Introductory remarks:
Paul now resumes what he had begun in chapter one of exhorting the Philippian Christians to live worthy of their calling in Christ Jesus. Paul gives them doctrines for Christian living that they would be able to follow by being controlled by the Holy Spirit; remember obeying Bible Doctrine is not working for acceptance, it is responding to the Holy Spirit because we are already accepted in the Beloved. Because we are seated in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ, we must walk as royalty. It is one thing to try and work for your salvation, and quite another to work out your salvation. This is one of the valuable lessons we will learn in this chapter, along with placing ourselves in complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit to perform the work. "Paul asks that they bring him joy by being unified and humbly looking after each other and by emulating [follow] Christ, who gave up equality with God to become a humble and obedient servant. God then exalted Him [Christ] above everything and will make everyone acknowledge His Lordship. He encourages them to continue being obedient and with fear allow God to work in them. He says their innocent living will shine in this crooked world. In the end, their steadfastness will show the effectiveness of Paul's efforts and he will gladly die to increase their faith. He will send Timothy, the only one he now trusts, to send back encouraging news from them, but hopes to visit in person. He is also sending Epaphroditus, who wanted to comfort them because they were worried about his illness. Epaphroditus had almost died but God spared Paul that sorrow" (A Survey of Philippians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Christian humility and Christ's humility vv. 1-11: Shining as lights in the world vv. 12-18: Timothy and Epaphroditus vv. 19-30.
Christian Humility and Christ's Humility
Verse 1, "If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercy."
LGT "If therefore there be any exhortation in Christ, If any comfort of love, if any fellowship of [the] Spirit, if any bowels and mercies."
If therefore there be any exhortation in Christ: the "therefore" points back to verse 27 of the last chapter of Paul exhorting them to be like-minded in the Spirit. The four "ifs" in this verse are in the first class condition, which makes them better read, "since", for it is assumed the condition to be true. The exhortation in Christ here is not the teaching of Christ itself, but the effect of the teaching. If any comfort of love: to know the love of Christ for every believer, and the height, and depth, and width and length that this love reaches, is a comfort that passes all understanding. If any fellowship of the Spirit: every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not every believer is in fellowship with the Spirit; it takes confessed sin, and a willingness to be used by the Spirit that produces fellowship; un-confessed sin in the believers life, grieves the Holy Spirit, and therefore quenches the Spirit's producing good works in the life. If any bowels of mercies: since there is tender mercy in Christ, let it exist among you. Every one of these four benefits of Christ love, His exhortation; His comfort of love; His bestowing the fellowship of the Spirit; and His inner compassionate mercies, Paul wanted to impress on the Philippians to help them be like-minded.
Verse 2, "Fulfill my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."
LGT "Fill full my joy, in order that ye may think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing:"
Fill full my joy: if the Philippians would be of one spirit and mind, they would fill up Paul's cup of joy. In order that ye may think the same thing: the four conditions in the last verse would bring about this unity of thinking. Having the same love, joined in soul: all the fruits of the Spirit begin in this agape love, for without it, there would be no working of the Spirit; the Spirit produces this love, which in turn produces the spirit of unity. Thinking the one thing: to be like-minded does not mean to agree on everything, but to be agreeable when disagreeing. If we love one another as joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we should be able to agree in the doctrines of grace; otherwise there will be dissension.
Verse 3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."
LGT "(Thinking) nothing according to contention, according to vainglory, but in humility esteeming one another above themselves;"
Thinking nothing according to contention: the context begs using the word thinking going along with the last phrase of the last verse, for it is one thought joining together different aspects of being of one mind. The apostle Paul rebukes the emotional passions that quench the Holy Spirit's working. These are all mental attitude sins, when they fester in the mind; they find an outlet in contentious hateful practice. According to vainglory: vainglory is at the root of these mental passions; vainglory is to desire the praise of men that belongs only to God. The Septuagint uses this term "vainglory" as the worshipping of idols as folly. All men desire to have the praise of men, but the well done from God is what we should want. Any talent we might have is a gift from God, so it is silly to strut around as if we are self-made men.
The editor of Calvin's commentary quotes Storr's (Biblical Cabinet, vol. 40, p.132) definition of vainglory:
"Vainglory= Persons whose object is to acquire power, and who, if they see others superior to themselves, are offended. (Gal. 5:26) This vainglory, produces contentions of all kinds; and it produces this evil besides, that persons who have gone wrong, and who might have been restored to truth and virtue by humble, friendly admonition, are often, by the interference of vainglorious, ostentatious [pretentious display] instructors, confirmed in error and vice."
