The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 33

Vers. 3-11.-E:z:pression of interest. I. THANKSGIVING. 1. Whom he thanked. "I thank my God." As it was in connection with their matters that he thauked Gorl, he might liave said, "I thank your God." As he made common cause with them, he might have said, "I thank our God." .As he felt personally indebted to God on their account, what he says is, "I thank my God." 2. Upon what he proceeded in thanks- giving. "Upon all my remembrance of you." This was a gracious word with which, as a wise overseer, to bespeak a hearing from them. It was the highest praise he could havo bestowed upon them. His relations with them had been of the happiest nature. Not a shadow had passed over their intercourse. 'l'here was nothing in their past history as a Church that he recalled with regretfulness. His whole recollection of them made him thank his God. 3. How he thanked God. "Always in every supplica- tion of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy." His interest in them carried him to the throne of grace. It was his habit to pray for them, as for all the Churches be bad founded. He bad a means of reaching them through heaven. And whenever he prayed on their behalf (and this was a care which came upon him daily) the 1·emembrance of them called forth his thanksgivings, which g:i.ve a tone of joy to his ,prayers. What was uniformly in his prayers could not but come out in his Epistle. And so it has been remarked by Dengel, "'l'he sum of the Epistle is, 'I rejoice; rejoice ye.'" 4. For what particularly he thank,ed God. "For your fellowship in fnrthernnce of the gospel from the first day until now." They were partners with him for a holy end. That end was to further tl,e gospel. They could not accomplish thi, end in the same way that Paul did. Dut they could contribute for his support; and, thus relieving him from the necessity of working with his own hands, they put him it1 a better position for furthering the g0spel. They also helped by the prayers they offered up to God on his behalf. 'l.'hey espcci:\lly helped in what they evinced in their lives of the power of the gospel. '!'hat was putting a powerful argument into th~ mouth of the apostle. In trying to persuade others he could point to what the gospel had done for them. All that help in the gospel they had rendered him from the first day they had heard until then. He had continually been held up by them in the proclamation of the gospel. II. CONFIDENT HOPE. 1. To what directed. "That he which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.'' The good work immediately referred to was co-operation with the apostle in furtherin;; the gospel. But the language is general, and ruay be referred to the work of grace as a whole. (1) How the worl, can be said to be good. (a) It is a work wrought in us. "In you," says the apostle. 'l.'here is a work to be wrought on external nature. We are to subdue the earth, according to th<l primeval command; we are to turn it to good uses. But that is really accidental, relative to the work that is to be wrought in us. What is essential is that we, the workers, the subducrs of the earth, should be in our normal state. An,! there can be no doubt that is what will be looked into when we have done with earth and all its works. What with all our workin~ have we wrought in ourselves? (b) It is a work which consists in giving forms of goodness to our nature. A man of cultivate,\ taste can make the bare ground a,SU!ll<l forms of beauty. He can turn it into a g,mkn -the surface taken advantage of, the soil highly cultivated, flowers and trees dispo,L·,1 of with reference to season, colour, size-all so arranged as to be pleasin2; to the eye. So our nature has to be made to assume Divine forms. It has to be charactered b,· God-its peculiarities 1irescn·cd, its p'.lwers cultivated, all so 01·;1ered under his plastic hand as to be I\ garden in which he can tako delight. (c) It is a work whicl1 consists in the emancipation of om· nature from evil forms. 'l.'his earth of ours in its natural state needs much subLluino- by the iron, directed by tLe mind of mau. Our nature is to be compared to a piec~ of ground in its natural wilLlness, which i£ ill to subdue to usefulness and loveliness. It needs much subduing by the grace of God, that it may be delivered from the evil that is in it, while bruught forth into all goodness. Our mind~ need to be clcliverecl from vnnitv, ::lthl brought into e•,ptivity to Christ. Our  THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [CH, I. 1-30.