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TO THE PHILIPPIANS
————
1:1–11. THE PROLOGUE
The Prologue contains:
An Address and Greeting (1–2);
A Thanksgiving (3–5);
A Commendation and Prayer (6-11).
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, send greeting to the members and officers of the church at Philippi. Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
All my remembrance of you is mingled with thanksgiving to God. On every occasion of my prayers I joyfully make my petition for you all, giving thanks for your coö in promoting the gospel from the time it was first preached among you until the present, and with confidence that God will perfect the good work which he has begun in you and will show it completed in the day when Christ shall appear. And my confidence in you is justified by my personal affection for you, by your sympathy with me in my imprisonment, and by the aid which you give me in the defence and establishment of the gospel; thus showing yourselves to be sharers in the grace which enables me to preach Christ and to suffer for his sake.
God is my witness how I long after you all with a Christly affection. I pray that you may abound in intelligent and discriminating love: that in your inquiries into truth and duty you may approve that which is supremely good: that you may be sincere and blameless in view of the day when Christ shall appear: and that you may be filled with the fruit of righteousness which shall redound to the glory and praise of God.
The character of the whole Epistle is reflected in this introduction. It is unofficial, affectionate, familiar, unlike the opening of the Galatian Epistle, and more nearly resembling the introductions to the two Thessalonian letters. At the same time it is solemn and deeply earnest.
Address And Greeting
1. Πῦο κὶΤμθο: So in the introductions of 2 Cor., Col., and Philem., and of 1 and 2 Thess. where the name of Silvanus is added. Timothy was well known to the Philippian Church as Paul’s intimate friend and companion. He was with Paul at Rome. He had been his companion in his first visit to Macedonia (Act_16:1, Act_16:3, Act_16:10, Act_16:13). He had visited Macedonia later (Act_19:22, Act_19:20:1, Act_19:4); and Paul was proposing to send him again as his representative to the Philippian Church (Php_2:19-23). His name, however, in this letter, is associated with Paul’s only in the salutation, although the omission of Paul’s apostolic title is not due to his naming Timothy with himself. (Comp. 2Co_1:1; Col_1:1.) That Timothy acted as amanuensis is possible, but is not indicated by anything in this letter. The omission of the title “apostle” (comp. Introductions to 1 and 2 Cor., Rom., and Gal.) accords with the familiar and unofficial character of the letter, and also with the fact that his apostolic claims were not challenged by a Judaising party in Philippi as they were in Galatia and Corinth.
Δῦο ΧιτῦἸσῦ Δῦο occurs in Paul’s introductory salutations only here and in Rom. and Tit. The phrase ‘bond-servants of Jesus Christ’ exhibits the general conception under which ‘apostle’ is classed. Jerome observes: “Ambo servi, non ambo apostoli. Omnis enim apostolus servus, non omnis autem servus apostolus.” The servile element does not enter into Paul’s use of the expression. It carries for him the thoughts of cheerful and willing service which, in his view, is inseparable from true freedom (Rom_6:18, Rom_6:22); of dependence upon Christ; of ownership by Christ (1Co_3:23, 1Co_7:22); and of identification with Christ in his assuming the form of a bondservant (Php_2:7). The term may be slightly colored with a reference to his special calling, as is δάοο in 1Co_3:5; 2Co_3:6; Eph_3:7. He would thus announce himself as not acting in his own name, but as the agent of another. (Comp. Gal_1:10; Rom_1:1; Col_4:12.) The phrase עֶ֣ יהֹ֑ LXX δῦο θο or κρο, is often applied to the O.T. prophets in a body. (See Amo_3:7; Jer_7:25; Ezr_9:11; Dan_9:6.) Also to Moses, Jos_1:2 (ὁθρπν to Joshua, Jud_1:2:8 (δῦο); to David, Psa_36 (35), title, 78 (77):70, 89 (88):4, 21 (δῦο). It is found in the introductory greetings of Rom., Tit., Jas., Jude, 2 Pet., “showing,” as Professor Sanday justly remarks, “that as the apostolic age progressed, the assumption of the title became established on a broad basis. But it is noticeable how quietly St. Paul steps into the place of the prophets and leaders of the Old Covenant, and how quietly he substitutes the name of his own Master in a connection hitherto reserved for that of Jehovah” (Comm. on Rom., i. 1).
