Paul begins his letter to the Christians of Philippi by thanking God for the witness and proclamation...
Paul begins his letter to the Christians of Philippi by thanking God for the witness and proclamation of the good news in which the Philippian church apparently stood out among other churches (vv. 3–5). Of course, this gratitude expresses both joy that the good news is spreading through the world and praise for those who have succeeded in spreading it. Yet the apostle's main attention is directed elsewhere. It is no accident that he mentions the One who, ‘having begun a good work’ in the hearts of the Philippian Christians and in their church, will, Paul hopes, work in them and through them ‘until the day of Jesus Christ’, that is, until the end of time (vv. 6–7). To him it is obvious that Christian witness is not a person's merit or achievement, but God's work, which the witness carries out together with God, allowing Him to act through them. The witness's chief work is to be an instrument of God's action, and the chief task is to become a perfect instrument, so that at the end of time the witness may say that, as a human being, they did everything they could to make their witness perfect. That is why the apostle speaks of ‘growth in love’ in those who bear witness, of love's growth ‘in knowledge and all discernment’ (vv. 8–9).
Of course, even in our world, which has not yet been transformed, it matters that all a person's knowledge and feelings should be guided by love—not love as an emotion or an abstract idea, but as an active desire for the good of one's neighbour. Yet in our world love, at least in the sense in which the biblical authors understand it, is primarily a relationship; in the Kingdom, however, it is not only a relationship but also the medium in which its inhabitants live. In a certain sense, love could be called the spiritual substance of the Kingdom, its foundation, just as the natural elements are the foundation of our world. Anyone who wishes to become fully rooted in the Kingdom must share in this ‘substance of the Kingdom’, take it into themselves as far as human nature permits—and human nature permits this to the extent that it is itself transformed by the action of God's breath. Of course, bearing witness remains every Christian's principal task, but they can fulfil it only by becoming more and more a Christian in the original sense of the word: an inhabitant of the Kingdom. Then, on the ‘day of Christ’, the day of Judgment and the Saviour's return, the results of such a witness's ministry will become clearly visible to everyone (vv. 10–11).
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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.
1:8 I long for you with the bowels of Jesus Christ - In Paul, not Paul lives, but Jesus Christ. Therefore he longs for them with the bowels, the tenderness, not of Paul, but of Jesus Christ.
1:9 And this I pray, that your love - Which they had already shown. May abound yet more and more - The fire which burned in the apostle never says, It is enough. In knowledge and in all spiritual sense - Which is the ground of all spiritual knowledge. We must be inwardly sensible of divine peace, joy, love; otherwise, we cannot know what they are.
1:10 That ye may try - By that spiritual sense. The things that are excellent - Not only good, but the very best; the superior excellence of which is hardly discerned, but by the adult Christian. That ye may be inwardly sincere - Having a single eye to the very best things, and a pure heart. And outwardly without offence - Holy, unblamable in all things.
1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God - Here are three properties of that sincerity which is acceptable to God: