vv. 2-3 “This passage iden­tifies two women as important participants in the life of the Philippian church, as fellow contenders with Paul in the cause of the gospel, and as fel­low workers with Paul. These are impressive credentials. Paul’s only other use of the verb ‘contend together with’ appears in 1:27, where he tells the entire congregation that they should be ‘contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.’ Since Paul is speaking of steadfastness in the face of persecution in 1:27, there is no reason to think that he refers to anything else in 4:2. Euodia and Syntyche, then, have bravely withstood persecution alongside Paul, perhaps during the time when he originally preached the gospel in Philippi.

“Paul mentions these two in a letter to be read to the church […] Notice that Paul does not, as some pastors do, regard matters such as this as private, to be settled outside the church lest anyone be disturbed. No, in Paul’s view, this is precisely the nature and function of the congregation as a partnership. Being members of one another means laying before each other joys, sorrows, and burdens, but also issues to be settled (1 Cor. 6:1-6).”[2]

v. 2 “The common ‘mind’ they are to share, in reconciliation and mutual love, is one which sets the good of the church above personal interest, and finds its inspiration in the lowliness of the incarnate Lord and the standard he expects of his people (2:3, 5). The reason for their quarrel is not given but it is clear from the wording that it was more than a personal disagree­ment; their quarrel had ecclesiastical repercussions.”[3]

v. 3 “Paul provides an example to his readers of how to work for the unity with which he has been so concerned throughout the letter and with which he is especially concerned here. Such disputes are not the private concern of those quarreling, but of the entire church. It is appropriate, then, for the church to seek to arbitrate such disputes through the mediation of a believer who is gifted with the ability to help people overcome their dif­ferences.”[4]

“‘are in the book of life,’ a traditional title of honor frequently used in Jewish literature for the people of God who have suffered persecution but have nevertheless remained faithful (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 3:5; cf. Isa. 4:3; Luke 10:20).”[5]

“How could a loyal yokefellow help feuding women? No one knows for sure who this loyal yokefellow was.  Apparently he (the noun is masculine) was a mature Christian whom Paul could trust to help mediate the dispute, perhaps by bringing them together to reconcile their differences.”[6]

v. 4 “The appeal to constant rejoicing (cf. 1 Thes. 5:16) is no empty phrase. To a company of Christ’s people, who were in doubt and fear (1:28) and set in the midst of a hostile world (2:15), this assurance rings out like a clarion call, and is repeated so that its message may not be misunderstood. Paul has the supreme qualification to issue the call, for he himself is engrossed in ‘the same struggle’ (1:30) as that which the Philippians are facing; […] In the Lord is the governing factor in the exhorta­tion. It is the Philippians’ faith in the Lord which makes rejoicing in the throes of opposition a glorious possibility, as Bonnard finely comments: ‘The Pauline appeals to joy are never simply encouragements; they throw back the distressed churches on their Lord; they are, above all, appeals to faith.’

v. 5 “Christians should be known for a quality that is rendered in both the NIV and the NRSV as ‘gentleness.’ The Greek term epieikes is more positive than that. It denotes generosity toward others and is a characteristic of Christ himself (cf. 2 Cor. 10:1); the NEB’s ‘magnanimity’ and the REB’s ‘consideration of others’ catch its meaning.”[7]

“In 4:2-3, Paul is concerned with relations within the Christian community, but in 4:5 he turns to the church’s dealings with those outside. Consideration of others is to be shown to everyone, not just to fellow Christians. Since this attitude, too, is a reflection of that seen in Christ, Paul is in effect urging the Philippians to let their lives be a proclamation of the gospel.”[8]

v. 6 “The possibility and reality of prayer give the rationale of the first words of the sentence which, by themselves, seem so impossible to obey. We may be freed from all fretful care and feverish anxiety because we may refer all our distresses and problems to God in prayer. […]  anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water.”[9]

“Alert, yes; anxious, no. ‘Have no anxiety about anything’ (Matt. 6:25-34,) here applies to nervous, doubt-filled concern for their own well being and is not to be taken as a blanket endorsement of total indifference to the conditions of others. In other words, this is no scriptural warrant for not caring.”[10]

“All prayer and supplication are to be accompanied by thanksgiving, something that has characterized the whole of this letter. The result will be that the peace of God will guard their hearts and minds ‘in Christ Jesus.’ The peace promised here is far more than an absence of conflict. Rather, it is total well-being, and it comes from God—once again, to those who are in Christ Jesus and who share his attitude, so that his ‘heart and mind’ become theirs.[11]

v. 8 “The virtues mentioned in 4:8 were among those that were honored in the pagan world, a fact that reminds us that we should not be afraid to take over the best in our secular world and claim it for Christ. In a sense, of course, this is but a recognition that everything that is true and pure comes from God.”[12]

