Reflecting on the Christian life, Paul draws the attention of the brothers in Philippi to the Christian's central task: to walk the path of salvation. This statement resembles the traditional rabbinic understanding of following the Torah as the chief task of everyone who belongs to God's people. But there it was a matter of the path of righteousness; here, of salvation and...
Reflecting on the Christian life, Paul draws the attention of the brothers in Philippi to the Christian's central task: to walk the path of salvation. This statement resembles the traditional rabbinic understanding of following the Torah as the chief task of everyone who belongs to God's people. But there it was a matter of the path of righteousness; here, of salvation and sharing in the life of the Kingdom. Choosing the path of righteousness always depended on the person themselves, just as choosing the Kingdom does after the Saviour's coming into the world. Yet the righteous person's progress along their chosen path depended to a considerable extent on their own efforts, although, of course, without God's help it was impossible to remain on it.
The path of salvation, which begins with sharing in the Kingdom and ends in the Kingdom as well, depends to a much greater degree on God's will and assistance, as the apostle reminds the recipients of his letter (v. 13). Nothing happens in the Kingdom without God's will, without His direct and immediate participation, whether in the inner or the outward life. That is why resolve and humility are especially important here: they rule out all wavering, for it is wavering that usually gives rise to the grumbling and doubts Paul urges the Christians of Philippi to avoid (v. 14). The point, of course, is not that God will otherwise become angry or offended, but that without resolve and humility it is almost impossible for a person to become an inhabitant of the Kingdom.
Indeed, when it comes to the Kingdom, a person is always only on the receiving side: in their present condition, they have nothing they could bring into it or do for it. The only thing available to fallen humanity in relation to the Kingdom is to allow God to make them fit for the new life awaiting them there. For this, anyone seeking the Kingdom must learn an art that does not come easily: the art of giving up altogether living according to one's own understanding, even with the best of intentions, which, alas, often pave a road leading anywhere but into the Kingdom. According to the apostle, the ability to live in this way distinguishes Christians who live by the laws of the Kingdom from others who live by the laws of the untransfigured world. It is with this ability that Paul associates all hope of salvation and of the triumph of the saved on the day of Judgement (vv. 15–16).
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2:12 Wherefore - Having proposed Christ's example, he exhorts them to secure the salvation which Christ has purchased. As ye have always - Hitherto. Obeyed - Both God, and me his minister.Now in my absence - When ye have not me to instruct, assist, and direct you. Work out your own salvation - Herein let every man aim at his own things. With fear and trembling - With the utmost care and diligence.
2:13 For it is God - God alone, who is with you, though I am not. That worketh in you according to his good pleasure - Not for any merit of yours. Yet his influences are not to supersede, but to encourage, our own efforts. Work out your own salvation - Here is our duty. For it is God that worketh in you - Here is our encouragement. And O, what a glorious encouragement, to have the arm of Omnipotence stretched out for our support and our succour!
2:14 Do all things - Not only without contention, Php 2:3, but evenwithout murmurings and disputings - Which are real, though smaller, hinderances of love.
2:15 That ye may be blameless - Before men. And simple - Before God, aiming at him alone. As the sons of God - The Godof love; acting up to your high character. Unrebukable in the midst of a crooked - Guileful, serpentine, and perverse generation - Such as the bulk of mankind always were. Crooked - By a corruptnature, and yet more perverse by custom and practice.
2:17 Here he begins to treat of the latter clause of Php 1:22.Yea, and if I be offered - Literally, If I be poured out.Upon the sacrifice of your faith - The Philippians, as the other converted heathens, were a sacrifice to God through St. Paul's ministry, Rom 15:16. And as in sacrificing, wine was poured at the foot of the altar, so he was willing that his blood should be poured out. The expression well agrees with that kind of martyrdom by which he was afterwards offered up to God.
2:18 Congratulate me - When I am offered up.
2:19 When I know - Upon my return, that ye stand steadfast.
2:20 I have none - Of those who are now with me.
2:21 For all - But Timotheus. Seek their own - Ease, safety, pleasure, or profit. Amazing! In that golden age of the church, could St. Paul throughly approve of one only, among all the labourers that were with him? Php 1:14, Php 1:17. And how many do we think can now approve themselves to God? Not the things of Jesus Christ - They who seek these alone, will sadly experience this. They will find few helpers likeminded with themselves, willing naked to follow a naked Master.
2:22 As a son with his father - He uses an elegant peculiarity of phrase, speaking partly as of a son, partly as of a fellowlabourer.
2:25 To send Epaphroditus - Back immediately. Your messenger - The Philippians had sent him to St. Paul with their liberal contribution.
2:26 He was full of heaviness - Because he supposed you would be afflicted at hearing that he was sick.
2:27 God had compassion on him - Restoring him to health.
2:28 That I may be the less sorrowful - When I know you are rejoicing.
2:30 To supply your deficiency of service - To do what you could not do in person.