The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 181

Such &n omnipot~nce ~snot like us; it is only like O!1-e, and such glory he cnnnot giv~ to another. Besides, 1t would not make us better bemgs that we possessed this power, while the possession of it would be accompanied with tremendous peril. It must mean that we can do all things such as are like us or can be expected of us; We have omnipotence within the range of our duties. We can feel out all round where our duties lie, and realize that we are perfectly equal to them. "'Impossible' is not a French word,"' said a warrior of that brave nation ; with much more truth may we say that "impossible" is not a Christian word. We have strength equal to our ·believina on· Christ at the first., even in the inability of our will. We have strength equal t6 the, most difficult duty to which we can be called. We have strength equal to the most' tryiug position in which God may see fit to place us, which is the _special application: in the context. (3) How Christ strengthens his people. He does· not do it miraculously,. as though we should retire at night in &n ordinary state of mind, and rise in'-the morn: ing miraculously strengthened in spirit. The Spirit may cotne as he does_ at fir.et~ without seekinl?:; but he who would sit still and wait for a· .!Dii'licle • slui.11 neve(be strengthened. Where the Spirit is, there will lie a see~ing spirit. We are' to seek strength .in prayer, according to the direction,"' Seek, and 'ye shaU find." We:are t,o - k it in the Word. Such a word as this before us, appropriated by faith, is fitted t.o strengthen us for dnty and trial. But we are also to seek it in connection with· providences. Prepared beforehand, we are, in the actual doing or liearirig, t_o have· a habit of reliance upon Christ. That is the secret of strengtli in workjng ~nd. in ~ilffer~ ing. We are only promised strength according to our day, and not 'Qeyond the pre~ sent day, in order that we may have a ha.bit of reliance upon Christ for each day~s· 1 strength. At the same time, it should be true that we are ever, in. holy ·h3bff, acquiring strength ~<>a.inst the future. The way to be prepared f9r ~lie future· is. to live well in the present. The way to be prepared for the more import*Iit duties 6f life. is 10 do well the humble everyday duties. The way to be prepared· for the great emergencies of life and especially for the last emergency is to bear well our lesser trials and annoyances. . m AcKNOWLEDGMENT OF THEIR xnmEEBS, 1, Kindnus to him at Rome. "How-. beit ye did well, that ye had fellowship with i:ny ~ffliction." Having so c~ref~lly guarded himself, he fe:els that he must ;D.OW guar!1 agarnst any appea_rance of sh~ht1~g their kindness. HaVln"' already excluded the idea of mere pecuniary relief, 10 his acknowledgment he looks to the m?ral excellence which they had displa_yed ~n their contribution. They had done well m that they had llhown sympathy W)_th him, not in his poverty (for he doei; not_ admit the ex~tP.nce of tbat), but i~ his affliction; •f ii;l the sufferings general!y to which he was ~ubJected for.the f:Ospe! m. Rome. They had fel:owship with him m the gospel. Havmg fellowship with him. in greater matters, t1ey h&.d also fellowship with him in lesser matters: '!'heir heart was Qr,>en t? all that_ tb_t Christian preacher, to whom they as well as others had been so ID:ucb_rndebt~d, n:c1g1t nttd in his prison in Rome, And that was the aspect of the contnbut10n wh1c~ llihd.t it peculiarly acceptable to the afflicted apostle. 2. Early kind,ness. (1) Whe71- 1-.t: wai. guir..gforthfrc,m Macedonia. "And ye yoursehes also know, ye Phili1,pians, that u, tht bE:ginniD£ of the gospel, when I departed from Ma.cedonia, no Church had OII, IV. 1-23,) 'l'lm EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. rna fellowship with me in I.he matter of givin,g and receiving, but ye only." He bad dwelt '1.P?n _his own indepcnrlen~e; ho must n()w dwell upon tbeir ki □ rlneoH. They, the Ph1hpprnns, whom he mentions affectionately by name, kne,v as well as he that their kindness had not been of late growth. H had dated from the beginning of the fZOSpel. For " he places himself in their .situation, dates from ( so to speak) their ChriMt.ian em.'' It h::ul dated from the time when he was going forth from ,\facedonia. 'l'hcn they alone of the Churches had fellowship with him in the matter of giving and receiving. We are here supplied with a 1?:e □ eral name for finance, from the two sides of the ledger-credit and debit. In the Philippian ledger there was an account opened with Paul, in which there were only entries under the head of giving; never- theless (to keep purely to finance, and not to complicate the thought by bringing in spiritual benefit receivc,l by the Philippians), it was c.ateg/'//'ically an account of g'ving anq receiving. In our le,lgcr (for business i<leas ought to be carried into our whole income e.nd expenditnre) there should never be wanting a missionary account, an account opened with those who are in need of the µ:ospel of Cbrist, or are our sufferin~ fe)low-Christians. (2) When he was still in The.ssalonica. " For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need." Before the going forth from Macedonia, while he was still labouring in Thessalonica (within the bounds of Macedonia), they had sent once and again unto his need. The exceptional characte1· of this proceeding is to be explained, on the one hand by the intensity of their affection for the apcstle, and on the other hand by his consciousness that he wRS so well understood by them that, without misinterpretation, he could accept of their gif~. IV. UrssEr,FISHNESS OF THE ACKN0WLEDGMENT. I. He did not lllJek gifts. "Not that I seek for the gift: but I seek .for the fruit that__increaseth to your account." By enlarging on their liberality he might be thought to be coveting their gifts. To guard h,imself he would have them understand that he did not seek for the gift, i.e. gifts of that kjnd. But he sought for the fruit corresponding to the gifts. Every time that they gave they ,were sowing; and the fruit would grow up for them in the next world. Every time that t_hey gave the1·e ,vas an entry made in their name and to their account ill the ledger of God, increasi.ng the nmount which God, as Debtor, would yet make good to them. 2. He did not need their gifts. "But I have all things, and abound: I·am filled, having received. from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odour of.a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptiible, well-pleasing to God." There is a clim,u. He had aU things he needed ; he had more than he needed ; be was filled to abundance beyond what.he needed. It was the contribntion of the Philippians sent by Epaphro- ditus that had put him in this position. The contribution was pleasing to him; but what was he to be thought of in the matter? It was rather plea.sing to God. Given to God in him, the servant, it was pleasing to God; nay, it was peculiarly pleasing. Every morning and evening incense was burned in the Jewish temple. Every morning and ev(lning an animal was slain. That symbolized the offering and sacrifice of Christ. T\:te apostle makes bold to say that the contribution of the Philippiaos, savouring so muqh of Christ, was "au odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasiug to God." Lot us take encouragement from such an example. "But to do good au<l to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." V. PuoMISE. "And my God shall fulfil nery need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesu~." He makes the promise, not in his own name, but in the name of his God. Tho Philippians bad suppliecl Paul's need; Paul's God, in turn, woulcl, for him, supply their need. He would supply the whole extent of their nee<l, tcmp9ral and spiritual. He would do this acconling to his riches. A rich God, he would, with no stintedness, supply their need. The mark up to which he woul,l supply it, and which would best manifest his wealth, woul<l be their glorification. And all this, as he is nlways careful to note, was only to be realized within Cbri::it a~ the ever-blessed sphero. Let us, then, fulfil the con<lition of the promise. In Old Te~tament form, condition and promise thus run : "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver hi!ll in timo of troublH. The Lonl will preserve hitU and keep him alive; Rnd he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not ,leliver him unto the will of his enemies. 'l'lto Lord will strengthen him upon thti be<l of lnncrnishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." VI. DoxoLOGY, "Now unto our God an,! Father be the glory for ever and ever.  1-S-l. THE EPISTLE '1'<) THE 'PHlLIPPIANS. ten. tv. 1-28,