“How can we think lovely thoughts? Paul is not talking about fleeting impressions that invade our thinking.  Thoughts of temptation or discouragement can come unannounced.  But we can discipline ourselves, making conscious choices to contemplate good things.”[13]

vv.8-9 “Paul belies any attempt to separate thought from deed in verse 8-9 when he uses the term ‘think’ in verse 8 and the expression ‘put into practice’ in verse 9.  Since the Philippians must think about his teaching and example in order to put them into practice, and since Paul will not believe that the Philippians have obeyed his command to think about the virtues he lists if they have not also acted on them, the two words have much the same meaning.  Our thinking and our actions, then, are closely bound together.  Indulging in evil thought and tolerating sloppy thinking can have terrible consequences.  Thus, if instead of loving my enemy I indulge the temptation to resent him, resentment turns to anger, anger to hatred, and the link between hatred and murder, as Jesus saw, is close (Matt. 5:21-22).”[14]

v. 9 “Once again, therefore, they are urged to imitate Paul, who embodies for them the gospel message. The verse reminds us yet again of the close link between the proclamation of the gospel and the moral demand to be like Christ, which rests on those who respond.”[15]

“His expression ‘learned and received’ refers to passing along a tradition. There is a body of teaching giving identity and continuity to the Christian community.”[16]

vv. 10-20 “Paul faces the difficult task of showing the Philippians his genuine appreciation for their financial support, both past and present, but of also showing that his work is neither dependent on nor motivated by this support. He does this through combining expressions of gratitude with qualifications designed to prevent misunderstanding.”[17]

v. 10 “Perhaps because of their poverty (2 Cor. 8:1-2), however, they had not been able to help Paul in this way recently. Thus Paul rejoices ‘greatly’ that the opportunity to show their concern for him has returned.”[18]

“At last suggests a harsh and sinister implication as though Paul were chiding the Philippians for forgetfulness or dilatoriness in sending the money to him. But this idea is absent from the Greek, and the following sentence gives the reason for the unavoidable delay in the arrival of the church’s gift.”[19]

v. 11 “Content […] As a moral term it plays an important part in the stoic outlook upon life. Socrates, for instance, is held up by Diogenes Laertius in the third century AD as an example of a ‘self-sufficient’ man who faced, with equanimity and resolution, all that life brought to him. Paul’s use of the term is, however, quite distinct from the stoic ideal as verse 13 shows (cf 2 Cor. 9:8). A stoic term may be used; but it is Christ who is the secret of Paul’s serenity (1:21).”[20]

v.13 “What does God give us strength to do? Everything means all that God desires us to do – not absurd, selfish or evil things.  In Paul’s own example, it meant that God had given him the ability to be content whether he had plenty or overwhelming need.  God’s grace will sustain us not matter where he leads – even when we lack material things.”[21]

v. 14 “The verb sygkoinoneo [to share] is a com­pound of the verb also translated ‘shared’ in v. 15; equivalent nouns are used in 1:5 and 7 (‘partnership’ and, lit., ‘fellow participants’). The fel­lowship of those in Christ involves sharing with one another at all levels: The Philippians have shared Paul’s distress, just as they shared with him ‘in the matter of giving and receiving’ (v. 15). This does not mean that the Philippians gave and Paul received. On the contrary, the giving and receiving were mutual, since he goes on to say that he has been paid in full.”[22]

v. 15 “The fact that the Philippians were the only Christians who supported Paul is significant, since it suggests that the bond between him and them was particularly strong.”[23]

vv. 17-18 “Paul has returned once again to the meta­phor of the financial ledger, which he used in 3:7-8, and he hastens to assure them that the books have been balanced. ‘I have been paid in full,’ he declares; the Greek word […] which he uses here, is the word that would have been used on a receipt. Thus Paul has been paid more than enough. The implication seems to be that the Philippians had once been in his debt; what they owed him, of course, was the fact that he had brought them the gospel. Now Paul changes the metaphor again. The gifts brought by Epaphroditus were ‘a fragrant offering, an accept­able sacrifice, pleasing to God.’ Though the gifts were offered to Paul, they have in effect been offered to God, since they are being used for ‘the defense and confirmation of the gospel’ (1:7). It seems, then, that the account is being held with God and that the Philippians are storing up trea­sure in heaven (cf. Matt 6:20; 19:21).”[24]

v. 18 “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice.  The OT background is the sacrifice, not of atonement for sin, but of thanksgiving and praise (cf. Lev 7:12-15; Ro 12:1; Eph 5:2; Heb 13:15-16).”[25]

“Paul then […] begins to speak in language that the Old Testament uses to describe the sacrifices of God’s people. In Israel’s history these sacrifices were often corrupted by the people’s idolatrous practices or social injustices. But Isaiah looks forward to a time when God’s people will once again offer ‘acceptable’ sacrifices to the Lord (Isa. 56:7; 60:7). Perhaps Paul understands the generous commitment the Philippians have shown to the gospel to be a partial fulfillment of these prophecies within the new Israel.”[26]

v. 19 “Certainly, verse 19 allows for the possibility that God will supply the phys­ical needs of his people, but this is not the primary concern of the verse. […] If we take Jesus and Paul as examples, it becomes apparent that sometimes obedience to the will of God requires physical deprivation to the point of death.