The MS. readings of the Pauline introductions vary between Ἰσῦ Χιτςand ΧιτςἸσῦ. For a table of the variations see Sanday’s note on Rom_1:1.
From this it appears that Ἰ is peculiar to the earlier group of introductions, and Χ to the later; 1 and 2 Cor. and Rom. being doubtful. The change seems to point to the increasing use of Χιτςas a proper name instead of a title. Nevertheless, in the bodies of the Epistles both designations occur; in Rom., Gal., Eph., Col., and the Pastorals, almost equally, while Χ predominates in 1 and 2 Cor. and Phil., and Ἰ predominates decidedly only in the Thessalonian Epistles.
πσντῖ ἁίι: It will be observed that the letter is addressed to all the individual Christians in Philippi, though the superintendents and ministers are named immediately after. See farther in Excursus on Bishops and Deacons. Ἅις which is rare in classical Greek, in the LXX is the standard word for “holy.” Both the LXX and N.T. writers bring it out of the background in which it was left by classical writers. Its fundamental idea is setting apart. Thus, in class., “devoted to the gods.” Occasionally in a bad sense, “devoted to destruction”; “accursed”; but not in Biblical Greek. In O.T., “set apart to God,” as priests (Lev_21:6, Lev_21:7); the tithe of the land (Lev_27:30); the holy place in the house of God (1 K. 8:10; comp. Heb_9:2); the most holy place (Exo_26:33; comp. Heb_9:3); the Israelites, as separated from other nations and consecrated to God (Exo_19:6; Lev_20:26; Deu_7:6; Dan_7:22; Dan_2 Ezr_8:28). This idea is transferred to the N.T. and applied to Christians (Act_9:13, Act_9:32, Act_9:41; Rom_1:7; 1Co_6:1, 1Co_6:2; 1Pe_2:9). Ideally ἅιςimplies personal holiness; moral purity. See Lev_11:44, Lev_11:19:2; 1Co_7:34; 1Pe_1:16. Of John the Baptist (Mar_6:20); of Christ (Act_3:14); of God (1Sa_6:20; Jn. Joh_17:11; 1Pe_1:15); of God’s law (Rom_7:12); of the Spirit of God (Act_2:33, Act_2:38; Rom_5:5; etc.). Paul uses it here as a common designation of Christians belonging to the Philippian community. It does not imply actual holiness, but holiness as appropriate to those addressed and obligatory upon them, as persons set apart and consecrated. In this sense it does not occur in the Gospels (except, possibly, Mat_27:52) or in the Epistles of Pet. and John. It is rare in Acts. It appears in the opening salutations of all Paul’s letters to Churches except Gal. and 1 and 2 Thess. It is applied to Jewish Christians (1Co_16:1, 1Co_16:15; 2Co_8:4, 2Co_8:9:1, 2Co_8:12; Rom_15:25, Rom_15:26, Rom_15:31). Chrys. remarks: “It was likely that the Jews too would call themselves ‘saints’ from the first oracle, when they were called ‘a holy and peculiar people’ (Exo_9:6; Deu_7:6). For this reason he added ‘that are in Christ Jesus.’ For these alone are holy, and those henceforward profane.” Similarly Theoph. (See Delitzsch, Art. “Heiligkeit Gottes” in Herz. Rl. Enc.)
