 
 a comma after avvy^vxot, rather than make it coalesce with 
 TO ev <j}povovvre<i, ' with according soul being of one mind.' 
 We have four antecedents with ' if ' in w. i, and four conse- 
 quents in V. 2. 
 
 being of one mind] He finds it difficult to explain without 
 repetition ; cf. iv. i. He ends where he started, slightly 
 varjdng the expression, by substituting ' the one,' to ev, 
 for ' the same,' rb airo. He has his favourite verb <])poveiv 
 with both ; and it always refers, not to any particular 
 opinion, but to a permanent view or feeling. ' Minding 
 the one thing needful ' is a possible meaning. But cf . 
 the current phrase ev koX r'avro, unum atque idem, 
 ' one and the same. ' There is similar repetition iii. 7-9 and 
 iv. 12. 
 
 3. Do nothing, etc.] ' Do ' is not expressed here, any more 
 than in the proverbial /irjBev ayav. Cf . tiV iraiBl fidxaipav, firi 
 irvp iwl irvp. Ignatius, Philad. viii. 2 has nTjhev kut' ipiOeCav 
 irpdaaere. But it is perhaps simpler to supply (ppovovvre^ 
 from the previous clause ; ' having in mind nothing in 
 the way of partisanship. ' The meaning is much the seime. 
 For epiQeta see on i. 17. 
 
 personal vanity] As opposed to zeal for the glory of God. 
 Personal vanity and strife are often cause and effect, setting 
 oneself up provokes others to pull one down. KevoSo^ia 
 has this meaning here, as in Mace. ii. 15, viii. 18 ; ako 
 in Philo and Polybius. But in Wisd. xiv. 14 it seems 
 
11. 3, 4] HORtAf ORY ANt) DOCtRlNAL 39 
 
 to mean 'vain opinion,' "folly.' Cf. Gal. v. 26; Suicer, 
 II. 86. 
 
 lowliness of mind] So A.V. and R.V. here for Tairei- 
 vo^poavvT]. Col. iii. 12 A.V. has ' humbleness of mind, ' 
 R.V. ' humUity. ' Lowliness of mind opposes ' vanity, ' 
 and regarding the interests of others opposes " partisanship.' 
 As the word has the article, we might say " due lowliness 
 of mind. ' The virtue is specially needed when we compare 
 ourselves with others. The word is not found in classical 
 Greek. Humility, one of the greatest of Christian virtues, 
 was of Uttle account with the majority of heathen philoso- 
 phers. A low opinion of yourself is either true or false. 
 If it is false, you ought to correct it. If it is true, you are 
 a very poor creature. Aristotle's fie'faXof^vxp'i has no 
 humility, and a society consisting oi /ieyaXoyfrvxoi would be 
 intolerable. 
 
 regarding one another] This explains what is meant by 
 humblemindedness. The Christian knows that he has 
 many defects and faiUngs which are unknown to his fellows, 
 and which he has no right to suppose that they have. 
 On the other hand, he sees in them virtues which he knows 
 that he does not possess. 
 
 4. each and all] The plural e/caa-Toi makes the scope 
 of the admonition more comprehensive. The plural is 
 rare ; here only in N.T. As the Apostle makes no excep- 
 tions in his aflEection for them, so there ought to be no 
 exceptions in their affection for one another. Cf. i Cor. 
 X- 24, 33. With the repetition of sKacrroi. cf. i Cor. vii. 17. 
 We need not press the repetition to mean ' each set of you, ' 
 ' each little section into which you may be divided.' The 
 imperative ' Look not ' (A.V.) is wrong. 
 
 It is possible that v. 4 repeats the second half of w. 3 ; 
 each fixing his attention, not on his own good qualities, 
 but on those of others also. The ' also ' is against this 
 interpretation. 
 
 beyond them] Or ' also ' is the meaning of icai. It is 
 not wrong to look to one's own interests ; it is wrong to 
 look to them exclusively. With axoTrovvre^ cf. aKo-mlTe, 
 
40 COMMENTARY ON PHIUPPIANS [ii. 5 
 
 iii. 17 ; friendly interest is implied in both places. Contrast 
 Rom. xvi. 17. 
 
 ii. 5-11. Christ the Great Example of Self-negation 
 AND Humility. 
 
 • Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus : • Who, 
 being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God : 
 ' But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form 
 of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. » And being 
 found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient 
 unto death, even the death of the Cross. 'Wherefore God also 
 hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above 
 every name : »° That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, 
 of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth : 
 '• And that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
 to the glory of God the Father. 
 
 This doctrinal portion, important as it is in itself, comes 
 in quite incidentally. " A purely practical motive has led 
 the Apostle to hand down to us one of the loftiest ex- 
 pressions of his faith in Christ " (Von Soden, Early Chris- 
 tian Literature, p. iii). Its object is, not to correct errors by 
 giving instruction in doctrine, but to enforce the exhorta- 
 tions respecting conduct, by appeaUng to the conduct of 
 Christ, " which is the ideal type that the Christian should 
 strive to imitate and reproduce " (Sabatier, The Apostle 
 Paul, p. 256). Neither here nor in the latter doctrinal 
 passage (iii. 2-iv. i) is there any hint that errors of doctrine 
 existed in the PhiJippian Church ; and no Epistle of St. 
 Paul has less of doctrine in it than this one. The things 
 which needed correction were rivalries and sqtiabbles. The 
 establishment of harmonious thought and action in a com- 
 munity requires from each individual the repression of all 
 self-assertion and the renunciation of much that might be 
 claimed. The whole life of Christ on earth is a unique 
 pattern of such hmnihty ; and it won a unique reward.* 
 
 * Un Dieu anSanti, rend les humiliations honorable : un Dieu chargi 
 dt nos douleurs, rend les souffrances aimables : un Dieu uni A I'homme 
 
ii. 5] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 41 
 
 The language of the passage is carefully chosen, with 
 balances and rhythmical clauses. The Apostle " loves 
 that rhythm of style for which his taste had been sharpened 
 by the language of the Prophets. Whole sections of his 
 Epistles can be divided into short complete lines like poetry 
 in prose " (Von Soden, p. 25). A. S. Way makes this passage 
 into a " Hjman of the Incarnation." See on i Thess. iv. 17, 
 p. 78 footnote. See also Deissmann's excellent remarks, 
 St. Paul, pp. 168 f . ; Headlam, 5^. Paul and Christianity, 
 pp. 58 f . ; Moffatt, Intr. to the Literature of the N. T. pp. 
 57, 167 ; Ramsay, The First Christian Century, pp. 105 f. ; 
 Rostron, Christology, pp. 1 12-129. 
 
 ^ Reflect in your own minds this, which was also the thought 
 in the mind of Christ Jesus ; ® who, though He was by nature 
 in the form of God, yet did not regard being on an equality with God 
 as a prize to be strenuously secured. '' On the contrary, of His own 
 free will He divested Himself of His glory in assuming the form of a 
 bondservant by being born in human guise. ^ And being recognized 
 by men as a man in all that is external. He humbled Himself by 
 becoming obedient to God, which extended to submission unto death, 
 and not merely death, but death on the cross. ^ Therefore in conse- 
 quence of this God supremely exalted Him, £ind conferred upon Him 
 the name which is above every name, '^*'so that in Jesus' Name 
 every knee should bow, of beings in heaven, and beings on earth, 
 and beings under the earth, ^^ and every tongue freely confess that 
 Jesus Christ is Lord, and all this to promote the glory of God the 
 Father. 
 
 5. Reflect in your own minds] He continues to dwell on 
 the condition of their minds ; 4>povelv, as twice in v. 2. 
 
 the thought in the mind] AU that the Greek gives is ' which 
 also in Christ Jesus,' and the meaning almost certainly is 
 ' Think in yourselves that which He also thought in Himself,' 
 understanding i^povrjdi) ; ' Model your thoughts on His. 
 It is sometimes understood to mean, ' Cultivate the same 
 unity among yourselves as you have enjoyed in relation to 
 
 fait taire la raison, et rend la foi yneme raisonnable (Massillon). 
 Qu'est-ce qu'etre membre de Jesus-Christ ? C'est suivre la destinie 
 du.chef, et lui etre conforme ; mourir A tout avec lui ; ne former au 
 dedans de soi que ses desires et ses sentiments ; ne pas chercher sa 
 consolation en ce monde comme lui {ibid.) 
 
 £ 
 
42 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 5, 6 
 
 Christ.' What follows about Christ as a pattern of humility 
 and self-renunciation is decisive against this. The Latin 
 of Theodore of Mopsuestia has Talia sapite et qttalia Christus 
 videtiir sapmsse : Beza 7s sit affectus in voibis, qm fuit et in 
 Christo. Bossuet Entrons dans Us memes dispositions oil a 
 etS le Seigneur Jesus. 
 
 The next two verses (6, 7) are among the most difficult 
 passages in Scripture. Each clause is open to more than 
 one interpretation, and it is impossible to be certain about 
 the correctness of the several solutions which one-decides to 
 adopt. The leading words in most of the clauses are of 
 disputed, if not doubtful, meaning. Note the three verbs 
 which express existence ; elvat 'to be, ' virapxeiv ' to be 
 essentially, ' 7tveo-0ot • to come to be,' ' to become.' 
 
 6. though He was by nature] Or, ' being originally ' (R.V. 
 margin) : not &v (i. i ; Rom. i 7 ; i Cor. i. 2 ; etc.), but 
 virdpxoyv (see Evans on i Cor. xi. 7). The word points 
 clearly to the pre-existence of Christ, to the period prior 
 to the Incarnation. The participle is probably imperfect ; 
 and the expression points clearly to the meaning of the 
 words which accompany it. Sabatier calls the four words 
 " the most exalted metaphysical definition ever given 
 by Paul to the Person of Christ " [The Apostle Paul, 
 
 p. 259)- 
 
 "The epistle sets forth three different states of the Messiah : 
 pre-existence in heaven, humiliation on earth, and enthrone- 
 ment in heaven. Each of these is presented with a wedth 
 of meaning beyond anything taught in the previous Paulin- 
 ism " (C. A. Briggs, The Messiah of the Apostles, p. 179). 
 
 in the form of God] 'Ev fiop(f>ii ©eoj. The best alternative 
 for ' form ' here is ' nature,' — that which He was really. 
 But ' by nature ' being implied in virdpxt»v the more Uteral 
 ' form ' is the better rendering. ' In the form of God ' means 
 ' possessing the Divine attributes.' Cf. the ' image (eUmv) 
 of God,' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; Col. i. 15, 16 ; and ' the expression of 
 His essence ' (x*/5a«T^p ttjs viro(TTda-€a<i avrov) Heb. i. 3 — 
 phrases which come near to the Joharlnine doctrine of the 
 Aoyoi. See Lightfoot on Col. iii. 10, J. H. Bernard on 2 
 
ii. 6] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 43 
 
 Cor. iv. 4, Westcott on Heb. i. 3, PuUan, Early Christian 
 Doctrine, p. 21, and Foimdations, pp. 192 f. 
 
 did not regard] The same verb as in v. 4, perhaps purposely 
 repeated. 
 
 being on an equality] We have here, not la-oy tw @e£, as 
 Jn. V. 18, but tea &em, which possibly impUes the Divine 
 prerogatives rather than the Divine Person, ' the being 
 equal things with God, ' or perhaps ' existence on equality 
 with God.' 
 
 a prize to be strenuously secured] The meaning of dprray^o^ 
 remains open to doubt, but the idea of ' robbery ' or ' plun- 
 dering ' may be set aside. The Latin rendering rapina 
 has misled many translators and commentators. Nor need 
 the original distinction, between apirayiJi,6<;, the ' process 
 or act of plundering, ' and ap-n-aytia, a ' piece of plimder,' 
 be maintained. In late Greek the differences implied 
 by differences of termination become blurred ; e.g. Bea-fiof 
 and iKaafi6(; represent a result rather than a process or act ; 
 and the difference between /S/scoo-t? and ^p&fia, it6(tl<s and TroVa 
 is sometimes ignored ; Theodore here treats dp-n-ayiMO'; as thfe 
 same as apirayfia. It means ' a catch, ' something which is 
 of great value, perhaps without the original idea of acqtiisi- 
 tion. The latter point is in dispute. Does dpirayfio^ mean 
 a treasure to be eagerly acquired, or a treasure to be tenaci- 
 ously retained ? The word may seem to imply the former 
 and the context is not decisive. On the one hand it is said 
 that, if Christ was already by nature in the form of God, 
 possessing all the Divine attributes, how could He regard 
 equality with God as a treasure to be acquired ? On the 
 other hand, by becoming incarnate. He treated it as a trea- 
 sure which He would not jealously cling to and hold fast. 
 ' Secure ' covers either meaning, ' acquire ' or ' retain. ' If 
 ' acquire ' is preferred, we may interpret that He might 
 (as He was tempted to do) have used His Divine powers in 
 such a way as to force men to recognize Him as the Son of 
 God, ' making Himself equal to God ' ; and this He refused 
 to do ; Trfv d^iav eKelvijv direKpvyJr^v (Theodore), (^uod erat, 
 hwmilitate celavit (Pelagius). But we cannot decide by 
 
44 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 7 
 
 principles of logic matters which transcend human reason. 
 It is possible that St. Paul is here using language of the pre- 
 existence of Christ which logically is appropriate to the 
 incarnate Son. 
 
 There is no need to suppose that he is thinking of the First 
 Adam, who was tempted to become as God (Gen. iii. 5), or 
 of the fall of Lucifer (Is. xiv. 12-17). 
 
 7. on the contrary] So far from regarding the Divine 
 attributes as something to be carefully secured, He volun- 
 tarily let them go. This seems to be the main feature 
 in the Example, readiness to surrender what was rightly His 
 own. 
 
 divested Himself of His glory] Cf. 2 Cor. viii. 9. Two 
 features in Christ are singled out for imitation. His self- 
 negation and His humility ; the former is mentioned here. 
 ' Himself ' is emphatic by position {eambv eKeviuaev) inti- 
 mating that it was His own doing. Cf . M ^a eavr&v^ v. 4. 
 ' Made Himself of no reputation ' (A.V.) is very inadequate : 
 semet ipsum exinanivit (Vulg.) is better. Sanday, The 
 Oracles of God, p. xiv.* 
 
 It does not help us to say that ' He emptied Himself ' is 
 a sentence complete in itself, and requires no secondary 
 object. A secondary object must be imderstood. He 
 emptied Himself of something. A reservoir cannot empty 
 itself without parting with its contents, and the contents 
 in this case are the glories of the Divine nature. The exact 
 meaning of this is beyond us. Attempts to explain the 
 union of Godhead and manhood are inevitably failures. 
 " Any attempt to commit Paul to a precise theological state- 
 
 * See Milton's Ode on the Nativity, i. 2. 
 
 " That glorious Form, that light insufferable, 
 * * * « « « 
 
 He laid aside : and here with us to be. 
 
 Forsook the courts of everlasting day. 
 
 And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay." 
 In Westcott's words, it was " a laying aside of the mode of divine 
 existence " (on Jn. i. 14). The whole note is illuminating. "The 
 Indwelling of the pleroma refers to the Eternal Word, and not to the 
 incarnate Christ " (Lightfoot on Col. ii. 9). 
 
ii. 7] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 45 
 
 ment of the limitations of Christ's humanity involves the 
 reader in a hopeless maze. . . . Christ's consciousness 
 of deity was not suspended during His earthly life. He 
 knew that He had glory with the Father before the world 
 was, and would receive it back " (Vincent, p. 89). On the 
 other hand, "He lived according to the conditions of 
 man's life, and died under the circumstances of man's 
 mortality " (Westcott on Heb. ii. 18). The emptying is 
 described as a climax ; status exinanitionis gradatim pro- 
 fwndior (Bengel). 
 
 in assuming the form of a bondservant] A complete anti- 
 thesis to the ' form of God ' ; we have H'OP't'V in both places, 
 and therefore the same English word in both. Here one 
 would prefer ' nature, ' because ' form ' might suggest that 
 He merely looked Hke a bondservant, that He was disguised 
 as one ; which is utterly misleading. Against this gross 
 misinterpretation of St. Paul's language Gregory Nazianzen 
 protests in his letter against ApoUinarius {Ep. cii.). Just 
 as before the Incarnation He was really and essentially 
 0609, so at the Incarnation He became really and essentially 
 SoOXoy. The ka^atv emphasizes the voluntariness of the 
 change. It was not imposed upon Him ; He assumed it ; 
 and the two aorists show that the empt3n.ng and the assuming 
 were contemporaneous. They give two aspects of the 
 same act.* 
 
 To whom was He a bondservant ? To God, whose will 
 was His will, and perhaps we may say to the whole race 
 of mankind. But in Mk. x. 45 and Lk. xxii. 27 we have 
 SiaKoveiv. Christ ' ministered ' to many individuals, but 
 we are nowhere told that He was the ' bondservant ' of any 
 human being. Nor is the Suffering Servant in Isaiah in the 
 Apostle's thought ; that is always Trat?, not Bov\o<}. 
 
 * Sa puissance se change en faiblesse ; sa sagesse infinie n'est plus 
 qu'une raison, naissante et envellopp&e ; son immensitS parait ren- 
 fermie dans les homes d'un corps mortel ; Vintage de la substance de 
 son Pire est cach&e sous la vile forme d'esclave ; son Hernelle origine 
 commence & compter des temps et des moments ; enfin, it parail aneanii 
 dans tous ses litres (Massillon) . 
 
46 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 7, 8 
 
 being born in human guise] ' Being bom ' {yev6fi6vo<s), 
 like ' assuming,' is in contrast to what He ' was by nature ' 
 {vTrdpxtov) ; and ' guise ' or ' similitude ' {ofioicofia) is in 
 contrast to ' form ' or ' essence ' {fiop^tj). Therefore the 
 noun implies the reality of the likeness rather than the reality 
 of the human nature (Trench, Syn. § xv.). The latter has 
 been stated in the previous clause. There was " substantial 
 likeness " (F. B. Westcott, Si. Paul and Justification, pp. 242, 
 291). We are concerned now with what was external and 
 apparent. Elsewhere St. Paul insists again and again on 
 the reahty of Christ's Humanity ; iii. 10 ; Rom. viii. 3 ; 
 Gal. iv. 4 ; Col. i. 22, 24 ; etc. ' In hirnian guise, ' not 
 merely in the hkeness of a man (cf . Mt. xiii. 52), but ' of men ' 
 [avdpoo'Trmv), of the whole human race, to whom He seemed 
 to be one of themselves. He was really such (Heb. ii. 17), 
 but He was a great deal more. 
 
 8. being recognized] ' Found ' {evpedek) expresses the 
 quality, not as it exists in itself, but as it is perceived and 
 recognized ; iii. 9 ; i Cor. iv. 2 ; 2 Cor. v. 3, xi. 12. 
 
 in all that is external] In popular language <^X'it^°' and 
 /io/30^ are as convertible as ' shape ' and ' form ' are in 
 English ; but in technical language o'X'?/"'" indicates what 
 is external and changeable, popcjiij what is essential and 
 permanent. This distinction prevails in N.T. in the use of 
 the two words and of the derivatives of each ; p-eTaaxnpMTi^e. 
 adai, o-nj/o-j^ij/iariffeff^ai, fj,eraiJ,op<f>ova6aL, <Tvp,p.op^ovadai (iii. 
 10), avp.p,op<f)o<; (iii. 21), piopt^ovaOai, p^p^atcn^. The 
 meanings in this passage are clear. They "imply re- 
 spectively the true Divine nature of our Lord (p-op4>Ti Qeov), 
 the true human nature (iMp<j>v SovXov), and the externals of 
 the human nature {a-xrjfian w? dv0po}Tro<s)." Lightfoot, p. 
 133- 
 
 For a-x^f^"'"''^ the Latin Versions have figuna, habitu, specie. 
 Whereas p-op<f>v can be used of both Godhead and manhood, 
 axvP'a is applicable to the latter only. Cf. i Cor. vii. 31, 
 where a-xnf^"- is used of the external world. In Christian 
 interpolations in the Testaments of the XII Patriarchs 
 we h^ve both terms used of the ma,nhood ; Zabulon ix. § 
 
ii. 8, 9] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 47 
 
 Syp-eade @eov iv a'xi^fjbart avBpdi'irov, and Benjamin x. 7 eVl 
 7,^9 <j)avivTa iv fiop^fj avOpcoirov. But possibly both terms 
 may be meant to refer to the externals. 
 
 He humbled Himself] The change of order is significant : 
 eavTov eK€v(oa-ev, ' He emptied Himself ' ; eTaireivcoaev 
 eavrov, ' He humbled HimseU.' Even as man He humbled 
 Himself to the uttermost. 
 
 obedient to God] Obedientia servum decet (Bengel) ; ' to 
 God ' is impUed in v. 9. He became so by a life of absolutely 
 perfect obedience in all things, Heb. v. 8. ' Obedient unto 
 death ' (A.V.) is misleading, as if the obedience was rendered 
 to Death : oboediens usque ad mortem (Vulg.) is the meaning. 
 And He became obedient by learning to be so through the 
 things which He suffered (Heb. v. 8). 
 
 which included] which went as far as that, /texf" Oavdrov, 
 Heb. xii. 4 ; 2 Mace. xiii. 14. 
 
 and not merely death] This is implied in Se. The prayers 
 in Gethsemane may be in St. Paul's mind. Crucifixion was a 
 death of extreme suffering and shame ■; being nailed to a tree 
 like vermin. Christ had assumed the nature of a slave 
 to God; and crucifixion was the death of a slave to man 
 (Gal. v. II ; Heb. xii. 2), a death excruciating and accursed 
 (Gal. iii. 13). The Apostle may be suggesting that, willing 
 as he was to share his Master's sufferings and death, yet 
 as a Roman citizen he could not be crucified, and members 
 of the Roman colony at Philippi would appreciate this 
 privilege and privation. Cicero, Pro Rabirio v. 10, points 
 out how impossible such a death was for a Roman. 
 
 Some critics divide vv. 6-8 into four clauses, which seem 
 to be balanced by four corresponding clauses in vv. 9-11. 
 Thus, (i) o? ev fiop'f'V ■ • • (2) aWa ... (3) ev onoiwfiaii 
 ... (4) iraTreivaa-ev . . . (l) Sio Kal ... (2) xal ix'^picxaTo 
 ... (3) """' ^^ ■'■?' ovofiaTi ... (4) Koi traaa. See 
 J. Weiss in Theologische Studien, Gottingen, J897, Pp. 190 ^ • 
 
 9. Therefore in consequence of this] Ato Kai. The «at 
 impHes that God on His side responds, in accordance with 
 the principle that he who humbles himself is exalted ; Mt. 
 xxiii. 12 ; Lk. xiv. 11, xviii. 14 ; of. Jas. iv. 6 ,; i Pet. v. 3. 
 
48 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 9, 10 
 
 ' Him ' is emphatic by position, as is natural in a statement 
 of reciprocity ; He emptied Himself, and God exalted Him. 
 
 supremely exalted Him] Ainbv vTrepwjrcoaev. On St. 
 Paul's fondness for words compounded with inrip see on 2 
 Thess. i. 3. This more than cancels the emptying and 
 humiUating. Cf. Ps. xcvi. (xcvii.) 9. 
 
 conferred] See on i. 29 and Hort on i Pet. i. 21. 
 
 the Name] Not ' a Name ' (A.V.) ; ro Svofia is the right 
 reading, and 'the Name' is probably 'Lord,' as the 
 equivalent of ' Jehovah ' in O.T. See on i. 2.* 
 
 It is not quite certain that any name is meant. ' Name ' 
 may mean ' rank ' or ' dignity. ' This makes excellent 
 sense here, and to some seems to be preferable. God gave 
 Him the dignity which is above every dignity. 
 
 above every name] Non modo super omne iiomen humanum 
 (Bengel). 
 
