The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 115

wol'l!hip: the temple 1.1ervioe prefigured the tively who ndbered to the use of the aaored spiritnRl worship of the Christian Chnroh. language (Aots vi. 1). As touching the Jiv t/u Spin/; by hie assistance, inepirat:i.on: ~aw, a Phariaee, He was by birth cm Ierael- "We know not what we Bhould pray for RB 1te, _by education a He brow ; ho ·-ectimo by wn 011ght: but the Spirit itself maketh cbo1ce a Pharisee (Acle xxiii. 6); ha cm- intcret•BBion for ue" (Rom. Yiii. 26). .A.nd bracC'd the _etm.itest sect" !LS regards Lnw," rcjoioe in Christ 186126; rather, !rlory (rcav- the srct wh1ch took the strictest view of the xwµoo,). "lie that glorieth, let him glory Law of Mosos. in the Lord," through whom Alone we can Ver. 6.-Conoerning Beal, perseouting the nbtain SRl\"RLion, not in any external prin- Chnroh. He was not only n Phnriece leges. .A.nci have no oon.fi.denoe in the fieah. but an energetic, zealous Pharisee • h~ :!\either in cirl'umcision nor in any other carried out the principles of his eccl think- outward rites. ing that he diJ God enrvicc by pcrs~ouling Yer. 4.-Though I might also have confl.- tho;;e whom he counted as heretics. Touch- dcnce in t.le flesh; Ii tcrally, though having ing the righteousness whioh is in the Law rrty•elf confidence in the jl&h oho; that is, blameless. Ae far as "tbo righteousness of us well ns in Christ.. The apostle bad both the scribes and Phariec~" went, the right- ,::rounds of c.onfidcnce: the one he renounces eousness which is "in Law," which collilists, for the other; but no m:i.n could accuse him thnt is, in the observance of formnl rules ; of despising that which he did not himself or which is" of Law" (ver. 9), which springs, possess. If any other man thinketh that he that is, from such observance, St. Paul was h&th whereof he might trust in tho flesh, I founJ blameless. "Rnra so.ne Jaus et prope more. He claims the prfrileges of the Jew; singularis," says Colvin, quoted by Alford; they are his by right, but he counts them "l"ideamua tamcn quRnti enm fecerit." (For loss for Chrut. the whole of this pe.seagc, comp. 2 Cor. x.i. \"er. 5.--Circumcised the eighth day; 21, 22.) Ii Lcrally, at cireumcision eigld days old. Ver. 7.-Bnt what things were gain to The apos;le was not a proselyte, circumcised me, those I counted loss for Christ; literally, at Lis reception into the Jewish Church; 1,ut such U,ings aa used to be gains to me, nor an lsbmadite, circumcised, like Ishmael, UID8ll I ha11e counted as loss for Christ's sake. at the a.,ae of thirleen. Of the stock of He used to regard these outward privileges. hrael. ~either were his parents proeelytee; one by one, as so many items of gain ; now he w:u; b-r descent an Israelite. He n.sea he has learned to regnrd them, all in the here the· h.ighc'St title of God's ancient aggregate, as so mnch Joss because of Cbri&t. 1oeople, tLe tit'e which implied the in- They were loss because confidence in out- Leritan.oe of the c.ovenant made mth Jacob. warJ things tends to keep the eonl from Other nation£ were descended L-om Abra- ChrlSt. Toii -ydp 711'.lov ~•vTos, says Chry- ham and Lseac ; the Israelites alone c.onld sostom., -rpotTrca8~tT8a, ..,; 71.{,X"'I' (11~•"· claim Jae.oh for their ancestor; they only Ver. 8.-Yea doubtless, and I count all c.ould glory in tLe covenant IllLille given to things but loss. He holds fast the truth Lim when he wrest.led all night long with which he once learned; he still counts all foe angel, and prornJ himself a prince with things as loee in comparison w~th the one God (comp. Trench, 'Synonyms of the New thing needful. The particles used here (see Testamant,' sect. xx.tix.). Of the tribe of Ben- Wiuer, sect. !iii) correct and strengthen the jamili.. H,s family had preserved their genea- assertion of the last verse, both as to time, logy; he came from the tribe which gave '' I count," and ae to extent, "till things," the first king to Israel; which never swerved not only the privileges menlionecl above. in its allegfancc to the house ofD.. vid; which, Fer the excellency of the knowledge of aft.er the Captivity, united with Judah and Christ .Jesus my Lord, The prepos;tion may the Lc\"itcs to go up and build the house of be rendered "for the sake of," as iu ,·er. 7, ti,c LorJ (Ezra i 5); the tribe of Esther or "J,ccause of." The knowledge of Christ and Mordecai; the tribe within whose is a blessing so surpassing and lrnnRccudent Loundarv stood the holy cily. A Hebrew that nothing else is worthy to be cullecl of the Hebrews; rather, of Hebrews; omit good in comparison with thnt one highest tLe article. His father and mother were good. Its glory, like the rising sun, over- Mt only Israelitell, but also they retained, whelms and bides all lesser lights. My 11.iuugh living at Tarsus, the Hebrew lan- Lord. The pronoun expresses tho warmth of guage and cuBtoms. St. Paul was not a his :.ffcclion, the close personal communion Hclknist; he wcu; urougLt up at Jerusalem uetwcen tbo apostle and tho Bnviour (eco under the great RauLau Gamaliel; he spoke eh. i. 3). For whom I have su1fered the loss H<:brew (Acts xxi. 40), and used tlic Hebrew of all things; rathrr, I sufered the loss of; Seri ptures o., well aH the Septuagint lrans- Jit.erally, I wae fined or mulcted; the aorist lation. A.II the dc:sccnuauts of Jucob were refers to llie time of his conversion. Alt laraeli\cs; those wore called lieurews distinc- , thing, ( ..-, •<tna) ; "II thnt I had in tile 011. Ill, 1-21.] THE EPIRTLE 'l'O THE PHILIPPIANS. 113