ἐ Χιτ Ἰσῦ Connect with τῖ ἁίι. This, and the kindred formulas ἐ Χιτ, ἐ Ἰσῦ ἐ Κρῳ ἐ ατ, are common Pauline expressions to denote the most intimate communion of the Christian with the living Christ. Ἐ Χιτ Ἰσῦoccurs 48 times, ἐ Χιτ 34, ἐ Κρῳ50. These phrases are not found in the Synoptic Gospels, though their equivalent appears in John in the frequent ἐ ἐο. The conception is that of a sphere or environment or element in which a Christian lives, as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, or the roots of a tree in the soil. Christ glorified, Christ as πεμ (2Co_3:17), is the normal life-element of the believer. He “puts on” Christ as a garment (Gal_3:27). In Christ alone he truly lives, and his powers attain their full range and efficiency. The order is invariably ἐ Χιτ Ἰσῦ
The formula is elaborately and ably discussed by G. A. Deissmann in his monograph Die neutestamentliche Formel ‘in Christo Jesu,’ Marburg, 1892. He carefully traces the use of ἐ with the personal singular through the Classics, the LXX and the N.T., and concludes that the phrase is original with Paul. His discussion as to whether a material conception is at the bottom of it, or whether it is a purely rhetorical mode of speech is not important.
σνἐικπι κὶδαόος
B3DK read σνπσοος “to the fellow-bishops.” So Chrys., Theoph.
Render: ‘with the superintendents and ministers,’ and notice that the mention of these officials is appended to the more special salutation to the members of the Church. See Excursus at the end of this chapter.
2. χρςὑῖ κὶερν ἀὸΘο πτὸ ἡῶ κὶκρο ἸσῦΧιτῦ So in Rom., 1 and 2 Cor., Gal., and Eph. Col. omits κὶκρἸ. 1 Thess. has Χρςὑῖ κὶερν. 2 Thess. omits ἡῶ after πτὸ. 1 and 2 Tim. add ἔεςto χρςand ερν and have Χο Ἰσῦτῦκρο ἡῶ. Tit.: Χρςκὶερν ἀὸθο πτὸ κὶΧο Ἰσῦτῦστρςἡῶ. Notice the combination of the Greek and Hebrew forms of salutation. Χρςis primarily that which gives joy or pleasure (χρ, χίεν Its higher, Christian meaning is based on the emphasis of freeness in a gift or favor. It is the free, spontaneous, absolute lovingkindness of God towards men. Hence it often stands in contrast with the ideas of debt, law, works, sin. Sometimes the cause is put for the effect; so that it means the state of grace into which God’s freely-bestowed favor brings Christians (Rom_5:2; Gal_5:4), and consequently the capacity or ability due to that gracious state (Eph_4:7). It is this free favor of God, with all that follows it, that Paul in his salutation desires for his readers. Ερν is not tranquillity or repose, save as these are conceived as resulting from the cessation of hostility between God and man. Reconciliation is always at the basis of the Pauline conception of peace. Similarly Psa_29:11, 85:8; Isa_53:5. These terms, therefore, are not to be regarded as mere equivalents of the ordinary forms of salutation. They link themselves with these, and it is also true that Paul does not use them with any distinct dogmatic purpose; but it is inconceivable that he should have employed them without some consciousness of the peculiar sense which attaches to them throughout his letters. Thus Weiss justly says that “the fact that these terms connect themselves with the ordinary Greek and Hebrew greetings does not exclude the employment of ‘grace’ in its specifically Christian and Pauline sense in which it denotes the unmerited divine operation of love, which is the source and principle of all Christian salvation. Similarly, ‘peace’ is not to be understood primarily in the technical sense of Rom_5:1, as the first-fruit of justification; but we may be sure that, in Paul’s mind, the whole state of tranquillity and general well-being which was implied in ‘peace’ attached itself at the root to the fact of reconciliation with God.”
The fact that God and Christ appear on an equality in the salutation cannot be adduced as a positive proof of the divine nature of Christ, though it falls in with Paul’s words in ch. 2., and may be allowed to point to that doctrine which he elsewhere asserts. We cannot be too careful to distinguish between ideas which unconsciously underlie particular expressions, and the same ideas used with a definite and conscious dogmatic purpose. This Epistle especially has suffered from the overlooking of this distinction.