 10. in Jesus' Name] Not ' at ' (A.V.) ; Ps. Ixiii. 4. ' The 
 Name which belongs to Jesus ' is the meaning ; that which 
 represents His majesty in its completeness, far above the 
 designation of any created being (Eph. i. 21). Theodoret 
 thinks that ' Son of God ' or ' God ' is the name. Some 
 moderns decide for ' Jesus ' ; e.g. Case, Evolution of Early 
 Christianity, p. 158. But ' the Name ' in v. 10 must mean 
 the same as in v. 9, and in t;. 9 ' Jesus ' cannot be meant, 
 for many persons have been called ' Jesus, ' and Christ Him- 
 self had the name of Jesus during His earthly Ufe, before the 
 extremity of an accursed death. The passage is often 
 strangely misunderstood, as ordering the custom of bowing 
 the head when the name of Jesus is mentioned. ' Bending 
 the knee ' is often a metaphor for reverence and worship or 
 prayer ; Rom. xi. 4 ; Eph. iii. 14. '' To bow the knee in the 
 name of Jesus is to pay adoration in that sphere of author- 
 ity, grace, and glory for which the name stands " (Vincent). 
 However we may explain the details, the meaning is that 
 
 * " What name is meant is clear from the fact that because of 
 this name He becomes the object of the adoration of all. For 
 they all are to confess that Jesus Christ is the divine Lord in the 
 sense in whjch God alone bears this name " (B. Weiss). 
 
ii. 10, II] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 49 
 
 every being should pay the utmost respect to the majesty 
 of the incarnate and glorified Son. See Is. xlv. 23 which 
 is adapted here and quoted Rom. xiv. 11 ; also i Pet. iii. 
 22. 
 
 in heaven and on earth] Whether the adjectives are 
 masculine or neuter, the triplet is an expansion of ' the 
 whole creation,' ' all the works of the Lord.' Cf. Rev. v. 
 13, where ' and on the sea ' is added. Wiclif (De Benedicta 
 Incarnacione, iii.) has omne genu flectatur celestium, quos 
 restituit, terrestrium, quos redemii, ef infernormn, quos 
 spoliavit. But respecting the three classes " we know too 
 Uttle of the Apostle's ideas to be able to venture upon a deci- 
 sion " (P. Ewald). See M. and M., Vocabulary, pp. 236, 252. 
 
 II. freely confess] Or, " jojrfully proclaim.' All that 
 e^ofwXoyeladai of necessity means is " openly declare ' ; but 
 LXX usage gives the verb the notion of praise or thanks- 
 giving, and that idea is very appropriate here. M. and M., 
 Vocabulary, p. 224. Cf. Rom. xv. 9 ; i Cor. xii. 3. Acts 
 viii. 37 cannot be quoted as part of the true text. 
 
 is Lord] Emphatic by position. 
 
 and all this] ' To the glory etc. ' need not be restricted to 
 V. II : it probably looks back to vv. 9 and 10. " Wherever 
 the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified " (Chrysostom). 
 
 ii. 12-18. Further Exhortation to Unity and 
 Submission. 
 
 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in 
 my presence only, but now much more in my absence ; work out 
 your own salvation with fear, and trembling. " For it is God 
 which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. 
 '*Do all things without murmurings, and disputings : "That ye 
 may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, 
 in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine 
 as lights in the world : '» Holding forth the word of life, that I may 
 rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither 
 laboured in vain. '^ Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and 
 service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. '» For the same 
 cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. 
 
 The Apostle proceeds to press home the lesson of Christ's 
 
50 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 12 
 
 self-negation, humility, and obedience. The theological 
 statement is not continued beyond the point at which it 
 serves the immediate practical purpose. 
 
 ^* You have Christ's example to inspire and guide you. So then, 
 my beloved ones, just as on all occasions hitherto you have showed 
 ready obedience to God, do so now in this way. Not only when you 
 can rely upon me during my presence with you ; on the contrary, 
 far more during my absence from you ; — ^relying upon yourselves, 
 with godly fear and trembling anxiety to be obedient, work out your 
 salvation. ^^ In this you have far better help than mine. For it is 
 God who works in you, in fulfilment of His benevolent purpose (there- 
 fore you need not fear and must not glory) ; and He supplies you with 
 both the will and the power to be obedient. ^* In all that you have 
 to do be not like the Israelites with their murmurings and questionings, 
 ** that you may become blameless in the sight of men and innocent 
 in the sight of God. Yes, become children of God, not rebels, children 
 without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, — 
 amongstwhom you appear as luminaries in the world, — ^ holding out 
 to others the Gospel in all its life-giving power. With this blessed result, 
 that on the Day of Christ's Return to test all works I may be able to 
 boast that, as regards yourselves, I did not run my race in vain, nor yet 
 struggle and toil in vain. ^'' Do not think that I grudge the toil. 
 I would give far more than that. Even if I am poured out on the 
 sacrifice and service of your faith, when this is offered to God, I 
 rejoice and congratulate all of you ; ^° and in the same meumer I 
 invite you to rejoice and to congratulate me. 
 
 12. So then] Itaque Vulg. here and iv. i. The wo-re 
 evidently refers to the description of Christ as a model ; 
 see on iv. i and on i Thess. iv. 18. 
 
 my beloved ones] Cf. iv. i ; i Cor. x. 14. 
 
 have showed] This is one of many cases in which it is 
 the Greek idiom to use the aorist, but the English idiom 
 to use the perfect. Cf. e/Madov^ iv. 11. 
 
 obedience to God] As Christ did {v. 8). Beet follows Meyer 
 in taking obedience to be to' the "apostohc authority of 
 Paul." But V. 13 points to God, and ©ed? is emphatic by 
 position. See Hort on i Pet. i. 14. ' To obey,' viraKoieiv, 
 is ' to listen submissively. ' 
 
 In what follows two constructions are intermingled; 
 but it is not difficult to disentangle them. 
 
ii. 12, 13] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 51 
 
 Not only] This belongs to " work out, ' not to " showed ready 
 obedience. ' 
 
 during my presence] See on i. 26. 
 
 far more] ttoWw fiaXKov, as in i. 23. 
 
 relying upon yourselves] The reflexive pronoun eavr&v 
 is very emphatic, and something to mark this is needed early 
 in the sentence. See Pfleiderer, Paulinism, I. p. 224. 
 
 fear and trembling anxiety] The combination <f>o^o<} koX 
 Tp6iio<s is frequent in LXX, and there the usual meaning 
 is fear of severe treatment ; Gen. ix. 2 ; Exod. xv. 16 ; 
 Deut. ii. 25, xi. 25 ; etc. But that is not how St. Paul uses 
 the expression. He is the only N.T. writer who has the 
 phrase, and he appears to mean by it a nervous anxiety to 
 do one's duty ; i Cor. ii. 3 ; 2 Cor. vii. 15 ; Eph. vi. 5, where 
 this fear is opposed to eye-service.* Fear of failure may be 
 included, and some Fathers make this the whole idea. 
 
 work out] The preposition in Karepyd^eaOe is intensive, 
 strengthening the simple verb, ' carry to the end, ' usque ad 
 metam (Bengel). Vulg. has aperari here and generally ; 
 also facere, perficere, efficere, and consummare. The com- 
 pound occurs twenty times in Paul and only thrice in the 
 rest of N.T. The Kara sometimes gives a bad sense ; Rom. 
 i. 27, ii. 9 ; I Cor. v. 3. Cf. per in perf^ere and perpetrare. 
 
 your own salvation] The reciprocal force of eavrSiv (Eph. 
 iv. 32 ; Col. iii. 13, 16), ' one another's salvation, ' is certainly 
 not the meaning here. 
 
 13. For it is God] ' God ' is emphatic ; and ' for ' (vap) 
 explains how they can work out their own salvation without 
 either despondency or presumption. They must anxiously, 
 but hopefully, seek to secure their own eternal welfare, 
 for God is sure to help, because it is His desire and delight 
 to do so. See Hort on i Pet. i. g.f 
 
 * Die game christliche Gewissenhaftigkeii darin liegt (De Wette). 
 
 I Non, il ne le peut de lui-meme et par lui-mime : mats il n'oublie 
 point d'ailleurs ce que lui apprend le Docteur des nations, qu'il peut 
 tout en celui qui le fortifie. De sorte qu'il ne balance pas un moment 
 i se mettre en ceuvre et A commencer. Ce n'est point par une thneritS 
 presomptueuse, puis^ue son espSrance est fondie sur ce grand principe 
 
52 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 13-15 
 
 works in you] Another Pauline expression ; epepyeiv 
 with a personal subject, ivepyecadai with an impersonal ; 
 seventeen times in Paul and only thrice elsewhere in N.T. 
 ' In you, ' not " among you. ' St. Paul is not troubled 
 with the relation of these facts to the question of man's 
 free will. 
 
 in fulfilment of] ' For ' (R.V.) is better than ' of ' (A.V.). We 
 have virip, ' in order to accompUsh, ' not Sid. Blass, § 42, 5. 
 This clause is not to be taken with what follows, as Conybeare 
 and Howson take it. 
 
 both the will] The Divine help can be counted on from 
 the very start ; Aug. De Grat. et Lib. Arb. xvii. ; loth 
 Article of ReUgion. We must co-operate. It rests with us 
 to decide whether we shield to good or to evil influences. 
 
 14. In all] ' All ' is emphatic ; all the details of daUy 
 life ; I Cor. x. 31 ; cf. Col. iii. 17. 
 
 like the Israelites] The context seems to show that the 
 Apostle has their unrest and rebeUious utterances against 
 Moses in his mind ; Exod. xvi. 7 ; Num. xvi. 11 ; Cf. i Cor. 
 X. 10. 
 
 questionings] Referring perhaps rather to spoken disput- 
 ings than to mental reasonings ; Rom. i. 21, xvi. i ; i Cor. 
 iii. 20. Vulg. has haesitationes, Rhem. ' staggerings. ' In 
 papyri SidKoyta-fioi seems always to mean uttered discus- 
 sions ; there are no examples of ' thoughts,' ' cogitations.' 
 M. and M., p. 151. It was evidently open disagreements 
 that troubled the PhUippian Church. In BibUcal Greek 
 the word has commonly, but not invariably, a bad sense. 
 Hatch, Bibl. Grk. p. 8. 
 
 15. may become] ' May be ' (A.V.) follows the inferior 
 reading ^re : yevrjade is probably right, and ^re may come 
 from i. ID. 
 
 innocent] Lit. 'unmixed,' "unadulterated," uKepaioi, 
 as in Rom. xvi. 19 ; Mt. x. 16. Trench, Syn. § Ivi. Cf. 
 etXiKpiveiv , i. 10. 
 
 children of God] Not ' ihe sons of God ' (A.V.). This 
 
 de Saint Paul (Bourdaloue). Bossuet has a similar passage, Midita- 
 tions, Sermon sur la Montagne, xxxii. 
 
ii. 15, 16] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 53 
 
 quotation from the Song of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 5, is further 
 evidence that the conduct of the rebellious Israelites in the 
 wilderness is the danger which the Phihppians must avoid. 
 
 without blemish] Rather than ' without rebuke ' (A.V.). 
 This is the third negative adjective ; free from blame, from 
 adulteration, from blemish. They are to be fit to be pre- 
 sented to God. Hort on i Pet. i. 19 ; Westcott on Eph. 
 i. 4 ; Trench, § ciii. 
 
 perverse] Stronger than ' crooked ' ; Acts ii. 40, xx. 30 ; 
 Mt. xvii. 17; Lk. ix. 41. 'Generation.' not 'nation' 
 (A.V.). 
 
 you appear] Or " are seen,' not ' ye shine ' (A.V. following 
 Vulg. lucetis). We have (paiveaffe, not (l)aiv£Te, and the 
 verb is probably indicative, not imperative. 
 
 luminaries] Rather than ' lights ' ; ^ann^pe'i, not ^wra. 
 In LXX the word is commonly used of sun, moon, and stars ; 
 Gen. i. 14, 16 ; Wisd. xiii. 2 ; Ecclus. xUii. 7. It " is 
 suggestive of a light shining in darkness " (Abbott, The 
 Fourfold Gospel, V. p. 254). Beza is misleading with 
 faces. See Swete on Rev. xxi. 11, the only other N.T. 
 passage in which the word occurs ; Trench, § xlvi. 
 
 16. holding out to others] The meaning of iiri'xpvTe'i is 
 uncertain. From " appljdng, ' ' directing, ' it comes to mean 
 ' holding forth,' ' offering,' e.g. food or drink. This makes 
 good sense here. ' Instead of disputing among yourselves, 
 dispense your spiritual blessings to others.' Praetendentes 
 Beza, sustinentes Calvin. Some render irn-ixovTe^ ' holding 
 fast,' continentes Vulg. ; and this also makes good sense. 
 ' Instead of disputing about unimportant matters, keep 
 firm hold on that which is essential.' ' Because ye possess ' 
 is inadequate.* 
 
 the Gospel etc.] ' A word of hfe ' means a communication 
 which has life as its subject and effect ; and ' life ' has here 
 
 * Field {Otium Norvic. III. p. 118) rejects both these renderings, 
 and gives, as a literal translation, " holding the analogy of life," 
 i.e., " being (to the world) in the stead of life." He rightly rejects 
 the suggestion that tjxaaTTJpei points to such lights as the Pharos 
 at Alexandria. 
 
54 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. i6, 17 
 
 its highest and most comprehensive sense. ^070^ has no 
 article. Cf. Jn. vi. 63, 68. 
 
 Day of Christ's Return] See on i. 6. The ek means 
 not ■ imtil,' but ' against the Day.' The boasting is reserved 
 for that Day. 
 
 able to boast] Cf. i. 26 ; i Thess. ii. 19 ; 2 Cor. L 14. A.V. 
 again has ' rejoice. ' 
 
 as regards yourselves] This Umitation is implied. The 
 results of his work among other converts are not under 
 consideration. 
 
 I did not run] We have the same expression Gal. ii. 2. 
 The metaphor impUes great efEort ; i Cor. Ix. 25 ; Gal. v. 7. 
 The aorist looks back from the point of view of the Day. 
 
 in vain] Lit 'unto emptiness,' ek kbvov, being empty- 
 handed after all ; i Thess. iii. 5 ; 2 Cor. vi. i. The repetition 
 gives emphasis. 
 
 struggle and toil] It is possible that eKoiriaaa continues 
 the metaphor of contests in the arena ; cf. Is. xl. 31. More 
 probably the thought is of missionary (Cor. i xv. 10, xvi. 16) 
 and of manual labour, of which he had had much experience ; 
 see on i Thess ii. 9 ; 2 Thess. iii. 8 ; 2 Cor. xi. 27. 
 
 17. But . . . even if] Something has to be understood 
 between aWd and ei KaC. • But why talk of labours ? I 
 am ready even if the worst comes,' viz. the being condemned 
 to death. Ei Kai introduces a condition which is stated 
 problematically, but is conceded as a fact, ' even though ' ; 
 2 Cor. iv. 3, 16, V. 16, vii. 8, xiii. 11 ; Col. ii. 5. The kuL 
 emphasizes airevhofiai, which is admitted for the sake of 
 argument. Winer, pp. 554 f. 
 
 am poured out] Not ' I am being poured out.' The 
 present tense does not mean that the sacrifice is already 
 begun ; and there is therefore no inconsistency between 
 this statement and the expectation of reletise in i. 25, 26, ii. 
 24. In 2 Tim. iv. 6, when the death was very near, ^Si; 
 depicts the pouring as beginning, ^Si; tririvSofiai,. The 
 present after «t often merely states the supposition graphic- 
 ally. The allusion is probably to heathen sacrifices, ia which 
 the libation was a more distinct feature than in Jewish 
 
ii. 17, 18] HORTATORY AND DOCTRINAL 55 
 
 sacrifices. A prisoner in Rome would often see or hear of 
 heathen Ubations. Moreover, nearly all the Philippian 
 Christians were converts froin heathenism. It is to heathen 
 rites that he refers 2 Cor. ii. 14. 
 
 The sacrifice is the Philippians' faith. The Apostle's 
 life-blood is the libation poured over it. Who offers the 
 sacrifice ? Surely the PhUippian Church ; not the Apostle 
 whose Ufe-blood enriches the sacrifice. 
 
 sacrifice and service] It is not easy to find a satisfactory 
 rendering for \et,Tovpyia here. In LXX it and its cognate, 
 forms occur about 140 times, and they commonly imply 
 sacerdotal ministration. Here it may be added to dvaia to 
 suggest that the Philippians iu offering their faith perform a 
 priestly act. They share in the imiversal priesthood of the 
 Christian Church. Vulg. has the vague obseqmum. See 
 on 2 Cor. ix. 12. 
 
 congratulate] It is difficult to decide between 'con- 
 gratulate ' and ' rejoice along with ' for avyxaipto, but the 
 latter makes rather poorer sense when y. 18 is taken into 
 account. ' Have the same joy, and the same rejoicing 
 with me ' is tautological. ' I rejoice with all of you ' 
 implies that the Philippians are already rejoicing ; whereas 
 in V. 18 they are exhorted to rejoice. Vulg. has congratulor 
 here ; congaudeo 1 Cor. xii. 26, xiii. 6. English Versions 
 have ' rejoice ' or ' be glad.' The question is unimportant. 
 Note the 'all.' As in i. 3-8, he refuses to recognize their 
 differences ; all without exceptions are included. 
 
 18. in the same measure] He and they are to have the 
 same joy and the same subject of congratulation. He 
 cannot bear to be alone in rejoicing, and they ought to be 
 able to rejoice with him in the prospect of his possible 
 martjrrdom. ' The same ' is placed first with emphasis. 
 Cf. Mt. xxvii. 44. 
 
 This charge concludes the exhortations. He once more 
 changes from the Philippians to himself and speaks of 
 personal matters. Having told of his past and present, 
 he now speaks of his future. 
 
56 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [u. 19 
 
 ii. 19-30. EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 
 
 The Apostle's plans have reference to compensating 
 the Philippians for his enforced absence from them. He 
 means to send them the best substitute, Timothy, whom they 
 know so well and who wiU do his utmost to serve them 
 (19-24). But as Timothy cannot come at once, he is sending 
 back to them their delegate Epaphroditus, about whom they 
 have been anxious, and who has worked himself almost 
 to death in order to prove Philippian devotion to the 
 Apostle (25-30). 
 
 ii. 19-24. Timothy to be sent very soon. 
 
 " But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto 
 you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. 
 '» For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your 
 state. '^ For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. 
 '' But ye know the proof of him. That as a son with the father he 
 hath served with me in the Gospel. *' Him therefore I hope to send 
 presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. " But 
 I trust in the Lord that I also myseU shall come shortly. 
 
 It is remarkable that St. Paul uses more decided language 
 about eventually coming himself than about his sending 
 Timothy soon. He hopes {vv. 19, 23) to do the latter ; he is 
 confident {v. 24) about doing the former. 
 
 1' But, although I cannot at present come myself, I quite hope in 
 the Lord Jesus to send you Timothy very soon, in order that I as well 
 as you may be cheered in mind thereby, for from him I shall get to 
 know about your spiritual Welfare. ^^ I select him, for I have no one 
 with me here who is at all his equal in mind, I mean none who will be 
 likely to be so genuinely anxious about your spiritual welfare. ^^ For, 
 of the others, one and all pursue their own interests, and care nothing 
 about those of Jesus Christ. ^^ But by the credentials of long experi- 
 ence you know how, as a son to a father, he has slaved with me for 
 the promotion of the Gospel. ^ Him, therefore, I quite hope to send 
 forthwith, as soon as ever I see how things will go with myself. ^* But 
 as regards that, I am confident in the Lord that I myself also shall 
 come to you very soon. 
 
ii. 19, 20] EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 57 
 
 19. But I quite hope] This looks back 16 v. 12, in which he 
 exhorted them to continue to be obedient during his absence. 
 He is obliged at present to remain absent, but he quite 
 hopes to send a very good substitute soon. It also looks 
 back to V. 17 ; he might ' be poured out,' and in that case 
 could not return to them. A.V. has ' I trust ' for both 
 iXiri^m and ireiroiOa, thus obliterating an interesting 
 change in the Apostle's attitude of mind. Both the hope 
 and the confidence are ' in the Lord. ' Chrysostom says, 
 " See how he makes all depend upon God " ; he should have 
 said "upon Christ." Cf. i. 13, Rom. xiv. 14, xvi. 2-22; 
 I Cor. iv. 17, vii. 22, 39, etc. All that he thinks and does 
 is ' in Christ,' i. 21. 
 
 send you Timothy] As in the very similar passage i Cor. 
 iv. 17, we have vfilv, ' for your comfort.' A.V. has ' unto 
 you, ' which would be •7rp6<i vfiai, as in v. 25. Cf . i Thess. 
 iii. 6 ; 2 Thess. i. 3. 
 
 cheered in mind] Ei-\frvxeiv occurs here only in Biblical 
 Greek, and seems not to be found in classical Greek. * The 
 cognate words are not rare either in classical Greek or 
 in LXX. This shows that he expects to live to receive 
 Timothy's report. 
 
 20. with me here] This limitation is implied ; he says 
 ' I have, ' not ' I know. ' 
 
 his equal in mind] 'Ia6-^vxo<s is another very rare word. 
 ' So dear unto me ' (A.V. margin) is not the meaning <; that 
 would be itro'i Trj<! yfrvxv'i M-ov, Deut. xiii. 6. Nor is ' heart 
 and soul with me ' (Way) right ; that would be <Tvfj.'rJrvxo<i. 
 N eminent -pari animo praeditum, (Beza), or Neminem aeque 
 animatum ad, res vestras curandas (Calvin), is better. 
 
 who will be likely] Here, as often in N.T., So-tk has its fuU 
 meaning, ' who is of such a quality as. ' A. T. Robertson, 
 Gr. pp. 726 f. Cf. i. 28 ; 2 Thess. i. 9 ; etc. 
 
 genuinely] Both adverb [yvrjcriax;) and adjective are 
 exclusively Pauline in N.T., meaning ' legitimately bom,' 
 
 * 'Eiitlruxtiv occurs Joseph. Anf. XI. vi. 9 of Ahasuerus encourag- 
 ing Esther, and the imperative eiil/vx^i, ' Be of good cheer,' is 
 found in inscriptions. M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 268. 
 
 F 
 
58 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [u. 21, 22 
 
 and so ' genuine,' ' sincere. ' Cf. iv. 3 ; Tim, i. 3 of Timothy 
 himself. See M. and M., p. 129. 
 
 anxious] Cf . 2 Cor. xi. 28 ; i Cor. xii. 25 ; 2 Mace. xiv. 8. 
 There is a right and a wrong anxiety, just as a right and a 
 wrong attention to one's own interests {v. 4). See on iv. 6 
 and cf. Mt. vi. 25, 34 ; Lk. xii. 22. 
 
