Philippians 2

Notes

Ver. 1, 2. By all the exhortations which have been delivered to you in the name of Christ, and by all the consolations which you have in or from him, or would occasion to me; by all the joy you have had, or can have, in his love to you, or in yours to him, or to one another for his sake, or in your or my mutual love; by all that holy fellowship which you and I have in the special influences, gifts, and graces of the Holy Ghost, or with one another, as members of Christ's mystical body; by all the inexpressible grace and tender mercies of God manifested in your heart by his Spirit; and by all the reality, worth, pleasure, obligation, or endearment in those things which you have experienced,—I beseech you to increase my comfort and joy, in more and more abundantly uniting with me, and with one another, in mind and heart, in joint love to Jesus Christ and everything that is his, and in joint pursuits of the same design for promoting his honour and the edification of souls, and in a joint view and relish of the doctrines of the gospel, in opposition to judaizing preachers. 3. Take heed that cathimne Lea uetd- oo nothing be said or done among you from a litigious ostentation, a self-conceited temper or desire of applause; but in your church assemblies, and in all your conversation, behave with the deepest humility and modesty, being always ready to condescend to persons of the lowest degree, and to think and speak better of others, who walk in a becoming manner, than of yourselves—duly affected with a sense of your own failings, and casting a vail of love upon the defects of other Christians. 4. And in order to attain this excellent disposition, let every one of you beware of a narrow selfish spirit, magnifying your own endowments, or of principally aiming at your own honour, ease, and secular interests; but let every one, actuated by a general public spirit, consult and study what tends to the general edification, peace, comfort, and advantage of others, spiritual or temporal. 5. For, in opposition to strife, vainglory, and self-seeking, the same spirit of meekness, humility, and love ought to prevail in you which was so perfectly and conspicuously exemplified in our Lord Jesus Christ; 6-8. Who, though, as the eternal and only begotten Son of God, he was necessarily possessed of all divine perfections, and justly claimed a sameness of nature and equality of person with his eternal Father, nevertheless, by an act of nfinite condescension, disrobed. and ac it were infinite condescension, disrobed, and, as it were, emptied himself of his appearances of that divine majesty and glory of which he is necessarily and _perpetually possessed; and that he might be his Father's bond-servant, living, acting, bleeding, and dying according to his commandment, and go through the most painful, humbling, and difficult services of our redemption, assumed a true and real human nature into personal union with his divine; and being found in the common form and condition of men, as well as in their law room and stead, he submitted to the lowest degree of service and suffering, humbly obeying his parents and magistrates in everything lawful; yea, obeying his Father in fulfilling the precepts and bearing the nanalte af Li. b-r 4 soos the penalty of his holy law, and that even unto the ignominious, painful, and accursed death of the cross. 9-11. But having fulfilled his work of redemption in this humble, obediential, and suffering manner, God his Father, working also, gloriously exalted him, not by adding anything to his essential happiness, perfection, or glory, but by raising him as man from the dead, receiving him up into heaven, setting him at his own right hand, and giving him universal dominion as God-man Mediator, and a new title of honour and authority as Lord and Saviour, incomparably superior to any other name, dignity, or authority among creatures—that all intelligent beings, angels or men, good or bad, might, either now or in the last judgment, voluntarily adore, worship, and submit to him, or be constrained publicly to submit to him, as their supreme Judge; and that men of all nations and languages might, either cheerfully or by constraint, be made to acknowledge him as Mediator God-man, to be the great Head, Lord, and Ruler over all, and the universal Judge of the world, to the glory of God the Father, who, in infinite wisdom and mercy, appointed him to this dignity, as his honorary Servant under himself. 12. Since therefore the beauties of holiness and humility, and the infinite importance of your salvation, have been so conspicuously and affectingly exemplified in Jesus Christ, I entreat and hope that, as when I was present among you, to observe, assist, and admonish you, ye were obedient to my words, and have been much more since I left you, so ye will more and more abound in the diligent exercise and assiduous practice of the forementioned, and all other graces and duties necessary in the nature of things, and by the appointment of God, for the final accomplishment of that salvation which is yours by faith and the love of the Father, the death of the Son, and application and earnest of the Holy Ghost; and that not with a servile, distrustful, and desponding dread, but with a holy, filial, and awful reverence of the divine Majesty, and a cautious fear of sinning against him, and humble dread of provoking his frowns or chastisements. 13. For to encourage your diligence, and prevent your pride and carnal security, remember that the same God of all grace who has begun the good work in your souls through your faith, doth carry it on in like manner, and not for any desert of yours, but because of his compassion and grace, with infinite pleasure and delight, he excites, inclines, and persuades your will, and enables you with freedom and cheerfulness to perform those things that relate to your salvation. 