“The promise of verse 19 must instead be linked with verse 13, and both verses must be read in light of verses 11-12: God supplies the needs of his people by giving them the resources to cope with hardship. Hardship tempts us to think that God is unmoved by our plight or is against us, and so we despair. Thus, when we experience difficult times, we need the moderating presence of God, who shows us by the cross of Christ that he is for us, not against us, and that he was so filled with love for us that he sent his Son to die on our behalf.”[27]

[2] Fred B. Craddock, “Philippians,” Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985) 69-70.

[3] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 168.

[4] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 223.

[5] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 217.

[6] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[7] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 540.

[8] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 547.

[9] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 171.

[10] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians, Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985)) 72.

[11] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 541.

[12] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 548.

[13] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[14] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 231-232.

[15] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 541.

[16] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians, Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1985)) 74.

[17] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 235.

[18] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 235-236.

[19] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 176.

[20] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 178.

[21] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1634.

[22] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 544.

[23] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 544.

[24] Leander E. Keck, “Philippians,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XI (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000) 545

[25] The NIV Study Bible, study notes  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985)  1809.

[26] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 237.

[27] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 241.

vv. 2-3 “It was the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace alone, that salvation is the free gift of God, that we can never earn it but can only humbly and adoringly accept what God has offered to us; and, further, that the offer of God is to all men of all nations and that none is excluded.  It was the teaching of these Jews that, if a man wished to be saved, he must earn credit in the sight of God by countless deeds of the law; and, further that salvation belonged to the Jews and to no one else”[2]

“Physical circumcision was a visible mark that identified those who bore it as members of Israel, God’s chosen people (Gen 17).  At times, however, the Israelites placed such confidence in possession of the physical mark itself that they felt their election was secure even if their hearts strayed after other gods.  In these instances, the writers of the Old Testament reminded them that the physical rite should be symbolic of a deeper commitment.”[3]

vv. 4-6 “So Paul sets out his credentials, not in order to boast but to show that he had enjoyed every privilege which a Jew could enjoy and had risen to every attainment to which a Jew could rise.  He knew what it was to be a Jew in the highest sense of the term, and had deliberately abandoned it all for the sake of Jesus Christ.”[4]

vv. 7-9 “The great basic problem of life is to find fellowship with God and to be at peace and in friendship with him.  The way to that fellowship is through righteousness, through the kind of life and spirit and attitude to himself which God desires.  Because of that, righteousness nearly always for Paul has the meaning of a right relationship with God […] So, then, Paul is saying, ‘I found the Law and all its ways of no more use than the refuse thrown on the garbage heap to help me to get into a right relationship with God…’  Paul had discovered that a right relationship with God is based not on Law but on faith in Jesus Christ.  It is not achieved by any man but given by God; not won by works but accepted in trust.”[5]

“By saying that he considers everything to be a loss, Paul does not mean that his Jewish upbringing, the law, and ‘everything’ else were evil, but that his attitude toward them was evil.  At his conversion, he had to drop the notion that he and God were partners in the project of justification and to accept the means for righteousness that God alone provided”[6]

vv. 10-11 “It is important to note the verb which [Paul] uses for to know.  It is part of the verb ginoskein, which almost always indicated personal knowledge.  It is not simply intellectual knowledge, the knowledge of certain facts or even principles.  It is the personal experience of another person […] This verb indicates the most intimate knowledge of another person.  It is not Paul’s aim to know about Christ, but personally to know him.”[7]

vv. 12-14 “When Paul uses the word [‘perfect’] in verse 12, he is saying that he is not by any means a complete Christian but is forever pressing on.  Then he uses two vivid pictures.  He says that he is trying to grasp that for which he has been grasped by Christ […] Every man is grasped by Christ for some purpose; and therefore, every man should all his life press on so that he may grasp that purpose for which Christ grasped him.

