cited Paul’s easily roused indignation by their apparent indifference to a mission which was dear te his heart. ‘*All,”’ writes Jilicher (ind. in αἱ N7), ‘is without doubt hyperbolical. Paul was a man ; and he had a right to give expression in his
letters to his passing moods.’ : It is generally supposed that Epaphroditus was the bearer of the letter to Philippi, and that he
was also the amanuensis. Lightfoot’s judgment is that ‘on the whole it seems most probable’ that 4? is an appeal to Epaphroditus, who was by
Paul's side and writing down his words, to use
849 PHILIPPIANS, EPISTLE TO THE
his best endeavour to heal the grievous quarrel between Euodia and Syntyche. Others consider this unnatural, and prefer to take Σύνξζυγος as a proper name, and to explain σιος as ‘truly Palted.? The return of Epaphroditus and the fit- ness of sending thanks for the gifts received, through the person who had brought them, was probably the immediate occasion of the Epistle.
iii. Tue CONTENTS OF THE EPISTLE. — The Epistle begins in St. Paul’s usual manner, with this exception, that the bishops and deacons are singled out for special greeting (1%). The apostle goes on to say that the remembrance of the Philip-
ians always awakens in his heart thankfulness to God, and that his prayers for them are accom-
anied with joy, because of their fellowship in the Partherasice of the gospel from the day they first heard it (vv.**). A prayer follows, that their love may abound more and more, and that it may be accompanied with knowledge and discernment so that they shall be able to prove things that differ, and be found free of offence unto the day of Christ (vv). 5 ‘
The apostle then turns to his own affairs, which are likewise those of the gospel. His captivity, instead of proving a calamity to the cause of Christ, as might have been feared, had contributed to the spread of the glad tidings, his bonds having become manifest in Christ throughout the whole
retorium and to the rest. His captivity had ikewise emboldened many brethren to speak the word of God without fear; and although some of the preachers had been animated by unworthy feelings towards himself, he was able to re- joice that they had proclaimed Christ. For him- self, he cherished the confident expectation and hope that Christ would be magnified in him, whether by his life or by his death. Death was to him a more attractive prospect than life, for after death he should be with Christ; but his life was more needful for the Philippians and his other converts, and he felt confident that he would be spared for their sakes. Only one thing could damp the joyful confidence of the apostle, evil tidings of iis converts, and he therefore exhorts them to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, and not to be intimidated by adversaries (νν.}3 50),
An appeal to the Philippians follows, to fulfil the apostle’s joy by living lives of brotherly love. They are warned to shun the spirit of faction and vainglory, and to cultivate lowliness of mind. In their Lord Christ, who exchanged the form of God for the form of a servant (Bruce, Humil. of Christ, p. 28; see Gifford, Incarnation, p. 22ff., and below, iv. n. 2), they had before them an ex- ample of lowliness of mind, and in His subsequent exaltation, a proof of God’s approval of the lowly mind (2'-4),
The apostle then repeats certain warnings al- ready given against disputings and murmurings, and entreats the Philippians to live as children of God. His absence ought to act as an additional incentive to more strenuous efforts on'their part to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (vv.1*"4),
The apostle intimates his intention to send Timothy to visit Philippi, that he may comfort them, and bring aiding of them to himself. Timothy is one who will truly care for their wel- fare; and such men were at the time rare among the apostle’s companions, for they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. The apostle explains that he has sent back Epaphroditus whom the Philippians had sent to minister to him, be- cause Epaphroditus, after a dangerous illness, had been pein with a longing for his home. He had, however, done noble service to the apostle, and deserved the best reception from his fellow-Chris-
PHILIPPIANS, EPISTLE TO THE
tians in Philippi on his home-coming. The sage ends with the words, ‘ Finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord’ (2°-3").
he last words of the former paragraph seemed to indicate that the apostle was about to close his letter. But a new paragraph begins with 31, in which he goes on to state that he does not hesitate to repeat warnings formerly given, as he knows that they are a means of safety for his con- verts. An impassioned invective follows against the ‘dogs’ of the concision who were always bark- ing at him. Their worship, which they were se eager to introduce among all Christians, was a worship in the flesh, and not by the Spirit of God. Paul had himself possessed, in all their fulness, the fleshly privileges of which the Judaizers boasted, and en renounced them that he might gain Christ in their stead, and experience the power of His resurrection, and that fellowship in Christ’s sufferings through which lies the rg to a joyful resurrection. The apostle adds that he is aware that his own apprehension of the blessings of the Christian calling is as yet incomplete, but he de- scribes himself as one who is forgetting the thin, that are behind, and stretching forward to t things which are before. A warning reference follows to some who are spoken of as the enemies of the cross of Christ, not apparently because of their opposition to the gospel, but because of their worldly and licentious lives. These men mind earthly things; but the citizenship of the Christian is in heaven. The ΕΣ 3388 concludes with a general exhortation to Christian steadfast- ness (3!°-41), An entreaty follows to two women, Euodia and Syntyche, who had been formerly fellow-labourers with Paul, to be of one mind in the Lord; and an unnamed true yoke-fellow (or perhaps [see above] a friend named Synzygue) is exhorted to labour to bring about the desired reconciliation. All are exhorted to rejoice in the Lord, and to show by their gentle and forbearing behaviour towards all men that they believed their Lord to be at hand. Their needs should be laid before the Lord in prayer, and the peace of God— a better defence than all the devices of men— would stand sentinel over their hearts and thoughts. After another ‘finally,’ a passage follows which seems to breathe the spirit of the philosophic moralist rather than of the Christian apostle. Let them open their minds and hearts to the con- templation of all true and beautiful thoughts, of all fair deeds wherever they are to be seen (453 ὃ).