But in humility: this is the divine viewpoint, that is, God's answer for us to overcome our natural pride. Esteeming one another above themselves: this really flies in the face of our self-worth, or as we say, our self-righteousness.
Calvin has this good paragraph on humility:
"For both diseases (contention and vainglory) Paul brings forward one remedy - humility, and with good reason, for it is the mother of moderation, the effect of which is that, yielding up our own right, we give the preference to others, and are not easily thrown into agitation. He gives a definition of true humility - when every one esteems himself less than others. Now, if anything in our whole life is difficult, this above every thing else is so. Hence it is not to be wondered if humility is so rare a virtue. For, as one says, 'Every one has in himself the mind of a king, by claiming for everything for himself.' See! Here is pride. Afterwards from a foolish admiration of ourselves arises contempt of the brethren. And so far are we from what Paul here enjoins, that one can hardly endure that others should be on a level with him, for there is no one that is not eager to have superiority."
Verse 4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
LGT "Considering not each [of you] the things of themselves, but each [of you] [also] the things of others."
Paul is exhorting the Philippians to look to each other, that is, look out for the spiritual welfare of the brethren. The "things" Paul is speaking about, are not worldly things but spiritual. In order for unity in the family, they must look out for one another's best interest in grace. The context is very simple: do not look out for number one first; self must not be their primary concern; self-love is good, but only when it is in divine viewpoint; self-love cannot be the only love one possesses, and it must not dictate ones behavior.
Verse 5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
LGT "Have this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
Paul is saying, 'Let this thinking be in you.' What manner of thinking is he speaking of? Paul is speaking of humility verse 3, and Christ being the ultimate in humility. Paul now will explain in verses 6-8 this ultimate humility in Christ's incarnation, that is, that He left His place of honor in heaven, and took on human nature.
Verse 6, "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
LGT "Who existing in [the] form of God, esteemed it not robbery to be equal with God."
Who existing in the form of God: the "form" of God is that Christ existed in His pre-incarnate state with the same eternal essence as God; He did not simply have the image of God, but this is a very clear statement from Paul of Christ's deity. "To say, then, that Christ was in the form of God, is to say that He existed as essentially one with God. The expression of deity through human nature (vs. 7) thus has its background in the expression of deity as deity in the eternal ages of God's being. Whatever the mode of this expression, it marked the being of Christ in the eternity before creation. As the form of God was identified with the being of God, so Christ, being in the form of God, was identified with the being, nature, and personality of God . . . Since Christ is one with God, and therefore pure being, absolute existence, He can exist without the form. This form of God [this form being the glory He had, not His deity] Christ laid aside in His incarnation" (Vincent). Esteemed it not robbery to be equal with God: "Christ's humility consisted in His abasing Himself from the highest pinnacle of glory to the lowest ignominy [humiliation] . . . Since, then, the son of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable that we, who are nothing, should be lifted up with pride! " (Calvin). Christ's lowering Himself from this lofty height; He esteemed it not robbery of His deity, for He did it voluntarily, in order to salvage us from the slave market of sin. "He stripped Himself of the insignia of majesty" (Lightfoot).
Verse 7, "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
LGT "But emptied Himself, having taken a servants form, in the likeness of men having become: and in figure being found as a man."
But emptied Himself: Paul continues on the humiliation of Christ. Of what did Christ empty Himself? He emptied Himself of His glorified position as God. He did not lay aside His deity; He laid aside His position in heaven. "He was not unable to assert equality with God. He was able not to assert it" (Vincent). In His humanity, Christ was always and ever God, and in His incarnate state, He always had the mind of God. Having taken a servant's form: Christ became man by His own free will, and at the same time, He was always God, He was the God man. The word "form" has the same definition as in the last verse; Christ by His own free will took upon Himself servitude rather than sovereignty. In the likeness of men having become: Christ became like men, not the same as men. The difference being that He was still Divine, that is, God in the flesh. He was different from God in that He was man; He was different from man in that He was God. The likeness of men that Christ took upon Himself was entirely physical, in that He felt pain, hunger, and thirst, weariness and all the same effects on the five senses as all men. And in figure being found as a man: this last phrase is the first phrase in the KJV. Christ looked like any other man with no distinguishing features that set Him apart, as some artist like to portray Him. In fact, Judas had to kiss Him, in order that the others might know who He was.