 21. of the others] The same Umitation as before ; he is 
 speaking of those who are in Rome. 
 
 one and all] IlavTe? has the article, making ' all ' rigorous ; 
 there are no exceptions. This looks Uke emotional hyper- 
 bole ; but he perhaps means only " all who were available 
 for missionary purposes " (Ellicott) ; they had all begged 
 to be excused from going to Philippi. Evidently Luke 
 and Aristarchus are no longer with him. The letter Wcis 
 written late in the Roman imprisonment. Cf . 2 Tim. iv. 10. 
 
 pursue their own interests] ' Seek their own advantages ' ; 
 ii. 4 ; I Cor. x. 24, xiii. 5. Note the change from 
 TO irepi vfjL&v to ra iavT&v. quatn multi sua causa pit 
 sunt! (Bengel). 
 
 22. But by the credentials, etc.] The ' But ' (Se) might be 
 understood in two ways. Either, ' But I need not commend 
 him to you ; ye are alive to his tried worth ' ; Abbott, 
 Johannine Grammar, p. 197. Or, ' But he is very different 
 from all the rest.' 
 
 credentials] The A. V. has four renderings of Soki/iij, ' proof,' 
 ' trial,' ' experiment,' and ' experience.' Vulg. has prohatio 
 and experimentum. That the PhUippians' knowledge of 
 Timothy was the result of experience is imphed in yivdiaKeTe. 
 In commending Timothy he is merely reproducing their 
 own proved estimate of him. Strangely enough, Vulg., 
 Pelagius, Wiclif, and Calvin take yivaxTKere as an impera- 
 tive ; as if Timothy was a stranger to the Philippians ! 
 
 he has slaved with me] The " with ' {avv) must not be 
 anticipated and placed before ' a father,' as in A.V. When 
 St. Paul dictated «? naTpl tskvov, he had some other con- 
 struction vaguely in his mind. His main thought was that 
 Timothy had been Uke a son to him ; 2 Tim. i. 2. He then 
 thinks that he will commend Timothy as an equal and a 
 
U. 23, 24] EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 59 
 
 colleague. To supply ' with ' before ' a father ' spoils 
 this sudden and pleasinig change of view. Concinne loquitur, 
 partim ut de filio, partim ut de collega (Bengel). A.V. has 
 'with the father.' 
 
 slaved with me] Both being ^ovKoi Xpia-rov 'Iriaov, i. i. 
 All this shows that Timothy had no part in the composition 
 of the letter. 
 
 for the promotion of] Not ' in ' (A.V.) ; ek as in i. 5, not ev. 
 
 23. Him, therefore] The pronoun is emphatic, and antici- 
 pates ' I also myself ' in v. 24. The /j.ev . . . Be might be 
 rendered ' On the one hand I hope to send him ; on the 
 other I am confident of coming myself. ' A.V. has ' I hope ' 
 for iXTTt^eo here, in v. 19 ' I trust. ' 
 
 forthwith] ' Presently ' is now not strong enough for 
 6^auT^9. In 1611 ' presently ' had its proper meaning^ 
 of ' immediately.' Aldis Wright, Bible Word Book, p. 473, 
 and T. L. O. Davies, Bible English, p. 109, give illustrations. 
 
 as soon as ever I see] The verb d(/>tS<B or aTrtSw is used of 
 seeing from a distance, seeing the issue of events ; also of 
 concentrating one's attention on one object. The former 
 better fits the context here. Cf. Jonah iv. 5. The aspirated 
 form a(f>lBo) is frequent in papyri. 
 
 how things will go] Tct irepl ifii ; not quite the same as 
 ra tear' e>6, i. 12. Could he have said this at Caesarea ? 
 It almost necessarily impUes Rome. 
 
 24. I am confident] Cf. i. 6, 25. For ' in the Lord ' and 
 ' very soon ' cf. v. 19. The verse is in emphatic contrast 
 to ' I hope ' vv. 19, 23. This visit he paid between his first 
 and second imprisonment at Rome, i Tim. i. 3. 
 
 very soon] This raxito'i is against his having thoughts 
 of first going to Spain. But it must be interpreted in har- 
 mony with what has just been stated. Timothy is to be, 
 not a mere messenger, but a substitute for the Apostle 
 during some time. Cf. i Cor. iv. 17-19. 
 
 ii. 25-30. Epaphroditus to be sent at once]. 
 
 " Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my 
 brother and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your 
 
6o COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 25 
 
 messenger, and he that mmistered to my wants. " For he longed 
 after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard 
 that he had been sick. "' For indeed he was sick nigh nnto death, 
 but God had mercy on him : and not on him only, but on me also, 
 lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow, 's I sent him therefore the 
 more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that 
 I may be the less sorrowful. *' Receive him therefore in the Lord 
 with all gladness, and hold such in reputation : '" Because for the 
 work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to 
 supply your lack of service to me. 
 
 Epaphras perhaps might be an abbreviation of Epaphro- 
 ditus ; but that is no reason for identifying the persons who 
 respectively bear the names in N.T. Epaphras (Col. i. 7, 
 iv. 12 ; Plulem. 23) was an Oriental, a Colossian. Epaphro- 
 ditus was a European, a Philippian ; and we know no more 
 of him than what is told us here. 
 
 ^^ But, as neither of us can come immediately, I account it necessary 
 to send to you Epaphroditus, who is one with me in faith and shares 
 my labours and my conflicts, but whom you sent to me to serve 
 me in my need. ^^ I am sending him with all the more satisfaction, 
 because he has been yearning to see all of you again, and was deeply 
 distressed because you heard that he had been ill. ^ For indeed he 
 was very ill, and very ne£u-ly died. But God in His mercy spared 
 him, — a mercy not to him only, but also to me, to save me from having 
 an additional burden of sorrow. ^ For this reason I am sending him to 
 you the more eagerly, in order that by the sight of him in good health 
 you may regain your joy, and that I, through sympathy with your 
 and his delight, may have my sorrow lessened. ^^ Give him therefore 
 a hearty welcome in the Lord with every form of joy, and hold men 
 like him in great esteem ; ^"because it Wcis through his devotion 
 to the work of the Gospel that he very nearly died, hazarding his life 
 in order that by his affectionate zeal he might fulfil that part of 
 your service towards me which you were unable to render in person. 
 
 25. I account it necessary] Here, as in v. 28, we have an 
 epistolary aorist, which must be rendered by the present 
 tense in English. Burton, § 44 ; Winer, p. 347. Cf. 2 Cor. 
 viii. 17, 18. 22, ix. 3. 
 
 Epaphroditus] The name means ' favoured by Aphrodite,' 
 'comely.' There was an incredible tradition that he was 
 
ii. 25,26] EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 6i 
 
 Nero's secretary.* Theodoret hesitatingly makes him an 
 e-n-LaKOTTo^ at PhiUppi. 
 
 one with me in faith] ' The brother ' means ' who is a 
 Christian ' ; i. 14 ; 1 Cor. v. 11 ; Gal. i. 2. 
 
 shares my labours] Or ' my fellow-worker ' ; cf. iv. 3 ; 
 Rom. xvi. 3, 9, 21 ; Philem. i. 24 ; etc. 
 
 shares my conflicts] As a fellow-soldier must do ; awarpa- 
 TatTri<i here and Philem. 2. The three terms are under one 
 article, and perhaps are meant to form a climax ; ' one 
 with me in faith, in work, in warfare. ' The Apostle perhaps 
 feared that the Philippians might be dissatisfied with the 
 way in which Epaphroditus had acted as their representative 
 in Rome. He tells them how devoted he had been, and 
 charges them to give him a hearty welcome. 
 
 you sent to me to serve me in my need] Lit. ' your apostle 
 and minister of my need.' There is strong emphasis on 
 vfxSiv, contrasting what Epaphroditus was to the PhiUppians 
 with what he was to St. Paul. A.V. spoils this by Umiting 
 vfiStv to airoa-roK.ov. MttocttoXoi' koI Xecrovpyov balance 
 (Twepyov Kui arpaTimT'qv. ' Apostle ' does not mean that 
 Epaphroditus held any office in the Church, | but that he was 
 the emissary selected by the Philippians to bring their 
 offerings to the imprisoned Apostle. He was their delegate 
 {legatus, Beza, Bengel), to minister to his wants ; cf. iv. 16 
 and 2 Cor. viii. 3. For Xeirovpy. see on v. 17 ; it was a 
 holy service. 
 
 26. yearning to see] ' To see ' is of somewhat doubtful 
 authority ; the true reading may be ' yearning for all of you,' 
 as in i. 8. The periphrastic imperfect, eirnroOmv rjv, indi- 
 cates the persistent continuance of homesickness. 
 
 * There was a freedman of Octavianus, and another of Nero, 
 of this name. The latter helped Nero to kill himself and was put 
 to death by Domitian . Neither of these can have been the PhUippian 
 who ministered to St. Paul. See Dion. Cass. ii. 11, 13; Tac. Ann. 
 XV. 55 ; Suet. Nero, xlix. ; Domit. xiv. C. H. Hoole, The Classical 
 Element in the N.T. p. 34. 
 
 t Epaphroditus is one of many whom later tradition has placed 
 among the Seventy. Any N.T. name, about which the contrary 
 was not known, might be put on that list. 
 
62 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 27, 28 
 
 deeply distressed] Or, ' sore troubled ' ; the word that is 
 used of the Agony, Mk. xiv. 33 ; Mt. xxvi. 37. If aSrjfiovelv 
 (from a and Brifiot through aStjficov) can mean ' be away 
 from one's people,' " away from home,' the word is very 
 appropriate to a homesick person. 
 
 had been ill] In such cases the English pluperfect best 
 represents the Greek aorist, as in A.V. 
 
 27. For indeed] Kal yap introduces what amounts to 
 an additional reason ; ' he was not only ill, he was at death's 
 door. ' IlapaTr\ri<riov occurs here only in Biblical Greek. 
 
 additional burden] ' His death, on the top of my imprison- 
 ment.' Not, ' on the top of his illness ' (Chrys.). AU this 
 (the Philippians hear of St. Paul's need ; they collect money 
 and send Epaphroditus ; he overworks himself in Rome 
 and falls ill ; the PhiMppians hear of this ; he hears that they 
 are anxious about him ; he recovers) implies a very con- 
 siderable amount of time. This letter cannot have been 
 written early in the Apostle's imprisonment. 
 
 There is no hint that the Apostle used his miraculous 
 powers of heaUng to cure his friend. Such powers were not 
 given him to further his own interests. What is certain is, 
 that, with characteristic unselfishness, he was willing to 
 part with such consoling and useful friends as Timothy and 
 Epaphroditus, in order to help his beloved Philippians. 
 
 28. am sending] With this letter ; epistolary aorist, as 
 in V. 25 ; cf. Eph. vi. 22 ; Col. iv. 8 ; Philem. 11. 
 
 the more eagerly] Festinantius, Vulg. The Apostle's syra- 
 pathy is conspicuous ; with the sickness and homesickness 
 of Epaphroditus, with the Philippians' anxiety about him, 
 and with their joy at seeing him again well. Cf. 2 Cor. xL 
 29. 
 
 regain your joy] The "n-dXiv is amphibolous, but it goes 
 better with xaprire than with 'tSovTe^. The Vulg. is equally 
 uncertain, ut visa eo itervm gaudeatis ; but there also ' again ' 
 goes better with what follows. Beza has eo rursus visa 
 gaudeatis ; so also A.V. and R.V. 
 
 my sorrow lessened] One is tempted to say ' one sorrow 
 the less ' ; but that would be too definite. The additional 
 
ii. 29, 30] EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 63 
 
 sorrow in v. 27 was removed when Epaphroditus recovered. 
 The original sorrow, which still remains his portion, will 
 be lessened by sympathy with the Philippians' joy at having 
 Epaphroditus home again and in good health. 
 
 29. Give him therefore] TipoahexetrOe might mean ' expect 
 him ' ; Mk. xv. 43 ; Lk. ii. 25 ; Tit. ii. 13. But that cannot 
 be the meaning here, for Epaphroditus was the bearer of 
 the letter. Cf. Rom. xvi. 2. 
 
 in the Lord] A truly Christian welcome ; i. 13, ii. 19, 24. 
 
 every form of joy] Cf. i. 20. ' Gladness ' (A.V.) obscures 
 the reiteration in the letter of X"P" (i- 4. 25, ii. 2, iv. i) and 
 Xaipeiv (i. 18, ii. 17, 18, 28, iii. I, iv. i, 4, 10). With 7rao-»j? 
 Xapai; cf. Rom. xv. 13 ; Jas. i. 2. 
 
 hold] Both verbs are present imperative ; ' give an endur- 
 ing welcome ; hold continually in honour. ' 
 
 in great esteem] The compound evrz/to? (Lk. vii. 2, 
 xiv. 8) is specially used of the personal preciousness (i Sam. 
 xxvi. 21 ; Is. xliii. 4) of those who are held in honour, 
 as in classical Greek. Hort on i Pet. ii. 4. 
 
 30. the work] The best MSS. have to epyov without 
 addition; cf. 'the Name,' v. 9, 'the Way,' Acts ix. 2, 
 xix. 9, 23, xxiv. 22 ; " the Work, ' Acts xv. 3S, in a speech 
 of St. Paul. Other MSS. add KvpLov or tow Kvpiov (R.V. 
 margin), or Xpiarov (A.V., R.V.). 
 
 hazarding his life] napa^aXeva-dfievo^, ' having played 
 the gambler ' {7ro/ja/3o\o? = ' venturesome '). Copyists not 
 being famiUar with this verb substituted nrapa^ovXevadfievoi;, 
 and hence ' not regarding his life ' (A.V.). There is nothing 
 to suggest that he was out of health when he started from 
 Philippi, or was overcome by the fatigue of the journey. 
 His health broke down in Rome, in the effort to make up 
 for the absence of other Phihppians. Tradens animam 
 SIMM (Vulg.) is vague. Cf. Regulwm et Scauros animaeque 
 magnae Prodigum Paullum, Hor. Od. I. xii. 37. The Para- 
 bolani at Alexandria were a large guild who risked their 
 lives in visiting the sick and burying the dead during the 
 plague. Deissmaim, Light, p. 84 ; Suicer, II. 565. 
 
 might fulfil] The delicate conciseness of the Greek cannot 
 
64 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [ii. 30 
 
 be reproduced in English. Both A.V., ' to supply your 
 lack of service,' and R.V., ' to supply that which was lacking 
 in your service,' suggest that the Philippians had been re- 
 miss in ministering to the Apostle's needs ; whereas they had 
 been liberal. To hint that his converts had been niggardly 
 in their gifts would be very unlike the Apostle's tactfulness 
 and deHcacy. But the donors had had to send their contri- 
 butions ; they could not come and minister to him in person : 
 and Epaphroditus had nearly killed himself in the struggle 
 fully to make up for their absence. 'AvairXtjpovv is ' to fill 
 up that which is partly empty,' to complete what is incom- 
 plete. See Robertson and Plummer on i Cor. xvi. 17, 
 where the same phrase occurs. As in v. 17, Vulg. has 
 obsequiimt for Xenovp'^ia. Self-sacrificing service is implied. 
 Weinel says of this passage (25-30), " The man who can 
 write such words from his heart wins the affections of his 
 fellows. It is scarcely possible to write with greater con- 
 sideration or tenderness. There are no parallels in all 
 epistolary literature to the passages in which Paul speaks 
 of his friends and fellow-labourers to his converts ' ' [St. Paul, 
 the Man and Ms Work, p. 376). 
 
 iii. I. Renewed Exhortation to Rejoice. 
 
 'Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same 
 things to you, to me indeed is not grievous ; but for you it is safe. 
 
 Either in the middle of this verse, or at the end of it, 
 there is a sudden break. The exact position of the break 
 depends upon the interpretation of the second half of the 
 verse. If it refers to what is coming, the break is in the 
 middle of the verse. If it refers to what has akeady been 
 said, the break is at the end. 
 
 * For the rest, my Brethren, I charge you to rejoice as all Christians 
 should. Forgive me if I repeat myself. To be writing the same 
 things to you is not at all irksome to me, and it may save you from 
 mistake. 
 
 1. For the rest] ' As to what remains to be said. ' This 
 division of the letter, like 2 Thess. iii. i, opens with to XotTroK, 
 
iii. 1] EXPLANATORY AND PERSONAL 65 
 
 which seems to imply that the writer is thinking of bringing 
 his letter to a conclusion. Aolttov (i Thess. iv. i ; i Cor. 
 I. 16 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 11) is perhaps more colloquial. A.V. 
 and R. V. have ' Finally ' for both, and Vulg. nearly always 
 has de cetera, which is better. In i Cor. i. 16 the expression 
 is too remote from the conclusion for ' Finally, ' and there 
 A.V. and R.V. have ' besides. ' Here the Apostle at once 
 Egresses, and to Xoittov is repeated iv. 8. 
 
 my Brethren] St. Paul does not often add fiov to aSe\</)oi. 
 In Rom., I Cor., and Phil, twice each. St. James has it 
 very often. 
 
 rejoice] Xaipere may mean either ' rejoice ' or ' farewell,' 
 and some think that here both meanings are intended. Cf . 
 ii. 18, iv. 4. As so often (see on i. 14, ii. 10, 24 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 
 11) everj^hing is 'in the Lord,' the Christian's natural 
 environment ; one in which, as Chrysostom remarks, 
 even afflictions have joy. He connects this clause closely 
 with what precedes ; ' You have no reason to be out of 
 heart ; you have Epaphroditus ; you shall have Timothy ; 
 I am coming also. What do you need more? Rejoice.' 
 The connexion is doubtful. 
 
 the same things] These are the crucial words ; what is 
 meant by ra avrd ? Various answers are possible. The 
 same (i) as I have said by word of mouth ; (2) as I have 
 told Epaphroditus to say to you ; (3) as I have said in a 
 former letter ; (4) as I say in this letter. Neither (i) nor 
 (2) seems to be very probable. Beet, Vincent and Zahn 
 adopt (3) ; but, as Theodore, Theodoret, and Pelagius 
 remark, we do not even know {ovBe/iodev ifiddofiev) that 
 there had been an earlier letter, although it is quite possible 
 that there had been one or more. Assuming (4) to be right, 
 what subjects are repeated in this letter ? There are two 
 dominant notes, the duty of rejoicing and the duty of 
 imity. As the former has just been enjoined (xatpere), this 
 may be the topic for the repetition of which the Apostle 
 apologizes. If it be asked, what peril was there in not 
 rejoicing, we may reply that gloom is a dangerous temper, 
 and that the Philippians had still to learn the importance 
 
66 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. i 
 
 of Christian joy. If we look at what follows (iii. 2-iv. i) they 
 ara warned against two errors, tiie acceptance of either of 
 which would be fatal to their wnity ; and this therefore 
 may be the meaning of " the same things, ' and hence the 
 curious digression.* Certainty is not attainable. 
 
 Meyer, Lightfoot, Beet, and M. Jones, with Conybeare 
 and Howson, place the break in the middle of the verse ; 
 W.H., Moffatt, and Lueken place it at the end of it. R.V. 
 has no break. EUicott thinks that " this exhortation not 
 unnaturally follows." Vaughan sees " entire coherence and 
 beautiful harmony." 
 
 irksome] ' Causing delay ' is a common meaning of 
 oKVYipoi;, and hence ' sluggish, ' " reluctant ' ; Rom. xii. ii ; 
 Mt. XXV. 26 ; and often in Proverbs. Here it means ' caus- 
 ing reluctance. ' Even if it were irksome to him, the safety 
 of so many would outweigh this.f 
 
 save you from mistake] Repetition prevents misunder- 
 standing. Vulg. has the inexact necessarium, which may 
 be an echo of i. 24. 
 
 iii. 2-iv. 9. WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 
 
 There are two Warnings, one against Judaism (iii. 2-11), 
 and one against Antinomianism (iii. 12-21). The Exhorta- 
 tions are to Unity (iv. 2, 3), to Joy (iv. 4-7), and to the 
 Practice of what is Noblest and Best (iv. 8, 9). 
 
 iii. 2-11. Warning against Judaism. 
 
 ' Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers : beware of the Conci- 
 sion. ' For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, 
 
 * On the whole this seems to be the best explanation. The 
 Judaizers were a ceaseless horror. They were an actual or a possible 
 trouble wherever the Apostle worked. In his previous visits he 
 may often have warned the Philippians against them. 
 
 ■f The words are a rough iambic trimeter, such as is common in 
 Greek Comedy, and may possibly be a quotation. For other in- 
 stances of possible quotations cf . i Cor. xv. 33 ; Tit. i. 12. The 
 hexameter in Jas. i. 17 is probably afcidental. 
 
iu. 2] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 67 
 
 and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 
 * Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other 
 man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I 
 more : ' Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the 
 tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as touching the law, 
 a Phajisee : • Concerning zeal, persecuting the Church ; touching 
 the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. " But what thiugs 
 were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. s Yea doubtless, 
 and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of 
 Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all 
 things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, * And 
 be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the 
 law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness 
 which is of God by faith : '" That I may know him, and the power of 
 his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made 
 conformable unto his death, '^ If by any means I might attain unto 
 the resurrection of the dead. 
 
 The abrupt change of tone is no suificient reason for 
 thinking that we have here a portion of a different letter. 
 Very possibly the Apostle was interrupted at this point by 
 " some new exasperating experience " (JiiHcher), and when 
 he resumed, a different subject was in his mind. " Many 
 passages of his Epistles are like the sudden eruption of a 
 volcano " (Von Soden, Early Christian Literature, p. 23). 
 See also Hort, Judaistic Christianity, p. 114, and cf. 2 Cor. 
 xi. 13-15 ; 1 Thess. iii. 14-16. 
 
 ^ Be on your guard about the unclean dogs, on your guard about 
 the wicked workers, on your guard about the self-mutilation. * I 
 call it mutilation, for we Christians are the true circumcision ; we 
 who by the Spirit of God, and not with the traditions of men, offer 
 the true worship ; we who have our boast in Christ Jesus, and put 
 no confidence in the external privileges of race and habitation. 
 * I say this, not as depreciating what I do not possess. I say it, 
 although I myself can have confidence even in these privileges, 
 if I care to do so. If any other man thinks that he can place confi- 
 dence in Jewish privileges, I can do so more securely. ^ I was cir- 
 cumcised the eighth day after birth ; I am descended from the 
 original stock of Israel, not grafted into it ; I know to which tribe I 
 belong, the renowned tribe of Benjamin : I am the Hebrew son of 
 Hebrew parents. To these inherited distinctions I added others by my 
 own choice. As regards the law, I joined the strict sect of Pharisees ; 
 ■ as regards zeal for the national faith, I persecuted the Christian 
 
68 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. 2 
 
 Church ; as regards such righteousness as consists in mere observance 
 of the law, I showed myself blameless. '' But such things as used to 
 be in my eyes items of gain, these, in order to win Christ, I have set 
 down as just so much loss. ^ Nay, moreover, I even continue to set 
 down, not merely these things, but all things, as so much loss, when 
 compared with the supreme value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 
 To win Him I suffered the loss of everything, one and all, and I now 
 set them down as utter refuse, in order that I may gain Christ,^ and be 
 found at the great Day to be a member of His body, not having any 
 righteousness of my own such as comes from the law, but such as 
 comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from 
 God on condition of this faith, ^<' that I may know and appropriate 
 Christ. This implies knowing the power of His resurrection and 
 having fellowship in His sufferings, with my nature conformed to 
 His death, '^ if so be that I may attain, as He did, to the rising again, 
 the rising again from the dead. 
 