14. In dependence therefore upon his gracious operations in you, study in your whole conduct to avoid all discontent at the prosperity of others, or the disposals of Providence; and all animosities and wrangling disputations one against another, or against what God in his providence calls you to do or suffer for Christ's sake; 15. 'That, as children of God, and not of the devil, ye may in reality, as well as appearance, be unreprovable and inoffensive in your temper and conversation, and sincere in your dealings with God and men, that there may be no just occasion of complaint or accusation against you, or any room to revile and censure you, while ye live in the midst of Jews and Gentiles, exceedingly depraved in their minds and manners, and perversely turned aside from the right ways of the Lord—among whom ye Christians are, or ought to be, shining lights and illustrious examples, for their conviction, direction, or pattern, that, seeing your good works, they may glorify your Father which is in heaven. 16. Holding fast to yourselves, and holding forth to all around you, Christ, who is our life; and the glorious doctrines of that gospel which reveals, offers, and is the mean of conferring spiritual and eternal life—that, according to my hope, I may rejoice in your steadfastness, usefulness, and eternal salvation, when, at Christ's blessed coming, we shall appear together in his presence; and may find that my pains and labours have, by the grace of God, issued in his glory and your happiness. 17. Nay, if God, for the confirmation of your faith and that of other believing Gentiles who are offered up as an acceptable sacrifice to himself, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, should call me, his prisoner, to undergo the most cruel sufferings and death, I do and should rejoice and glory therein. 18. And if ye hear of my martyrdom, I beg that ye will rejoice with and congratulate me on the honour of such a death, since it will bear the most noble testimony to the Lord Jesus and his gospel, and tend to the further encouragement and establishment of your faith in him. 19. But notwithstanding all that I have said about my willingness to die for these great purposes, I at present humbly hope and trust that, through the care and kindness of the Lord Jesus, who has all power in heaven and earth, I shall be quickly able to spare my dear brother Timothy, and send him to visit you, and help you in your spiritual concerns ; and that I may have the satisfaction to hear from him that the work of the Lord prospers among you, and that the subtle judaizing teachers have not been able to pervert you. 20. And my reason for sending him is, that I have here no fellow-labourer so like myself in temper, ministration, behaviour, and love to you, and who with the like genuine, tender, and parental affection will lay your concerns to heart, and carefully study to promote your establishment and edification. 21. For the generality of those with me are too selfish and feeble-minded, rather solicitous about their own temporal ease, honour, profits, or safety, than willing to expose themselves to such fatigues, dangers, and reproaches as they might possibly be called to undergo in promoting the interests, cause, and glory of our great Lord and Saviour, and the welfare of his church amongst you. 22. But ye have had sufficient trial and proof of his eminent qualifications, faithfulness, courage, and zeal; and that, as a son, he has been always ready to engage with me in any work or warfare, or cheerfully go wherever and do whatever I desired him. 23. Him therefore I hope to send to you as soon as I shall have taken my trial at Cæsar's bar, and know whether I am to die or live, to remain a prisoner or be discharged. 24. Nay, I trust in the Lord Jesus, whose I am and whom I serve, and for whose sake I am in bonds—that, by his gracious and overruling providence, I shall be acquitted, and visit you myself. 25. Nevertheless, I thought it necessary, for your edification and comfort, to send back with this letter Epaphroditus, who is my brother in the Christian faith and ministerial office, and fellow-labourer and soldier under Christ, our Captain of salvation in our spiritual work, and in our warfare against sin, Satan, and the seducers and powers of this world; and who, as your minister and messenger, has faithfully and kindly supplied me with your generous benefaction. 26. And I the rather chose to send him, as he is extremely desirous of seeing you again, being exceedingly afflicted in his own mind that your hearing of his sickness would occasion so much grief and distress to you. 27. For indeed his sickness was such that we despaired of his life; but our prayer-hearing God, whose prerogative it is to kill and to make alive, brought him back from the gates of death, which was a great mercy, not only to him, in the restoration of his health and his further capacity for usefulness, but also to you and others, particularly myself, as the loss of so dear and valuable a friend and brother would have been a great addition to the trouble which his sickness and my own confinement-gave me. 28. I therefore despatched him back to you with the greater care and speed, that, when you see him again in full health, ye may have fresh comfort, and, by the renewed usefulness of his labours among you, my own mind may be comforted under my troubles, and for the want of him. 29. Receive him therefore as a servant of Christ, and for his sake, with all spiritual joy, as well as with humane, civil, and friendly affection; and let him, and all such faithful labourers in the gospel, be esteemed very highly, and treated with great honour, for their work's sake. 30. For it was by the fatigue he underwent in the service of Christ, in love to him, and zeal for his interest and glory, that he contracted that illness which brought him so near the point of death—neglecting his own body, and hazarding his own life, that he might preach to such as I could not come to in my confinement, and might attend and assist me in your name.