To that end Paul says two things.  He is forgetting the things which are behind.  That is to say, he will never glory in any of his achievements or use them as an excuse for relaxation.  In effect Paul is saying that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only what he has still to do.  In the Christian life there is no room for a person who desires to rest upon his laurels.  He is also reaching out for the things which are in front.  The word he uses for reaching out (epekteinomenos) is very vivid and is used of a racer going hard for the tape.  It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal.  It describes him with eyes flat out for the finish.”[8]

vv. 15-16 “In Philippians 3:15, then, maturity is a matter of refusing to focus on the spiritual attainments of the past and of realizing how much effort must be expended on the course that lies ahead.”[9]

vv. 17-21 “Whoever they were, Paul reminds them of one great truth; ‘Our citizenship,’ he says, ‘is in heaven.’  Here was a picture the Philippians could understand.  Philippi was a Roman colony […] the great characteristic of these colonies was that, wherever they were, they remained fragments of Rome […] Paul says to the Philippians, ‘Just as Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship.’”[10]

“As we are just now, our bodies are subject to change and decay, illness and death, the bodies of a state of humiliation compared with the glorious state of the Risen Christ; but the day will come when we will lay aside this mortal body which we now possess and become like Jesus Christ himself.  The hope of the Christian is that the day will come when his humanity will be changed into nothing less that the divinity of Christ, and when the necessary lowliness of mortality will be changed into the essential splendor of deathless life.”[11]

[2] Ibid., 53.

[3] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 167.

[4] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 57.

[5] Ibid., 62-63.

[6] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 170.

[7] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 63.

[8] Ibid., 66.

[9] Frank E. Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 197.

[10] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, The Daily Bible Study Series (Louisville, KY: The Westminster Press, 1975) 69.

[11] Ibid.

vv.2-5 “To be like-minded need not suggest a lock-step, cloned behavior.  This is instead a call to have attitudes like Christ – loving and accepting one another, even when we’re different.  In fact, God delights in our diversity; he made every single person unique.  But we should all be like-minded in our obedience to Christ and in our care for others.”[2]

vv.6-11 “Most scholars believe that verses 6-11 are from a hymn sung by the early Christian church.  Paul was using this hymn to show Jesus as a model of servanthood.  The passage holds many parallels to the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53.”[3]

v.6 “…something to be grasped (2:6) God-likeness, contrary to common understanding, did not mean for Christ to be a ‘grasping, seizing’ being, as it would for ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ whom the Philippians had previously known;  it was not ‘something to be seized upon to his own advantage,’ which would be the normal expectation of lordly power – and the nadir of selfishness.  Rather, his ‘equality with God’ found its truest expression when ‘he emptied himself.’”[4]

v.7 “made himself nothing. Lit. ‘emptied himself.’ He did this, not by giving up deity, but by laying aside his glory (see John 17:5) and submitting to the humiliation of becoming man (see 2 Co 8:9).”[5]

v.8 “Christ emptied himself by taking the form of a slave, but he stooped even lower when his human condition and his obedience led him to the cross.  In the world Paul shared with the Philippians, this was the lowest that one could stoop socially.  Crucifixion was the cruelest form of official execution in the Roman empire, and although a Roman citizen might experience it if convicted of high treason, it was commonly reserved for the lower classes, especially slaves.”[6]

vv.9-11 “[Apostle Paul’s] emphasis is not on the name itself but on the status of the name as ‘above every name.’  This can only mean that at Christ’s exaltation the process began by which the equality with God that Jesus always possessed would be acknowledged by all creation.

“Why did God exalt Jesus and grant him the name above every name?  At first glance God seems to have done this as payment for Christ’s obedience […] The key to understanding this sentence, however, lies in noticing that God takes the initiative.  Jesus does not force God’s hand, nor is the exaltation and granting of the name a payment for deeds performed.  Instead God initiated the exaltation of Jesus and ‘freely gave’(echarisato) to him the most superior of names.”[7]

v.11 “Will every person eventually be saved? – Even though God will bring all things… together under…Christ (Eph. 1:10), not all people will be saved.  Some will go away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46) because they belong to [their] father, the devil (John8:44).  Those who do not obey the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:8-9). What this passage teaches is that all will eventually recognize and confess Christ’s lordship.  For many, however, it will be too late for salvation.”[8]

“Does this passage imply that all will confess Christ willingly or only that all will acknowledge him, some willingly and others unwillingly? The key to answering this question lies in realizing that verses 10b-11a refer to Isaiah 45:23-24:

Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear.

They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone

are righteousness and strength.’

All who have raged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.

In this passage, some of those who bend the knee and confess the greatness of the Lord are opponents who will now be put to shame.  If this passage informed Paul’s thinking as he penned verses 10-11 – and the clear echoes of Isaiah 45:23 show that it did – then it would be unwise to assume that, according to this passage, all those who will bow before Jesus at the final day and confess his Lordship will do so gladly.”[9]

vv.12-13 “Why does this sound like we have to work to be saved? – Because, even though God planned for and initiated the work of our salvation, he calls us to respond to his grace.  The work of salvation, though finished on the cross, is still being completed in individuals (Philippians 1:6).  God’s grace is fully accomplished in our lives as we learn to follow Christ, acknowledging his call by our surrender and obedience to him.  Because God works within us we are able to work out our salvation.”[10]

“After the great passage of 2:5-11 it would be singularly inappropriate to stress personal salvation; and the following verses are best understood if their reference is to the attitude of the Philippians towards one another in the fellowship of the church.