 2. Be on your guard] Cf. our colloquial, ' Just look at,' 
 ' keep your eye on. ' The /SXeTrexe occurs thrice. It 
 precedes each of the opprobrious designations of these 
 disturbers of the Church's peace ; and each of the designa- 
 tions has the article, showing that some notorious mischief- 
 makers are here condemned. But the three designations 
 are of one and the same class, whether Jews or (more pro- 
 bably) Judaizing Christians. There were such people 
 among professing Christians ; but the tone of the Thanks- 
 giving (i. 3-11) forbids us to suppose that there were such 
 in the Philippian Church. St. Paul was probably sufEering 
 from them in Rome, and was anticipating their appearance 
 at Phihppi. We must take into account the moods of an 
 imprisoned, highly sensitive, and often soUtary man 
 (Jiihcher). 
 
 the unclean dogs] A.V. omits the article ; it is a particular 
 class of ■ dogs ' that is censured. Theodore, hke Horace 
 (obscenaeque canes), and Dr. Pusey, condemns dogs for their 
 avaiaxvvTia : Ambrosiaster and Pelagius for their bark. 
 Dollinger said that dogs are the only animals that make a 
 noise for the sake of making it. But it may be doubted 
 whether St. Paul is here thinking of either shamelessness 
 or barking. Dogs are unclean animals to Orientals, and 
 the scavenger dogs in Eastern cities are generally diseased. 
 
iii. 2, 3] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 69 
 
 Hence ' dog ' was a common word of reproach. Chrysostom 
 remarks that ' dogs ' was a common name for Gentiles ; 
 these Judaizers are as offensive as heathen. 
 
 the wicked workers] Active in mischief, especially in the 
 work of making converts, ' adulterating the word of God.* 
 See on 2 Cor. ii. 17, xi. 13. Theodoret thinks that * workers ' 
 must refer to conduct rather than to doctrine. 
 
 self-mutilation] As a reUgious rite their circumcision 
 was as worthless as the gashings of the prophets of Baal, 
 about which the cognate verb KUTeTifj-povro is used i Kings 
 xviii. 25. Cf. Gal. v. 12 ; Lev. xxi. 5. For the play on 
 words, of which St. Paul is fond (/caraTo/iT;, TrepiTOfiij), see 
 on i. 25. Chrysostom and Theodoret suggest that these 
 Judaizers tried to mutilate the Church, and hence the 
 expression. But that is not the Apostle's meaning. 
 Horace is nearer the truth with his contemptuous curti 
 Judaei. Sat. I. ix. 70. See Suicer, II. 66, 67.* 
 
 3. I call it mutilation] This is impUed in the yap, aAd the 
 ij)«.ets which precedes yap is very emphatic. Cf. Stephen's 
 speech Acts vii. 51, which St. Paul heard ; also Rom. ii. 25 f. 
 and Ezek xUv. 7. 
 
 we Christians] Not ' we missionaries,' as some interpret 
 Vfj^eii}. The Jews prided themselves on their rite of circum- 
 cision and called the nncircumcised Gentiles ' dogs ' ; it is 
 Jews who are * the dogs,' and the true circumcision has 
 passed to the Gentiles. 
 
 the true circumcision] Col. ii. 11 ; Deut. x. 16, xxx. 6 ; 
 Jer. iv. 4. 
 
 by the Spirit of God] This is the better reading {0fov), 
 rather than ' offer worship to God ' {&ew), which is less 
 strongly attested and throws a somewhat pointless emphasis 
 on to ' God.' Christians worship God who is spirit with the 
 help of His Spirit. "The Spirit, in this usage of Paul, 
 is not to be regarded as equivalent to the mere influence 
 of God. It includes an ontological as well as an ethical 
 
 * Wiclif gives the word a curious turn, rendering it " division ' 
 so also Tindale and Cranmer with ' dissension.' 
 
70 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. 3, 4 
 
 element " (Moffat, Paul and Paulinism, p. 38). See Burton, 
 Spirit, Soul, and Flesh, pp. 193-198, 201. 
 
 the true worship] The genuine service of spiritual devotion. 
 Aarpeia and \arpeva, originally used of hired service, came 
 to be technical terms for religious worship, a ministry of 
 volimtary surrender. See Westcott on Heb. ix. 4, x. 2, 
 and Swete on Rev. vii. 15. 
 
 have our boast] Cf. i. 26, ii. 16 (where, as here, A.V. 
 wrongly has 'rejoice'). The expression is Pauline; over 
 fifty times, and elsewhere rare. See Robertson and Plummer 
 on I Cor. i. 31. 
 
 external privileges] Although iv aapKi applies primarily 
 to circumcision and ceremonial observances, yet it covers 
 physical origin, heredity and nationality as well. Cf. 
 
 'IcrparfK KaTO. aapKa I Cor. X. l8. See on i. 25 for ireTTOida 
 and note ovk, not m, of a plain matter of fact. Winer, 
 p. 609 ; Moulton, Proleg. p. 231. 
 
 4. although I myself] The iyeo is emphatic ; it is no 
 longer ' we.' The PhiUppians, being Gentiles, could not 
 claim the external privileges which aU Jews possessed, 
 whereas the Apostle could claim them to the full ; 2 Cor. 
 xi. 18-22 ; Rom. xi. i ; Acts xxiii. 3. Just as the exhorta- 
 tion to humility was enforced by the example of Christ 
 (ii. 5-8), so the warning against Judaism is enforced by the 
 experiences of His Apostle. ' Might have ' (A.V., R.V.) 
 is incorrect ; he did have. 
 
 even in these very privileges] ' Even ' (R.V.) seems to 
 be the meaning of Kai. But it may mean ' also ' (A.V.), in 
 these externals as well as in the privileges which belong to 
 Christians. In either case it imphes that they are hardly 
 worth mentioning. 
 
 if any other man] Some of the Judaizers would do so. 
 
 thinks] Cf. i Cor. iii. 18, viii. 2, x. 12 : not ' seems ' ; cf. 
 2 Cor. X. 9 ; Gal. ii. 9. Vulg. has videtur. ' Thinks ' is 
 ironical. 
 
 I more securely] ' I have a stronger reason for such confi- 
 dence.' What follows is in substance very similar to 2 Cor. 
 xi. 22-28 ; but in expression the two differ considerably. 
 
ui. 5] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 71 
 
 In both we have a precious fragment of autobiography, 
 drawn from him, like Newman's Apologia, by hostile criti- 
 cism. The rejoinder in 2 Cor. is more vehement and 
 rhetorical in form. Here he states the points of com- 
 parison more calmly. 
 
 5. on the eighth day] Lit. ' For circumcision eight days 
 old ' ; cf. TeTapralo<!, Jn. xi. 39. This alone proved that 
 he was a Jew by birth (Gen. xvii. 12 ; Lev. xii. 3). Ishmael- 
 ites, hke Ishmael (Gen. xvii. 25), were not circumcised 
 till they were thirteen years old. Proselytes might be any 
 age at the time of their circumcision. See Conybeare and 
 Howson, ch. II. 
 
 Israel] The name implies the covenant with God ; it is 
 the reUgious name of the nation. See on 2 Cor. xi. 22. 
 IshmaeUtes claimed descent from Abraham, Edomites 
 from Abraham and Isaac, Israelites from Abraham, Isaac, 
 and Israel, the ' prince and wrestler with God.' For 
 iic cf. Jn. iii. I, 6, 31 ; Col. iv. 11. 
 
 tribe of Benjamin] Owing to the confusion caused by the 
 Captivity, by no means every Jew knew to what tribe he 
 belonged. The tribe of Benjamin was renowned as having 
 within its borders the Holy City, as having supplied Israel 
 with the first king, and as being the only tribe which re- 
 mained faithful to Judah after the disruption of the king- 
 dom. Cf. Ezra iv. i. 
 
 Hebrew son] Lit. ' a Hebrew sprung from Hebrews.' 
 There was no heathen blood in him. Both his parents 
 were pure Jews. Though Hving out of Palestine they used 
 the Hebrew Scriptures and spoke Aramaic (Chrysostom, 
 Oecumenius, Theophylact) . This late meaning of ' Hebrew, ' 
 as specially referring to language, seems to prevail in N.T. 
 See Trench, § xxxix. ; Hastings, DB. II. p. 326, DAC. I. 
 P- 533- The names seem to be in a descending cUmax, 
 ' Israel ' denoting the highest, and Hebrew the lowest, 
 of the distinctions. 
 
 The verse should have ended here. We now come to 
 distinctions which depended upon St. Paul's own will and 
 judgment. Here the climax, if there is one, ascends. Phari- 
 
72 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. 6, 7 
 
 saism might be conventional ; persecution might be mere 
 ferocity ; punctilious fulfilment of the Law was at any rate 
 real. 
 
 As regards the law] Nofiov has no article, but evidently the 
 Jewish Law is meant. He took the Pharisees' view of it. 
 His father was a Pharisee (Acts xxiii. 6, xxvi. 5). But 
 ' son of ' may mean ' disciple of.' 
 
 6. Zeal for the national faith] Gal. i. 14 ; Acts xxi. 20, xxii. 
 3-5 ; I Mace. ii. 58. 
 
 I persecuted] This had become a great shame to him, le 
 sujet d'ime doulcyureuse humiliation. II s'en afflige comme 
 s'il avail persecute le Seigneur lui-meme (Sabatier). But 
 he sarcastically states it here as being, in the eyes of many 
 Jews, a glorious distinction. Gal. i. 13 ; i Tim. i. 13. 
 He had persecuted, as the Jews are now persecuting him ; 
 and in each case the persecution was conscientious. 
 
 observance of the law] Again I'o^os has no article, 
 although Jewish Law is meant. A.V. renders Kara in 
 three different ways, ' as touching,' ' concerning,' ' touch- 
 ing.' In the third clause it ignores '^ev6ix.evo<s. 
 
 showed myself] " Came to be,' " proved myself.' 
 
 blameless] Minute duties were scrupulously performed, 
 and no Pharisee, however strict, could have blamed him for 
 laxity. As regards justitia externa literalis he was communi 
 hominum existimatione faultless (Calvin). Cf. the rich yoimg 
 man, Mt. xix. 20 ; Mk. x. 20. 
 
 7. such things] ' AU that were of such a character as to 
 be gains ' ; aJtva rjv icephrj . See on h. 20 and cf . Gal. 
 iv. 24. For 'these' (toSto) A.V. has "those.' 
 
 in order to win Christ] ' For Christ ' (A.V., R.V.) is too 
 vague. 
 
 have set down] Abiding result of past action. 
 
 so much loss] On the credit side are entries which make 
 a show of value ; when properly estimated, they are not 
 only worthless, they represent a dead loss. The change 
 from plural {ickphvi) to singular {i,i)idav) marks the difference 
 between items and net result. See on iv. 14. 
 
 The Apostle again repeats himself, as in ii. 2. The repeti- 
 
iii. 8] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 73 
 
 tion of the same words must be preserved in English ; 
 KipSrj, iKepS^aco — ijyTj/Mai, '^ryov/iai, -^yovfiat — ^rjiiuiv, ^7f/j,iav, 
 i^tjfiicodijv — irdvTa, to "rravTa — Xpiarov, Xpuvrov, Xpiarov. 
 The repetition is the effect of eagerness and earnestness. 
 
 8. Nay,, moreover, I even] We have an accumulation of 
 particles, dXKa fiev oiv ye Kal, or dXKd fiev oZv with or 
 without KuL (readings vary), the combined force of which 
 seems to be to reinforce the previous statement. Winer, 
 p. 552 ; Blass, § 77, 13, 14. He not only ' has set down these 
 things ' just mentioned, but ' he continues to set down 
 all things,' as a minus quality, as just so much loss. 
 
 when compared with] We have Sta with the accusative 
 thrice in vv. 7, 8. It is possible that in all three cases it 
 means 'for the sake of,' 'in order to win.' But in this 
 second case it seems to mean ' by reason of,' ' in considera- 
 tion of,' which here is equivalent to ' in comparison with ' ; 
 rfi vapadeaei t&v Kpeirrovtov (Theodoret). 
 
 the supreme value] 'The surpassingness.' For the 
 neuter participle with the article followed by a genitive 
 cf. Rom. ii. 4 ; Lk. ii. 27. A. T. Robertson, Gr. pp. 767, 
 1109; Blass, § 47, I. Vulg. has a weak adjective; propter 
 eminentem scientiam. Better Beza ; propter eminentiam 
 ■cognitionis. 
 
 Christ Jesus my Lord] With emphatic fullness at the end 
 of the sentence. It indicates his own experience of the 
 Jesus who as Christ was crucified and of the Lord who had 
 appeared to him and in whom he had lived for years. See 
 Hort on i Pet. i. 3. 
 
 I suffered the loss] At his conversion he was willing 
 to have everything confiscated (2 Cor. vii. 9 ; Lk. ix. 25) 
 without exception. Ta iravra is stronger than the preceding 
 irdvTa. Cf. V. 21 ; Eph. i. 10, II, iv. 15 ; also oi iravret, ii. 
 21.* 
 
 utter refuse] ' Dogsmeat,' or ' dung.' The derivation 
 of vKv^aXov is uncertain. It is used of what is thrown away 
 as worthless or abominable, especially the refuse from a meal, 
 
 * Farrar suggests that his conversion may have involved the loss 
 of all his means'of living. 
 
 G 
 
74 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. 9, lo 
 
 or excrement. Cf. the savourless salt, not fit even for the 
 dunghill, Lk. xiv. 35, and wepcKaddpiiara, 1 Cor. iv. 13 ; 
 also a-KVpaXa avdpmnrov iv Xoyia-fim avTov, Ecclus. xxvli. 14. 
 
 gain Christ] So R.V., rather than 'win Christ,' as A.V. 
 We must keep to the commercial metaphor of balancing 
 accounts. Gain Christ now in the life. 
 
 g. may be found] On ' the Day of Jesus Christ ' (i. 6, 10, 
 ii. 16), when the great testing takes place : it is not a recogni- 
 tion by other Christians that is meant. ' Found ' in this 
 context suggests the outcome of a trial ; cf . ii. 8 and 2 Cor. 
 
 V. 3- 
 
 a member of] Lit. ' in Him.' 
 
 of my own] The adjectival pronouns (e/io?, etc.) are 
 not used in N.T., xmless emphatic, as here. Contrast vfi&v, 
 i. 19, 25, ii. 30. Simcox, LangiMge of N.T. pp. 54 f. 
 
 from the law] From scrupulous observance of all its regu- 
 lations. As in vv. 6, 7 the Mosaic Law is meant. The 
 clauses form a chiasmus, ' through faith ' balandng ' from 
 the law,' and ' righteousness from God ' balancing ' righte- 
 ousness of my own.' Chiasmus is frequent in Paxil ; i Cor. 
 iii. 17, iv. 10, viii. 13, xiii. 2 ; 2 Cor. iv. 3, vi. 8, ix. 6. x. 12, 
 etc. 
 
 righteousness from God] See Thackeray, St. Paul and 
 Jewish Thought, pp. 85, 89. 
 
 this faith] The faith just mentioned, t^ iri(rret. 
 
 10. know and appropriate] Or, 'get to know and appreciate,' 
 rov yv&vai, which in construction depends on tvo iceph^aw. 
 Cf. Rom. vi. 6. A process is implied in ytvwa-Kw, and the 
 knowledge is experimental and practical. The constr. 
 Tov with the infinitive is very frequent in Paul and Luke. 
 
 This implies] It is convenient to make a break in the long 
 Greek sentence. 
 
 the power] AU that His resurrection impUes and effects, 
 especially our rising from sin to a new life here, and our rising 
 to eternal life hereafter. " It reversed every doom of every 
 kind of death, and thus annulled the hopelessness which 
 must settle down on every one who thinks out seriously 
 what is involved in the universal empire of death. It was 
 
Ui. 10, II] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 75 
 
 by the faith in the Resurrection that mankind was enabled 
 to renew its youth " (Hort on i Pet. i. 4). Even more than 
 that ; " It was the guarantee of man's final attainment of 
 fullness of life " (Anon.). ' The power which raised Hini ' 
 is not the meaning. 
 
 fellowship in His sufferings] Closely coupled with ' the 
 power of His resurrection ' ; the two terms have only 
 one article. St. Paul is giving his own spiritual experiences, 
 and hence the order of the clauses. Christ's sufferings 
 preceded His resurrection ; but St. Paul recognized the risen 
 Christ before he participated in His sufferings. ' I will show 
 him how many things he must suffer for My Name's sake,' 
 Acts ix. 16. The fellowship includes the internal conflict 
 with temptation as weU as the external conflict with 
 persecutors. See on 2 Cor. i. 5, iv. 10 ; and for Koivmvia on 
 ii. I. 
 
 St. Paul's getting to know that Jesus Christ had risen 
 influenced the whole of his subsequent life ; Sanday and 
 Headlam on Rom. viii. 11, 34 ; Pfleiderer, Paulinism, pp. 169, 
 192. " Paul's religion was not an artificial creation but an 
 affair of real life . . . under the inspirations furnished by his 
 own immediate experience ' ' (Case, The Evolution of Christi- 
 anity, p. 354). Gwynn compares the second part of the 
 Exhortation in the Visitation of the Sick. 
 
 my nature conformed to] Transformed so as to share it. 
 With avfifiOpiju^ofievof here cf. avfi.p6p^ov<!, Rom. viii. 29, 
 and /ierafiop(l)ov/ie6a, 2 Cor. iii. 18 ; Rom. xii. 2 ; also the 
 sense, otherwise worded, of Rom. vi. 5 ; 2 Cor. iv. 10. See 
 Lightfoot, p. 130. 
 
 to His death] By the prospect of martyrdom. St. Paul 
 " here implies his expectation of death, to be followed by 
 resurrection ; not of survival till the Lord's Return " 
 (Moule). 
 
 II. if so be that I may attain] He states the matter 
 doubtfully, in humble admission of his own frailty and 
 unworthiness. For eiirox; cf. Rom. i. 10, xi. 14 ; Acts xxvii. 
 12 i Moulton, Proleg. pp. 187, 195 ■; Burton, Moods and 
 Tenses, § 276 ; Blass, § 65, 6. Karavrdv is specially used of 
 
76 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. ii 
 
 reaching a destination. With the aorist subjunct. here cf. 
 KaToXa^to, V. 12 ; and see M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 183. 
 
 the rising again] The double compound i^avdaraai^ 
 occurs nowhere in LXX and nowhere else in N.T., and in 
 translation the difference from avdaraai^ should be marked, 
 although there is no difference in meaning. In late Greek, 
 compoimds become very frequent. Bengel refines too much 
 when he suggests that dvaaraaiv refers to Christ and 
 i^avdaraai^ to Christians. M. and M., p. 221. 
 
 from the dead] Throughout his Epistles, St. Paul has in his 
 nund ' those who are in the way of salvation ' {oi a-m^fievoi,) 
 far more often than ' those who are on the way to perdition ' 
 {oi airoXXv/jievoi). He has the former in mind here ; and 
 possibly for that reason says ' from the dead ' rather than 
 ' of the dead.' They are freed once and for ever from the 
 category of ' the dead.' The theory of two resurrections, 
 one of the righteous and another of the remainder, is to be 
 regarded with great caution. In i Thess. iv. 16 ' rise first ' 
 means ' rise at once,' before the Christians who are alive 
 are caught up into the air. See Swete's fuU note on Rev. 
 XX. 5. 
 
 iii. 12-21. Warning against Antinomlanism. 
 
 The drift of the Whole section is clear. Freedom from 
 Judaism, which relies so much on external conformity 
 to law, implies no encouragement to laxity of life. The 
 details are less clear. Laxity of life seems to be contem- 
 plated under two forms, the delusion that perfection has 
 been already attained (12-16), and the delusion that Chris- 
 tian liberty involves the abohtion of all moral restraints 
 (17-21). In both cases, as in the preceding section (2-11), 
 the Apostle points to his own spiritiial experiences, and the 
 connexion between v. 11 and v. 12 is close. 
 
 12-16. None of us is really perfect. 
 
 " Not as though I had already attained, either were aJready per- 
 fect : but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which 
 also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. "Brethren, I count not 
 myself to have apprehended : but this one thing / do, forgetting 
 
iii. 12] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 77 
 
 those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things 
 which are before, '• I press toward the mark, for the prize of the 
 high calling of God in Christ Jesus. »* Let us, therefore, as many 
 as be perfect, be thus minded : and if in any thing ye be otherwise 
 minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. ^' Nevertheless, where- 
 unto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us 
 mind the same thing. 
 
 It is worth while to show the close connexion between the 
 end of the first Warning and the beginning of the second. 
 
 12 Mark my ' if so be.' I do not mean that by my conversion 
 I did already reach the goal, nor do I claim, as some do, that I am 
 already made perfect. Not so. I am pressing forward in the race 
 to see if I may really grasp the prize, encouraged to do this because 
 I was really grasped by Christ. ^^ Brethren, whatever others may 
 think about themselves, I for one do not account myself to have grasped 
 the prize. My one rule of conduct is this. Forgetting both the 
 failures and the successes which lie behind me, and straining after 
 what still lies in front, ^* I am pressing forward towards the goal, 
 to win the prize, which is no less than God's invitation in Christ Jesus 
 to enter into the joys of heaven. ^ Let those of us therefore who 
 may consider that they are already perfect in the Christian life be thus 
 minded as regards the need for strenuous effort. Hold that principle 
 fast, and then, if in any particular you are differently minded from 
 me, this also God will reveal to you as He has to me. ^^ Only, 
 whatever truth we have reached, by the same we must direct our 
 steps. 
 
 12. I do not mean] See on iv. 11. 
 
 already made perfect] This wotild not happen till his Ufe 
 on earth was completed. See Westcott on Heb. xii. 23. 
 
 I did already reach] The aorist eKa^ov may indicate 
 a definite point of time in the past ; and if so, his conversion, 
 which he has just described [vv. 7 f.), is probably meant. 
 The aorist may also refer to his life regarded as a whole ; 
 ' I do not mean that I have reached the goal.' There are 
 cases in which it is the Greek idiom to use the aorist where 
 we in English use the perfect ; and then to translate the 
 Greek aorist by the Enghsh aorist is misleading. Here, 
 as in Jn. viii. 29, the interpretation is doubtful, and therefore 
 the rendering is doubtful. In Jn. xiii. 13, 34, xv. 9, 12, 
 we must have the perfect in Enghsh. 
 
78 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iu. 12, 13 
 
 A.V. has ' attain ' for both Karavri^erm and eKa^ov. 
 
 I am pressing forward . . . really grasp] Lit. ' I pursue . . . 
 catch. ' For Stw/co) see on i Thess. v. 15. Of the alternative 
 renderings, ' press forward ' and ' pursue ' or ' follow after ' 
 (Rom. ix. 30, xii. 13), either makes good sense here r, but 
 ' press forward ' is necessary in v. 14 and therefore better 
 here. Strenuous effort is implied. For KaTaXafi^dvm see 
 Cor. ix. 24 ; for el with the subjimctive, v. 11 ; i Cor. xiv. 
 5 .; Blass, § 65, 6 ; A. T. Robertson, Gr. pp. 934, 1017, 1044. 
 The play on words between eXafiov and KaraXd^io might be 
 reproduced with ' take ' and ' take hold.' The former 
 impUes receiving a gift, the latter grasping a prize. 
 
 because] 'E<})' w is often ambiguous. Here, as in 2 Cor. 
 V. 4, ' because ' seems to be preferable to ' wherefore.' We 
 might render ' that for which ' (A.V.), viz. his future salva- 
 tion V but ' because ' is better. 
 
 grasped by Christ] As a prize, on the way to Damascus. 
 Everywhere he regards his conversion as a sudden and 
 supernatural thing : he was not gradually led from Judaism 
 to Christianity. Knowhng, Testimony of St. Paul to Christ, 
 pp. 188 f . 
 
