he had c ,• valued these, he now c ited them -all
hut loss lor i he excellency of the knowledge of Christ" (iii. 1 12). A reference to his own sanctified ambition t.. advance in the service of Chrisl leads him to exhorl the Philippians to a similar spirit; from this he passes to caution them againsl unnecessary contention, and againsl those who walk disorderly, concluding by re- minding i hem of the glorious hopes which, as Chris- tians, they entertained (ver. 13 21). [n the third pari we have a series ol admonitions to indi\ idual members of the Church at Philippi (iv, I 3), followed b} some general exhortations tocheerfulm bs, moderation,"prayer, and good conduct (ver. I 9); after which come a series of allusions to tbe apostle's circumstances and feelings, his thanks i o i he Philippians for their seasonable aid. nil his < oncluding benedictions and Balutationa I ver. 10 28).
VI. Characteristic Features of the Epistle.— Strangely full of joy and thanksgiving amid adversity, like the apostle's midnight hymn from the depth ol ids Philip- pian dungeon, this epistle went forth from his prison at Rome. In moBt other epistles he writes with a sus- tained effort to instruct, or with sorrow, or with indig- nation •. In- i- Btri\ ing to supply imperfect, or to com cl erroneous teaching, to put down scandalous impurity, or to lieal schism in the Church which lie addresses. Hut in this epistle, though he knew the Philippians intimately, and was not blind to the faults ami tenden- cies lo fault of some Of them, yet he mention- no evil so characteristic of the whole Church as to call for gen-
j eral censure on his part or amendment on their-. ( n all Id- epistles i" churches, none has so little of an official character as this, lie withholds his title of "apostle" in the inscription. We lose Bight ol hi- high authority.
and of the subordinate positi if the worshippers by the
river-side: and we are admitted to Bee the free action of a heart glowing with inspired Christian love, and to hear the utterance of the highest friendship addressed lo equal friends conscious of a connection which is not earthly ami temporal, hut in Christ, for eternity. Who that hears iu mind the condition of Paul in his Roman prison can read unmoved of his continual prayers for his distant friends, his constant sense of their fellowship with him. his joyful remembrance of their past chris- tian course, his confidence in their future. Ids tender yearning after them all in Christ, hi- eagerness to com- municate to them his own circumstances .and feelings, his carefulness to prepare them to repel any evil from within or from without which might dim the hiiuht- ness of their spiritual graces? Love, at once lender and watchful — that love which "is of God" is the key-note of this epistle; and in this epistle only we hear no un- dertone of any different feeling, dust enough, and no more, is shown of his own harassing trial- to lei us see imw deep in his 'marl was the -priii": of that feeling, and how he was refreshed by its sweet and soothing
lloW.
VII. t 'omnu ntaries. —The following are the exegetical