“The attitude with which they are to face this task is one of humility, with fear and trembling, and complete reliance upon God for his strength in carrying it through (v.13).  The apostle uses the identical phrase in 2 Corinthians 7:15 and Ephesians 6:5, where again it is the attitude to men which is described.  So here it denotes the spirit which should characterize the mutual relationships of the Philippians.”[11]

vv.12-18 “[…] unity is often broken by precisely the verbal kinds of activity that Paul attempts to curb at Philippi:  complaining and arguing.  At the bottom of this flurry of discontented words is nearly always the desire of each side in the dispute to dominate the other, to see that their concerns are addressed even if the interests of others are neglected. […]

“What is the remedy? Paul’s solution is to issue a warning.  Those who belong to God’s people demonstrate their membership by working out their salvation.  Their aim should be to avoid the mistakes of the ancient Israelites, who allowed complaining to stand in the way of their inheritance and whose subsequent historical failure to be a light to the Gentiles meant that God gave this privilege to others.  The Philippians should rejoice in working for the advancement of the gospel and consider the energy expended in that work to be a sacrifice to God. […]  Any good that we as believers accomplish is the result of God’s work in us.  This is a deeply humbling truth, one that should give anyone pause who is bent on having his or her way.  We do not deserve to have our own way.  We deserve hell.  But God in his grace has drawn us to himself by his Holy Spirit and by that same Spirit has worked within us to accomplish his good purpose.  If we have grasped the truth that God justifies the impious – that Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance – then we will immediately understand how foolhardy it is to break fellowship with others for selfish reasons.  ‘Self-justification and judging belong together,’ said Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ‘as justification by grace and serving belong together.’”[12]

vv.17-18 “Paul’s reference to being poured out like a drink offering was an allegory for martyrdom.  The drink offering was an important part of the Jewish sacrificial system.  It involved wine being poured out on an altar as a sacrifice to God (see Genesis 35:14; Exodus 29:40-41; Numbers 28:24).  Because the Philippian church had little Jewish background, Paul may have been referring to the wine poured out to pagan deities prior to important public events.  Paul regarded his life as a suitable offering to complete the Philippians’ sacrifice of faithful service, and he willingly offered it for the sake of Christ’s gospel and for the many who believe in Christ because of his preaching.

“Yet even through these somber words a ray of light was shining.  If Paul were indeed to die, he would rejoice and desire that they would share his joy.  Paul was content, knowing that he had helped the Philippians live for Christ.  Paul was able to have joy, even though he faced possible execution.”[13]

v.19 “Epaphroditus would leave immediately and deliver Paul’s letter (2:25-30); then Timothy would arrive later after Paul learned the verdict of his trial (2:23).  Paul hoped that in the meantime the Philippians would take to heart his call to unity in their church and would iron out their difficulties.  Timothy would be able to see their progress and then could come back to Rome with news that would bring Paul good cheer.”[14]

v.26 “Communication happens so quickly in our world, but Epaphroditus couldn’t just pick up the phone or send an e-mail saying all was well.  The Philippians had heard that Epaphroditus was ill, and word of their concern about him had gotten back to Rome (again, weeks elapsed as the news traveled the forty-day journey between the two cities).  When he recovered, Epaphroditus was longing to see his friends and family in Philippi so they would know that he was well.  So Paul figured the best way to do that would be to send him home again.”[15]

v.28 “With Epaphroditus’s[sic]  unexpected return, the church might think that his mission to minister to Paul had failed.  They might be concerned that Epaphroditus was leaving Paul alone in Paul’s most desperate time of need.  Instead, Paul took full responsibility for Epaphroditus’s[sic] return to Philippi, and encouraged the believers to rejoice that he had come back to them.  As he planned to do with Timothy (2:19), Paul willingly sent away those closest to him, if their ministry were required elsewhere.  Epaphroditus had certainly been an encouragement to Paul, as Paul’s description of this brother indicates (2:25).  Yet Paul knew that the Philippians needed to see Epaphroditus for themselves.  This would ease Epaphroditus’s[sic] distress (2:26) and lighten Paul’s cares.”[16]

[2] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[3] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 851.

[4] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996) 208.

[5] The NIV Study Bible, study notes  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985)  1805.

[6] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 119.

[7] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 120-121.

[8] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[9] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 121.

[10] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1685.

[11] Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity, 2000) 116.

[12] Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 150-151.

[13] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 853.

[14] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 853.

[15] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 854.