The Thanksgiving
3. Εχρσῶτ θῷμυἐὶπσ τ μεᾳὑῶ, πνοεἐ πσ δήε μυ ὑὲ πνω ὑῶ μτ χρςτνδηι πιύεο:
εχρσωτ θωμυאABDKLP, Vulg., Syr.utr, Cop., Basm.
εωμνεχρσωτ κρωηω D*FG.
Render: ‘I thank my God in all my remembrance of you; always, in every supplication of mine, making my supplication for you all with joy.’ Thus πνοεἐ πσ δήε μυis attached to the following words, and ὑὲ πνω ὑῶ belongs, not to ἐ πσ δήε μυ but to τνδηι πιύεο.
This is the most natural and simple arrangement of the words (so Weiss, Kl., Lips., Weizs.). Lightf. makes a single clause of πνοε…ὑῶ and attaches it to the foregoing words; and makes μτ χρς…πιύεο a separate explanatory clause defining the character of πσ δήε. He joins πνοεwith εχρσῶ Ellic. connects ὑὲ πνω ὑῶ with δήε μυ as Mey.
Comp. 1Th_1:2; Rom_1:9, Rom_1:10; Eph_1:16; Col_1:4; Phm_1:4.
τ θῷμυ For μυwith the sense of personal relationship, see Act_27:23; Rom_1:8; Phm_1:4.
ἐὶπσ τ μεᾳὑῶ: The local sense of ἐὶruns into the temporal, and blends with it (Jelf, Gr. 634, 2). Render ‘in,’ and comp. 2:17. The sense is similar if not identical where ἐὶoccurs with the genitive in 1Th_1:2; Eph_1:16; Phm_1:4. But see Ellic. here. Not ‘upon every remembrance’ as A.V., which is precluded by the article with μεᾳbut ‘in all my remembrance’; my remembrance of you as a whole is mingled with thanksgiving. Μεαis not ‘mention’ (as Kl.), a meaning which it has only when joined with πιῖθι as Rom_1:9; Eph_1:16; 1Th_1:2. To make ὑῶ the subjective genitive, ‘your thought of me,’ with an allusion to their gift, is against usage, and would require a definite mention of the object of remembrance. Harnack, Th. LZ., 1889, p. 419, wrongly renders “for every mode of your remembrance,” adding “whereby, in the very beginning of the letter, the Philippians’ gift is thought of with tenderness.” The thought is quite unsuitable that Paul is moved to remembrance only by the exhibition of their care for him.
4. πνοεἐ πσ δήε·Πσ δήε defines πνοε as πνοεmarks the occasions of εχρσῶ On every occasion of his praying he makes request for them. Δηι is petitionary prayer; ‘supplication.’ Paul alone joins it with ποεχ, which is the more general term for prayer. (See Php_4:6; Eph_6:18; 1Ti_2:1.) Ποεχ is limited to prayer to God, while δηι may be addressed to man. (See Trench, N.T. Syn. li.; Schmidt, Synon. 7, 4; Ellic. on 1Ti_2:2; Eph_6:18.) Τνδηι defines the more general πσ δήε, and is in turn defined by ὑὲ πνω ὑῶ.
μτ χρς The petitions are accompanied with joy, the cause of which is indicated in vs. 5-7.