Verse 8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
LGT "He humbled Himself having become obedient unto death, even death of [the] cross."
Having humbled Himself: we all have been through humbling situations of embarrassment, but the difference here is that Christ humbled Himself, and there could be no more humiliation that His death of the horrible cross for you and me. Having become obedient unto death: Christ's purpose of coming to earth was to die on that cross in our place; He died that we might live, and He was submissive to the will of His Father, for he gave His live freely for all who believe. Even the death of the cross: "Obedience unto death is thus predicted of Christ in His incarnate state - obedience not merely in action, but in suffering. He obeyed as far as it is possible for man to obey - obeyed to the surrender of His life. Death in its most awful form was calmly encountered and willingly endured. And there was no force compelling Him: it was no dark fate or inscrutable destiny, which turn as He might, He could not shun. Nor was it, on the other hand, the sudden outbreak of a wild enthusiasm, or of an irrepressible gallantry, which would not reflect and could not be guided. With all its heroism in meeting the degradation and shock of a public execution, it was yet a calm and collected obedience to a Higher will, under which He had spontaneously placed Himself" (Eadie).
Verse 9, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name."
LGT "Wherefore God also exalted Him above, and granted to Him the name, which [is] above every name."
Wherefore: in light of the fact of Christ's amazing humiliation of the cross. God also exalted Him above: "Because of Christ's voluntary humiliation God lifted Him above or beyond (huper) the state of glory which He enjoyed before the Incarnation. What glory did Christ have after the Ascension that He did not have before in heaven? What did He take back to heaven that He did not bring? Clearly His humanity. He returned to heaven the Son of Man as well as the Son of God" (Robertson). Christ's resurrection and ascension, and His being seated at the right hand of the Father, and His present session in heaven are all distinctive features of God's acceptance, and complete satisfaction in Christ's death on the cross for the sins of the world, making it now possible to shed His wonderful grace abroad in all the hearts of the believers. And granted to Him the name, which is above every name: this name obviously is Jesus. All a person must do is look at the verse above and the next verse. Also an article precedes the word "name" making it specific. Eadie notes on the meaning of "the name": "The meaning is, that through His exaltation, He who wears the common name of Jesus, has in it the loftiest of all appellations [designations]. On the road to Damascus Paul met the Lord: 'And he [Paul] said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the goads' (Acts 9:5). It commands unlimited homage, and it does so because of the suffering He has endured, and the reward conferred upon Him by the Father, in consequence of His condescension and death. In the verb eucharisto is implied the notion of a gift - without denying that it is compensative in nature. Christ won it, and the Father therefore bestowed it."
Verse 10, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth."
LGT "That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of all things in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth:"
That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow: this phrase means that homage will be paid to Jesus. This obviously points to the final Great White Throne Judgment, where it is written "And every creature that is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." (Rev. 5:13). Of all things in heaven: all inhabitants in heaven, including angels. And on earth: earth dwellers. And under the earth: probably those in hell that will be resurrected at the Great White Throne Judgment. In Revelation 20:13, 14, we read, "And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them; and they according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." The whole universe will acknowledge Christ as the Savior of the world, but even in their acknowledgment, not all will be saved. After death there is no salvation, much to the embarrassment of the Roman Catholic diocese.
Verse 11, "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
LGT "And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to [the] glory of God the Father."
And every tongue should confess: the Greek word for to confess means to say the same thing the Father says about the Son. That Jesus Christ is Lord: every tongue will confess that God made Christ Lord. This does not mean that every one will be saved; it simply means that every one will have to admit that Christ is Lord. There are two reasons why the unregenerate will not eventually be saved; first, at the Great White Throne Judgment Seat it will be too late to repent, and secondly, they will not have any inclination to repent, for they hated God in time, and they will continue to hate God in eternity. "Kennedy laments that the term Lord has become one of the most lifeless in the Christian vocabulary, whereas it really declares the true character and dignity of Jesus Christ and is the basis and the object of worship" (Robertson). To the glory of God the Father: The meaning is, "as the majesty of God has been manifested to men through Christ, so it shines forth in Christ, and the Father is glorified in the Son" (Calvin). We read in John 5:22, 23, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son; that all men should honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father, who hath sent Him."
