The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 156

C'-Onjecture. The omillBion or the name itself with less tb&n its due, and shrinb implies tbnt the pen!On addressed was in e. from insisting on its strict rights. There la ,..,,..nspieunus position, IIO that there WIii! no no joy in a nurow eelfishneBS; joy involves dan~er of mi~takee. An importa.nt duty is an open heart, e. generous love. Joy in the Rssigned to him. And it m11y be th&t the Lord tends to make men gentle and mild to word "yokefellow," as distinguished from others. "Ge.udium in Domino," says Bengel, "fellow-labonrer," denotes something more "parit vere.m lllquitotem erga proximum." of equslity with the apostle. Kelp those Unto all rrum; heathen a.a well llB Christian. women whioh laboured with me in the Compo.re our Lord's word: "By this slmll gospel ; rather, as R. V ., h&p those women, e.11 men know th&t ye are my disoiples, if ye for they laboured ,oith ffl8. Help Euodi& have love one to e.nother." St. Paul would and Srntvche towards e. mntne.l re- have the heathen s&y, "See how these e.nnciliaiion, and th&t, inRsmuch as they Christi&ns love one another." Their mutual laboured in the gospel. With Clement a.lao. love would be the blessed means of drawing A re these words to be connected with fresh converts to tho faith. There me.y "help" or with laboured"? Is Clement possibly be an allnsion here to the differ- associated with the "true yokefellow" in the ences between Euodia. and Syntyohe; let work of reconciliation, or with the women there be no more disagreements, but rather who laboured with St. Paul? The be.le.nee mutue.l forbee.re.nce. The Lord is at hand. of probe.bility seems to be in fe.vour of the The Aramaic Maran-atha (" the Lord first e.lternative; there appears to be no cometh") in l Cor. xvi. 22 se.ems to imply reason for mentioning Clement's le.hours in the.t these words were eurrent in the Church this place; while, on the other himd, St. as a formula of warning, like "Halleluje.h" B8 Pe.ul's anxiety for the reconciliation of a set form of praise. The Lord is at he.nd ; Euodia and Syntyche might naturally urge therefore be not careful to exact your full him to ask for the combined efforts of all his rights ; love is more precious than gold in fellow-le.bonrers. Whether this Clement is the treasury of heaven. Comp. JB8. v. 8, to be identified with St. Clement the " Be ye also patient, . . . for the coming of Bishop of Rome is an open question; there the Lord dre.weth nigh." Others interpret are no sufficient de.to. for deciding it (see the words, not of the future advent, but Bi.shop Lightfoot's detached note). And of the Lord's present nee.mesa. Comp. Pa. ·with other my fellow-le.bourera ; rather, as oxlv. 18, "The Lord is n.igh unto all them R.V., and the re.at of my fellow-workera. St. the.t ce.ll upon him." But this seems Pe.ul appeals to them all. Whose names a.re scarcely so appropriate here. in the book of life. St. Pe.ul does not mention Ver. 6.-Be oe.retul for nothing; rather, their names ; there is no need the.t he should B8 R.V., in nothing be ana;ious. Mlp,µ:va. ia do -they are written in he.aven (comp. anxious, distracting care. St. Pe.ul does not Exod. :x.x:rii. 32 ; Pa. lxi.x. 28 ; Dan. xiL l ; wish his converts to be careless, but to be and Rev., paai.m). The book of life is the free from that over-anxiety a.bout worldly roll of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom. things which might distre.ct their thoughts The pllBsages quoted do not necessarily from the service of God, and binder their involve the doctrine of an unconditione.l, ir- growth in holiness. Comp. l Pet. v. 7, reversible predestination, or the phrase, "to where the apostle bids us cast e.11 our care blot out of my book," could not be UJ!0d. (y.,p,µ.110.) upon God. The thought of the Ver. 4.-Rejoioe in the Lord alwa.y: and Lord's nearness should lead us both to be again I say, Rejoice; rather, as R. V., again forbearing in our relations to others, and also I will say. St. Paul returns to the key-note to keep ourselves free, as far as may be, of the Epistle, Christian joy. He writ.ea from worldly e.nxieties. "He careth for us." again the same things (see eh. iii 1); he But in everything by prayer andsnpplioation will say it again, lie never wearies of re- with tha.n.kllgiving let your request• be made peating the.t holy joy is a chief Christian known unto God. " Curare et orare," says dnty. Rejoice in the Lord; in his presence, Bengel, "plus inter se pugnant quam aqua in communion with him, and that always; et ignis." In eoerything; in each emergency, for Le who rejoices in the Lord, e.s Chry- little or gree.t, e.s it a.rises, pray; cultivate eost<:tm 11&ys, al ways rejoices, even in the habit of referring all things, great or affliction : "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" small, to God in prayer. The two words (i Cor. vL 10). rendered "prayer"and "supplication"(rrpoa-- Ver. 5.-Let your moderation be known '"X'I e.nd U11a-is) occur together e.lso in Epb. unto all men. ; re.ther, for/,Barance, or gentl.e- Yi. 18; l Tim. ii. l and v. 5. The first hB8 ,,"4,. Tl,e word bm{K,uz (here the neuter been defined by Clirysostom e.nd others B8 1.1<ljtetiv1; i,, used) is tre.nslated" gentleness" prayer to obte.in e. good; the second, prayer ir, i Cor. x. 1, where it is e.ttributed to our to avoid an evil. Detter, perhaps, aa most Lurd L.iil'.lSelf. In the Aristotelie.n • Ethics ' modern oommen to.tore, wpoa-•vxfi is the iL lll&uis for the temper which contents general word, covering the idea of prayer OB. IV. 1-23,] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 157