5. ἐὶτ κιωί ὑῶ: Connect with εχρσῶ not with τνδνσνπιύεο. For, 1. εχρσῶwould thus be left without an object. 2. The ‘fellowship’ is not the subject of Paul’s prayer, but of his thanksgiving. 3. Εχρσενand similar verbs are used by Paul with ἐὶ as 1Co_1:4; 2Co_9:15; but ἐὶnever occurs with δηι πιύεο or δῖθιto mark their cause or ground. Neither should ἐὶτ κιωί be connected with μτ χρςwhich would require τςbefore ἐὶ
κιωί: ‘Fellowship’ (κιὸ, ‘common’). A relation between individuals which involves common and mutual interest and participationin a common object. The word occurs often in Paul and in John’s epistles. Occasionally of the particular form which the spirit of fellowship assumes, as the giving of alms (Rom_15:26; Heb_13:16), but always with an emphasis upon the principle of Christian fellowship which underlies the gift. Here it means sympathetic participation in labor and suffering.
τ κι. ὑῶ: ‘your fellowship.’ ‘Not fellowship with you’ (objective genitive); for when Paul uses the objective genitive with κιωί, it is to express fellowship with a divine and not a human person (1Co_1:9; 2Co_13:13; Php_2:1). Moreover, when κιωί is used of fellowship with (una cum) human persons, the relation is indicated by μτ (1Jn_1:3, 1Jn_1:7). Comp. πὸ, 2Co_6:14. Hence ὑῶ here is subjective. No defining word indicates their fellowship with him. The meaning is their fellowship with each other in the cause of the gospel. If the reference had been particularly to their fellowship with Paul, μτ ἐο would probably have been added.
εςτ εαγλο: Describes the character and object of the fellowship. For κιωί with ες see Rom_15:26; 2Co_9:13; and comp. ἐοννσνες Php_4:15. The meaning is not ‘contribution,’ though the thought of their gifts may have been distinctly present to the apostle’s mind (so Ellic. and Lightf.); nor ‘participation’ in the gospel as sharers of its blessings; but ‘your close association in the furtherance of the gospel.’
ἀὸτςπώη ἡέα:
WH. and Weiss retain τςwith אABP 37. Tisch. omits with DFGKL
‘The first day’ is the day when they received the gospel. (See Act_16:13; Col_1:6.) Connect with τ κιωί ὑῶ, not with ππιὼ.
ἄρ τῦνν As Rom_8:22. Only in Paul.
The Commendation and Prayer
6. ππιὼ: ‘being confident.’ Appended to εχρσὼand parallel with πιύεο.
ατ τῦο Not governed by ππιὼ, but appended to it as specially marking the content and compass of the action (Ellic.). It prepares the way for the matter introduced by ὅι (Comp. Eph_6:22; Col_4:8.) Not ‘for this very reason’ (Mey.), i.e. by reason of your past coö but referring to what follows.
ὁἐαξμνς ‘He’—God—is the source of Paul’s confidence, not only for himself, but for his converts; God, whom he thanks in all his remembrance of them. For the omission of θὸ, comp. Rom_8:11; Gal_1:6, Gal_1:2:8, Gal_1:3:5, Gal_1:5, Gal_1:5:8; 1Th_5:24. That ἐαξμνςcontains a sacrificial metaphor, the beginning of the gospel-work among the Philippians being conceived as the inauguration of a sacrifice (Lightf.), is not probable. The word is used in that sense mostly in poetry, and the conception, in any case, is far-fetched. Lightf. compares 2:17, but that can hardly be said to be in point. Ἐάχσα occurs three times in the N.T. (2Co_8:6; Gal_3:3), only in Paul, and always with ἐιεεν
ἐ ὑῖ: ‘In you’; in your hearts. Not ‘among you.’ (Comp. 2:13.)
ἔγναγθν Comp. 2:13. The work begun in their reception of the gospel, and developed in their activity and close fellowship for its promotion. The thought is taken up again in vs. 7.
ἐιεέε: ‘Complete,’ ‘consummate.’ For the thought, comp. 1Co_1:8; 1Th_5:24; 2Th_3:3. The sense is pregnant; will carry it on toward completion, and finally complete.
