t The Apoſtle drawing to . a concluſion, that he at ſo zreat diſtance might certifie them of his love to them, and care for them, doth here acquaint them that with this Epiſtle he was ſending two Perſons of integrity for their ſatisfa&tion and his, Ulz, Tychicus an Aliatick, their Country Man and his Fellow Tra veller, As 20. 4. whom he ſometimes ſent toother, 2 71m, 2, 12, Tit, 3, 12. who would give them to underſtand, what cir- cumſtances he was in, and all his affairs ; ſee Eph, 6. 21, 22, u Whom he recommends to them as being a good man, a Bro-
ther as Timothy, ch, 1.1, and Epaphroditus, Phil, 2, 25, beloved
of the People, w And whom he had experimentally found to be a faithful Deacon in the larger acceptation, or Miniſter, i, -, of Jeſus Chriſt and his Meſſenger. x And owned as his Col-
legue or Fellow Servant in the Lord, that they might more kindly receive him.
8 Whom I have ſent unto you for the fame pur-
pole y, that he might know your eſtate z, and com- fort your hearts a-
Y Who was Pauls Meſſenger to them,as to let them know how
Chap, 17
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11, Phil, 1. 19. 2 Theſſ, 3. 1. Philem, v. 22, would vouchſafe to us freedom of Speech z ſee on Eph. 6. 19 + EffeQtually to preach the myſtery of Chriſt; ſee ch, 1, 26, 27. & 2. 2. Mat. 13. 11, 1 Cor, 16, 9. Eph, 1. 9g. I For which Tam an Ambaſſador in bonds, or in a chain, Eph. 6. 20, 7, ce. with the Soldier that kept him in his own hired dwelling, Atts 28, 16, 20, 3O, 31.
4 That I may make it manifeſt, as I ought to ſpeak m. |
mM That T manifeft or open and clear it in due circumſtances, as becomes an able Minifter of Chriſt, Kom. 1, 14, 1 Cor, 2, 4, & 9. 16. with 2 Tim, 2. 15. & 4. 2,
5s * Walk in wiſdom » toward them that are without o, redeeming the time p.
7 Let your courle of life be managed with all Chriſtian pru- dence, that you may not any way diſparage the Chrittian Infti- tution, 2 Sam. 12. 14. Rom. 2. 23, 24. with 1 Tim. 6, 4. with your innocency be wiſe as Serpents, Mat, 10. 16. ſee Ephe 5. 15, yet, whiles you become all things to all to gain ſome, 1 Cor, g, 20, 21, 22, 23. you mult take heed of ſuch a compliance, where- by you may wound your Conſciences, Exod. 34. 15. Eph, 5,11, ,and, on the other fide, of ſuch a contempt of them without juſt —_— as may provoke them to perſecute you 5; Paul was wary in ! his reaſoning with thoſe who were not Chriſtians, and would [Have others to be ſo, As 17. 24, 25, &C. with 1 Cor. 5, 12, 12, 'not denying any of them, what's due to them by divine and
profitable and a benefit to Philemon, whom Paul would h
it was with Paul, ſo to this end, (1) x That he might clearly underſtand how their matters ſtood (as, Eph. 6. 22.) eſpecially with reſpe&t to ſpirituals; ch, 2, 1, 6, a And (2) chear u? their Spirits (as the Epheſ. 6. 22.) that under the temptations of Satan, and tyranny of Perſecutors abroad or at home, they might not be diſcouraged, 2 Cor. 4. 17.
9 With * Oneſimus b a faithful and beloved bio-' '® ther, who is one of you c. They ſhall make known ** unto you all things which are doxe here d.
b With Onegmus whom he adjoyns to Tychicus, Same becauie of his following Commendation think him to be another Perlv! difterent from the fugitive Servant of Philemon, but the molt comparing the deſcription here, with the circumſtances in the Epiſtle Philem, v. 10, 16, &C. conclude him to be the very (als, taking Philemon for a Coloſſiar. c There, as here, being exprei7 called a beloved Brother, yea, and which may anſwer to faithſ', Paul's ſpiritual Som, who (whatever he had been) would Þ:
alc v0 receive him as his own bowels. And that which might commend
him to the Coleſſhans was that he was one of that City, 0r tie ſame Birth with themſelves, d Theſe two Perſons of Cre:
(upon the Apoſtles Teflimony) in their different circumſtance, might as joint Witneſſes, give them a full and certain how things went with the Church, and particularly v now a Priſoner at Rome, |
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and Marcus ſiſters ſon to Barnabas f ( couching whom ye received commandments ;1t he come unto you receive him g.)
e Here he doth wiſh proſperity to them, Luke 10. 5, 1 the name of others, bceginning with thoſe of the circumciſion, VIF. Aiſtarchus a Theſſalonian of Macedonia who had been his fellow Traveller, Afs 19. 29. & 20. 4. & 27+ 2. yel and, now = fellow priſoner, and felow labourer, Philem. 24. ft And Fo a "Mark, who was Nephew to Barnabas, Affs 12, 12. &, 13. 13» 3nd having ſometime dil{pleaſed Paul by his departure and wn companying his Uncle Barnabas, Acts 15. 37, 39. yet after Wards repented, and was reconciled to Paul, Philem. 24, 2 Tim. 4. 1 z . being profitable to him for the minſftry as an Evanrgelift. g Concerning this ſame Mark, Paut had given orders to them, >< well 2s to other Churches (who otherwiſe, likely, might be prejudiced againft him, for leaving Paul and his company 1n Pampkitia, 48s 13, 13.) that it he came among thein, rhe) ſhould entertain him kindly, who as Peter s ſpiritual Son, 1 Per, $. 13. did clſewhere allo ſalute thoſe who were ſcattered. Some conceive from the Commandments here they had received that Birntb1ts had wrote to the ColofJians in commendation of his Coutin Mark,
11 And Jeſus, which is called Juſtus, who are of the circumciſion h. Theſe only- are my fellow- workers unto the kingdom of God 7, which have been a comfort unto me k,
h A third Perfon of thoſe who had heen Fews mentioned in ti1is ſalutation is Feſus ſirnamed Fuſtus (probably from his juſt converſation) whether the ſame with him mention'd in Luke's Hiftory of the A#s, ch. 18.7. is not evident. The Greeks uſc Feſus for the Z7:brew Foſhua, Heb. 4. 8. it being common with them, to more than one. However, the Chriſtians ſince the Reſurrettion of Chrift,out of reverence to their Lord and ba- ſter (who is God as well as Man) have foreborn to call their Children by the name of Jeſus. # Theſe three alone, 7. e. of the F-ws (as for 7imorky, his Father was a Greek or Genre, Ads 16, 1, 3. and others were Genrles, Affs 28, 23.) were aſſiſtant to him at Rome (where it ſeems Peter was not) in EX- pounding and preaching the Goſpel, enlarging the Kingdom of Grace in converting of Souls, Mar. 4. 23. Mark 4. 11, k lhe carrying on of which work, did adminiſter matter of great con- ſolation to him in his bonds, ;