Ver. 1. Consolation under the sufferings endured for his sake. C.

Ver. 4. The injunction does not direct attention to the affairs of others in preference to or in conjunction with our own (for with the affairs of others it is generally imprudent to interfere) ; but it directs attention to the good qualities, gifts, and endowments of others—not to the exclusion of, but in comparison with, our own, so that vanity, pride, and selfishness may be repressed and extirpated. C.

Ver. 6. Who being in the form of God. Inasmuch as 'the form of a servant' (ver. 7) clearly implies that Christ was a servant, so 'the form of God' must equally imply that he was God. —Thought it not robbery. Did not count it an act of usurpation. C. . oo.

Ver. 7. Made himself of no reputation, Emptied himself, divested himself of his visible divine glory. C.

Ver. 8. Became obedient unto death. Not as if his obedience was rendered to death as a power; but through life, and till death, as a limit—that is, from the incarnation till death inclusive. C.

Ver. 9. Given him a name. Neither the name of Jesus, nor Lord, nor any other appellative; but a dignity and authority above all principalities and powers of earth or heaven. C.

Ver. 10. At the name. Rather, 'in the name,' as the only plea of pardon and acceptance to sinners, and of glorying to saints ' and angels, Jn. 14.13; Ac. 4.12: Col.3.17; Re. 5. 11-14.— Things. This word is erroneously supplied from Tindal's translation. The word supplied should be 'beings,' as in all the best versions ancient and modern. C.

Ver. 12. Salvation simply signifies 'deliverance,' either from the suffering of disease or the power of enemies. See, for the first application, Ac. 4. 9-12; for the second, Lu.1. 74,77. The believer therefore 'works out his own salvation,' either by submissively receiving these spiritual remedies which Chrice #h- —-- sively receiving these spiritual remedies which Christ the great Physician furnishes for the disease of sin, Mat.9.12, by resisting and warring with the enemies of his soul, Ep. 6.13, and by mortifying, through the Spirit, the deeds of the body, that he may live, Ro. 8.13. The work therefore is his, not as a thing that he either would do or could do, but as a work that grace begins, carries on, and completes, in him and by him. C.

Ver. 15. Harmless. Untainted with the vices of the world. C.

Ver. 17. The sacrifice and service of your faith, 'The sacrifice' of your prejudices, your friendships, your honours, your possessions. 'The service' of your devotedness, your liberality, and godliness. C.

Ver. 20. Like-minded with myself—no second-self like him. C. Ver, 21. Add, Not 'all' universally, but all whom the apostle could then commend for the mission. C.

Ver. 27. He was sick nigh unto death. The miraculous power of healing not being unlimited—else Paul had healed Epaphroditus, as he had healed others—but directed by the will of the Holy Spirit, not so generally for the relief of the saints as for the conviction of unbelievers. C. . the conviction of unbelievers. C.

Reflections.—The comforts and influences of real religion should stir us up to Christian unity, affection, humble condescension, and tender care for the edification of others, particularly our brethren in Christ. And a most endearing example, and powerfully-constraining motive hereof, is his infinite condescension, self-debasement, and suffering for us. But his glorious advancement to his Father's right hand, having all power given him in heaven and in earth, is a delightful earnest and blessed mean of the exaltation of humble souls. And infinite is the obligation we have to contemplate, admire, love, adore, and serve him. With humble caution, self-diffidence, reverence of God, and holy diligence, should believers attend to the things which relate to their own salvation. And hopeful is their labour when God is ever present with them to excite and assist them. And Christians have great need, for the honour of Christ, for the comfort of his ministers, and for the sake of the world around them, always to study a humble, holy, and inoffensive conversation.—Alas! that in the best of times so many ministers and professed Christians should be so selfish and corrupt. But it is delightful to see them striving to outdo one another in care, sympathy, love, and readiness to do or suffer for one another's edification and comfort.