ἄρ ἡέα ἸσῦΧιτῦ ‘Day of Jesus Christ’ is the second coming or parousia of the Lord. The phrase is varied in Paul’s epistles: ἡἡέα absolutely (1Th_5:4; 1Co_3:13; Rom_8:12); ἡἡέαἐεν (2Th_1:10); ἡέαΧιτῦ(Php_1:10, Php_2:16); ἡέακρο or τῦκριυ(1Co_5:5; 1Th_5:2; 2Th_2:2); ἡέατῦκρο ἡῶ Ἰσῦ(Χο) (1Co_1:8; 2Co_1:14). It refers to a definite point of time when the Lord will appear, and Paul expects this appearance soon. Attempts to evade this by referring his expressions to the day of death, or to the advance toward perfection after death until the final judgment, are forced and shaped by dogmatic preconceptions of the nature of inspiration. (See Jowett, “On the Belief of the Coming of Christ in the Apostolical Age,” in The Epistles of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, etc.).
7. κθςἐτνδκινἐο τῦοφοενὑὲ πνω ὑῶ: ‘Even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all.’
Κθςis a nearer definition of ππιὼ, stating its ground in the affectionate relation between Paul and his readers. For a similar usage, see Gal_3:6. I am confident, even as it is right for me to have such confidence. Comp. also 3:17; Rom_1:28; 1Co_1:6; Eph_1:4.
δκιν in the general moral sense, as 4:8; Act_4:19; Eph_6:1; Col_4:1; referring, as in classical usage, to the conception of what is normal, yet having at its foundation, not the natural relation of man to man, but the moral relation of man to God. The classical construction of the clause would be δκινἐὲτῦοφοεν or δκιςεμ τῦοφ. (See Win. lxvi.)
φοεν ‘To be minded’; not as A.V., ‘to think.’ The word denotes rather a general disposition of the mind than a specific act of thought directed at a given point. Comp. 3:15, 19, 4:2; Rom_8:5, Rom_8:11:20; 1Co_13:11; Gal_5:10; Mat_16:23; and see on 3:15. Comp. also φόηα(Rom_8:6, Rom_8:7, Rom_8:27). Mey. defines ‘the ethical Christian quality.’ Similarly, in class. Greek, φοενoften occurs with ε, κλς ὀθςκκς τ τνςφοενis to be of one’s party or on his side. (See Schmidt, Synon. 147, 7, 8.) The reference of φοενhere is to ππιὼ, not to the ‘supplication’ (vs. 4), which the sense of φοενdoes not admit.
ὑὲ πνῶ ὑῶ: Ὑὲ is stronger than πρ, ‘concerning.’ Const. with φοεν as 4:10. ‘All,’ collectively. The reference of this frequently recurring ‘all’ to Paul’s deprecation of divisions in the church is far-fetched.
δὰτ ἔενμ ἐ τ κρί ὑᾶ: ‘Because I have you in my heart.’ Not, ‘because you have me,’ which is forbidden by the position of the words, and by the following verse (Win. xliv.). It is right for me so to think, because I have a personal affection for you (comp. 2Co_7:3), as those who are my partakers in grace and my co-laborers in the work of the gospel. This is not to be understood as if Paul’s natural affection for his readers made it right for him to expect that the work begun in them would be completed, but the expectation was justified by his love for them in Christ. He knew no man after the flesh (2Co_5:16); he loved them ‘in the heart of Jesus Christ’ (vs. 8), and the reason for his love was also the fundamental reason for his confidence in the completion of the work of God in them.
ἔ τ τῖ δσοςμυ etc.: Not to be taken with the preceding sentence, so as to read ‘I have you in my heart both in my bonds,’ etc. (so Mey., De W., Alf., Beet, Weizs.), but to be attached to the following σνοννύ …ὄτς(so Lips., Lightf., Dw., Weiss, Ellic., Kl., Ead., WH., R.V.), ‘I have you in my heart as being (ὄτς partakers with me in grace both in my bonds and in the defence,’ etc. The development of the thought as related to κιωί (vs. 4) and the repetition of ὑᾶ, which is more easily accounted for if the new clause begins with ἔ τ τῖ δσος make this connection the more probable one. The apostle is confident because of his love for them in Christ, and he cherishes them in his heart because of the evidence furnished by them that in his sufferings and in the defence of the gospel they are united with him in the closest Christian fellowship.