[16] Bruce Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001) 854.

vv.3-6 “Paul begins the description of his prayers of thanksgiving in verses 3-4 with the comment that he prays for the Philippians ‘with joy.’ His primary intention for this description is simply to affirm his affection for the Philippians, but it also announces a theme that runs throughout the letter: The believer should be joyful. For Paul, joy is not the result of finding himself in comfortable circumstances, but of seeing the gospel make progress through his circumstances and through the circumstances of the Philippians, whatever they might be (1:18, 2:17). Thus, Paul is joyful when he remembers the Philippians in prayer because God is at work in their midst for the advancement of the gospel.”[2]

v.5 “The term ‘partnership’(koinonia) means more than ‘fellowship’(KJV) or even ‘sharing’(NRSV). It refers to the Philippians’ practical support of Paul’s efforts to proclaim the gospel and meet the needs of other believers. […] The ‘partnership’ of the Philippians for which Paul thanks God in verse 5, therefore, is their practical assistance of his efforts to proclaim the gospel.”[3]

v.6 “What work will God finally complete in us? God will finally complete the work of saving us.  If we trust in Christ, we are already fully saved.  But God’s work in our lives continues until the day of Christ Jesus—the time that he returns, or until the time when we die and stand before him.  Only then shall we be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).”[4]

v.12 “the word translated ‘advance’ was commonly used to refer to removing obstacles, as before an advancing army.”[5] “The purpose of Christ’s suffering was the advancement of God’s redemptive work, and so it was an evil through which God effected great good for humanity (Rom.3:21-26; 5:12-21; 2Cor 5:21). Paul believes that his own suffering, since its origin lies in his efforts to fulfill the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ to which God has called him (2 Cor 5:18), has the same quality. Thus his imprisonment is not simply a result of his Christian commitment, but is the necessary means through which Paul fulfills his calling.”[6]

v.18 “Why did Paul seem to condone insincere preachers? Paul was tolerant toward preachers whose hearts were not entirely pure (v.15) –  but who preached Christ nonetheless.  He was not indifferent toward false teaching, nor was he excusing immoral or hateful behavior.  But he knew that Christ could be preached even out of the mixed motives found in imperfect human beings.  What really mattered, Paul insisted, was that Christ be preached.”[7]

v.19 “The ‘Spirit of Jesus Christ’ is the divine means through which this help will come. The word ‘help’ (epichoregia) in the NIV rendering of verse 19 can also mean ‘supply’ and is closely related to a Greek verb that means to ‘furnish, provide, give, grant.’ […] Paul is suggesting that the presence of the Spirit will be supplied to Paul through the prayers of the Philippians. In some mysterious way, those prayers are linked with God’s furnishing of the Spirit to him, and together they provide the help he needs to face the Roman tribunal with courage.”[8]

“Thus this phrase, ‘the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,’ is not incidental. […]  from such a phrase and its close relationship with the prayer of the believing community, one learns a great deal about Paul’s own spiritual life and his understanding of the role of the Spirit in that life. He simply does not think of Christian life as lived in isolation from others. He may be the one in prison and headed for trial; but the Philippians – and others – are inextricably bound together with him through the Spirit. Therefore, he assumes that their praying, and with that God’s gracious supply of the Spirit of his Son, will be the means God uses yet once more to bring glory to himself through Paul and Paul’s defense of the gospel (vv. 7. 16).”[9]

v.20 “The word [eagerly expect] refers to the intense expectation of something that is sure to happen. It seems unlikely, therefore, that Paul would use this word to refer merely to the hope that he will conduct himself properly during his impending court appearance. Instead, he sees the upcoming test in court as a divinely appointed opportunity to defend the gospel (Phil 1:16) on his way to the final salvation he eagerly awaits.”[10]

vv.21-26 “Paul exhorted the Philippians in a way which would have appealed to them. What he said, literally, was: ‘Exercise your citizenship worthily of the gospel of Christ.’ Philippi was a Roman colony, a title seen as one of the coveted prizes of the Roman empire. ‘Colonial’ status meant that the people of Philippi were reckoned as Roman citizens. Their names were on the rolls at Rome; their legal position and privileges were those of Rome itself. They were a homeland in miniature. But all this is also true of them spiritually as men and women in Christ. Grace has made them citizens of a heavenly city; in their far-off land they are the heavenly homeland in miniature; heaven’s laws are their laws, and their privileges, its privileges. The life worthy of the gospel is an inescapable obligation: it is the essence of the homeland where the Lamb standing, as thought it had been slain, forms the focal point of all life.”[11]

[2] Ibid., 38.

[3] Ibid., 38.

[4] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1621.

[5] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians,  Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching  (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1995) 25.

[6] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 59.

[7] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1994) 1621-1622.

[8] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 76.

[9] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1995) 135.

[10] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) 77.

[11] J.A. Motyer, The Message of Philippians, The Bible Speaks Today Series (Downers Grove, IL:  Inter-Varsity, 1984) 93.

