Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus shunned the kind of populism that, in his words, belongs only to “false prophets”—those who claim to be men of God without truly being so. Indeed, if everyone says only good things about a person and his activities, this usually means one of two things...
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus shunned the kind of populism that, in his words, belongs only to “false prophets”—those who claim to be men of God without truly being so. Indeed, if everyone says only good things about a person and his activities, this usually means one of two things: either the activity is so insignificant that it affects absolutely no one and nobody cares about it (so there is no reason to criticize the person engaged in it), or the person is trying to please everyone, without scrupling at any means. Anyone who amounts to anything at all will certainly have friends and enemies; and if he is engaged in something of any substantial scale, he will also have supporters and opponents. This naturally raises the question: how should a Christian—that is, an inhabitant of the Kingdom the Saviour brought into the world—treat opponents, and still more, enemies?
Friends and supporters are, of course, easier: we love them and wish them well quite naturally, according to the laws of the untransfigured world that everyone knows and therefore needs no one to teach. Enemies are more difficult: there is nothing to love them for, while the untransfigured world, by its nature—whether physical or psychological—presupposes reciprocal relationships. If these are absent, if they break down, or, even more, turn from positive to negative, a kindly attitude is out of the question. Moreover, we want immediately to sever all relations with the enemy who wishes us harm. But this is precisely what, according to the Saviour’s word, we must not do. It is no accident that he calls us to pray for our enemies. Indeed, it is impossible to maintain good relations with someone who does not want them. Yet love is, above all, precisely an attitude towards another, a desire for the good of the one we love. If love is reciprocated, the relationship becomes mutual and a special spiritual space arises in which it exists and develops. But what if it is not?
Jesus points to prayer as the only possible way of interacting with someone who wants no positive relationship. Of course, prayer presupposes a relationship with God first and foremost. But any other person can also be included within that relationship if God is willing to receive him and the person praying asks for this. There will, of course, be no delay on God’s part, so here everything depends chiefly on the person praying. His relationship with his enemy will then be mediated by his relationship with God. The enemy is no longer excluded from the life of the person praying (as hatred and cursing erase the hated and cursed person from the spiritual life of the one who hates and curses), but is included in it, albeit indirectly. Yet such indirect inclusion can always become the beginning of another kind of relationship, direct and immediate—and it will no longer be a relationship between people who hate each other.
1
1:1 Servants - St. Paul, writing familiarly to the Philippians, does not style himself an apostle. And under the common title of servants, he tenderly and modestly joins with himself his son Timotheus, who had come to Philippi not long after St. Paul had received him, Act 16:3, Act 16:12. To all the saints - The apostolic epistles were sent more directly to the churches, than to the pastors of them. With the bishops and deacons - The former properly took care of the internal state, the latter, of the externals, of the church, Ti1 3:2-8; although these were not wholly confined to the one, neither those to the other. The word bishops here includes all the presbyters at Philippi, as well as the ruling presbyters: the names bishop and presbyter, or elder, being promiscuously used in the first ages.
1:4 With joy - After the epistle to the Ephesians, wherein love reigns, follows this, wherein there is perpetual mention of joy. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy." And joy peculiarly enlivens prayer. The sum of the whole epistle is, I rejoice. Rejoice ye.
1:5 The sense is, I thank God for your fellowship with us in all the blessings of the gospel, which I have done from the first day of your receiving it until now.
1:6 Being persuaded - The grounds of which persuasion are set down in the following verse. That he who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ - That he who having justified, hath begun to sanctify you, will carry on this work, till it issue in glory.
1:7 As it is right for me to think this of you all - Why?He does not say, "Because of an eternal decree;" or, "Because a saint must persevere;" but, because I have you in my heart, who were all partakers of my grace - That is, because ye were all (for which I have you in my heart, I bear you the most grateful and tender affection) partakers of my grace - That is, sharers in the afflictions which God vouchsafed me as a grace or favour, Php 1:29-30; both in my bonds, and when I was called forth to answer for myself, and to confirm the gospel. It is not improbable that, after they had endured that great trial of affliction, God had sealed them unto full victory, of which the apostle had a prophetic sight.