Eadie has these notes:
"Christ as God has the right to the adoration of the universe, but as God-man He has for His special service received a special investiture. He could not be worshipped at all, if He were not God, and He is now worshipped on this peculiar ground, because He has done and suffered as the apostle tells us. But the prime place is occupied by God the Father, to whom service was rendered by Christ, while the success of such service and its consequent reward by Him are a source of glory to Him. In the honor paid to His exalted Son, His own character is more fully seen and admired. (Who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory - Eph. 1:14)
Were we to be guided simply by what appears to be the train of thought and counsel, we should say that the apostle now proceeds to apply the lesson. He had begun with the charge - 'Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others;' and in order to confirm the admonition, he has adduced the wondrous example of Jesus, showing how He minded not His own things, but laid aside His glory, and submitted to death, in pursuance of the welfare of others; and how the Father, for this unparalleled generosity, raised Him to the throne of the universe. And now we naturally expect him to bring home the great practical truth to be gathered from such an inspiring statement."
Shining as Lights in the World
Verse 12, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
LGT "So that, my beloved, even as always ye obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, with fear and trembling bring out as a result your own salvation."
So that, my beloved: in light of the exhortations above, and hearing of Christ's self-denial and sacrifice for them. Even as always ye obeyed: the Philippians had always shown Paul much respect and listened to him. Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence: this clause goes with the following exhortation. Paul says they need to continue obeying Bible Doctrine whether he is present or absent from them. With fear and trembling: a trembling at the thought of missing the mark, which is wholesome and not slavish. Bring out as a result your own salvation: the verb 'work out" is a present imperative, and it means 'to work, to effect, produce, or bring out as a result.' So this means that in the light of Paul exhorting them earlier 'to let the mind of Christ be in you', they were to allow their salvation to have a positive effect in their thinking, and thus to carry out in their obedience to the gospel; it certainly does not mean to work 'for your salvation,' for they already possessed eternal salvation. In their obedience to Bible Doctrine their being possessors of salvation would be an obvious result. This doctrine in brief is, 'bring out as a result that which has already been sealed in by God's grace', which we will see in the next verse. The term 'salvation' in this context means everything connected with our salvation, which might be described as present active sanctification described in the next verse.
Verse 13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
LGT "For God is the One who is working in you both to will and to work for the sake of [His] good pleasure."
For God is the One who is working in you: God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, indwelling every believer, energizes us to obey grace doctrine. God is the Great Energizer of the entire universe. This working of God is perfecting us to maturity through grace doctrine. If we think we can do the work independently of God's grace, we end up with inner strife and vainglory. All we are to do is respond to the grace of God, obeying Bible Doctrine, and the Holy Spirit is able to work in and through us. Both to will and to work: God does both; He wills and He energizes. "The will and the work are alike from God, or from the operation of His grace and Spirit; not the work without the will - an effect without a cause; not the will without the work - an idle and effortless volition" (Eadie). "The word which he employs (work) properly signifies - to continue until the end; but we must keep in mind what I have said, Paul does not reason here as to how far our ability extends, but simply teaches that God acts in us in such a manner, that He, at the same time, does not allow us to be inactive, but exercises us diligently, after having stirred us up by a secret influence (the indwelling Holy Spirit)" (Calvin). God does not break our will, but effectually through the Holy Spirit, by the Word of God, convinces us to desire our will to line up with the Divine will of God, and we therefore study hard and apply grace doctrine to our lives, producing true wisdom. We are not helplessly driven to obedience, but we resolve to obey. For the sake of His good pleasure: it is God's will that we live according to divine viewpoint; to live after the flesh is to either quench the Holy Spirit's work in us, or grieves the Holy Spirit, and deprives God's good pleasure.
Verse 14, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."
LGT "Do all things apart from grumbling and doubting."
Grumbling leads to doubting, and the doubting is as Vincent states it, "intellectual rebellion against God." In the context Paul is saying they need to work as they are influenced by grace doctrine, cheerfully and quietly in the spirit of humility, and not in grumbling and doubting as to whether it is of God or of the flesh.
Verse 15, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
LGT "In order that ye may become faultless and undemanding, children of God unblameable, [in the] midst of a generation crooked and perverted; among whom ye appear as luminaries in [the] world."