 13. Brethren] The address introduces an important 
 statement ; here to correct a possible misapprehension ; cf. 
 I Thess. v. 25 ; Rom. x. i ; Gal. iii. 15, vi. i. In such cases 
 dSeXipoi stands first in the sentence. 
 
 I for one] The emphatic position of iya> efiavrov rather 
 impUes that there are some people who have a different 
 opinion respecting themselves, or (less probably) a different 
 opinion respecting him. Cf. Jn. v. 30, 31, vii. 17, etc. 
 He is thinking of the Antinomians of vv. 18, 19. 
 
 do not account] The commercial metaphor again, as in 
 vv. 7, 8, iv. 8. Aoyi^ofiai is exceedingly frequent in Paul, 
 especially in Rom. and 2 Cor. A.V. has ' count ' for both 
 ^ryovfiai and Xoyl^onai. 
 
 My one rule] There are various ways of expanding the 
 eUiptical ^fBi. If ev is accusative, 'But one thing I 
 reckon,' or ' I do,' or ' I can say.' Such elhpses are not 
 rare in the Epistles. A. T. Robertson, Gr. p. 391. 
 
iii. 14, 15] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 79 
 
 Forgetting, etc.] ' I let the dead past bury its own dead.' 
 He is neither despondent because of falls nor presumptuous 
 because of advances. 'Remember Lot's wife.' See Lk. 
 ix. 62 ; Mk. xiii. 16 ; Jn. vi. 66. 
 
 Straining after] As in a footrace, which is one of St. Paul's 
 favourite metaphors. Double prepositional compounds 
 like direKTeivofj.evo'i here and cnreKSexofieda, v. 20, become 
 very common in late Greek. A. T. Robertson, Gr. p. 165. 
 Although he owes all to God, yet he is responsible for the 
 use which he makes of Divine grace. Footrace (ii. 16) is 
 more probable than chariot- race (Farrar). 
 
 14. the goal] Or ' the mark ' {o-kottov), that on which one 
 fixes one's gaze ; in shooting, the target (Job xvi. 13 ; Lam. 
 iii. 12), in racing, the goal. The runner fwsues it, as some- 
 thing to come down on or overtake, Kara o-kottov SitoKei. 
 
 to win the prize] Lit. ' unto the prize,' which is awaiting 
 the winner at the goal. Cf. i Cor. ix. 24, 25. The deriva- 
 tion of ^pa^eioD is unknown ; it occurs Clem. Rom. Cor. 
 V. 5, and is frequent in pap37rL 
 
 God's invitation . , . heaven] Lit. ' the upward calling 
 of God.' KXriai<i is used of invitations to a banquet, and in 
 N.T. often of the Divine invitation to enter the Kingdom ; 
 Rom. xi. 29. This Divine invitation is perpetual, and it is 
 dveo in its action and in its result. Cf . Rom. viii. 30 ; i Cor. 
 i. 26, vii. 20 ; Heb. iii. i ; Pet. i. 12. Chrysostom 
 says that athletes are not crowned in the race-course 
 below ; the king calls them tip and there crowns them. 
 He takes ' in Christ Jesus ' with ' am pressing forward ' ; 
 but see i Cor. vii. 22 ; i Pet. v. 10 ; Clem. Rom. Cor. xlvi. 6. 
 
 15. perfect] Probably there is irony in the Apostle's 
 placing himself, hypothetically, among such people, as in 
 I Cor. viii. i. Some Corinthians had claimed special 
 knowledge, and some among the Philippians had claimed 
 to be 'perfect.' "Christian perfection really consists 
 only in this constant striving for perfection " (B. Weiss). 
 See also Gregory of Nyssa, adv. Eunomiwm, VIII. 5, sub -fin., 
 and Pfieiderer, PauUnism, I. p. 225. 
 
 are differently minded] With regard to the question 
 
8o COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iii. 15, 16 
 
 of perfection and the duty of pressing forward. 'ErepoK 
 occurs nowhere else in N.T. It probably suggests erroneous, 
 but not heretical teaching. See on 2 Cor. xi. 4. 
 
 this also] viz. " that in which you are differently minded.' 
 ' Even this ' (A.V., R.V.) is less suitable. Calvin remarks 
 that nemo ita loqui jure posset, nisi cm certa constat suue 
 doctrinae ratio. Cf. Eph. iii. 3. 
 
 will reveal to you] Emphasis on ' you.' ' God has granted 
 a revelation to correct my erroneous convictions ; if neces- 
 sary. He will do the Hke for you.' 
 
 16. Only] The verse is elliptical and somewhat obscure. 
 The Greek gives ' Only whereunto we reached, in the same 
 to walk.' The infinitive is a strong imperative, as in Rom. 
 xii. 15 and Titus ii. 2-10. This imperatival infinitive was 
 often used in laws and maxims, and it is found in papyri. 
 Perhaps ' we must ' or ' we are bound to ' is to be under- 
 stood. Burton, § 364 ; Moulton, Proleg. p. 179. What is it 
 that ' we reached ' ? Probably the principle that we must 
 never cease striving to make advance ; our present position 
 must be only a means to further progress, step by step : 
 travaillons sans reldche, et ne crayons jamais que c'est assez. 
 Cf. Rom. iv. 12. 
 
 The insertion of ' rule ' with ' the same ' and the addition 
 of ' mind the same thing ' are interpolations from Gal. 
 vi. 16 and from Phil. ii. 4 respectively. 
 
 17-21. No one has licence to sin. 
 
 •7 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which 
 walk so as ye have us for an ensample. '* (For many walk, of whom 
 I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are 
 the enemies of the cross of Christ : 1' Whose end is destruction, 
 whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind 
 earthly things.) *" For our conversation is in heaven, from whence 
 also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ : "Who shall 
 change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious 
 body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue 
 all things unto himself. 
 
 Once more the Apostle appeals to experience. The 
 Phihppians know his manner of Ufe and that of his fellow 
 
iii. 17] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 81 
 
 missionaries. Has their conduct ever given any encourage- 
 ment to moral laxity? 
 
 " Be united, one and all of you, Brethren, in becoming imitators of 
 me ; and carefully regard as your aim those whose walk in life is so 
 fashioned that you have me and my colleagues as a pattern. ^^ This 
 is no needless caution ; for there are many, of whom I many times 
 used to tell you, and now tell you even with tears, that they walk in 
 life as the enemies of the cross of Christ. ^^ Their end is perdition ; 
 sensual indulgence is their god ; their glory is in what is really 
 their shame, they whose minds grovel in earthly things. 2" Such men 
 have no fellowship with us Christians. l?or our real home and country 
 is not on earth, but in heaven ; and it is from heaven that we con- 
 fidently look for a Saviour also, even the Lord Jesus Christ. ^^ He 
 will change the passing fashion of this body of ours — the body of our 
 temporary humiliation, so as to share the lasting form of His own body 
 — the body of His eternal glory. He will do this by the working 
 of the Divine power which enables Him even to bring into subjection 
 to Himself all things alike. 
 
 17. Be united, etc.] This is probably the meaning of 
 (Tvv/jLLfj-rjrai, /xou yiveaOe : omnes uno consensu et v/na mente 
 (Calvin). Some interpret the aw- as meaning ' join with me 
 in imitating,' i.e. in imitating Christ. But what follows 
 shows that the Apostle is here giving himself as a pattern. 
 ' Be united with others who imitate me ' is possible, but 
 it gives crvv- an unnatural meaning. See on i Thess. i. 6 ; 2 
 Thess. iii. 7, 9 ; i Cor. iv. 16, xi. i. ' Followers ' (A.V. 
 habitually for fnifiriTai) is inadequate. 
 
 regard as your aim] As in v. 4. Contrast ^Xin-ere in v. 2. 
 Cogita, quantum nobis exempla bona prosint : scies mag- 
 norum virorum non minus praesentia esse utilem memoriam 
 (Seneca, Ep. cii. 30). 
 
 those whose walk] Presumably their pastors. 
 
 me and my colleagues] ' Me ' is felt to be egotistical, and 
 ■ us ' is substituted. It includes Silas, Timothy, and 
 others who had worked with St. Paul at Philippi, As in 
 2 Thess. iii. 9, we have tvitov, not tuttod?. It is the mission- 
 aries collectively who supply the pattern. They have 
 started a Christian tradition, which by its variety in detail 
 shows that the Christian life is possible for all. For Tv-nov 
 
82 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS fiii. i8 
 
 ^M«? Codices Amiatinus and Fuldensis have formam nos, 
 while Vulg. and other Latin authorities have the obviously 
 corrupt formam nostrum. 
 
 i8. for there are many] The charge to imitate their 
 teachers requires explanation, and it at once receives it. 
 The evil is widespread, of long standing, and grave. It 
 probably existed among Roman Christians, although not 
 as yet at Philippi, as the high praise in the Thanksgiving 
 (i. 3-8) shows. But it might spread thither, and was already 
 discussed there. He mentions no names of persons either 
 at Rome or elsewhere : personal denunciation might do 
 more harm than good. 
 
 many times used to tell] We perhaps might render, ' whom 
 I many times used to call in your hearing, the enemies, etc' * 
 Such reiteration was absolutely necessary, as all missionaries 
 know, where converts from heathenism Uve in heathen 
 surroimdings. Hort thinks that he is still denouncing the 
 Judaizers rather than teachers of antinomian principles 
 (JudaisHc Christianity, p. 115). The language is too 
 general for certainty. It was the Judaizers who said that 
 St. Paul's teaching about the Law led to generally lawless 
 conduct. 
 
 even with tears] Tears for their miserable condition, as 
 well as for his own suffering. Cf . Lk. xix. 41 ; 2 Cor. ii. 4 ; 
 Acts XX. 31. Like J. H. Newman, while writing the 
 Apologia pro Vita sua in 1864 ; " I have been constantly 
 in tears, and constantly crying out in distress " (Letter to 
 Hope Scott, 2 May). These sinners perhaps had said that 
 they were carrying out the Apostle's own teaching about 
 freedom from the Law. 
 
 the enemies of the cross] Those who were specially such. 
 The expression illustrates the emphasis which St. Paul 
 placed on the cross, — ^to him the sjonbol of self-renunciation, 
 but to the heathen, of fooHshness and horror ; i Cor. i. 
 18, 23. These men mocked the cross by gross self-indulg- 
 ence. 
 
 19. Their end is perdition] ' The end ' which follows from 
 ♦ Note the play between noXKoL and iroMcwws. 
 
iii. 19, 20] WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS 83 
 
 such conduct ; he proceeds to explain why. ' Perdition ' 
 not ' destruction ' (A.V.). Cf. Rom. i. 21 ; v. 32, viii. 13 ; 
 2 Cor. xi. 15 ; Gal. vi. 8 ; Jas. i. 15 ; 2 Pet. ii. 1-3. Que 
 I'on peche impunement, c'est le comble du dSsordre ; ce 
 serait le desordre, non de I'homme qui piche, mats de Dieu 
 qui ne punit pas (Bossuet). 
 
 sensual indulgence] Here, and perhaps Rom. xvi. 18, 
 ' the belly ' (/cotXta) means the fleshly appetites generally, 
 as in Ecclus. xxiii. 6. Mere selfishness seems to be inade- 
 quate. P. Ewald compares yaarpl SovXeveiv, ryaaTpiSovXo^, 
 Koi\i68ov\oi;, KotXiciKdrpi}'; ; add KotXioSaifietv. See Suicer, 
 II. 119.* This hardly apphes to Judaizers. 
 
 their glory, etc.] Their boasted Uberty was shameful 
 slavery to lust. As Pere Hyacinthe said to a company of 
 ' free-thinkers ' at Cannes ; " Vous etes ni litres ni pen- 
 sews ; vous etes Us esclaves de vos prejuges, de vos passions, 
 de vos piches." 
 
 earthly things] Col. iii. 2 ; Jas. iii. 15. This seems almost 
 a bathos after the three strong statements which precede it. 
 But it prepares the way for the magnificent contrast which 
 follows in vv. 20, 21, in which Way finds material for another 
 hymn : " Hjnnn of the Citizens of Heaven." 
 
 20. For our real] ' For ' and the emphatic ' our ' imply 
 absolute rejection of such misinterpretation of freedom. 
 
 country and home] ' Conversation ' = ' daily fife ' (A.V.) 
 is now misleading. ' Citizenship ' (R.V.) or ' common- 
 wealth ' (R.V. marg.) are better renderings of irdXiTevfj.a, 
 which also means ' citizen-hf e ' or ' citizen-duties ' ; but the 
 local sense seems to be required by e^ o5. Tertullian and 
 Jerome have municipatus. This heavenly Fatherland 
 is the home of the highest moral Hberty, and is in emphatic 
 contrast to ' earthly things.' Cf. Eph. ii. 19 ; Heb. xi. 13. 
 Plato has a remarkable parallel. Rep. ix. p. 592 B ; also 
 
 * A spice, quemadmodum immensae hominum cupiditates hient 
 semper et poscant. Alius Hbidine insanit, alius abdomini servit, 
 alius lucri totus est (Seneca, De Benef. VII. xxvi. 3). Quid mihi 
 voluptaiem nominas ? Hominis honum quaero, non ventris (De 
 Vita Beata, ix. 3). 
 
84 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iu. 20, 21 
 
 Philo, De Confus. i. 416 Mang. The description of Chris- 
 tians in the Epistle to Diognetus v. 9, i'jrl 7^? Siarpi^ova-tv 
 a\X iv oipdvo) iroKi.TevovrM,, may be an echo of this passage. 
 Cf. 'Where your treasure is, etc.,' and see F. B. Westcott, 
 A Letter from Asia, p. 138. 
 
 is in heaven] Not ean, but virdpxei, and hence the insertion 
 of 'real.' It is no Utopia ; it exists. It is now; not will 
 be hereafter. And it is ours already. See on ii. 6 and 2 
 Cor. viii. 17, xii. 16 ; cf. Gal. iv. z6 ; Heb. xii. 22. 
 
 we confidently look for] The ' we ' may include the de- 
 parted as well as those who are in this world. In the 
 strong compound aireKSexofieOa the otto implies dis- 
 regard of other things and concentration on one object, 
 as in aTTOKapaSoKia, 1. 20. Cf. Rom. viii. 19 ; i Cor. i. 7 ; 
 Heb. ix. 28. It seems to have been a usual word for ex- 
 pressing expectation of the Advent. Its use in i Pet. 
 iii. 2 and in Heb. ix. 28 may have come from St. Paul, who 
 may possibly have coined the word. M. and M., Vocabulary, 
 p. 56. 
 
 a Saviour] The word is emphatic ; ' And it is from heaven 
 that as a Saviour also we look for, etc' It probably comes 
 from LXX : but its connexion with troXirevfia here makes 
 an allusion to the pagan use of the word to designate the 
 Emperor not improbable. With the exception of Luke, 
 the title in N.T. is found only in the later writings. In the 
 Pastoral Epistles and in 2 Peter it is frequent. 
 
 the Lord Jesus Christ] He is the Lord of the heavenly 
 iroXCrevfia. See on v. 8 for similarly emphatic fullness. 
 
 21. change the passing fashion] In the compoimds 
 fieraaxvfi'aTiaet and avfifiop^ov we must again mark the 
 radical difference between o'XV/^ and fj-optf)!], as in ii. 6-8. 
 The one is external and transitory, the other is essential 
 and permanent. Vulg. has reformahit, configtiraium, which 
 just spoils the Old Latin transfigurabit, conformatwm. Cf. 
 2 Cor. xi. 13-15. 
 
 But ■ vile body ' (A.V.) is misleading, like Luther's unsern 
 nichtigen Leib, and Beza's corpus nostrum humile. There is 
 here no trace of the Gnostic view that everything material is 
 
iii. 2i] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 85 
 
 impure, and that the human body is an object of contempt. 
 As compared with the spiritual body in the future life, 
 it is in a condition of humihation. Those who share the 
 humiliation of Christ (ii. 8) may hope to share His glory 
 (ii. 9). Cf. Rom. i. 4andseeHortoni Pet. i. 21. There may 
 be a secondary argument against those who make indulgence 
 of the body their aim in hfe, — a body which will soon be re- 
 fashioned. ' Body ' (not ' bodies ') is generic, as in Rom. 
 vi. 12. 
 
 body of His eternal glory] ' His glorious body ' (A.V.) is 
 weak and inadequate. Neither here nor 2 Cor. iv. 4 nor 
 Rom. viii. 21 is t^s Sofj;? a characterizing genitive. ' The 
 glory ' is that in which He appeared to St. Paul. 
 
 working] Excepting 2 Thess. ii. 9, 11, ivipyeia in N.T. 
 is always used of Divine activity ; there of diabolical. 
 All instances therefore are of supernatural energy, and all 
 are in the writings of St. Paul (Eph. i. 19, iii. 7, iv. 16 ; Col. 
 i. 29, ii. 12), and are characteristic of our group. M. and 
 M., Vocabulary, p. 214. 
 
 which enables Him] The construction {rod c. infin.) 
 is very frequent in Paul and Luke. Blass, § 71, 3. 
 
 to Himself] Strong testimony to His Divine power.* 
 
 all things alike] At the close, with emphasis. As in 
 V. 8, iravra has the article ; there are no exceptions, not 
 even death ; i Cor. xv. 25-27. There may be an allusion 
 to Ps. viii. 6. 
 
 iv. 1-9. RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 
 
 Somewhat like iii. i, iv. i is isolated, and may be called 
 transitional. The long digression which begins suddenly, 
 through some cause unknown to us, has come to an end with 
 the solemn words in iii. 20, 21. This verse springs naturally 
 out of the previous warnings, as wo-re shows. Equally 
 
 * avrm, not iavrQ, is the right reading, but it certainly looks 
 back to OS, and therefore to ' the Lord Jesus Christ.' If avT<3 be 
 adopted, it is a unique feature in N.T. 
 
86 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. i 
 
 naturally it leads on to more specific exhortations as to the 
 necessity of unity and concord (2, 3), less definite exhortations 
 in the same direction having been given i. 27-ii. 18. 
 
 » Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my 
 joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 
 
 It is necessary to show the connexion with what precedes 
 and what foUows. 
 
 ^ So then, remembering that you are citizens of a heavenly kingdom 
 and are earnestly expecting a heavenly Saviour, listen to my renewed 
 appeal. You are my brethren, whom I love and long to see again, 
 you are my present joy and the crown which I hope to win. For 
 all these reasons stand fast in the Lord, my beloved ones, and show 
 your steadfastness by inward union. 
 
 I. So then] For wo-re introducing the result of what has 
 just been stated, and followed by an imperative, cf. U. 12 ; 
 I Thess. iv. 18 ; i Cor. iii. 21, etc. Outside the Pauline 
 Epistles the combination is rare. T. A. Robertson, Gr. p. 999. 
 
 my brethren, whom I love, etc.] It is a rehef to turn 
 from the enemies of the Cross to the affectionate and 
 generous Phihppians. In his earnestness the Apostle 
 accumulates words of ajBEection, and (as in ii. 2) is careless 
 about repetition. Nowhere else does he use this full form 
 of address : blandis appellationibus . . . quae tamen non 
 sunt adulationis, sed sinceri amoris (Calvin). 
 
 long to see again] 'Eirnr60j]To<i occurs nowhere else 
 in N.T. or in LXX, but iwnroSeiv is in all four of the 
 Pauline groups ; i. 8, ii. 26 ; i Thess. iii. 6 ; etc. We have 
 e-7rfjr6dt](ri<{, 2 Cor. vii. 7, II, and iiri-rrodeia, Rom. xv. 23. 
 
 crown] Here, as in i Thess. ii. 19, the ' crown ' (ffre^ovos) 
 is the wreath or garland worn as a mark of success or desert 
 (i Cor. ix. 25) . The PhiUppians will be such a crown at the 
 Day of Judgment to the Apostle who converted them and 
 estabhshed them in the faith. * This shows that no PhiHp- 
 
 * Saint Paul disait aux Philippiens qu'ils Staient sa couronne. 
 Ne pouvons-nous pas dire que nous sommes la couronne de Jisus- 
 Christ, mais une couronne de souffrances ? II attendait que de nos 
 bonnes aeuvres nous lui fissions une couronnes d'honneur, et par nos 
 iniquiUs nous lui enfaisons une d'ignominie (Bourdaloue). 
 
iv. 1, 2] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 87 
 
 plans are among those who are condemned in iii. 18, 19. 
 See Ropes, on Jas. i. 12 ; Hastings, DB. art. ' Crown ' ; 
 Trench, Syn. § xxiii. 
 
 For all these reasons] ' According to my instructions and 
 exhortations ' seems to be the meaning of oi^tco?. It 
 commonly refers to what precedes. See on Thess. iv. 17. 
 
 stand fast] See on i. 27 and cf. i Thess. iii. 8 ; 'in the 
 Lord ' is certainly not to be taken with ' my beloved ones.' 
 
 iv. 2, 3. Exhortation to Unity. 
 
 " I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the 
 same mind in the Lord. ' And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, 
 help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel, with Clement 
 also, and with other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the 
 book of life. 
 
 These two verses raise several questions which cannot 
 be answered with any certainty, (i) What was the nature 
 of the controversy between the two first mentioned ? (2) 
 Is either of the two to be identified with the Lydia of Acts 
 xvi. 14, 15 ? (3) Is the word rendered ' yokefellow ' a 
 proper name ? If not, who is this yokefellow ? Some 
 other questions may be answered with confidence. Are the 
 first names names of real persons, or do they represent 
 parties in the Church ? Beyond reasonable doubt they are 
 names of persons, both of whom are women. Does ' yoke- 
 fellow ' mean the Apostle's wife'? Assuredly not, but the 
 hypothesis is ancient, and as such requires notice. 
 
 ^ I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to put an end to their 
 differences and be of the same mind in the Lord. ^ Yes, and I ask 
 thee also as a friend, my genuine and faithful yokefellow, to give 
 these two ladies a helping hand towards reconciliation and reunion, 
 for they were united in fighting side by side with me in my contests 
 on behalf of the Gospel ; along with Clement also and the rest 
 of my fellow workers, whose names, although I mention them not, 
 are enrolled in the Book of Life. 
 
 2. I exhort] The context decides whether irapaKoXelv, 
 which is frequent in N.T., means ' exhort,' " encourage ' or 
 
88 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 2 
 
 ' console.' It does not occur in any of the Johannine books, 
 or in Jas. or 2 Pet. 
 
 Euodia] A.V. makes EvoUav the ace. of a man's name, 
 Euodias ; but no such name has been found. Euodia or 
 Euhodia is fairly frequent in inscriptions, and no doubt 
 this is right here as the name of some Philippian lady. 
 
