by a t-0kr? of their :iffoction in a contribution for hie support sent by Ep,'lphro- <litns. It 1~ pern,lc-d by a deeper tone of satisfaction than any other of his Epistles, It is c-hRmcteristfoally epistolary in its freedom of plan and famili1nity of expression, \1ritten "?bout a ~o;;-mat.ic purpose, there is one important doctrinal passage In it; R,<l there 1s a breakrng off t.o warn against two antagonistic types of error--Judaicfor- mnlimi and antin_omian li~.. Wit]1 all that WlLS com111endablo in the Philippians, tliere was somethmg of the spmt of rivalry among them. 'l.'he counteracting of this i;h-es, in se,eral places, a turn to the thought. ' I. ADDRESS. 1. The wnw·s. "P,rnl and Timothy, servants of Ohrist Jesus." The Pbilippians are so loya.l to Paul that he does not need to make use of his official designation. He associates with himself Timothy, as both of them standing in a common subordination to Christ as S,wiour. They are both his servants, i.e. bound to c-arry out the ends of his salvation. 'l.'imot.hy was known to the readers of this Epistle, as having assisted in the foundation of their Church and as havina subsequently Yisited them. From the natural interest he thus bad in them he -:as to be at no distant period Paul's ambassador for the purpose of inquiring into their state. 'l.'here can be no doubt that Paul is properly the ,vriter of the Epistle; for, in the third verse, Timothy is lost sight of, and, when he is afterward referred to, it is in the third person. At the same time, Timothy must be regarded as joining with Paul, not only in the salutation, but in the whole sentiment of the Epistle. Written down by him, or read over by him or to l,im, he was of one mind with Paul in every expression he used to the Philippian Chnrch. 2. The persons addressed. (l) The members of the Ohurch; "To all the saints in Christ Jesus." 'l.'hey were saints, not by nature, but through ihe cleansing efficacy of Christ's blood. 'l.'hey were saints, not so much.in actuality, as in i,lea, in as,Piration. They regarded purity, separation from the world, as their distinc- tive badge. 'lbey were like the wearers of the white robes in the temple, appointed tci awell under the Infinite Purity. They might not be all genuine; but the apostle addresses them with a studied universalily according to what they professed to be. LocaJ.ily. "Which are at PhilippL" The city of Philippi was situated in Macedonia, on the b:irders of Thrace; it derived its name from the great Philip of Macedon, who, about B.c. 356, founded it on the site of the ancient Crenides, or Wells. 'l'he plain on which it was situated. was watered by the Gangites, a tributary of the Strymon. In the battle of Philippi, fought in B.c. 42, between .Antony and Octavius against Brutus and Cassius, the fortunes of the Roman Republic were finally lost, and the place, thus made memorable, soon afterwards became what it is styled in the Acts of the Apostles, a Roman colony. It is especially memorable for the Christian Church as the first place in Europe wl,ere the gospel was preached. This was about the year 53, in the course of Paul's second missionary journey. Brought by a compulsion from "the Spirit of JesUB" opposite the European coast, in a night vision there appeared to Paul a man of Macedonia beseecbincr him, and sayini(, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Without delay he cr;ssed the sea, and from the port of N eapolis pressed on to Philippi. On the sabbath day he sought the Jewish place of prayer, which was withou~ the gate by the banks of the Gangites; and, sitting down, he -addressed th~ assem~Jea women. 'J'hc baptism of an A£iatic proselytese, Lydia, and her household 1e mentioned as the first triumph of the gospel on European ground. The first European converted on European ground, of which t~e record tells us~ ~vae a Py_Lhon-possessed slave-g_irl. And this led on to the convers.ton of the Roman Ja.1lor. Amid a storm of persecution Paul had to leave Philippi; at a distance of five years he paid them a double visit, and at a distance of ten years from his first visit he writes this letter. (2) The office- '/,e,a,rers. "With the bishops and deacons." There was a regularly constituted Church at Philippi. Two orJers of office-bearer~ are me1;1tioned. Th~ deacons who ~ttended to the temporal affairs of the Church are rnclud.ed m the salutat10n, as to them 1t would specially fall to see to the contribution. The retention of t~o _title "bishops_" in_the lievised translation is objectionable on the ground of amb1gmty. No one 1mag1nes tLat within ten years there was a plurality of bishops, as a third order of office-bearers, iu the Christian community of Philippi. 11. Tui,; EALUTA'l'ION (same as in Ephesians). l. The two words of salutation. "Grace to you e.ud peace." The best security for other8 being blessed is tlie Divine gr;;.•si,u,1,css whir;h 11,ahs all the Divine de'1lings meau p~.ic-:. 2. 'l'he twofol,l source to on. 1. 1-30.] 'l'llE EPISTLE TO THE PlllLTPPIANS. Z7
which we look in salutation. "From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.'' 'l'hc Father who has bleHsed us bless them too. Jesus Christ, who has Nvealerl th·, Father's power to bless, as Lord dispense to them out of the stores in his Fatlicr's house_ as he has dispensed to us.-R. F.