κὶἐ τ ἀοοί κὶββισιτῦεαγλα:
ε repeated before τ αοοι אBDbc EKLP. Probably omitted (as in ADFG) because it was wanting before ββισι the transcriber overlooking that ββ was included with ἀο. under one article.
Ἀοοί occurs in the sense of defence against a judicial accusation (Act_25:16; 2Ti_4:16). As a defence against private persons (1Co_9:3; 2Co_7:11). In a loose sense, including both these (Php_1:16; 1Pe_3:15). Here it may include Paul’s defence before the Roman authorities, but it must not be limited to that. It includes all his efforts, wherever put forth, to defend the gospel.
Ββίσςoccurs only here and Heb_6:16. It is closely allied but not synonymous with ἀοοί, and does not form a hendiadys with it—‘defence for confirmation.’ Notice the binding of the two words under the same article. The defence was made for establishment or confirmation, and resulted in it. For the kindred verb ββιῦ, see 1Co_1:6, 1Co_1:8; 2Co_1:21.
σνοννύ μυτςχρτσ: Σνοννςoccurs in the N.T. with both persons (1Co_9:23) and things (Rom_11:17). Render ‘partakers with me of grace,’ not as A.V. ‘partakers of my grace.’ Against this is the order of the pronouns, and the fact that when Paul speaks of the grace peculiar to himself he never says μῦἡχρςor ἡχρςμυ but ἡχρςἡδθῖαμι(Gal_2:9; 1Co_3:10; Rom_12:3, Rom_15:15); or ἡχρςατῦἡεςἐὲ(1Co_15:10). Moreover, the grace is characterised by ‘in my bonds,’ etc For a similar construction of a noun with a double genitive, of the person and of the thing, see 1:25, 2:30. The article with χρτςcharacterises the absolute grace of God in its peculiar applications to his trials and theirs, and in its manifestations in their sympathy and effort. Grace prompted them to alleviate his imprisonment, to coö with him in defending and propagating the gospel, and to suffer for its sake.
8. μρυ γρμυὁθό:
The reading μιfor μυ Vulg. mihi, has little support.
A strong adjuration thrown in as a spontaneous expression of feeling, like “God knows.” (Comp. Rom_1:9; 2Co_1:23; 1Th_2:5, 1Th_2:10.) Chrys. says it is an expression of his inability to express his feeling, ‘I cannot express how I long.’ Similarly, Aretius, “No necessity compels him to this appeal, yet the greatness of his love does not satisfy itself without betaking itself to God’s tribunal.”
Some of the earlier interpreters explained the words as an attestation of Paul’s love made with a view of heightening that of his readers; as a formal oath in verification of his teaching; as a protection against slanderers and against suspicion. Klö thinks that they were aimed at certain persons in the church who were not in full sympathy with him and did not wholly trust his assurances. All these explanations are forced. The general statement, ‘I have you in my heart,’ is carried out by the stronger expression.
ὡ ἐιοῶπνα ὑᾶ ἐ σλγνι ΧιτῦἸσῦ
ὡ: ‘how,’ as Rom_1:9; 1Th_2:10. Not ‘tha.’ (See Thay. Lex. sub voce, i. 6.)
ἐιοῶ Mostly in Paul. The only exceptions are Jam_4:5; 1Pe_2:2. Ἐὶdenotes the direction, not the intensity of the emotion, as Lightf. and Kl.
