27 Only worthily of the good news of the Christ conduct ye yourselves, that, whether having come and seen you, whether being absent I may hear of the things concerning you, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul, striving together for the faith of the good news,
Call upon you, then, do I -- the prisoner of the Lord -- to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called,
Beloved, all diligence using to write to you concerning the common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, exhorting to agonize for the faith once delivered to the saints,
So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,
Watch ye, stand in the faith; be men, be strong; let all your things be done in love.
If, then, any exhortation `is' in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye may mind the same thing -- having the same love -- of one soul -- minding the one thing,
A Song of the Ascents, by David. Lo, how good and how pleasant The dwelling of brethren -- even together!
`And not in regard to these alone do I ask, but also in regard to those who shall be believing, through their word, in me; that they all may be one, as Thou Father `art' in me, and I in Thee; that they also in us may be one, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me.
and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.
For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also `is' the Christ, for also in one Spirit we all to one body were baptized, whether Jews or Greeks, whether servants or freemen, and all into one Spirit were made to drink, for also the body is not one member, but many; if the foot may say, `Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body;' it is not, because of this, not of the body; and if the ear may say, `Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body;' it is not, because of this, not of the body? If the whole body `were' an eye, where the hearing? if the whole hearing, where the smelling? and now, God did set the members each one of them in the body, according as He willed, and if all were one member, where the body? and now, indeed, `are' many members, and one body; and an eye is not able to say to the hand, `I have no need of thee;' nor again the head to the feet, `I have no need of you.' But much more the members of the body which seem to be more infirm are necessary, and those that we think to be less honourable of the body, around these we put more abundant honour, and our unseemly things have seemliness more abundant, and our seemly things have no need; but God did temper the body together, to the lacking part having given more abundant honour, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same anxiety for one another, and whether one member doth suffer, suffer with `it' do all the members, or one member is glorified, rejoice with `it' do all the members; and ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And some, indeed, did God set in the assembly, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, afterwards powers, afterwards gifts of healings, helpings, governings, divers kinds of tongues; `are' all apostles? `are' all prophets? `are' all teachers? `are' all powers? have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? and desire earnestly the better gifts; and yet a far excelling way do I shew to you:
Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;
being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace; one body and one Spirit, according as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who `is' over all, and through all, and in you all,
to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,
As to the rest, then, brethren, we request you, and call upon you in the Lord Jesus, as ye did receive from us how it behoveth you to walk and to please God, that ye may abound the more,
for I rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in thee, even as thou in truth dost walk; greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in truth walking.
not purloining, but showing all good stedfastness, that the teaching of God our Saviour they may adorn in all things.
through which to us the most great and precious promises have been given, that through these ye may become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in desires. And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge, and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety, and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love; for these things being to you and abounding, do make `you' neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;
and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.
hearing of thy love and faith that thou hast unto the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.
And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, `Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and no city or house having been divided against itself, doth stand,
And after certain days, Felix having come with Drusilla his wife, being a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith toward Christ,
through whom we did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name;
for I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek.
But what doth it say? `Nigh thee is the saying -- in thy mouth, and in thy heart:' that is, the saying of the faith, that we preach;
and I have known that coming unto you -- in the fulness of the blessing of the good news of Christ I shall come.
so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.
through the proof of this ministration glorifying God for the subjection of your confession to the good news of the Christ, and `for' the liberality of the fellowship to them and to all,
that is not another, except there be certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ;
Because of this I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love to all the saints,
and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall quickly come.
even as ye have known, how each one of you, as a father his own children, we are exhorting you, and comforting, and testifying, for your walking worthily of God, who is calling you to His own reign and glory.
And now Timotheus having come unto us from you, and having declared good news to us of your faith and love, and that ye have a good remembrance of us always, desiring much to see us, as we also `to see' you,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Philippians 1
Commentary on Philippians 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 1
He begins with the inscription and benediction (v. 1, 2). He gives thanks for the saints at Philippi (v. 3-6). He speaks of his great affection and concern for their spiritual welfare (v. 7, 8), his prayers for them (v. 9-11), his care to prevent their offence at his sufferings (v. 12-20), his readiness to glorify Christ by life or death (v. 21-26), and then concludes with a double exhortation to strictness and constancy (v. 27-30).
Phl 1:1-2
We have here the inscription and benediction. Observe,
Phl 1:3-6
The apostle proceeds after the inscription and benediction to thanksgiving for the saints at Philippi. He tells them what it was he thanked God for, upon their account. Observe here,
Phl 1:7-8
The apostle expresses the ardent affection he had for them, and his concern for their spiritual welfare: I have you in my heart, v. 7. He loved them as his own soul, and they lay near his heart. He thought much of them, and was in care about them. Observe,
Phl 1:9-11
These verses contain the prayers he put up for them. Paul often let his friends know what it was he begged of God for them, that they might know what to beg for themselves and be directed in their own prayers, and that they might be encouraged to hope they should receive from God the quickening, strengthening, everlasting, comforting grace, which so powerful an intercessor as Paul asked of God for them. It is an encouragement to us to know that we are prayed for by our friends, who, we have reason to think, have an interest at the throne of grace. It was intended likewise for their direction in their walk, and that they might labour to answer his prayers for them; for by this it would appear that God had answered them. Paul, in praying thus for them, expected good concerning them. It is an inducement to us to do our duty, that we may not disappoint the expectations of praying friends and ministers. He prayed,
Phl 1:12-20
We see here the care the apostle takes to prevent their being offended at his sufferings. He was now a prisoner at Rome; this might be a stumbling-block to those who had received the gospel by his ministry. They might be tempted to think, If this doctrine were indeed of God, God would not suffer one who was so active and instrumental in preaching and propagating it to be thrown by as a despised broken vessel. They might be shy of owning this doctrine, lest they should be involved in the same trouble themselves. Now to take off the offence of the cross, he expounds this dark and hard chapter of his sufferings, and makes it very easy and intelligible, and reconcilable to the wisdom and goodness of God who employed him.
Phl 1:21-26
We have here an account of the life and death of blessed Paul: his life was Christ, and his death was gain. Observe,
Phl 1:27-30
The apostle concludes the chapter with two exhortations:-