[2] The words obviously may be rendered, "_Farewell_ in the Lord"; and so some take them, explaining that St Paul was intending to close immediately, and so wrote his "Adieu" here; but then changed his plan. This is very unlikely however. See below, iv. 4: _Chairete en Kurio pantote_. The "always" there scarcely suits a formula _of farewell_, while it perfectly suits an injunction _to be glad_. And that passage is the obvious echo of this.--A.V. and R.V. both render "rejoice," though R.V. writes "or, _farewell_" in the margin. St Chrysostom in his comments here explains the passage as referring to the Christian's joy (_chara_). The ancient Latin versions render _Gaudete_ (not _valete_) in _Domino_.
[3] I thus render _rhythmically_ the rhythmical Greek (it is an iambic trimeter): _emoi men ouk okneron, humin d asphales_. It is probable that the words are a quotation from a Greek poet, perhaps a "comic" poet; the "comedies" being full of neatly expressed reflexions. For such a quotation, probably from the "comedian" Menander, see 1 Cor. xv. 33: _phtheirousin ethe chresth homiliai kakai_: "_Ill converse cankers fair morality._"
[4] The reading _pneumati Theou_ (not _Theo_) _latreuontes_ is to be preferred.
[5] _Datreuien_ means first to do servants' work, then to do religious "service" (so almost always in LXX. and N.T.) and sometimes specially _priestly_ duty (see e.g. Heb. xiii. 10). This latter may be in view here: we Christians, born anew of the Spirit, are the true _priests_, and we little need to be made Jewish proselytes first.
[6] The _sarx_ in St Paul is very fairly represented by the word "self" as used popularly in religious language. It is man taken as apart from God, and so man _versus_ God; then by transition it may mean, as here, the products of such a source, the labours of the self-life to construct a self-righteousness. It is hardly necessary to say that, in such contexts as this, where it stands more or less distinguished from the _pneuma_, it is not a synonym for "the body." Sins of "the flesh" may be sins purely of the mind, as e.g. "emulation" (Gal. v. 20).
[7] I thus attempt to convey the emphasis of the words _ouk en sarki pepoithotes_, which is not precisely as if he had written _en sarki_.
[8] _Peritoue_: a dative of reference, a frequent construction with St Paul. See Rom. xii. 10-12 for several examples together.
[9] See Trench, _Synonyms_, Sec. xxxix., for the special meanings of _Israelites_, the member of the Covenant-people; _Ebraios_, the Jew who was true to his inmost national traditions; and _Ioudaios_, the Jew merely as other than the Gentile.
[10] The article is absent; but context leaves no doubt of the special reference here.
[11] In solemn contrast but with perfect consistency, from another point of view--that not of the Pharisee but of GOD--he can point out elsewhere that "no flesh" can possibly claim "righteousness" on the ground of fulfilment of code and precept. See especially Rom. iii. 19, 20. But his business here is to meet the legalist on the legalist's own ground.
[12] Notice the _plural_; as if, miser-like, he had counted his bags of treasure. And then see the contrasted _singular_, _Xemian_: he finds them all _one mass of loss_.
[13] _Skubala_: the Greek etymologists derived the word from _kusi balein_, "to cast to dogs." Otherwise it is traced to a connexion with _skor_, "excrement."
[14] Practically, he means "that I _might_ gain," in the past transaction of conversion and surrender. He thinks the past over again.
[15] Lit., "faith of," _pisteos Christou_. This use of the genitive with _pistis_, to denote its object, is frequent. Cp. e.g. Mark xi. 22; Gal. ii. 16, 20.
[16] Even as the benefit of food is conditioned to us by our (not buying but) eating it.
[17] See the whole hymn (rendered from Lavater's _O Jesu Christe, wachs in mir_) in _Hymns of Consecration_, 295.