σλγνι: Σλγν are the nobler entrails—the heart, liver, and lungs, as distinguished from the intestines (τ ἔτρ), and regarded collectively as the seat of the feelings, the affections and passions, especially anxiety and anger. ‘Heart’ is used similarly by us. A like usage appears in Hebrew, though the nobler organs are not selected for the metaphorical usage. Thus מעִם ‘bowels,’ ‘womb,’ ‘stomach,’ and קרב ‘bowels,’ ‘belly,’ ‘womb,’ are both used for the heart as the seat of feeling. The plural of רִַ, ‘the womb,’ רֲַֽי, is rendered in the LXX by οκιμί Psa_25 (24):6, 40 (39):12; by ἔες Isa_47:6; by σλγν, Pro_12:10. The word occurs occasionally in the singular, σλγνν in the tragedians. (See Æ Eum. 240; Soph. Aj. 995; Eur. Orest. 1201, Hippol. 118.) For N.T. usage, see 2:1; 2Co_6:12, 2Co_6:7:15; Col_3:12; Phm_1:7, Phm_1:12, Phm_1:20.
ΧιτῦἸσῦ Paul’s feeling is not his mere natural affection, but an affection so informed with Christ that it is practically Christ’s own love. Christ loves them in him. Thus Beng., “In Paulo non Paulus vivit sed Jesus Christus; quare Paulus non in Pauli, sed Jesu Christi movetur visceribus.”
9. κὶτῦοποεχμι With reference to δηι in vs. 4. Κὶnot connecting τῦοπο. with ἐιοῶ so as to read ‘how I long and how I pray’ (so Ril.). This would weaken, if not destroy the force of vs. 8. A new topic is introduced by κὶ
Τῦοpoints to what follows, calling attention to the subject of the prayer. ‘This which follows is what I pray.’
ἵαἡἀάηὑῶ ἔιμλο κὶμλο πρσεῃ ‘That your love may abound yet more and more.’
Ἵαmarks the purport of the prayer. For ποεχ ἵα see 1Co_14:13.
There is abundant evidence that ἵαhas, in many cases, lost its telic sense and has come to express result or purport. See, for example, 1Th_5:4; 1Co_7:29, and the sensible remarks of Canon Evans on the latter passage in the Speaker’s Com. The examples are drawn out and classified by Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of N. T. Greek, 191-223. See also Simcox, Language of the N. T., p. 176 ff.
ἡἀάηὑῶ: Your mutual love; not your love for me, save as I am one of the common brotherhood.
ἔιμλο κὶμλο πρσεῃ Comp. 1Th_4:9, 1Th_4:10. Notice the accumulation of comparative phrases so common with Paul, as vs. 23; 2Co_4:17; Eph_3:20.
For πρσεη BD 37 read πρσεσ; so Weiss, and WH. marg. K*P πρσεε. FG πρσεο.
Love, like other Christian graces, grows. (Comp. 3:13.) Notice the progressive present, ‘may continue to abound.’ Chrys. remarks: “For this is a good of which there is no satiety.”
ἐ ἐινσικὶπσ ασήε: ‘in knowledge and in all discernment.’ Ἐίνσςand the kindred verb ἐιιώκι are favorite words with Paul. Ἐίhas the force of addition; knowledge superadded; advanced knowledge, rather than (as Thay. and Kl.) direction toward; application to that which is known. (See Sanday on Rom_1:28, and Evans on 1Co_13:12.) Thus it signifies here developed knowledge of truth, with more especial reference to the practical knowledge which informs Christian love as to the right circumstances, aims, ways, and means. (See Col_1:9, Col_1:10.) The difference between the simple and the compound word is illustrated in 1Co_13:12; Rom_1:21, Rom_1:28. Ἐίνσςis always applied in the N.T. to the knowledge of things ethical and divine. In all the four epistles of the captivity it is one of the subjects of the apostle’s opening prayer for his readers. It is constructed mostly with a genitive of the object, as ἁατα, ἁηεα, and occurs absolutely only in Rom_10:2.
ασήε: Only here in N.T. Comp. ασηήι (Heb_5:14). In LXX, Pro_1:4, Pro_1:7