In order that ye may become faultless and undemanding: this phrase is literally, that you may prove or show yourself to be without fault to others. Paul says they should do things he has been teaching them without grumbling or doubting (verse 14), in order that they might display spiritual integrity as lights in a darkened world. Children of God unblameable: "For God's adoption of us ought to be a motive to a blameless life, that we may in some degree resemble our Father. Now although there never has been such perfection in the world as to have nothing worthy of reproof, those are, nevertheless, said to be unreproveable who aim at this with the whole bent of their mind, as has been observed elsewhere" (Calvin). In the midst of a generation crooked and perverted: Paul tells the Philippian believers that they are surrounded by every type of unbelief, that displays itself as crooked and perverted, they need to obey Bible doctrine in order not to be taking in by their perversion; and as adopted members of God's family, they should show forth the spiritual integrity that defines them as God's own. Among whom ye appear as luminaries in the world: As the unbeliever walks around in the darkness of unbelief, the children of God walk in the light of God's Word, and shine forth as luminaries, as the stars in heaven illuminate the darkness, shining forth from the light that has been infused in them. Paul would have the believers walk in the Light in a darkened world, in order that God's grace may appear the more illustrious; even thought the unbeliever cannot understand the light, they see it, they like it, but they would never have it as their own, because, as Jesus said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
Verse 16, "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain."
LGT "Holding forth the Word of Life, for a rejoicing to me in the day of Christ, that I ran not in vain, nor in vain labored."
Holding forth the Word of Life: as luminaries in this darkened world, the Philippians were to stand fast in the Word of God, setting it forth as their reason for living. They were to present it to the world as their only hope, and their complete dependence on it as their Light to guide them. If the unbeliever will not accept the Word of God as the Word of God, there is no hope for them, and it is vain to argue the point. "The possession of the gospel is in itself a source of individual enlightenment, but the exhibition of that gospel throws its light to others" (Eadie). For a rejoicing to me: the result of the Philippians holding out the Word of God, that is, the grace doctrines Paul had taught them. In the day of Christ: when Paul would meet Christ face to face after his life on this earth was over, his rejoicing is laid up for that great time. That I ran not in vain, nor in vain labored: Paul says that he wished to see the Philippians responding to the grace doctrines he taught them, and that they held them out to the world, and as they did, this would fulfill all his desires that the Word of God took hold of them, and that they were maturing in the Lord.
Eadie notes:
"The apostle looks forward to the period when all secrets shall be unfolded, when the results of pastoral labor shall be fully disclosed, and he anticipates that when, in the light of eternity, he should behold the result of his apostolic efforts, his bosom should be filled with joy. What purer joy can be imagined than this - what joy nearer in fullness and loftiness to His, who, on the same day, 'shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied'? And what, in a word, does the apostle regard as the consummation of his labors, or when, in the history of a church, does he reckon that his ministerial services have fully succeeded? The preceding verses afford an answer; for it is only when a church feels and acts as the apostle has counseled, that he sees in its experience and destiny the crown and reward of his sufferings and toils. Its prosperity is neither in its number nor its wealth, but in its spiritual progress - in its purity and enlightening power - in short, in its possession and exhibition of the mind which was also in Christ Jesus."
Verse 17, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all."
LGT "But even if I am poured out on as a libation upon the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all."
But even if I am poured out as a libation: Paul says that even if he is yet to face martyrdom, it would be a source of joy to him. I am poured out is represented by the drink offering in the Old Testament; it was the act of pouring wine on the animal before sacrificing it is recorded in Exo. 30:9; 2 kings 16:13; Num. 15:5; & 28:7, 14. Upon the sacrifice: Paul regarded himself as the victim to be sacrificed. "Paul did not mean that he was to be sacrificed by making expiation for their sin by his death, but he might be called to pour out his blood, by offering up his life. The word here rendered sacrifice, means (1.) the act of sacrificing; (2.) the victim that is offered; and (3.) any oblation or offering. (Robinson's lexicon) And ministration of your faith: "The meaning of the whole is, (1.) That the sufferings and dangers which he now experienced were in their cause, and on their behalf; and (2.) that he was willing to lay down his life, if their piety would be promoted, and their worship be rendered more pure and acceptable to God" (Barnes). I joy and rejoice with you all: "The cause of the joy is what is told in the entire verse. His martyrdom, viewed in the light in which he presents it, was anticipated with joy and congratulations" (Eadie).
