The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 10

to thC' light, tht hi1 deeds mlly be m11de that it wne ever u~ed for the palRtium thcro. m11nifest, thRt they are 'Wl'OUfht in God." St. Paul mll8t ha,·e heard it constantly as the A('("(lrding t-0 Another possi.hle deriVRtion, name of the Prrotorian re~im<>nt; he was thP ....-nrn wnuln mPan .. unmixen," th&t is, kept ch11ined to II soldier of that corps (Acts c-C'nnine, einN'm. " ~'ithout offence" mRy xxviii. 16); And as his guard was continu- be taken actively or pReeively; without lllly reliel"ed, his nAme and sufferings for /ri·dng oftenoc (<'~using stumbling) to nthC'rs, Christ would become grndu111ly known or ,..-ithout stumbling them~ckos. Perhaps thro11gl:iout the force. Others on the au- the lo1tcr sense is more suitable here. He thority of a passage in Dion C~Aius, un<lcr- prays thnt thC' rhilippinns may be true and st.'\nd the word of the barracks of that part puJ1' inm1rdly. and blnmeles~ in their <'lit• of the Prretorinn guard attached to the im- ""ftrd livC'B. "Till," rather. "against the perial residence on the PalRtine. But the de.y of CLri.st." The preposition ~isdoos not passage relates to the time of Augustus denote timC' only, a.s lxp" in ver. 6; it im- beforo the Prrotorian cohorts were estnb: plies pl'{'pe.ration. lished by Tiberius in the camp outside of Yer. I !.-Being filled with the fruits of the Colline Gate. And in all other plclces; righteousness. The bC'st mRnn~cripts read rather, o.s R.V., and to all thereat; genernlly, " fruit." He pre.ye that their love may that is, throughout the city. abound, not only iu ln1owledge and discern- Ver. 14.-And ma.ny of the brethren in the ment, but also in the fruit of holy linng. Lord; rather, and that most. Most of the The fruit of righteousness is sanctification, brethren took courage; there were exceptions. which Rprini;s from justification, and mani- Waxing oonfident bymy bonds. The words, fests itsl'lf i11 holy li.ing (comp. Amos vi. "in the Lord," ore perhaps better takeu 12; Gal. v. 22). Wbichareby.JesnsChrist; with being "confident." '.!.'heir conficlence r-dlher, (},rough. The righteousness of God's rc•sts upon St. Puul's bonds, but it is in the sruuts ie not tbllt" which is of the Law, but L'lrd. St. Paul's example gives them cour- that whirh is through the faith of Christ" ngc, because th~y know that he is suffering (comp. John xv. 4). The hmnch lives by for the love of Christ, and is supported in the life of the vine; the Christian lives by hie sufferings by the grace of Christ. Are the life of Christ. It is his life, living in, much more bold to speak the word without assimilated by the Christictn soul, which fea.r; betler, more abundantly, as R.V. The bringi, forth the fruit of righteonsneos. bei,t manuscripts read here," the Word of Unto the glory e..nd praise of God. The God." rig h ieonsness of God' e saints., springing Ver. 15.--Some indeed preach Christ even from the abiding presence of Christ, shows of envy and strife. The Judaizing party, forth the glory of God. The glory of God whom St. Paul censures in eh. iii. 2, preached is his majesty in itself: praise is the ac- Christ, but not from pure motives. Like knowledgment of this me:jesty by the voice the writers of the psendo-Clemeutines, they and heart of man. The glory of God iE the envied St. Paul, and in the wicked madness end of all Christian effort. of the odium theowgicum, they wished to Ver. 12.-Bnt I would ye should under- distress St. Paul, -to depreciate hie preaching, stand, brethren, that the thingll which hap- and to exalt their own. And some a.leo of pened unto me have fallen out rather unto good will. The word generally means God 'a the furtherance of the gospeL After tha.nke- good plea.sure, a.s in eh. ii. 13, but here gfring and prayer, St. Paul turns to his own simply goocl will, benevolence towards St. imprisonment at Rome. That imprison- Paul. 11,ent, he says, has resulted in the further- Vere. 16, 17.-These two verses must ance of the gospel, rather than, as might change places according to the reading of lrnve been expected, in its hindrance. the best manuscripts. 'fhe clauses are in- V or. 13.-So that my bonds in Christ are verted by the figure chiasmns. But the manifeirt; rather, as R. V., ,o that my bonds other of love; read, as R.V., the one do it of became ma,,ije,at in Christ. At first he love. This is better than the other possible seemed like other pri8onere ; afterwards it rendering, "those who are of love do it." became known that he suffered bonds, not Knowing that I am set for the defenoe of the for anv crime, but in Christ, i.e. in fellow- gospel. K•iµ,.,, I am set or appointed, as in ship with Christ nnd in consequence of the I These. iii. 3 ; not, as some understand, I lie relation in which be stood to Christ. In all in prison. They pre9.£'h Christ out of love- the pa.lace ; rather, as R. V., throughout the love for Christ, and Jove for Paul for Christ's u;J.ol.e Prretorian Guard; litere,Jly, in the sake. The one preaoh Christ of oontention ; whole prreforium. The word elsewhere read aud translo.t.e, as R.V., but the other r.uc,uns a governor's house: Pilate'e house in proclaim Christ of /action; perhaps rather, the Gospels, Herod's palace in Acts x xiii. 35. announ~ (,c,m,yy,,V,ou,r,11); bring news of but at liome the name so used would give Christ; e.ud that they do out of factious- 1.,~:.=••ary offon~, a11d tl,~re ie no proof ness. 'Ep,O.ta, derived from tp,9os, a hired 011, I, 1-30.] Tim EPffl'l'LF, 'fO TIIE PHILf PPTANS.