helps specially on this entire epistle : a few of the most important are indicated by an asterisk (*) prefixed : Vic- loriuus. /// Ep. ml I'h. (in Mai. Script. Vet. III. i. 5] : Pseudo-Hieronymus, Commentarii (in "/'/'■ ! Suppos. I. xi,1011); Chrysostom, Homilia (Gr.el Latin Opp.xi, 208; also in Erasmi Opp. viii, 319 ; in Engl, [including other epistles ! in Lib. •;/' Fathers, xiv. Oxf. 1843, 8vo); Zwingli,/4 tmotationes (Tigur. 1531, Ito; also in Opp. iv. on 1 1 : Hoffmann, Cotnmentarius | Basil. 1541, 8vo); Brenz, Explicatio (Franc 1548, 8 vo; also in Opp. vii) ; Cal- \in. Commentarii (in Opp. often; separately in Engl. by Becket, Lond. 1584, fol.; by Johnston [includ. Col.], Edinb. 1842, l2mo; by Pringle | includ. Col. and Thess. j, Edinb. LB51, 8vo); Major. Enarratio [includ. Col. and Thess. | (Yitemh. 1554, 1561, 8vo); Ridley, Exposition (in Richmond's Fathers, ii); Weller, Cotnmentarius | in- clud. Thess. | i N'oiih. 1561, 8vo) : Salbont, Commentarii includ. other epistles ! I Antw. 1561, 8vo; also in Opp. Col. Aer. 1568, fol.) ; Musculus, Commentarius [includ. C»k. Thess.. and 1 Tim. I « Basil. 1565, 1578, L595, fol.); Aretius, Commentarii [ includ. Col. and This-. M n . 1580, 8vo); Olevian, Nota [includ. Col. I (Gen. 1580, 8vo); Steuart (Roman Cath.), Commentarius (Ingolst. 1595, Ito); Zanchius. Commentarius [includ. CoL ami Thess.] iXeo-i. 1595, fol.; also in Opp. \ i > : Weinrich, Explicatioi Lips. 1615, Ito) : Airay, Lectures (Lond. 1618, lie i : Battus, Commentarius (Rost.1 627, 4to) ; Velasquez i Rom. Cath.), Commentarii (Lugd. 1628 32; Antw. 1637, 1651; Ven. 1646, 2 vol-, fol.). Schotan, Commentaria (Franeck. 1 1 ;;> T. 4to); Crell, Commentarius (in Opp. i. 501); M> elfuhr. CommenUltiones ( Allorf. H'.l I. In-
: I > . i i 1 1 . . Exposition (2d ed. Gen. 1659 60,2 vols.8vo; in English by Sherman. Lond. 1841, 8vo); Scheid, Disputationes | Vrgent. Mom. Ito); P.n ithaupt,4ntma<fcer«oii« (Hoi. 1693, 1703, 4to); Hazevoet, Verklaaring (Leyd. 1718, 4ro) ; Van Til, I'./--
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
99
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Mooring ([incliul. Rom.] Harlem, 1721, 4to; in Lat. [in- clud. 1 Cor., Epta., and Col.] Amst. 1720, 4to) ; Busching. Introductio (Hal. 1740, 4to) ; Storr, Diss, exegetica (Tub. 1783, 4to; also in Opusc i, 301-67) ; Am Ende, A nnota- tiones (fasc. i, ii, Torg. 1789 -92 ; Viteb. 1798-1803, 8vo) ; Paalus, De tempore, etc. (Jen. 1799, 4to) ; Lang, Bearbeit. (Nuremb. and Alt. 1800, 8vo) ; Kranse, A n dicersis horn, script., etc. (Regiom. 1811, 4 to ; also in Opusc. p. 1-22) ; Hoog, De Philip, condiiione (L. B. 1825, 8vo) ; *Rhein- wald, Commentar (Berl. 1827, 8vo); Acaster. Lectures (Loud. 1827, 8vo) ; Rettig, Qucestiones (Giess. 1831, 8vo) ; Schinz, I). Christ!. Genieine zu Phil. (Zur. 1833, 8vo) ; East burn, Lectures (N. Y. 1833, 8vo) ; Passavant, A usle- gung (Basle, 1834, 8vo) ; Baynes, Commentary (Lond. 1834, 12mo); Matthies, Erklar. (Greifsw. 1835, 8vo); *Steiger, Exegese [includ. Col.] (Par. 1837, 8vo) ; *Van Hengel, Commentarius (L. B. 1838, 8vo); Hblemann, Commentarii (Lips. 1839, 8vo) ; Anon., Erklar. (Hanov. 1839, 8vo) ; Neat, Discourses (Lond. 1841, 8vo) ; Rilliet, Commentaire (Gen. and Par. 1841, 8vo) ; Hall, Exposi- tion (Lond. 1843, 8vo) ; Neander, Erlaut. (Berl. 1849, 8 vo ; in Engl, by Mrs. Conant, N. Y. 1851, 12mo) ; Robertson, Lectures (Lond. 1849, 12mo); B. Crusius, Commentar (Jen. 1849, 8vo) ; Kohler, A uslegung (Kiel, 1855, 8vo) ; Toller, Discourses (Lond. 1855, 12mo); *Weiss, Ausle- gung (Berl. 1858, 8vo) ; *Ellicott, Commentary [includ. Col. and Philem.] (Lond. 1858, 8vo) ; Jatbo, Erklar. (Hildesh. 1858, 8vo); *Eadie, Commentary (Lond. 1858, 1861, 8vo); Shulte, Commentary (Lond. 1861, 8vo) ; Schenkel, Eddut. [includ. Eph. and Col.] (Leipz. 1862, 8vo); Newland, Catena (Lond. 18G2, 8vo) ; Vaughan, Lectures (2d ed. Lond. 1864, 8vo); Todd, Exposition (Lond. 1864, 8vo) ; *Lightfoot, Commentary (Lond. 1868, 1870, 8vo) ; Johnstone, Lectures (Lond. 1875, 8vo). See Epistle.