Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Philippians 1:3 - 1:7
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The Apostle's Personal Feeling toward the Philippian Christians.
His grateful and confident prayer:
v. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
v. 4. always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
v. 5. for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now;
v. 6. being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ;
v. 7. even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel ye all are partakers of my grace.
The first thought which Paul voices is one of gratitude and thanksgiving toward God as the sole and whole cause of all goodness in all saints: I thank my God at every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all with joy making request, on account of your communion toward the Gospel from the first day till now. We here receive an insight into Paul's spiritual life, into his relation to every congregation and every single Christian. Whenever he thinks of the congregation at Philippi, whenever he remembers them, as he does continually, he finds cause for grateful prayer to God. This remembering is a habit with him rather than a single act. He is constrained to voice his gratitude in prayer to God. The situation at Philippi filled his heart with joy, which must needs break forth in prayer. He heartily commended the Christians of Philippi to the great Lord of the Church. Such thanksgiving for rich spiritual blessings ought to be far more prevalent in the various congregations than it is today; the individual Christians should be engaged far oftener in this blessed occupation.
As the specific reason for the joy which he feels the apostle names the communion of the Philippian Christians toward, that is, in, the Gospel from the first day till now. From the first day that Paul had proclaimed to them the message of salvation which had been entrusted to him until the very day when he wrote this letter, the Philippian Christians had been true to the Gospel. By the preaching of Paul the Philippians had entered into communion with the Gospel, their hearts and minds being filled with its blessings; they were firm believers in Jesus Christ, their Savior, and they were actively engaged in spreading the glorious news of the salvation of all men. Many congregations become weary, grow tired, lose the first love. But not so with the Christians at Philippi; they had continued with unabated energy and love for the Gospel, and had not given up any of the benefits which had accrued to them through the Gospel.
For this reason Paul was confident also for the future: Being persuaded of this: That He who began from the start in you a good work will carry it out to the end until the day of Christ Jesus. The apostle has a definite trust, a firm persuasion, based upon faith in the mighty power of God. In his mind there is a combination of thanksgiving, joyful anticipation, and definite trust: That One that began the one good work, the work of regeneration. This is a good work because God has wrought it, not because of any cooperation in man; it is God's work all alone. This good work, the Philippians' communion in the Gospel, as established through the work of regeneration, God will complete, carry out to a successful end, until the day of Jesus Christ, until the great revelation of His glory on the last day. Not the believers in their own strength and power are able to be and remain faithful to the end, but it is God who will perform this, since He does not work in vain. As faith is the beginning, middle, and end of conversion, God will keep them in the faith. On the last day this faith, which has been preserved by the gracious power of God, will be rewarded with the free gift of salvation. Note: This statement is full of comforting strength to the Christians, since it shows them that every Christian can and shall be certain of his salvation. This certainty is an essential characteristic of faith. To a Christian it is a monstrous thought that his faith should ever cease, for faith is trust in the Lord's salvation as applied to the individual.
To suppose that this trust is in the heart of the Christians of Philippi, Paul considers a duty and obligation which he owes to his readers: As it is right for me to think this of you all, on account of my having you in the heart, because as well in my bonds as in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel you all are partakers of my grace. Paul here mentions the sentiment, or feeling, the definite opinion, or conviction, which he holds. He believes and holds with regard to all these his fellow-Christians that God will perform the good work in them to the end. No mere man is able to pick out individual cases of such as profess Christianity and affirm the fact of saving faith, for the condition of the heart is a matter known only to God. But one thing is sure, namely, that all Christians that really are Christians will be kept in the faith by the power of God At the same time it is right and just that we have this feeling with regard to all our fellow-Christians, that they are Christians and will continue Christians, remain faithful until the end. The reason why the apostle has this confident feeling he states when he asserts his love for them, love having this characteristic, that it always thinks well of its neighbor. Furthermore, they are partakers of the same grace as he. They all have received the same blessings of the mercy of God through the vicarious work of Christ. This love is not affected by Paul's captivity. His defense, his apology and confirmation of the Gospel does not stop because of his bonds; it is rather that his defense before the emperor is a guarantee of the Gospel, a warrant of its value and claims. And it is a matter of satisfaction and comfort to the apostle that even in the darkest moments of his career their love and kindness toward him, the fact that they have remained true to the Gospel as preached by him, are proof enough that they share with him in the grace of God, and that they, with him, will obtain the end of faith, the salvation of their souls.