 Syntyche] Some propose to make Sui'tu^j^iji' the ace. of a 
 man's name ; but no such name has been found, whereas 
 Sjmtyche, Sintyche, and Suntyche do occur.* The awTot? 
 aiTivei; in w. 3 is conclusive as to both names being femi- 
 nine. They were evidently well-known women in the 
 Philippian Chmrch, and exercised the Uberty and influence 
 which was common among Macedonian women at this 
 time ; and in Macedonia women seem to have had a better 
 social position than anjnvhere else in the civilized world. 
 Acts xvi. 14, 40, xvii. 4, 12 give evidence of this ; and this 
 feature is found also in inscriptions. The conjectiure that 
 ' Lydia ' in Acts xvi. 14, 40 means that she was a woman of 
 Lydia, and that she may be identified with either Euodia 
 or Syntyche, cannot be disproved, but it is not very probable. 
 The quarrel between the two women was evidently notorious, 
 and was leading to party spirit in the Chiurch. That they 
 were deaconesses is possible, and Renan treats the hypo- 
 thesis as certain. ' I exhort ' with both names emphasizes 
 the fact that the two persons are at present aJienated from 
 one another, and at the same time shows that the Apostle 
 takes sides with neither. Both are in fault, and he makes 
 the same appeal to both. Hoc his ponit, quasi coram 
 adhortans seorsimi utramvis, idqi*e summa ct*m aequitate 
 (Bengel). 
 
 be of the same mind] The same phrase as in ii. 2. The 
 meaning here may be " agreement for the accomplishment 
 of practical aims " (Zahn). 
 
 in the Lord] They are both of them members of Christ, 
 
 * Meyer attributes to Theodore of Mopsuestia the view that 
 Syntyches was Euodia's husband. Theodore states that some 
 people said so (nvts 8« (^ao-tv). He himself suggests that the two 
 ladies contended irtpi -irpamunv, super primalum. 
 
iv. 3] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 89 
 
 as he is ; i. 14, ii. 19, 24, 29, iii. i, etc. They are sisters 
 in Christ and ought not to be estranged. 
 
 3. Yes] Not ' And,' as A.V., following the corrupt reading 
 Kai for vai. Nat [dulcis particula) confirms, often a state- 
 ment, sometimes an entreaty, as here and Philem. 20. 
 Judith ix. 12 it is repeated. See Ellicott. 
 
 I ask as a friend] Only in his letters to the beloved Mace- 
 donian Churches does St. Paul use the more friendly ipfOTw 
 (i Thess. iv. i, v. 12 ; 2 Thess. ii. i), which rather implies 
 that the two parties are equal ; whereas ' exhort ' assumes 
 some kind of authority over those who are exhorted. The 
 change of word is remarkable. He gives what is almost 
 a command to Euodia and Syntyche ; of his colleague 
 he asks a favour. In classical Greek ipcorm is used of asking 
 questions rather than of asking favours. In pre-Christian 
 letters the two verbs are sometimes combined, as in i Thess. 
 iv. I. Trench, § xl. ; M. and M., p. 255. 
 
 genuine and faithful] Ti/Tjo-to?, as i Tim. i. 2 ; Tit. i. 4 ; 
 2 Cor. viii. 8, and nowhere else in N.T. See on yvija-lto^ ii. 20 
 and cf. Ecclus vii. 18. The suggestion that it is a proper 
 name, ' Gnesius, my fellow-worker,' may be disregarded. 
 M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 129. Oddly enough, the Latin 
 rendering, germane compar, led to the idea that Germanus was 
 a proper name, which got into the Greek text of Cod. G. 
 
 yokefellow] Sw^vyov from aw^evyvvfii, ' I fasten to- 
 gether.' Some suggest that this is a proper name, and 
 that yvrjiTie points to its being so ; ' I ask Synzygus, rightly 
 so called, a genuine yokefellow.' If so, we may compare 
 the play on the name Onesimus in Philem. 11, and on Nabal 
 in I Sam. xxv. 25. The objection that the name occurs 
 nowhere else in literature or inscriptions is serious, but it 
 does not prove that there could not have been a Philippian 
 with such a name. We may compare this problem with 
 2 Jn. I, where some render the ' elect lady ' as the " elect 
 Kyria,' and others as the ' lady Electa.' 
 
 Assuming that ' yokefellow ' is right, who is he ? Barna- 
 bas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, and the leading ' bishop ' in 
 Philippi are conjectures. Victorinus suggests that the 
 
 H 
 
90 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 3 
 
 Apostle now turns aside and addresses Epaphroditus, 
 who is to carry the letter, and is here urged to use his 
 personal influence ; and this view is adopted by Lightfoot, 
 Zahn, and others. But was Epaphroditus to read this 
 about himself to the Philippians ? Clement of Alexandria 
 and Origen mention an early belief that the ' yokefellow ' 
 was the Apostle's wife, a belief which Chrysostom corrects. 
 Renan (S. Paul, p. 148) translates ma chtre epouse, and 
 suggests Lydia, whom Baring Gould also thinks that the 
 Apostle may have married. But he was unmarried or a 
 widower when he wrote i Cor. vii. 8, and if the yokefellow 
 was a woman we should have yvr/ala not yvija-ie, as Theodore 
 of Mopsuestia points out. Wieseler {Chronologie, p. 548) 
 suggests Christ as the yokefellow ! In Hastings, DAC. 
 art. ' Synzygus,' it is assumed that the word is a proper 
 name. WH. have vvvl^vye in their text, and Svv^vye in 
 the margin. Ramsay adopts avv^vye as probably meaning 
 St. Luke. 
 
 lend them a helping hand] "LvvXafi^avov aiirau;, niid. 
 voice with dative, as Lk. v. 7. ' Lay hold of the difficulty 
 along with them.' 
 
 for they were united] There is possibly a play on words 
 between <TvvKafj,^dvov and <ywridXr)aav. There is certainly 
 a play of meaning between ' help them to unite now ' and 
 ' for they were united before.' Women were the first 
 hearers at PhiUppi ; Acts xvi. 13, 14. " Lest their public 
 exhortation should appear to degrade these two women 
 before the congregation, Paul recalls the services which 
 they had rendered to the congregation ; and in order that 
 it might be known what events he had in mind, he mentions 
 the name of a man who also assisted him on that occasion " 
 (B. Weiss aci loc). 
 
 ' Help those women who ' (A.V.) mistranslates both airah 
 and al'Tivev. The latter gives the reason why they deserve 
 to be helped ; cf . i. 28, ii. 20 ; iii. 7 ; Gal. iv. 24, 26. 
 
 fighting side by side with me] The favourite metaphor 
 from the arena ; i. 27, 30, ii. 16, iii. 13, 14. ' Laboured 
 with me ' (A.V., R.V.) is inadequate. 
 
iv. 3] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 91 
 
 along with Clement also] This looks back to ' fighting 
 side by side with me ' rather than to ' give a helpinghand.' 
 He is mentioned because of his connexion with the two 
 ladies. Clement is some Philippian about whom we know 
 nothing. Gwjom's attempt to justify the patristic identi- 
 fication of this Clement with the famous bishop of Rome, 
 third from Linus, and writer of the Roman Epistle to the 
 Corinthians, is surprising. There is no evidence that this 
 Clement ever migrated to Rome ; and, if he did, it is im- 
 probable that a Philippian would become the leading presby- 
 ter in the Roman Church. The name Clement was exceed- 
 ingly common.* The icaC before K\'^fiepToi; may be either 
 ■ also,' looking back to the two ladies, or ' both,' anticipating 
 •and the rest of my fellow-workers.' Hastings, DB. art. 
 ' Clement.' 
 
 Book of Life] The metaphor is frequent in O.T. and in the 
 Apocalypse ; Exod. xxxii. 32 ; i Sam. xxv. 29 ; Ps. Ixix. 
 28, cxxxix. 16 ; Dan. xii. i ; etc. Rev. iii. 5, xiii. 8, 
 xxi. 27, xxii. 19. See Swete on Rev. iii. 5 ; Charles on 
 Enoch xlvii. 3 ; Hastings, DAC. art. ' Book of Life.' 
 Wetstein gives illustrations from Rabbinical writers. The 
 expression involves no doctrine of predestination. And 
 it does not imply that these persons are dead ; Lk. x. 20. 
 
 iv. 4-7. Renewed Exhortation to Joy. 
 
 •Rejoice in the Lord alway : and again I say. Rejoice. ^ Let 
 your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 
 « Be careful for nothing : but in everything by prayer and supplica- 
 tion with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. 
 ^ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall 
 keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 
 
 After the very brief and very gentle expression of dis- 
 satisfaction, the Apostle returns to the dominant note of 
 
 * Among the many inscriptions found in or near Philippi is a list 
 of members of some guild or club. The last of the sixty-nine names 
 is Valerius Clemens. Clement of Rome gives no hint in his Epistle 
 that he stood in the relation to St. Paul which is indicated here — 
 rather the contrary. 
 
92 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 4 
 
 jojrfulness. As in ch. iii, we had first religion (5-10) and 
 then morality (17-21), so here (4-7 and 8, 9). 
 
 * I have called you my joy. You yourselves must have joy on all 
 occasions, as all Christians should. I can never say it too often, 
 and I v?ill say it yet again, Have joy. * Let your forbearing spirit, 
 not your contentiousness, become known to all men. The Lord, 
 who will judge all self-assertion and strife, is at hand. * In no case 
 spoil your lives with needless anxieties ; but in every case, by your 
 prayer and your supplication, always combined with thanksgiving, 
 let your requests be made known before God. ^ Then the peace 
 which God gives in answer to prayer, which will calm your 
 dissensions and forebodings, and which is more potent than self- 
 assertion or brooding care, will keep guard over your debating hearts 
 and your anxious minds, in Christ Jesus, who is your house of defence 
 and your castle. 
 
 4. have joy] It is debated whether xatpere here means 
 ' rejoice,' as in ii. 18 ; i Thess. v. 16 ; Mt. v. 12 ; Lk. x. 20, 
 or ' farewell,' as in 2 Cor. xiii. 11, or something of both 
 meanings, as perhaps in iii. i. Vulg. here has gaudete, 
 and of the two meanings it is manifest that ' rejoice ' camiot 
 well be excluded, because joy is such a prominent feature in 
 the letter, and has just come to the front again in iv. i. 
 Here, as in i Thess. v. 16, 17, it is closely followed by an 
 exhortation to cultivate the spirit of prayer as a security for 
 joy. It is ' in the Lord,' in the thought that we are one 
 with Him, that joy can be secured (Chrysostom). Weinel {St. 
 Paul, p. 125) says of these verses, " Here we have the key- 
 note of the Christian life, as Paul conceived it. Like rays 
 of bright sunshine, such words break forth from the heavy 
 masses of Pauline polemics." See the parallel in Hab. 
 iii. 17-19 ; also Is. xU. 16, Ixi. 10.* 
 
 on all occasions] As in i. 4, 20, iii. 22, and generally in 
 N.T., irdvTore, not aei. Cf . irdvrore ')(alpeTe, i Thess. V. 16, 
 
 • Farrar points out how the joy of St. Paul during long imprison- 
 ment contrasts with the dismal despondency of Ovid in the Tristia, of 
 Cicero in hislettersfromexile, and of Seneca in his treatise dedicated 
 to Polybius from his banishment in Corsica. The tidings of great 
 joy have changed the balance between human dejection and human 
 elation. 
 
iv. 5, 6] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 93 
 
 but ael Se ■xa^povTS's, 2 Cor. vi. 10. This almost excludes 
 the meaning ' farewell.' 
 
 I will say] Not 'I say ' (A.V.). In N.T., as in classical 
 Greek, ip& is always future. 
 
 again] ' I am not forgetting the sorrow or the suffering ' : 
 c'est le set de toutes nos joies. 
 
 5. your forbearing spirit] 'EtrieiK'^'s and eirieiKeia denote the 
 "sweet reasonableness" which, by admitting limitations 
 and making allowances, prevents summum jus from be- 
 coming summa injuria. It forbears from insisting upon full 
 rights, where rigidity would be harsh. See Arist. Eth. 
 Nic. V. X. 3. In 2 Cor. x. i it is mentioned as a special 
 characteristic of Christ. ' Moderation ' (A.V.) and modestia 
 (Vulg.) are too vague. Acts xxiv. 4 we find ' clemency ' 
 and dementia. See Trench, § xliii. 
 
 become known to all men] Not merely to all Christians ; 
 that they may admire it and imitate it ; Jn. xiii. 35. For 
 iyvcoa-O'^ cf. Lk. xxiv. 35 ; Acts ix. 24. 
 
 The Lord is at hand] Therefore be peaceful and patient ; 
 I Cor. xvi. 22 ; Jas. v. 8 ; Heb. x. 24, 25 ; Rev. i. 7, iii. 
 II.* At any moment they may have to answer for their 
 conduct ; and if any one is really wronged, his wrongs 
 will be righted. Retaliation here and now is altogether 
 out of place. 
 
 The words might mean that ' the Lord is always near 
 us,' and knows all that we think or do ; Clem. Rom. Cor. 
 xxi. 3. But that is not the probable meaning here, where 
 the thought that the Lord will come soon suggests a warning 
 against useless disquietude. 
 
 6. needless anxieties] Cf. i Cor. vii. 32. ' Be careful for 
 nothing ' (A.V.) is ambiguous and rather misleading. 
 ' Never be full of cares ' might be better. Mepifivav is ' to 
 be fuU of cares which divide and distract the mind ' ; curae 
 quae meum animum diverse trahunt. Cf. Virg. Aen. 
 iv. 285 f. It is unreasonable anxiety, especially about 
 things which we cannot control, not reasonable care about 
 those which we can influence, that is here condemned ; 
 
 ♦ See Murray's Illustr, B.D, art, ' Maranatha," 
 
94 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 6, 7 
 
 see on ii. 20. Jas. v. 13 gives the same remedy as is given 
 here for over-anxiety. Cf. i Pet. v. 7. 
 
 in every case] 'Ep iravri, as in i Thess. v. 18. While 
 •n-dvTore marks limitless extension in time, iv iravri marks 
 limitless extension in sphere. Vulg. has in omni oratione ei 
 obsecratione, taking ev iravri with two feminine substantives. 
 Elsewhere it has in omnibus for ev iravri. Prayer can 
 remove the feeling of helplessness ; curare et orare plus vnUr 
 se pugnant quam aqua et ignis (Bengel). 
 
 your prayer and your supplication] Both nouns have the 
 article, which may mean the prayer and the supplication 
 which is suitable, or which is usual in public worship. See on 
 i. 4, and Trench, Syn. § li. 
 
 with thanksgiving] The duty comes naturally in an exhorta- 
 tion to joy. For the combination with prayer see i Thess. 
 iii. 9, 10, V. 17, 18 ; Col. iv. 2 ; i Tim. ii. i. It was in the 
 stocks of the inner prison at Philippi that Paul and Silas 
 prayed and sang hymns to God ; Acts xvi. 25. 
 
 requests] Airijfiara, as in I Jn. V. 15. A.V. has ' request.' 
 See Cremer, Lex. p. 73. 
 
 before God] ITpo? rov Qeov, apud Dernn. Cf. Jn. i. i. 
 ' Made known ' seems strange in such a connexion. The 
 Psalms are fiill of such addresses to God. 
 
 7. Then the peace] ' Such will be a sure consequence 
 (/cat) of casting all anxiety on the God who takes care of 
 you ' (i. Pet. V. 7). It is the 'peace of God ' because He 
 bestows it ; and because He bestows it He is ' the God 
 of peace ' (w. 9 ; Rom. xv. 33 ; i Cor. xiv. 33). It is the 
 atmosphere in which He exists, and which He desires to 
 communicate. The peace is not dependent on the literal 
 granting of the requests. 
 
 will keep guard] A.V. has 'keep,' R.V. has 'guard.' We 
 need both words to give the force of the military metaphor 
 in ^povprjaei. Peace must always do sentry duty if its 
 rule is to be preserved from external and internal foes. 
 Most Latin authorities have custodiat, and some Greeks 
 comment as if we had an optative here. The words are 
 a prophecy or a promise, not a prayer. 
 
iv.7] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 95 
 
 ' Which passeth all understanding ' (A.V., R.V.), i-e. which 
 is beyond all power of comprehension, so that, as Augustine 
 says, not even Angels can understand it, makes excellent 
 sense ; but it is doubtful whether it is what the Apostle 
 means. He has been warning his converts against conten- 
 tiousness and over-anxiety ; and he seems to mean that 
 God's peace produces far better results than human schem- 
 ing ; it is superior to aU man's devices for security, and is 
 more efficacious in removing disquietude than any intellec- 
 tual effort or reasoning power. These often augment 
 disquietude. ' Surpasseth ' rather than ' passeth.' 
 
 your hearts and your minds] These two cover the spheres 
 in which dissensions and carking cares are generated. 
 Although vorffiaTu are commonly the ■products of wv?, and 
 therefore ' thoughts ' rather than ' minds,' yet here and 2 
 Cor. iii. 14, iv. 4, xi. 3 the thinking faculty seems to be 
 meant. See Hastings, DCG. and DAC. art. ' Heart.' In 
 N.T. voTffia is exclusively Pauline. 
 
 in Christ Jesus] Not 'through ' (A.V.). The strong rock 
 and fortress (Ps. xxxi. 2, 3) in which Divine peace keeps 
 watch. What better security can Christian souls need ? 
 
 iv. 8, 9. Exhortation to Practise what is Noblest 
 
 AND Best 
 
 " Cherish beautiful thoughts. Live noble lives " is Wey- 
 mouth's summary. We have a generous encouragement 
 to the Philippians to take a broadminded view respecting 
 worthy ideals. There was much in their heathen views that 
 had to be absolutely abandoned ; but there was also much 
 that might be, and ought to be, valued and retained. Here 
 they needed knowledge and discernment (i. 9). 
 
 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things 
 are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 
 whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things (ire of good report : 
 if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these 
 things. * Those things which ye have both learned, and received, 
 and heard, and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with 
 you. 
 
96 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 8 
 
 " Nowhere has the born Jew approached so closely to 
 the moral ideal of the Greek philosophers as in the concep- 
 tions of honour and worth which he here strings together " 
 (Von Soden, Early Christian Literatwre, p. 113). " In 
 Phil. iv. 8 Paul himself, with full consciousness, includes 
 natural morality in Christian morality " (Clemen, Primitive 
 Christianity, p. 367). See also Knowling, Testimony of 
 St. Paul to Christ, p. 491. 
 
 We have eight classes or points of view, which perhaps are 
 arranged in pairs : the last pair, by change of wording, is 
 separated from the rest. The fifth and sixth classes are 
 also different from the first four. They refer to men's 
 estimate of things, whereas the first four refer to realities, 
 without thought of estimates. In paraphrasing it is 
 worth while to mark this grouping, which may be inten- 
 tional. 
 
 * For the rest, Brethren, whatsoever things are really true, really 
 grand, really righteous, really pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 
 whatsoever things are winsome, — all the moral value that you were 
 wont to give to virtue and to the praise of mankind, — take these ideals 
 continually into account. ^ Yet be not content with contemplating 
 ideals. Go on and practise also the things which you learned and 
 received from me, and which you heard of me doing and saw me do. 
 Practise them in your daily lives. Then the God Who gives the 
 peace that you need will be with you. 
 
 8. For the rest] After the sudden and prolonged di- 
 gression at iii. I, the Apostle once more prepares to bring 
 the letter to a close. The rendering of to XonrSv must be 
 the same in both places, implying that more remains to 
 be said. 
 
 really true] This and the following terms are to be under- 
 stood in the widest and highest sense. It is difficult to find 
 a good rendering for o-e/u.va. A.V. gives 'honest,' with 
 
 ■ venerable ' in the margin ; R.V. ' honourable,' with 
 ' reverend ' in the margin ' Worthy, ' ' dignified, ' ' majestic, ' 
 
 ■ august,' 'seemly,' "wins respect ' are suggestions made by 
 translators and commentators. 
 
 lovely] Inspiring admiration and love ; amabilia, Vulg. ; 
 
iv. 8, g] RENEWED EXHORTATIONS 97 
 
 lieUich, Luther. IIpo<r^i\ri<s occurs nowhere else in N.T. 
 In LXX ; Ecclus. iv. 7, xx. 13. 
 
 winsome] ' Of good report ' (A.V., R.V.) is not the mean- 
 ing of evtiyqfiot : ' of gracious import ' would be nearer. 
 Not 'well spoken of ' but "well speaking,' i.e. expressing 
 what is kind and likely to win people, and avoiding what 
 is likely to give offence, is the meaning. 
 
 moral virtue] Nowhere else does St. Paul use dp err], 
 possibly because of its prominence in heathen philosophy. 
 Here he uses it precisely because of that prominence. 
 The Philippians' pagan ideas about intrinsic excellence 
 were not wholly to be abaiidoned ; there was much that was 
 noble in them and worthy of being remembered. In O.T. 
 dpeTT] means ' glory ' or ' praise ' rather than " virtue, ' and 
 hence perhaps the immediate mention of ' praise ' here. But 
 in the Apocrypha the Greek philosophic meaning is frequent. 
 See Hort on i Pet. ii. 9 ; Cremer, Lex. p. 646. Elsewhere 
 in N.T., 2 Pet. i. 3, 5 only. In N.T. the Christian ideas 
 of virtue are expressed by other terms ; SiKaioavvri, 
 ayiaxriivT), uyi6rr}<!, dyd-Trr), ')(priar6rr}<i, evae^eia, dyadaiavvri. 
 
 praise of mankind] Whatever all men praise is sure to be 
 worthy of consideration ; an Aristotelian principle. Cf. 
 securus judical orbis terraritm. See Hort on i Pet. i. 7 ; 
 also Aug. Ep. ccxxxi. 4. 
 
 take into account] With a view to habitual conduct ; 
 horum rationem habete. For Xoyi^etrffe see on iii. 13 ; 
 the present imperative is here used of action which is to 
 continue. Here we have the Apostle's " commendation 
 of the Science of Ethics " (Beet). 
 
 9. practice also] Knowledge of what is noble without 
 endeavour to reaUze it is fatal. In what follows we have 
 two pairs, ' learned and received,' ' heard and saw,' and the 
 two pairs are connected by ' and.' The «at which precedes 
 the pairs {& xaL ) is ' also,' not ' both ' (A.V.. R.V.). The 
 Phihppians have two things to guide them ; the sum of 
 what is noblest in human ideals, and the Apostolic teaching 
 by word and example. 
 
 received] This is not a mere repetition of ' learned ' ; 
 
98 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 9 
 
 wapekd^ere suggests that their teachers handed on to them 
 precepts which they themselves had been taught. Cf. 
 I Thess. ii. 13, iv. i ; and Thess. iii. 6 ; i Cor. xvi. i, 3. 
 
 heard of me doing] ' When I was absent from you.' It 
 might mean ' heard me saying,' both clauses referring to his 
 presence. Cf. i. 30 ; 2 Tim. i. 13, ii. 2. St. Paul often 
 mentions himself, with or without his feUow-missionaries, 
 as a pattern for his converts to copy ; i Thess. i. 6 ; 2 
 Thess. iii. 7, 9 ; i Cor. iv. 16 ; Phil. iii. 17. He explains why 
 he does so ; because, as the converts are well aware, he 
 himself endeavours to imitate Christ ; i Cor. xi. I ; Gal. 
 ii. 20. To tell them to imitate Christ would in many cases be 
 less practical ; they had not yet had sufficient experience 
 of Christ. A concrete example, set by those whom they had 
 seen and heard, would for a time be more effective. Vita 
 non minus quam ore virtuium dux fuerat ac magister (Calvin). 
 
