The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 135

my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." It woul,l seem that, ~t this point, the apostle con- templated bringing the Epistle to a close. He intimates that, in addition to what he has already said, he ha.s only this further to say. He falls back on what has already been noticed as the key-note of the Epistle, AddressinA them as his brethren, he calls upor. them to rejoice in the Lord, He recognized no joy but what was in the Lord. We are to rejoice in our earthly blessings, as having them in the Lord We are to rejoice even 1n our nfllictions, as having them in the Lord. We are to rejoice in any success attending our efforts to bless others, as having it in the Lord. We are to rejoice especially in privileges of adoption, as having them in the Lord. "Howbeit in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you ; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." New start in the Epistle. "To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe." The apostle would not have concluded the Epistle without recording his thanks for the contribution and sending salutations. But at this point he seems to have been interrupted, and meantime to have had his attention called to some fresh manifestation of Judaistic zeal When he takes up his pen it is with this in his mind. And, before writing the words with which he had intended to close, he must sound the note of alarm. He deems it necessary, however, to give his reason for introducing the old theme. He had written as well as ~poken much on the subject of Judaism; but it was not irksome to him to repeat what he had said. He had written as well as spoken so much on the subject to the Philippians that he feared it might be irksome to them to have a repetition. The reference would seem to be to a lost Epistle or lost Epistles. To this there is a manifest allusion in the Epistle of Polycarp. Writing to these same Philippians, about the beginning of the sl."cond century, be says, "Neither I nor another like me can attain to the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who, coming among yon, taught the word of truth accurately and surely before the men of that day; who also, when absent, wrote letters to you, into which, if ye search, ye can be builded up nnto the faith given to you." It did not lie within the design of the Spirit of inspiration to preserve all the words that Paul wrote to the Churches, any more than to preserve all the words that Christ spake in the course of his public ministry. What Paul had previously written during the ten years to the Church of Philippi alone on the one subject of Judaism was so extensive that be was afraid it might be irksome to them to have the same things repeated. But, whether irksome to them or not, be was assured that it would be safe. And on that ground be does not hesitate to repeat. I. HE WARNS AGAINST THE JuDAIZERS. What be bad before given at length he now pves in few, but expressive words. 1. Dogs, "Beware of the dogs." As Jesus called Herod afox, so Paul calls the Judaizers dogs. We have laid bold more on the fi,lelity of the dog; the Greeks laid bold more on its bad habit of snarling; the Jews laid bold more on its want of niceness, in eating all manner of meats. Prowling about the city and living especially on the offal and refuse, it seemed to the Jews to picture the Gentiles, who, making no distinction of meats, were ceremonially unclean. By means of this appellation of the Gentiles, Christ made trial of the Canaanitisb woman. And when John says, "Without are the dogs," he seems to refer generally to exclusion ou the ground of moral impurity. In calling the Judaizers dogs, Paul is to be understood as throwing back on them their own term of reproach. They called the Gentile Christians dogs, because they made no distinction of meats, did not observe the wash- ing of cups and platters. They, says Paul, were really the dogs, who, instead of the rich gospel provision, bad only the "garbage of carnal ordinances." 2. Evil-workers. "Beware of the evil-workers." They are characterized in another place as deceitful workers. Here they are characterized as evil workers, i.e. where others were sowing the good seed they came and sowed the tares; where others were doing good work they came and tried to have it undone. And that was really their character; they diJ. not seek fields of their own, bnt fields where the seed of the gospel had already been sown. 'l'bey were especially workers against Christ, and all who preached Christ as the sole ground of the sinner's justification. 3. Concision. "Beware of the concision." As pope said of antipope, that he was not consecrated but execrated, and as Coleridge said c,f the French philosophy, that it was psilosophy, or the bare kind of philosophy; so Paul reruses to say of the Jnd~ists that they were the circumcision, be will only say of thew that they were the concision, i.e. they cut the body to no purpose, there w,1; 13( THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE PHILIPPIANS. [ vu. m. 1-21.