The Greek word for “fathers” in verse 4 can mean “parents,” but more likely Paul is turning attention specifically to fathers. Fathers had legal control of children and were responsible for their instruction from about age seven. Girls did not normally receive formal education, but were taught household duties. Leon Morris is probably correct in saying it is significant that Paul wrote “children” instead of “boys.” Girls were valued less in ancient society, but Paul did not accept such a limitation.

In the ancient world fathers had absolute control and were sometimes harsh; that is why Paul includes the warning against provoking children to anger.

[…]

But the text instructs children to obey and honor their parents. What this means in practical terms will depend on the age of the child and the integrity of the parents. Obedience will be different for a five-year-old and a twenty-year-old, even though honor may be much the same. Especially in our culture the freedom of young adults is a given, but even with that freedom honor of parents should remain.

The text assumes an ideal, but what if the reality is far worse? The less integrity a parent has, the more difficult honor will be. At times honor may even be reduced to honor for the “office” of parent rather than the person. Showing honor should never require distorting the truth. The guideline here, as everywhere, is speaking the truth in love. Where the parents’ will conflicts with God’s will, again the attitude of the early church is the right path: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). All application of this section must remember that these commands are an application of the larger ethic of Ephesians to a specific area. The whole letter is the framework for applying these instructions.

Instructions to Slaves and Masters (6:5 – 9)

THESE VERSES CONTINUE the House Codes that started in 5:22. Paul almost certainly drew from well-known early Christian teachings in framing these sections. He could have treated numerous relations or problems, but these topics were chosen because they are traditional and because Christianslike Jewswere seen as subversive elements in the society and especially as a threat to the family structure. Christians needed to show they did not threaten order and decency. The very form of the Christian house codes is an apologetic to turn aside slander and accusations.

That Christians were seen as a threat to the household structure is understandable. As we have seen, women were told to submit to their husbands “so that no one will malign [blaspheme] the word of God” (Titus 2:5). A similar statement occurs in reference to slaves: Slaves should consider their masters worthy of full respect “so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered [blasphemed]” (1 Tim. 6:1). Such slandering could arise because Paul had set aside valuations based on whether one was free or a slave (Gal. 3:28), wrote about slaves being freed by Christ (1 Cor. 7:21 – 23), and made slaves brothers of their owners (Philem. 15 – 16). Slaves, like wives, often would have been expected to adopt the gods of the family, which would have created further conflict for Christians. And regarding children, several of Jesus’ sayings placed allegiance to him over allegiance to the family.

The directions given to slaves removes any suggestion that this new faith upset the cultural order; on the other hand, these verses are still extremely subversive. Slave owners may have been pleased with the service they would get, but in the process they lost control, for slaves now had a higher allegiance than to their owners. Slaves no longer belonged to their owners, did not really serve them, did not merely do their will, did not seek to please them, and were no different from them. They were slaves of Christ, served him, and did God’s will, and the slave owners were to treat them the same way as slaves were to treat owners. The idea that in dealing with human beings they were really dealing with Christ is reminiscent of Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

This section makes specific to slaves (and masters) what was asked of everyone in 5:10, 17, 21: pleasing the Lord, doing his will, and mutual submission. To apply mutual submission to slaves and slave owners was a startling redefinition of slavery. In 1 Corinthians 7:21 – 23 Paul even told slaves that slavery should not matter, that they were Christ’s freed people, that both free and slave were slaves of Christ, and therefore that they should not be slaves of humans! The ease with which Paul made these points was based on his conviction that slaves, their owners, and he were all slaves of Christ. He referred to himself frequently as a slave of Christ, which should not be surprising insofar as Christ himself took the form of a slave. The background for this theology is already in the Old Testament (see esp. Lev. 25:55).

[…]

That masters are asked to treat their slaves “in the same way” is cryptic, but still shocking. For them to follow this instruction, they would have to treat their slaves with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart as to Christ. That alone should have abolished slavery for Christians! Owners would also have to give up playing to audiences and do the will of God as slaves of Christ. Moreover, just as slaves had to give up slacking off, masters had to give up threatening, which fits neither service to Christ nor the life of humility and gentleness called for in 4:2 – 3. This ethic moves beyond the Golden Rule, that is, beyond treating others as we want to be treated; it instructs us to treat others as we would treat our Lord.

[…]

In the Greco-Roman world slavery was so much a part of life that hardly anyone thought about whether it might be illegitimate. Only the Therapeutae, a Jewish sect in Egypt, and perhaps the Essenes, rejected slavery in principle. It was considered an economic and practical necessity, an assumed part of life as much as birds and trees. Scholars are reluctant to hazard estimates about the numbers, but as many as one-third of the people in Greece and Rome were slaves. In addressing them Paul was addressing an enormous number of people. People became slaves through various avenues: birth, parental selling or abandonment, captivity in war, inability to pay debts, and voluntary attempts to better one’s condition. Race was not a factor.