Verse 18, "for the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me."
LGT "And in the same also ye joy and rejoice with me."
Ye should also rejoice with me if I offer my blood as a sacrifice for the cause of Christ, "for me living is Christ, and dying more Christ." (1:20) "Do not grieve at my death. Be not overwhelmed with sorrow, but let your hearts be filled with congratulations. It will be a privilege and a pleasure thus to die" (Barnes).
Timothy and Epaphroditus
Verse 19, "But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state."
LGT "But I hope in [the] Lord Jesus to send Timotheus soon to you, in order that I also may be of good comfort, having known the things concerning you."
But I hope in the Lord Jesus: Paul did nothing outside the will of God. He says in the Lord Jesus as the condition or circumstance of what he is about to do. If the Lord wills he would send Timothy to them. To send Timothy soon to you: Paul was about to send Timothy whom he loved very much, and felt as his spiritual father (vs. 22), for he led Timothy to the Lord. In order that I also may be of good comfort: Paul would send Timothy to help them ward of the enemies of the gospel, and this would be of great comfort to Paul. Having known the things concerning you: that all is well with you all; Paul loved the Philippians in a special way, because of their generous spirits. Paul says that by sending Timothy his spirit as wells as theirs would be eased. Paul hoped to hear good reports from Timothy about their welfare.
Verse 20, "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state."
LGT "For I have no one like-minded, who genuinely will care for the things concerning you:"
For I have no one like-minded: Paul considered Timothy of one mind with him, and that means, one mind with the Lord Jesus Christ. This speaks volumes of how well Paul regards Timothy; for any one to say that another person is of the same mind is to say that they are partners with that person. We all need the mind of Christ, and as such, there is beautiful fellowship, which means, partners in the gospel of grace. There is no fellowship outside the Word of God. Who genuinely will care for the things concerning you: Paul is saying that the next best thing than for him to visit them is to send his partner in the gospel, Timothy, and that he will take their cares to heart, and send reports to Paul. Some of the commentators, including Barnes and McGee, believe that Timothy was with Paul when he established the church in Philippi.
Verse 21, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."
LGT "For all are seeking the things of themselves, not the things of Jesus Christ."
This means all that were at Paul's disposal for such a mission were not up to such a task as Timothy; this could not have included Luke, who must have been away from Rome at the time. It is impossible to know who was with Paul at this time, but I believe that it may have included the ministers that were preaching from an improper motive Paul had already mentioned. The Papists must have a problem with this verse, for they believe, erroneously I might add, that Peter was the vicar at Rome. The main thing is that Timothy was Paul's first choice, and the most loyal to be had.
Verse 22, "But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel."
LGT "But the proof of him ye know, that as a child to a father, he served with me in the Glad Tidings."
But the proof of him ye know: they had met Timothy on three different occasions. That as a child to a father: as a child seeks to please the father, Timothy was of the same spirit with Paul. He served with me in the Glad Tidings: notice, Paul does not say, served me, but served with me in the gospel of grace, serving the same Master. I believe the Philippians saw the loyalty of Timothy when he was with Paul at Philippi when he established this church, and so they knew Timothy well.
Verse 23, "Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me."
LGT "Him therefore I hope to send at once, when I shall have seen the things concerning me."
Paul says that he hopes to send Timothy at once, but he must wait the outcome of his trial. Paul being a prisoner in Rome, he did not know if he would be put to death or released. We know that eventually, under the Nero persecution of the Christians, Paul was brought back to Rome and executed. Paul wanted Timothy with him until he was either released or put to death.
Verse 24, "But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly."
LGT "But I am persuaded in [the] Lord that I myself shall soon come."
Paul confidently expected to send Timothy soon, and then to follow shortly with a personal visit; but as always, if the Lord wills (Gal. 2:20).
Verse 25, "Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants."
LGT "But I esteemed [it] necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister of my needs."