 Then] The Koi is similar to that at the beginning of v. 7. 
 In both places the internal peace of the soul seems to be 
 specially meant. Indirectly, by suppressing self-assertion, 
 this wiU promote peace in the Church. 
 
 the God of peace] Rom. xv. 33, xvi. 20. See Westcott 
 on Heb. xiii. 20. Dieu est appele le Dieu de paix : il fait 
 habifer dans sa maison ceux qui sont de meme esprit et de 
 meme cceur (Bossuet). 
 
 iv. 10-20. HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 
 
 He once more returns from exhorting the PhiUppians to 
 the subject of himself ; and he here reaches the matter 
 which was one of the main reasons for sending the letter, 
 viz. the desire to express his gratitude for the gift which 
 they had sent to him. He has already alluded to their 
 beneficence ; i. 5, 6, ii. i, 12, 30 ; and the mention of the 
 ' bishops and deacons ' at the outset may be prompted by 
 this same thought. He now speaks definitely. 
 
iv. 10-18] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 99 
 
 iv. 10-18. Gratitude for the Philippians' Gift. 
 
 1° But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your 
 care of me had flourished again, wherein ye were also careful, but 
 ye lacked opportunity. '^ Not that I speak in respect of want : for 
 I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content. 
 " I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound : 
 everjnvhere and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to 
 be hungry, both to abound and to sufier need. " I can do all things 
 through Christ, which strengtheneth me. ^•Notwithstanding, 
 ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. 
 IB Now ye PhUippians know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, 
 when I departed from Macedonia, no Church communicated with 
 me, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. *• For even 
 in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. •' Not 
 because I desire a gift : but I desire fruit that may abound to your 
 account, "s But I have all and abound. I am full, having received 
 of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of 
 a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 
 
 These verses exhibit a characteristic combination of 
 delicacy and independence. He is anxious to show that 
 he is deeply touched and truly grateful, and also that his 
 gratitude is not "a lively sense of future favours." His 
 words have been criticized as wanting in proper feeling, 
 and other estimates of them may be quoted. "The 
 passage presents as tactful a treatment of a delicate matter 
 as can well be found in the whole range of high literature " 
 (Von Soden). " Courteous expressions, as dignified as 
 they are deUcate " (Meyer). Un modele de bonne grace et de 
 vive piete (Renan). " A singularly graceful and dignified 
 postscript " (Barry). 
 
 ^'' But I must not omit to say this. It was a great joy to me in the 
 Lord that already once more you revived in your thought for me : 
 with a view to which you were really taking thought for me, but 
 were lacking the opportunity of showing your solicitude. "I do 
 not mean that I Was actually in want. I was not ; for I for my part 
 have learned in the circumstances in Which I am to be content. '^ I 
 know also how to bear being reduced to penury ; I know also how 
 to bear being in abundance. In each and all circumstances of lifie 
 I have been initiated into the secret of being able both to have plenty 
 and to be famished, both to have abundance and to be in want. ^^ The 
 secret is this : I have strength to bear everything when united with 
 
100 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. lo 
 
 Him who gives me such power. '^* Nevertheless, though I was not 
 in great want, you did a noble thing in coming forward to have fellow- 
 ship with me in my affliction by contributing to my support. ^ But 
 you also yourselves, my Philippians, know well, without my reminding 
 you, that this Was no new thing with you ; because in the earliest 
 days of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church 
 had fellowship with me as regards giving and taking, with the sole 
 exception of yourselves. In your Ccise I allowed it. ^^ Indeed I 
 may say ' before I departed,' because even when I was still in Thes- 
 salonica you sent more than once to minister to my needs. ^' I 
 repeat that I do not mean that I am desiring to have any gift from you. 
 But I do mean that I am desiring that the fruit of your generosity 
 should accumulate to your account in heaven. ^^ And I can give 
 a receipt in full for all that you owed me, and I have abundance over. 
 I am fully supplied, seeing that I received from Epaphroditus the gifts 
 which came from you. They are an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice 
 acceptable, well-pleasing to God. 
 
 10. But I must not omit] The Be, as in i Cor. i6 and Gal. 
 iv. 20, indicates that something has just occurred to him. 
 He has been meaning to say it, but might have forgotten. 
 The Se looks back to 4-9, or perhaps earlier. ' I have been 
 exhorting you to rejoice and to imitate me : so I must thank 
 you for making me rejoice.' 
 
 great joy] Cf. Mt. ii. 10 ; Lk. ii. 10, xxiv. 52 ; Acts viii. 8, 
 XV. 3. It is possible, with R.V., to regard eydpi)v as an 
 epistolary aorist ; ' it is a great joy.' In any case the verb 
 is emphatic. See Augustine, Confessions, XIII. xxvi. 39 f. 
 
 in the Lord] It was a holy joy, not a mere casual emotion ; 
 " not of a worldly or ordinary kind " (Chrys.). 
 
 already once more] Not vvv, but ^817, which is made inde- 
 finite by the addition of trore. See Sanday and Headlam 
 on Rom. i. 10, the only other passage in N.T. in which the 
 combination occurs. 
 
 revived] Like ' revived, ' aveddXere may be either active or 
 neuter, ' revived your thought for me,' or ' revived in regard 
 to your thought for me.' ' Budded forth again ' (Alford), 
 ' shot forth afresh ' (Cimnington), refiorttistis pro me sentire 
 (Vulg.). Cf. Ecclus. i. 18, xi. 22, 1. 10. To speak of ' reviving 
 once more ' sounds somewhat Uke a complaint, an idea 
 which he at once proceeds to dispel. 
 
V. II, iz] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL loi 
 
 you were really] Imperfect, with «at for emphasis ; 
 'were really minding,' e'<^po vetre, the favourite verb once 
 more ; i. 7, ii. 2, etc. 'E(j>' <S may mean ' seeing that,' or 
 ■ for which purpose. ' 
 
 lacking the opportunity] A rare verb, aKatpeladaL, 
 occurring here only in N.T. It is the opposite of evKaipeiv, 
 I Cor. xvi. 12 ; Mk. vi. 31 ; Acts xvii. 21. It probably 
 means that they had no one to send with their gift. Some 
 understand a»'e^a\eT6 of reviving prosperity, and ■^fatpela6e 
 of lack of means. 
 
 11. I do not mean] Ovx ori, as in v. 11 and iii. 12. This 
 ellipse is a N.T. phrase. See on 2 Thess. iii. 9 ; 2 Cor. i. 24. 
 In classical Greek it means " not only,' or ' not but that.' 
 Simcox, Language of N.T. p. 174 ; Blass, § 81, i ; Winer, p. 
 501. ' Not that I speak in respect of want ' (A.V., R.V.) is 
 literal but not lucid. Lightfoot has ' in language dictated 
 by want.' ' Want,' wo-repTyo-t? (here and Mk. xii. 44 only), 
 implies actual penury. 
 
 I was not] This is implied in iya> yap, iya> is emphatic. 
 
 have learned] This is one of those cases in which it is 
 the Greek idiom to use the aorist and the English to use the 
 perfect. A. T. Robertson, Gr. p. 835. See on iii. 12.*^ 
 
 content] Independent of help and wealth, avTdpK7)<;, 
 Ecclus. xl. 18. M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 93. The less a man 
 requires for himself, the more contented he is sure to be. 
 See on 2 Cor. iii. 5, ix. 8 ; cf. i Tim. vi. 6. The richest 
 man, said Socrates, is he who is content with least. Beatus 
 est praesentibus, qualiacunque sunt, contentus, amicusque 
 rebus suis (Seneca, De Vita Beata, vi. 2). Se contentus 
 est sapiens . . . egere enim necessitatis est; nihil autem 
 necesse sapienti est {Epist. ix. 11, 12). 
 
 12. reduced to penury] As the great Example was. See 
 on 2 Cor. viii. 9, xi. 7 ; cf. Phil, ii, 6, 7 ; Jas. i. 10. 
 
 in each and all] 'Ev TravrX koL ev nraaiv, a vaguely com- 
 
 * Here again we seem to have rhetorically balanced clauses. 
 ' I have learned ' balances ' I can do ' (v. 13), and between these 
 statements we have four couplets in succession (v. 12), See J. 
 Weiss in Theologische Studien, p. 191. 
 
102 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 12-14 
 
 prehensive expression. Both vavri and iraai.v are neuter ; not 
 ' in every circumstance and among all men. ' Cf . 2 Cor. xi. 6. 
 
 been initiated] Mepuvrfiiat, one of a group of words which 
 the Apostle borrows from the language of pagan mysteries ; 
 e.g. fivaTfjpiov, yvS)ari<;, vow, o-o^ta, reXeio?, and perhaps 
 ■TTvevfia and ^vxv. R. M. Pope, Intr. to Early Church 
 History, pp. 43 f. 
 
 have pknty] Plenty of food, as both the word and the 
 context imply. In late Greek xopTa(f6(7(9at has quite lost 
 the notion of ' browsing. ' It is used of hmnan beings without 
 any suggestion that they are brutish in their food. Vulg. 
 satiari, Ambrstr. saturari. Cf. i Cor. iv. 11 ; 2 Cor. xi. 27. 
 
 have abundance and be in want] Once more (ii. 2, iii. 7-9) 
 the Apostle repeats without scruple in order to express his 
 meaning fully. He has just had vareprfinv and trepiaaeveiv 
 and here he has irepuTaeveiv and va-Tepela-Gai, Cf. I Cor. 
 viii. 8 and 2 Cor. xi. 9. 
 
 13. united with Him] Lit. 'in Him '; cf. ot. i, 7. 'Christ' 
 (A.V.) is an interpolation. In His strength, through union 
 with Him ; in Christo, non propria virtuie (Calvin). The 
 statement is a paradox and a profound truth.* His depend- 
 ence on Christ is the secret of his independence ; see on 2 
 Cor. xii. 9. Note the parallel couplets ; ' I have learned ' 
 and so ' I know,' ' I have been initiated ' and so ' I have 
 strength.' For evSwafiovv, ' to enable,' cf. i Tim. i. 12 ; 
 2 Tim. iv. 17. 
 
 14. Nevertheless] The uses of ■jtXjj'v differ in this letter ; 
 i. 18, iii. 16, iv. 14. R.V. has ' Howbeit ' here, and else- 
 where ' only.' Though his great joy was not caused by 
 rehef from great want, yet it was real, because the reUef 
 proved the generous sympathy of the PhiUppians. 
 
 did a noble thing] Mk. vii. 37; Acts x. 33. See Hort 
 on I Pet. ii. 12. 
 
 * L'enireprise est grande ; mais le secours est igal au travail. Dieu, 
 qui vous appelle si haut, vous tend la main ; son Fils, qui lui est Sgal, 
 descend d, vous pour vous porter. Dites done avec Saint Paul : je puis 
 tout avec celui qui me fortifie (Bossiuet). 
 
 See also Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. Led. xxi. 4 
 
iv. 15, i6] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 103 
 
 fellowship with me in my affliction] 'To share it with me.' 
 " Co-operation is still the great demand among modern 
 Christians. Churches so often leave it all for the pastor to 
 do." {A.T. 'Robertson, PMUppians, p. 62.) For (TWKoivcoveiv 
 see Eph. v. 11 ; Rev. xviii, 4. Cf . <rvvicoivo)v6<i, i. 7 ; i Cor. 
 ix. 23 ; Rev. i. 9. In these words the idea of personal 
 fellowship is prominent ; in iJueTo-xp<s and (rvvfieToxo': the 
 idea of participation in a common blessing. Westcott 
 on Heb. iii. i. ' Communicate ' (A.V.) is now misleading ; 
 in 1611 it had the right meaning. 
 
 15. you also] ' As well as I.' 
 
 my Philippians] Very rarely does he addres's his converts 
 by name. Here and 2 Cor. vi. 11 the passage is specially 
 affectionate. Gal. iii. is hardly less so, in spite of the 
 epithet. In all three places he brings his own life into 
 close connexion witli that of his converts.* 
 
 in the earliest days] The beginning of the Mission to 
 Macedonia. 
 
 when I departed] If this means ' at the time of my depar- 
 ture, ' there was some early contribution previous to what was 
 brought from Macedonia to Corinth. See 2 Cor. xi. g, where 
 the compound verb, irpoaave-TrXripwaev, implies some- 
 thing in addition, and probably refers to previous gifts 
 of the Macedonians. But ore e^X6ov may be a lax con- 
 struction for ' when I had departed. ' Paley, Horae PauUnae, 
 VII. i. and iii. 
 
 as regards giving and taking] Perhaps we should say ' as 
 to the account of credit and debit' ; in ratione dati et accepti, 
 Vulg. In papyri X070? occurs in the sense of 'account.' 
 See on v. 17 and cf. Ecclus. xU. 19, xlii. 7. As in iii. 7, 8, 
 St. Paul may be adopting commercial language ; and if so, 
 his motive here may be to give a playful turn to a deUcate 
 subject.f Chrysostom interprets this as meaning that the 
 Philippians gave material gifts and received spiritual gifts. 
 
 * The form 4>iXL-innja-oa may come from Philippenses. In secular 
 Greek we have $i\i7r7rels and ^iXLinrrivoL 
 
 t That actual statements of accounts passed between the givers 
 and the receiver, as Zahn supposes, is very unlikely. 
 
104 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 16-18 
 
 So also Pelagius, dantes carnalia spirituaUa accefistis. 
 Theodore of Mopsuestia rightly rejects this. The meaning 
 is that what they gave he received. He worked for his 
 living, and accepted nothing from those among whom he 
 worked. In Thessalonica he accepted no support from 
 Thessalonians (i Thess. ii. 9 ; 2 Thess. iii. 8) ; at Corinth 
 none from Corinthians (2 Cor. xi. 7, xii. 13) ; but in either 
 place he could accept gifts from Philippians. 
 
 16. more than once] Lit. ' both once and twice.' As in i 
 Thess. ii. 18 ; Neh. xiii. 20 ; i Mace. iii. 30, the meaning 
 probably is ' twice.' This mode of numeration is Hebraic ; 
 Job. V. 19 ; Eccles. xi. 2 ; Amos i. 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, etc. 
 
 even when] Thessalonica was a larger and richer city 
 than Philippi. 
 
 to minister to] For this use of et? cf. i. 5 ; 2 Cor. ii. 12 ; 
 and see on i Cor. xvi. i. M. and M. give illustrations. 
 Vocabulary, p. 186 b. 
 
 17. I do not mean] As in v. 11 and iii. 12. 
 
 I am desiring] As in iirnrodSt (i. 8, ii. 26), the preposition 
 in iwi^rjTM is partly intensive, although it marks the direc- 
 tion of the desire rather than its intensity. As in vv. 1 and 
 12, repetition adds emphasis. 
 
 to your account] or ' to your credit ' ; in rationem vestram, 
 Vulg. El<! \d70i' should probably have the same rendering 
 here and in v. 15. See on 2 Thess. i. 3. 
 
 18. give a receipt in full] This may be another commercial 
 metaphor. Papyri abundantly show that aTre^™ wa- fre- 
 quently used in this sense in the vernacular of the day. 
 Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 229, Light from Anc. East, 
 pp. no f . ; M. and M., Vocabulary, p. 57. But the ordinary 
 meaning ' I have right out,' ' I have to the full ' (Mt. vi. 
 2, 5, 16 ; Lk. vi. 24) makes such excellent sense that it 
 may reasonably be adopted. In any case airk')(m forms 
 an antithesis to k-7n^r]T&, ' so far from wanting I have 
 in full,' and we have repetition three words meaning 
 abundance. 
 
 odour of a sweet smell] A frequent expression in O.T., 
 Gen. viii. 21 ; Exod. xxix. 18 ; Lev. i. 9 ; Ezek. xx. 41, 
 
iv. i8, 19] HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL 105 
 
 etc. Cf. 2 Cor. ii. 15 .; Eph. v. 2. The quotation helps the 
 transition from the business aspect of the transaction 
 to the religious one. There is " no justification for compar- 
 ing the Persian idea, that the blessed dead would live among 
 pleasant odours " (Clemen, Primitive Christianity and 
 its Non- Jewish Sources, p. 171). 
 
 a sacrifice well-pleasing] As in Rom. xii. i ; Wisd. iv. 10. 
 Cf. Heb. xiii. 16, and see Hort on i Pet. ii. 5. This does 
 not mean that the gift had actually been offered at the 
 altar. It means that it is the religious element in the gift 
 that he specially values. Again we have repetition ; sweet 
 smell, acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 
 
 iv. 19, 20. Requital and Doxoiogy. 
 
 " But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches 
 in glory, by Christ Jesus. "" Now unto God and our Father be 
 glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 The Apostle can do no more than thank them, but he is 
 sure that God will requite them. 
 
 19 You have pleased God by fully supplying all my needs, 
 and God on my behalf will fully supply all your needs, according to 
 the measure of the wealth which is His to bestow, not only here, but 
 in the kingdom of glory, on those who are in Christ Jesus. 
 
 ^^ Now to Him who is God and Father to us all be the glory which 
 is due to Him for ever and ever. Anien. 
 
 19. God on my behalf] Such is the point of saying ' my 
 God ' here, qui quod servo ejus datur remunerabitur (Bengel)^ 
 Cf . i. 3 ; Rom. i. 8 ; Philem. 4. ' And ' (R.V.) not • but ' 
 (A.V.) for Se. 
 
 will fully supply] Fut. indie, not optat. as some Fathers 
 read. IlXijpcoaei, ' will fill to the full,' as in v. 18. Cf. 
 the futures in vv. 7 and 9. 
 
 all your needs] Every kind of need, material and spiritual, 
 
 according to the measure] ' On the scale of,' ' in accordance 
 with.' Cf. Rom. xi. 33. 
 
 in the Kingdom of glory] 'Ev So^y is added, lest any one 
 should suppose that only earthly needs are meant, as 
 
 I 
 
io6 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 20, 21 
 
 Theodore supposes. Theodoret limits the meaning to 
 rov enrovpdviov ttKovtov, and no doubt heavenly riches 
 are specially meant ; but earthly benefits are not excluded. 
 The thought of this superabundant bounty coming from 
 God prompts an immediate doxology.* 
 
 20. our God and father] The change from ' my God ' 
 to ' our God ' is natural. He is no longer thinking of God 
 acting on his behalf. Both here and Gal. i. 5 ' our ' belongs 
 to both ' God, and ' Father,' and in both places he would 
 wish to unite himself with his converts. See on i Thess. i. 3. 
 
 the glory] In the doxologies ' glory ' commonly has the 
 article, r) ho^a : Rom. xvi. 27 ; Gal. i. 5 ; Eph. iii. 21 ; 2 Tim. 
 iv. 18 ; Heb. xiii. 21 ; i Pet. iv. 11 ,; 2 Pet. iii. 18. 
 
 for ever and ever] Lit. ' unto ages of ages,' a form peculiar 
 to N.T. and very frequent in the Apocal3rpse. Each ' age ' 
 represents a long and indefinite period, and the whole 
 indicates an incalculable vastness of duration. Papyri 
 show how thoroughly Greek the prepositional combina- 
 tions with almv are. M. and M., p. 16. 
 
 iv. 21-23. CONCLUDING SALUTATIONS AND 
 BENEDICTION 
 
 '1 Salute every Saint in Christ Jesus : the brethren which are 
 with me greet you. '' All the Saints salute you, chiefly they that are 
 of Caesar's household. »' The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be 
 with you all. Amen. 
 
 St. Paul very probably added this conclusion with his 
 own hand. See on 2 Thess. iii. 17. 
 
 ^^ Greet in Christ Jesus every Christian in Philippi. All the brethren 
 who are my companions here send greetings to you. ^^ All the 
 Christians in Rome send greetings to you, especially those who are 
 come from the Imperial household. 
 
 2' The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 
 
 21. Greet in Christ Jesus] This is probably the true 
 
 * Bengel gives it a wider connexion : Doxologia fluit ex gattdio 
 iotius epistolae. But cf. Rom. xi. 36 ; Gal. i. 5. 
 
iv. -21-23] SALUTATIONS AND BENEDICTION 107 
 
 connexion. See Robertson and Plummer on i Cor. xvi. 19, 
 where ev Kvpim must be taken with aaTrd^erat, and cf. 
 Rom. xvi. 22. But ' every saint in Christ Jesus ' may be 
 right ; cf. Rom. xvi. 11, 12, 13. Papyri supply abundant 
 evidence that d(nrd^oiJ,ai was the regular word for expressing 
 greetings at the close of a letter. M. and M., p. 85. 
 
 every Christian] Of whatever kind. See on i. i. We 
 need not, with Theodore,, exclude nominal Christians. 
 Even they have been consecrated. 
 
 my companions here] The companions who visited him 
 most frequently in his imprisonment, especially Timothy. 
 
 22. All the Christians] Even those who are censured in 
 ii. 20, 21. We must have either ' greet ' or ' salute ' in all 
 three places ; not ' salute,' * greet,' " salute.' 
 
 the Imperial household] The domus Caesaris or familia 
 Caesaris, which would include every one from high officials 
 down to slaves. Such persons might have the privilege 
 of visiting those who were in prison, at any rate such as had 
 appealed to Caesar. That Seneca was one of these is a 
 baseless conjecture. As Phihppi was a Roman colony, 
 with a number of veteran soldiers among its population, 
 this greeting from Caesar's household would be much 
 appreciated. In any case it is noteworthy that the Gospel 
 in ilium scelerum omnium et flagitiorum abyssum penetravit 
 (Calvin). There is little doubt that Christianity had 
 entered the Imperial household before St. Paul reached 
 Rome. There were many Jews among the lower officials 
 in Nero's household, and it was perhaps among them that 
 the Gospel made its first converts. See Lightfoot, Biblical 
 Essays, pp. 321 f . ; Sanday and Headlam, Romans, pp. 
 xviii. f. ; Ramsay, Paul the Traveller, p. 353 ; and the 
 references in Renan, L'Antechrisi, pp. 11-13. 
 
 23. The grace of the Lord] The common form of the 
 Apostle's final Benediction, rfjv awndv evXoyiav (Theo- 
 doret), which, however, varies somewhat in details. See on 
 I Thess. iv. 28 and 2 Thess. iii. 18. The ordinary secular 
 conclusion was ' Fare ye weU,' eppaxrOs, Acts xv. 29, or 
 ' Farewell,' eppwa-o. Cf. 3 Jn. 2. 
 
io8 COMMENTARY ON PHILIPPIANS [iv. 23 
 
 with your spirit] This is the true reading. A.V. follows 
 inferior authorities, which have /lera •n-avToav for fiera tov 
 TrvevfjMTo^. ' With your spirit ' occurs Gal. vi. 18 and 
 Philem. 25 ; " with thy spirit ' 2 Tim. iv. 22. We might 
 expect • with your spirits ' : but the generic singular is 
 usual ; I Thess. v. 23 ; Rom. viii. 16 ; cf . Rom. vi. 12 ; 
 I Cor. vi, 19. 
 
 The 'Amen,' as usual, is an addition borrowed from 
 the littirgies; but in Gal. vi. j8 and Jude 25 it may be 
 original. 
 