[…]

These Christians were called to take their identity from Christ, regardless of the circumstances. Revolt was out of the question, but their lives were to be a quiet protest and a witness to a higher calling.

For the early church to advocate revolt would have been the death of the Christian movement. Slavery and other social issues were not their focus; the gospel and its description of life were. They did not work out the sociological implications of the gospel except where it related to reception of the message and relations within churches. But as they presented life in Christ, they put in motion a process that would eventually destroy slavery.

Slaves and masters (6:5 – 9). The application of the teaching on slaves and masters is obviously relevant for work relations, but it actually involves every relation and act. No relation is merely a relation; it is a context for relating to Christ. No job is merely work; it is a context for serving Christ.

Relations with people. The first application of this text concerns the way we understand ourselves and others. Society sends signals that declare our relative value and tell us where we fit in the hierarchy, but this text gives a different system of valuing. The hierarchy does not exist. We all have roles and tasks, but they do not render people more or less valuable. We all have the same Lord and face the same judgment. Arrogance and feelings of inferiority are out of place, as is favoritism. If God does not show favoritism, neither should we. We typically show favoritism to the rich and powerful, but little respect for the poor and powerless. Both are sins.

It is so easy for us to demean people we consider to be “low on the totem pole.” We do not have slaves, but we do have “service personnel” and people who “do not count.” It is easy to dehumanize and tyrannize them. We “chew them out” when we are unsatisfied. We view them as faceless numbers when the time comes to downsize. By lack of attention, body language, or attitude we communicate to them, “We do not really care about you.” Yet such people are as important as any “star” or power-broker, and our Christian witness depends on how we treat them. We must relate to them as if we were relating to Christ.

Be Strong Against Evil (6:10 – 13)

An English translation cannot easily show it, but the imperatives throughout this section are plural. We usually interpret them as if they were addressed to individuals, but without denying their relevance for individuals, we should understand them as Paul’s instructions for the church collectively to put on God’s armor and stand as one person (cf. Phil. 1:27).

The Armor of God (6:14 – 20)

A decision about “the belt of truth” is the most difficult, but the other three items in verses 14 – 16 (“righteousness,” “readiness,” and “faith”) emphasize a human response to God’s saving work. This passage is an appeal for human action. Clearly, “righteousness” in verse 14 does not refer so much to the gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:17) as to righteous acts by believers (see 4:24; 5:9). “Salvation” and “the word of God” in verse 17, however, are clearly gifts from God, which at the same time enable and motivate human obedience.

[…]

The “breastplate of righteousness” is from Isaiah 59:17, which describes God’s putting on armor to come in judgment. Paul was not writing about judgment, but the fact that the new being is created to be like God (4:24). To put on the breastplate of righteousness means that Christians are to reflect the righteous character of God in their actions.

“Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (v. 15) is adapted from Isaiah 52:7, which describes the messenger of good news. Usually this is understood in terms of willingness to share the gospel, but the intent is broader than sharing the good news.

[…]

With the shield Paul has in mind the large shield Roman infantry used to protect their whole bodies. Such shields were four feet tall and two and one-half feet wide and were constructed of leather stretched over wood, reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. Especially if soaked in water, they were effective in stopping burning arrows.

[…]

“The helmet of salvation” (v. 17) is also from Isaiah 59:17, again describing God’s own armor. M. Barth suggested the helmet is a ceremonial helmet, a helmet of victory, which indicates the battle has already been won, though this is questionable. In Isaiah God strapped on a breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation to bring righteousness and salvation. But in Ephesians, the believer puts them on to do righteousness and to receive salvation.

With the sword of the Spirit a change occurs. With the earlier pieces of armor, the second element identified the first. For example, the belt was truth. With the sword of the Spirit, this is not the case, for the sword is the word of God. The Spirit is the one who empowers the sword. Throughout Scripture God’s word is the instrument by which his power is shown. The wording here may be influenced by Isaiah 11:4.

“Word of God” does not refer to the Bible but to the gospel message. The Greek word used here (rhema) usually refers to a teaching or prophetic utterance or, more specifically, to the gospel.

Tychicus, the letter carrier & Closing benediction (6:21 – 24).

WE TEND TO ignore the relevance of texts like this. Their application may be limited, but they still are significant in shaping how we view God and ourselves. Paul’s view of his friends and his concern for them deserve to be copied. By viewing other Christians as in the Lord and by desiring God’s gifts for them, we change the way we relate to them. We cannot extend God’s peace and love honestly to people we do not care about.

Snodgrass, Klyne. “Ephesians 4:1 – 16” In The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians. By Klyne Snodgrass, 193-228. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1996.