But I esteemed it necessary: necessary for the reader's advantage. To send to you Epaphroditus: this is the only Epistle where he is mentioned. While he is waiting for his own affairs to be settled before he can send Timothy and come to them himself, he sends Epaphroditus back to them as their pastor, and gives them these following commendations for his appreciation for the service he provided to Paul: my brother: brother in the Lord. And fellow-worker: in the spreading of the gospel of grace. And fellow-soldier: every minister that preaches the gospel of grace is in a spiritual warfare with that adversary, Satan. The battle is spiritual, but sometimes has physical effects, as Paul is very aware, being beaten many times, imprisoned, shipwrecked, etc. But your messenger and minister of my needs: Epaphroditus was a member of the Philippian assembly, and was sent by them to minister to Paul's needs while in prison in Rome.
Verse 26, "For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick."
LGT "Since he was longing after you all, and [was] deeply depressed, because you heard that he was sick."
Epaphroditus was full of anxiety over concern for the members of his assembly, because they were worried about his being sick, and he desired to return to them and assure them all is well.
Verse 27, "For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow."
LGT "For indeed he was sick like to death: but God had mercy on him, and not him alone, but also me, in order that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow."
For indeed he was sick like to death: the question has arisen, why did not Paul heal Epaphroditus? The answer is, that the gift of healing was not given to the apostles to exercise at their own will, but only as God directed them (Dr. Paley). The next phrase proves this point. But God had mercy on him: Paul attributes his healing to God, even when he was used to do the healing. Why did Paul say prolonging his life was mercy, when he himself desired death to life (Phil. 1:23)? When Paul wrote that he preferred death to life, he was expressing his desire to be with the Lord once again, and that all that he endured in this veil of tears, to die was certainly gain; however, he also said to live was fellowship with Christ, and to die eternal fellowship with Christ; now Paul knew that this life afforded him the privilege of seeing souls come to Christ, and believers maturing in Christ, and this was joy unspeakable to him. And not him alone, but also me: Paul says that the fact that Epaphroditus was healed was mercy to him as well. Why? In order that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow: the first sorrow is that of the embarrassment of his present imprisonment, and the second sorrow if Epaphroditus would have died of losing a dear friend and co-laborer. "The sources of his sorrow, had Epaphroditus died, would have been these: (1.) He would have lost a valued friend, and one whom he esteemed as a brother and worthy fellow-laborer. (2.) He would have felt the church at Philippi had lost a valuable member. (3.) His grief might have been aggravated from the consideration that his life had been lost in endeavoring to do him good. He would have felt that he was the occasion, though innocent, of his exposure to danger" (Barnes).
Verse 28, "I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful."
LGT "The more diligently therefore I sent him, in order that seeing him again you might rejoice, and I might be less sorrowful."
How beautiful this is, and Paul could not have expressed his wonderful feelings both for Epaphroditus and the assembly in Philippi. Paul was deeply concerned that the believers in Philippi were filled with sorrow over the conditions of he and Epaphroditus in Rome, than to be rejoicing in the Lord, as they should. Paul says that he is rejoicing even now at knowing how much they will rejoice when reunited with their pastor, who had unselfishly brought comfort to Paul in prison. Paul's sorrow would be lessened by a great degree, knowing the Philippians would be relieved of their worrying over Epaphroditus, and even now Paul is rejoicing in his spirit for them.
Verse 29, "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation."
LGT "Receive therefore him in [the] Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor:"
What a fervent Christian stamp of approval the apostle is giving to Epaphroditus. Paul tells them to receive him back with all joy, because the Lord has returned him to them as a gift of His precious mercy. He exhorts them to give him the honor due him as a dedicated pastor teaching them the doctrines of grace. Honor here means mutual respect as a brother in the Lord.
Verse 30, "Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me."
LGT "Because for the work of the Christ, he went near unto death, hazarding [his] life, in order that he might fill up your deficiency of the ministration towards me."
Because for the work of the Christ: Epaphroditus deserved their respect for bringing much needed supplies to Paul in prison. He went near unto death, hazarding his life: He exposed himself to the dangers of the hideous Roman dictatorship, and by overtaxing himself in laboring for Paul, he became sick unto death. He was more concerned with serving Christ than regarding his life so precious as to hold back from this service. In order that he might fill up your deficiency of the ministration towards me: Paul is not saying that the Philippians did not want to help him, just that they were unable, and so Epaphroditus did this for them. "Epaphroditus has not only discharged his trust, and is deserving of thanks [vs. 29], but he has also ministered unto me, and done what you could not, though you would; nay, in this personal service he risked his very life, and therefore he is entitled to a joyous welcome, and a high place in your affectionate esteem" (Eadie).
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