FOR THE FUTURE, ver. 12, 13, 18, 19.
Whence he exhorts the Philippians :—
1. Since he is to continue to live, that they should walk wor
thily of the Gospel, 25— ii. 16.
2. Although he should be put to death, that they should
rejoice with him, 17, 18 ; and promises that he will very soon give them all information by Timothy, ver. 19, 20 ; and in the meantime sends Epaphroditus, 25, 26.
IV. HE EXHORTS THEM TO REJOICE, iii. 1, admonishing them
to avoid false teachers of righteousness, and to follow the true, ver. 2, 3 ; and commending peace and harmony, iv. 1-3. In like manner he exhorts them to joy, accom panied with gentleness and calmness of mind, ver. 4-7, and to do all things that are excellent, 8, 9.
V. HE ACCEPTS WARMLY THE LIBERALITY OF THE PHI LIPPIANS, 10-20.
'E-TT/, upon) The mention, the remembrance is the occasion of
1 Michaelis (in der Enleitung, etc., T. I. p. m. 165, sq.) confirms the venerable antiquity of the Syriac Version of the N. T. from the fact, thai in this passage it uses the word elders for bishops, and therefore it was made at that time when the real difference between bishops and presbyters ivas not yet knoivn — E. B.
thanksgiving. — ndey, every) Paul's heart was large : comp. the following verse, where it occurs thrice.
4. 'T<rsf>, for) Construe it vtiih praying. — f^era y^apac, with joy) The sum of the epistle is, / rejoice, rejoice ye. This epistle on joy aptly follows that to the Ephesians, where love reigns ; for joy is perpetually mentioned, ver. 18, etc. ; likewise ch. ii. 2, 19, 28, iii. 1, iv. 1, 4. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. Joy parti cularly gives animation iv prayers. — ryv dsqfftv, [my request], the prayer) of which he had just spoken.
5. 'ETT/, for) Construe with / thank. — xo/i/<w/«, fellowship) which has come to you from above,1 and is practised by you in holy liberality, ch. iv. 10, 15, 16; comp. 2 Cor. ix. 13. — «TO, from) Construe with / thank. — qftspag, day) when ye became partakers of the Gospel.
6. ns<To/$w£, being confident) This confidence constitutes the sinews of thanksgiving. — o evap^dpsvos sv vf&?v} who has begun in you) sv twice emphatically. — 'ipyw ayaQw, a good work) It is the one great and perpetual work of God for our salvation, ch. ii. 13. — J^/T-sXso'g/, will perfect) The beginning is the pledge of its final consummation. Not even a man begins anything at random.2 — &XP<CI wen to) Believers set before their minds, as the goal, the day of Christ, rather than their own death. — fift'spas, the day) ver. 10.
7. KaOug, even as) He explains the reason why he speaks so kindly as to the Philippians. — d/xa/ov, just) I find just reasons in my own case, from the relationship of faith, and these reasons are not trifling. I am both justly bound by them, and demand them as a right. — ppovs/v) to think. — 5/«, for this reason, because) This is the connection : I have you in my heart as partakers of grace (2 Cor. vii. 3), and long for you, and this not merely from natural affection, but from devotedness to Jesus Christ ; hence I clearly perceive, that it is rather the Lord Himself who has the same affection for you, and He will carry on the work from the
1 If only the one or the other part of this fellowship, and that too the latter, must be understood, which is performed by the exercise of liberality, and this is the opinion of some, I scarcely understand how the words t*x,p<$ Vftipots ' IYIVOV Xpiffrov, at the end of ver. 6, can be made to agree with it. — E. B.
2 Much less does God. — ED.