Indexes 
 
 INDEX I. GENERAL 
 
 Abbott, E. A., 34, 53, 58 
 Advent, Second, 11, 16, 84, 86 
 Alford, xxii, 100 
 Alternations in the Epistle, xvii, 
 
 xviii, 17, 33, 55 
 Ambrosiaster, xxi, 68 
 Amen, 108 
 
 Antinomianism condemned, 76 
 Aorist, Force of the, 19, 28, 45, 54, 
 
 62, 77 
 Epistolary, 60, 62, 100 
 Sometimes = English perfect, 50, 
 
 77> loi 
 Apostle, I, 61 
 Appian, vii 
 Aristotle, 39, 93 
 Article, Absence of the, 4, 54, 65, 72, 
 
 84 
 Force of the, 12, 21, 23, 26, 29, 
 
 31. 39, 48. 58, 61, 63, 68, 73, 
 
 74. 75. 85, 106 
 Attra:ction of the pronoun, 35 
 Augustine, 12, 24, 52, 95, 97, 100 
 AuQienticity of the Epistle, xi, xii 
 A. v.. Defects in the, 8, 19, 23, 31, 
 
 35. 39. 47. 52, 53. 57. 59. 61, 72. 
 
 81, 84, 95, 97 
 
 Bacon, B. W., xiii 
 
 Barry, A., xxii, 35, 99 
 
 Baur, F. C, xi 
 
 Beet, J. A., xxii, 50, 65, 66, 97 
 
 " Belly," Meaning of word, 83 
 
 Benediction, Concluding, 107 
 
 Bengel, xii, xxii, 9, 10, 13, 14, 24, 
 25. 28, 30, 35, 45. 48, 51, 58, 
 59, 61, 76, 88, 94, 105, 106 
 
 Benjamin, Tribe of, 71 
 
 Bernard, J. H., 42 
 
 Beza, 4, 23, 25, 42, 53, 57, 61^ 62, 73, 
 
 74 .. 
 Blass, vu, 21, 29, 30, 52, 73, 75, 85, 
 
 lOI 
 
 Bleek, xi, xii 
 
 Bondservant, 2, 45 
 Book of Life, 91 
 Bossuet, 12, 13, 42, 52, 98 
 Bourdaloue, 51, 52, 86 
 Brethren, 19, 65, 78 
 Briggs, C. A., 6, 42 
 Bruce, A. B., xxiii 
 Burrhus, xv 
 
 Burton, E. de Witt, 15, 26, 30, 36, 
 38, 60, 70, 75, 80 
 
 Caesar's Household, xiv, 107 
 Caesarea, Imprisonment at, xiii, 20, 
 
 59 
 Calvin, xxi, 14, 21, 23, 29, 31, 53, 
 
 57, 72, 80, 81, 86, 98, 102, 107 
 Case, S. J., 6, 16, 48, 75 
 Cassiodorus, 4 
 Change of tense, 19, 28 
 Characteristics of the Epistle, xvi- 
 
 xviii, 9, 37, 65 
 Charles, R. H., 5, 91 
 Chiasmus, 23, 74 
 Christ Jesus, 3, 11 
 Christology, 6, 40-49 
 Chrysostom, xxi, 23, 24, 37, 49, 57, 
 
 62, 65, 69, 71, 90, 92, 100, 103 
 Cicero, 47 
 Circumcision, the true and the 
 
 worthless, 69 
 Clemen, xii, 96, 105 
 Clement of Alexandria, 90 
 Clement of Philippi, 91 
 Clement of Rome, xii, 5, 30, 33, 79, 
 
 93 
 Climax, 45, 71 
 
 Coming, Second, 11, 16, 84, 86 
 Commentaries, xxi 
 Comparatives strengthened, 30 
 Compounds, 26, 27, 46, 51, 64, 84 
 
 Double, 76, 79, 84 
 
 with ai¥, II 
 
 with iitrif), 48 
 
 109 
 
no 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Constructions, Amphibolous, 34, 62 
 
 Doubtful, 9, 50, 58 
 Cranmer, 69 
 Cremer, 27, 97 
 Cross, Emphasis by St. Paul on the, 
 
 82 
 Crown of Victory, 86 
 Cyril of Jerusalem, 102 
 
 Date of the Epistle, xiv, 27, 31, 58 
 
 Davies, T. L. O., 59 
 
 Day of the Lord, n, 16, 54, 84, 86 
 
 Deacons at Philippi, 4 
 
 Deissmann, xiii, 2, 7, 12, 13, 30, 34, 
 38, 41, 63, 104 
 
 Devout heathen, viii 
 
 De Wette, xii, xxiii, 9, 51 
 
 Dictation of letters, St. Paul's, xvii, 
 37, 58, 106 
 
 Divination, viii 
 
 " Dogs " as a term of abuse, 68, 69 
 
 Dollinger. 68 
 
 Duration of the Apostle's imprison- 
 ment, xiv 
 
 Duumvirs at PhiUppi, ix, 36 
 
 ElUcott, xxii, 4, 58, 66, 89 
 
 Ellipses frequent in the Pauline 
 Epistles, 29, 33, 79, 80 
 
 Envy and strife in rehgion, 23 
 
 Epaphroditus, xv, xvi, 60-64 
 
 Ephesus, Conjectured imprison- 
 ment at, xiii, xiv 
 
 Erasmus, xxi, 24 
 
 Eschatology, 11, 16, 30, 93 
 
 Euodia, 88 
 
 Evans, T. S., 14, 42 
 
 Ewald, P., xi, xii, 24, 34, 49, 83 
 
 Example, St. Paul as an, 81, 98 
 
 Faith personified, 34 
 Farrar, F. W., 73, 79, 92 
 Fear and trembling, 51 
 Fellowship, 9, 37, 75 
 Field, F., 53 
 First person singular; 2, 8 
 
 Gardner, P., 10, 26 
 God, Our or My, 8 
 " God-fearers," viii 
 Gospel, 53 
 Gould, Baring, 90 
 Grace, 12 
 
 Grace and Peace, 5 
 Gregory of Nazianzus, 45 
 Gregory of Nyssa, 10, 79 
 
 Gregory, C. R., xii 
 Gwynn, xxii, gi 
 
 Harnack, xii, 19, 35 
 
 Hatch, E., 34, 52 
 
 Headlam, 19, 26, 41 
 
 Hebrew of Hebrews, 71 
 
 Holsten, xi 
 
 Holtzmann, xii 
 
 Holy Spirit, 26, 34, 37, 69 
 
 Hoole, C. H., 2, 61 
 
 Hope and confidence, 56-59 
 
 Horace, 61, 63, 69 
 
 Hort, vii, 6, 17, 18, 33, 48, 50, 53, 
 
 67. 75. 85, 97. 102. 105 
 
 Humility a specially Christian vir- 
 tue, 9, 27, 39 
 
 Hyacinthe, P6re (Loyson), 83 
 
 Hymns, x, 41, 83 
 
 Hyperbole, 21, 58 
 
 Ignatius, x, xii, 38 
 Imperfect, Periphrastic, 61 
 Infinitive, Imperatival, 80 
 Integrity of the Epistle, xii, 67 
 Intercession, 26 
 Interpolations, 30, 63, 80 
 Israel, Import of the name, 71 
 
 Jerome, 27, 83 
 
 Jews and Gentiles at Philippi, vii 
 
 Jones, Maurice, xxii, 9, 14, 66 
 
 Josephus, 27, 57 
 
 Joy, the dominant note of the 
 
 Epistle, 9, 25, 31, 37, 63, 65, 91, 
 
 100 
 Judaizers, 66, 82 
 Jiilicher, xi, xii, 67, 68 
 
 Kennedy, H. H. A., xxii, 17, 24, 34 
 Klopper, xii 
 Knee, Bowing the, 48 
 Knowling, R. J., xii, 78, 96 
 
 Lake, K., xiii 
 
 Letter from the Philippians pos- 
 sible, xv, 17 
 
 Lewin, xv 
 
 Life, Book of, 91 
 
 Lightfoot, xi, 5, 14, 20, 42, 44, 46, 
 66, 75, loi, 107 
 
 " Lord," of Christ, 6, 49, 57, 63- 
 65. 73. 84, 88, 93, 100, 107 
 
 Lueken, xii, 66 
 
 Luther, 84, 97 
 
 Lydia, viii, x, 90 
 
 Macedonia, v 
 
INDEX 
 
 III 
 
 Macedonians, St. Paul's affection for 
 
 the, xix 
 Magistrates at Philippi, ix 
 Massillon, 12, 41, 45 
 Metaphors, Athletic, 34, 35, 36, 54, 
 
 79 
 
 Commercial, 72, 74, 78, 103 
 
 Military, 19, 30, 61 
 Meyer, xxii, 24, 50, 66, 88, 99 
 Milligan, 17 
 Milton, 44 
 
 MofEatt, xii, xxii, xxiii, 41, 66, 70 
 Mommsen, 20 
 Monod, A., 30 
 
 Moule, xxii, 10, 21, 30, 34, 75 
 Moulton, 36, 37, 70, 75 
 Moulton and Milligan, xxiii, 5, 12, 
 
 16, 18, etc. 
 Mystery-reUgions, 16, 102 
 
 Neapolis, v 
 
 Nearness of the Advent, 93 
 Nero, XV, 24, 61 
 Newman, J. H., 15, 82 
 
 Occasion and Object of the Epistle, 
 
 XV 
 
 Oecumenius, xxi, 71 
 
 O.T., Echoes of the, 25, 49, 53 
 
 Origen, 90 
 
 Palestine tlelief Fund, xx 
 
 Paley, 103 
 
 Papyri, ix, 7, 16, 18, 32, 59, 79, 103, 
 
 104, 106 
 Parabolani, 63 
 Paradox, 22, 28, 36 
 Partisanship condemned, 23 
 Parousia, 32 
 Paul, St., bracketed with Timothy, 2 
 
 Afiection for his converts, xvii, 3, 
 13. 38, 50. 86 
 
 Indignation against Judaizers, 
 68-76 
 
 Sensitiveness, 18, 68 
 
 Sympathy, xvi, 62 
 
 Tactfulness, 99 
 
 View of the Second Advent, 11, 
 
 93 
 Peace, 3, 94, 98 
 Pelagius, xxi, 5, 24, 43, 58, 65, 68, 
 
 104 
 Perdition, 35 
 Perfect tense, 16, 72 
 Persecution, 35, 36, 72 
 Meiderer, xxi, ig, 51, 75, 79 
 
 Philippi, vi, 34, 36, 47 
 
 Three sites of, vii 
 
 Why chosen as a starting-point, 
 vii 
 PhUo, 38 
 Plato, X, 83 
 Plautus, 30 
 
 Playing on words, 31, 78, 83, 89 
 Polybius, 38 
 Polycarp, x, xii 
 Poppaea, xv 
 Praetorium, xiv, 19 
 Praise. 17 
 Prayer, 13, 94 
 Preposition, liepetition of, 11, 13, 
 
 loi 
 Presbyters, 5 
 Present tense. Force of the, 24, 28, 
 
 34, 63. 73 
 Prize, 43, 79 
 PuUan, 43 
 
 Punctuation, Question of, 25, 38 
 Pusey, 68 
 
 Quotations from poets, 66 
 
 Rackham, ix 
 
 Ramsay, 20, 41 
 
 Readings, Various, vii, viii, 11, 24, 
 
 25. 30. 35. 52, 6i, 63, 69, 80 
 Reiteration in teaching, 65, 82 
 Renan, xii, 2, 6, 20, 25, 88, 90, 99, 
 
 107 
 Repetition frequent in the Epistle, 
 
 9, 38. 39. 72. 73. 102, 104, 105 
 Resurrections, Theory of two, 76 
 Robertson, A., 64, 70, 107 
 Robertson, A. T., xxiii, 19, 57, 73, 
 
 78, 103 
 Robinson, J. A., 5 
 Rome, the place 'from which St. 
 
 Paul wrote, xiii, 20, 32, 59 
 Ropes, J. R., 87 
 Rostron, 13, 41 
 R.V., Defects in the, 30, 70, 72, 97 
 
 Sabatier; xU, 40, 42, 72 
 
 Saints, 3 
 
 Salutations, i, 106 
 
 Salvation, 26, 35 
 
 Sanday, xxiii, 44 
 
 Sanday and Headlam, 4, 5, 19, 75, 
 
 100, 107 
 Schafi, P., xi 
 Schurer, xi, xii 
 Scrivener, 37 
 Seneca, 29, 31, 81, 83, loi 
 
112 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Simeox, W., 4, 6, 37, 74, loi 
 
 Spirit, 34 
 
 Spirit, Holy, 26, 34, 37, 69 
 
 Suicer, g, 13, 27, 30, 39, 63 
 
 Supplication, 9 
 
 Swete, xxi, 53, 70, 76, 91 
 
 Syntyche, 88 
 
 ^oizygus, 89 
 
 Tacitus, 61 
 
 Testaments of the XII Patriarchs, 
 
 46.47 
 Testing, 74 
 
 Thackeray, H. St. J., 3, 30, 74 
 Thanksgivings in letters, 7 
 Theodore of Mopsuestia, xxi, 4, 5, 
 
 10, 25, 27, 42, 43, 65, 68, 88, 
 
 104, 106 
 Theodoret, 15, 24, 61, 65, 69, 73, 106 
 Theophylact, 4, 71 
 Tigellinus, xv 
 Timothy, 2, 56, 59 
 Tindale, 28 
 
 Transposition of verses, 23 
 Trench, 4^, 52, 53, 87, 89, 93 
 Turner, C. H., xxi 
 
 Unity needed at Philippi, 34, 37, 40, 
 52.88 
 
 Van Manen, xvii 
 
 Vaughan, C. J., xxii, 24, 66 
 
 Via Egnatia, vii 
 
 Vincent, M. R., xxi, 4, 48, 65 
 
 Virgil, 93 
 
 Virtue, 97 
 
 Von Soden, xxiii, 40, 41, 67, 96, 99 
 
 Vulgate, 8, 15, 19, 24, 44, 47, 50, 
 
 51. 52. 53. 58. 62, 65, 92, 100 
 Defects in, 12. 25, 30, 53, 55, 63, 
 
 66, 70, 73, 82, 84, 94 
 
 Way, A. S., xxii, 4, 13, 41, 83 
 
 Weinel, 14, 64, 92 
 
 Weiss, B., xii, xxii, 21, 48, 79 
 
 Weiss, J., 47, loi 
 
 Westcott, B. F., 43, 44, 45, 53, 70. 
 
 77. 98, 103 
 Westcott, F. B., 36, 46, 84 
 Wetstein, 31, 91 
 Wette, De, xii, xxiii, 9, 51 
 Weymouth, xxii, 4, 13, 95 
 Wiclif, 13, 49, 58, 69 
 Wieseler, 19, 90 
 
 Winer, 19, 29, 54, 60, 70, 73, loi 
 Women converts, viii 
 Wright, Aldis, 59 
 
 Zahn, XX, xxiii, 12,165, 88, 103 
 
INDEX II. GREEK 
 
 iydrif, 14 
 iyios, 4 
 ayvwt, 24 
 d7i4i', 36 
 
 iSeTupis, I9i 65, 78 
 idTinoycip, 62 
 
 dff.9 
 
 alpeurOcu, 29 
 alaOijais, I4, 15 
 afTii/ia, 94 
 aliiy, 106 
 dxai/ieurdat, lOI 
 dx^/xnos, 52 
 iXKd, 54, 73 
 dXXa, KcU, 25 
 draddXAeti', lOO 
 dvaXiied', 30 
 iparXripoOp, 64 
 di'da'Tiuru, 76 
 iva, 79 
 al'wi, 33 
 
 da-eKTeiyA/tepos, 79 
 artxi^iv, 104 
 dTo^ai'CU', ri, 28 
 ivoxapadoKia^ 26 
 droXoY^a, 12, 23 
 aTbffToKoi, 6t 
 operi), 97 
 ipraynds, 43 
 a^dpn;;, loi 
 aird, rd, XV, 65 
 ofiTi, t4, 38 
 airi toOto, IO 
 iiplSu, 59 
 
 fiePauiiris, 12 
 p\ir€Tf, 68 
 Ppa^eiov, 79 
 ^oiXo/uu, 18 
 
 7dp, 12, 51,69, lOl 
 ylyeaOai, 42, 46, 52 
 ytpdrKCiy, 53, 74, 93 
 7i')i<rios, 89 
 TKijcriwi, 57 
 yrupij^ii), 29 
 
 a^, 58, 105 
 diria-a, 9 
 a(aXoYt(r/i6s,' 52 
 iia^ipovTa, rd, 15 
 «'«, 47 
 
 SuiKeu>, 78, 79 
 SoKci, 70 
 doKifid^eip, 15 
 SoK(/i^, 58 
 S6|a, 85, 105, 106 
 SoSXos, 3, 45 
 Si}o, ^K TO)', 29 
 
 ^avruK, 51) 58 
 ^16, 70, 78, lOI 
 el KcU, 54 
 cr x«i, 75 
 elkiKpiv^s, 16 
 <ip^'"7i S 
 «'s. 9. 16. S4i 59 
 ^(t, 29 
 ^KadTot, 39 
 Air^fu, 57 
 ^/*ii,74 
 f", II, 13 
 ^y Kvplif, 21 
 ^y Xpiirr^, 26 
 «>-, 78 
 ic, t6,38 
 ^vapld/ievoi, 0, 10 
 ?»««fis, 35 
 ivSvyo/ioVv, 102 
 epipytia, 85 
 ivepyeTr, 52 
 ivTifios, 63 
 ^|avdcrra<r», 76 
 
 4o>^J, 59 
 ^|o/u)Xo7E(a'0at, 49 
 
 ^T^w. S3 
 ^xfYfuirii, 14 
 ivieixis, t6, 93 
 ^a-tJijTU, 104 
 i-nfilveir, 31 
 iviroBeir, 12, 61 
 eirnr66i}Tot, 86 
 Vfiricoros, 4 
 
 113 
 
114 
 
 INDEX 
 
 eiriTeXeJi', lO 
 
 fpyov, rb, 63 
 i/kteela, 23 
 ipu, 93 
 iptoTu, 89 
 iripat, 80 
 fr( AuiXXov, 14 
 ebSoKla, 23 
 EAoStav, 88 
 eipeSels, 46 
 eS^nj/ios, 97 
 ti>Vl'wxet>', 57 
 e^' 4;, 78, lOI 
 
 fij/tfo, 72 
 if*, TO, 28 
 
 ^oS/uu, 78 
 
 IjSri, 100 
 
 ^ju^/)a XpuTToO, 16 
 
 e66s, 43 
 Bep&irav, 3 
 0X(^u, 24 
 
 r»o, i4>,is. 38 
 
 r^a Qeif, 43 
 to-6i^o!, 57 
 
 Ka0i&s, II 
 
 Koi, 39. 47. 70. 91. 94. 97. 
 
 Ka2 7(i/], 62 
 
 KapSia, II 
 
 icard, 19 
 
 kototyAXm;., 23 
 
 Karakaupdyeiv, 78 
 
 KaTayTyi', 75 
 
 Kararo/ti}, 69 
 
 KaTepryij;ea$cu, 5 1 
 
 Kaixniia, 31 
 
 Kei/iat, 23 
 
 iceroSolfa, 38 
 
 K^ov, e<s, 54 
 
 Kefovr, 44 
 
 *t^/i>Si7, 72 
 
 Kiipiiraea', 23 
 
 icX^o-jt, 79 
 
 KoiMa, 83 
 
 KOiyciU'eii', 37 
 
 Koirayla, 9, 37 
 
 JCOJTtJv, 54 
 
 Kpturami, 30 
 (nives, 68 
 Kipioi, oi, ix 
 
 Xa/ijarffCTi., 45, 77 
 Xeirou/)ylo, 55, 64 
 
 Xeiroii/ii76s, 61 
 XoytfeffdcM, 78, 97 
 Xiyos, 103, 104 
 \ofr6v, TO, 64, 65. 
 
 liaWov, 14, 30 
 jueYoXiJi'W, 27 
 I/Leni7)iuu, 102 
 ^eir, 31 
 lupinrq.*, 93 
 /terd, 30 
 
 lt,era<rxVf"''''ii'f"'i 84 
 /"?SA., 38 
 mA'oi., 33, 36 
 
 ral, 89 
 foi^iuara, 95 
 y6iios, 70 
 
 o7Sa, 31 
 olKTtpiiol, 37 
 oU/ievoi, 24 
 ofos, 36 
 inrijplK, 66 
 ofioluiiia, 46 
 dvifutTi, viii 
 
 «o-"s. 3S. 57. 72, 90 
 otrrus, 87 
 oi)x *", loi 
 
 «■»«, 3) SS 
 T(iXu>, 62 
 rdvTa, t4, 73, 85 
 Trdyres, oi, 58 
 Toi-Tf, er, 94, lOI 
 vdvTOTC, 9, 92 
 xopaj3oXci;«reo«, 63 
 rapoKoXeZi', 87 
 iropii/cXij(7«, 37 
 rapaSa/ipdvea, 98 
 irapanimw, 31 
 vapa/iiSiov, 37 
 rapa^Xi^trioir, 62 
 ira/tcuiria, 32 
 rappr/irla, 26 
 
 TivoiBa, 10, 21, 31, 57, 70 
 Tep(, r4, 34, 58, 59 
 B-epHToreji', 84 
 xepuraeiew, 14, 31, 102 
 9-E/»ra/ii}, 69 
 riirret!cty, ei;, 36 
 xtcTTts, 31, 74 
 vXefoyes, 0!, 21 
 ■ir\fiv, 102 
 irXiypoCi', 16, 38 
 TveS/ta, 34, 108 
 «-oXiTeiic(r0a(, 33 
 weUTev/M, 33, 83 
 
INDEX 
 
 "5 
 
 ToXX^ /iaXXoK, 30, 51 
 vori, ^Sij, 100 
 rpeff^irepos, 5 
 xpoffS^eo-ffai, 63 
 vpoaeiixij, viii 
 n-/io<r0tXi}t, 97 
 vpotpiaei, 25 
 vTipo/iat, 35 
 
 o-dpf, 70 
 ireiaibs, 96 
 (ric67ros, 79 
 VKipaKov, 73 
 arirpavoi, 86 
 ffviinop^i^/ievos, 75' 
 (rifi/iopipos, 84 
 trwepyla, 61 
 (Twi-xptmi, II, 29 
 airj^e, 89 
 avykaiip&yev, 90 
 Sui'7T)x''7''i 88 
 
 ri icar' ^/»^, 19 
 ra ir«p£, 34, 58, 59 
 TOireu'oSv, 47 
 Taireuiixppocini, 39 
 raxius, 59 
 
 T^icxa eeoS, 52 
 Tii'es, 22 
 "t, 37 
 ti)tos, 81 
 
 inrc£px«''t 33. 42. 84 
 *T^Pi 36 
 iirepv<f/oOp, 48 
 iarepetcrBai, 102 
 iaripTicrit, 102 
 
 •(■aiveaBat, S3 
 ipipos xal Tp6/u>s, 51 
 ^paveri., II, 38, 41, lOl 
 ippovpelv, 94 
 ^ffTijpes, 53 
 
 Xofpw, 65, 92 
 
 Xopa. 63 
 Xopts, S, 12 
 X(>pTa^(rda(, 102 
 
 lis, 58 
 
 (So-Tt, 50, 85, 86 
 
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