The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 159

gifts; ho could hnve done without the gifts, God, He uses nn0ther mct~phnr: in ver. 17 but they were precious 11e B proof of love. the gift was fruit, n0w it is a s:1c1"ifice : given Vor. 15.-Now yo Philippiana know also, to the servant of God, it is in truth offcre,t that in the beginning of the gospel, when I to God himself. "How high does he lift depa.1-tod from Ma.oedonia.. He remincle them their gift I" says Chrysostom ; '' it is not I, dolic11tcly of their former liberality to show he says, who he.ve received it, but God h.is love for thorn; he wae not unwilling to through me." The words, /,,rµ'q ,~woias, an receive kindnesses from them. He had odour of sweet smell, occur often in the Olrl nlwa.ye refused to o.occpt contributions from Testament in connection with sacrifice (sfle the Cori11thi11ns; but the bonds which bound Gen. viii. 21; Exod. xxix. 18; also for the him to the l\faccdonio.n Churches were closer metaphor, Eµh. v. 2). In Heb. xiii. 16 and tenderer. In the beginning of the goapel; almsgiving is ::i.ls,> describe,! as :i. sacrifice wh'ln he first pree.ched in Macedonia, ten with which God is well pleased. The firat years ago. The worcls, "when I deported and cbiefest offering we can make is our- from Macedonia," may refer either to some selves: "We offer and present unto thee, 0 gifts not mentioned elsewhere, sent to him Lord, ourselves, our souls and bo,lies" when ho left Bercaa for Athens; or, if the (comp. Rom. xii. 1); in that chief otferi.n.,.0 aorist be taken in n pluperfect sense, to the is involved the lesser gift of a.Ima. supplies afterwo.rds sent to him at Corinth Ver. 19.-:But my God shall supply all your (2 Cor. xi. 8, 9). No Church oommunica.ted need; rather, as R. V., every need of youra. with me as concel'lling giving and receiving, My God; the pronoun is emphatic, a.s in eh. but ye only. Chrysostom understands tbie i. 3. God will accept yolll' offering3 as of giving worldly things and receiving made to him; yon have supplied my need, spiritual things (comp. 1 Cor. ix. 11). But he will supply every need of yonra. Accord- the context seems to restrict the meaning to ing to his riches in glory by Christ 1esus. temporal gifts: the Pbilippians gave, St. Not IJy; it should be" in Chm!t Jesus." The Paul received. Bengel so.ys, "Potorant reward is given to bis saints through union dicere, Faciemue, si alii fecerint: nunc eo with him: "Beholding as in a. glass the major horum lane est: ceterorum, eo minor." glory of the Lord, they a.re changed into the Ver. 16.-For even in Thessalonica. ye sent same image from glory to glory." In glory; once and a.gain unto my neoeseity. This that is, by setting them in glory-the glory shows the promptness of their generosity; of holiness now, the glory of eternal life they not only helped him when he depe.rted herenfier. from Macedonia. ; but, before the.t time, Ver. 20.-Now unto God and our Father while he woe still at Thessalonica, the city be glory for ever and ever. A.men; rather, which he visited next after leaving Philippi, with R.V., unto wr God and Father be the they sent more than once to supply his glonJ. The thought of God's present mercies, needs; comp. 1 These. ii. 0 and 2 '1'hess. iii. and the hope of glory to come mentioned in 8, where St. Paul ea.ye that he avoide<I:being the last verse, suggest the doxology. Ob- chargeable to the Theesaloninne; for which serve, St. Paul says, "our God and Father" purpose he laboured with hie own hands; here. He said," my God" in ver. 19, where but, it seems, he needed additional help, and he was speaking of the reward which God this was supplied from Philippi. would give for kindness shown to himself; Ver. 17.-Not beoause I desire a. gift: but but now " our God," as the one Object of I desire fruit that may a.bound to your praise and worship from the universal a.ooount; rather, as R.V., not that I seek for Chlll'ch, The glory; the article is com- the gift ; but I seek for the fruit that in- monly used with a&c" in these doxologies-- Cl"easeth to your account. He shrinks sensi- the glory which is God's peculiar possession, tively from the danger of being mistaken; which is C'Ssentially his (comp. John xvii his words are not to be understood as a hint 5). Bishop Lightfoot says, in his note on for furlher gifts. It is not the gift that he G::i.l. i. 5, "It is probnble the.t we should desires; but there is something which he supply lu-rlv iu such cases rattier thnn fr-rw. longs for, and ihat is, chnrity, the fruit of It is an affirmation rather thnn a wish. the Spirit, showing itself in the generosity Glory is the essential attribute of God. See of the Philippia.ns-the fruit of good works, 1 Pet. iv. 11, ~,11 iu-rlv ~ Mc" Kill TO 1<µ,fras, continually increasing, and set down in nnd the doxology Rddcd to the Lord's Pr-.\yer heaven to their account. (Matt. \i. 13)." For evrr and ever; literully, Ver. 18.-:But I have all, and abound: I foT the ages of ages; for the ages which con- am full. I hove to the full Bll that I need, sist, not of years, but of ages, for the count- and more. (For the word a.""X"', comp. less a;;:cs of eternity (comp. Gal. i. S and Matt. vi. 2, 5, 16, and Luke vi. 21:.) Having 1 Tim. i. 17). reoeived of Epaph.roditUB the thinge which Ver. 21.-Salute every 1a.int in Christ wero sent from you, an odour of a. sweet ;Jesus. Every saint individunlly-a.n ex- am&U, a sacrifioe a.ooeptable, well-pleasing to prcs~iou of pcrsoDal ltffection. 'l'he words,  160 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [OH, IV. 1-28,