← Back to the beginning of Philippians 2
Ver. 10. That at the name] Gr. In the name. The Papists stiffly defend the ceremony of bowing at the name of Jesus, to countenance the adoration of their deified images, altars, and their host; teaching in their pulpits, that Christ himself on the cross bowed his head on the right side, to reverence his own name, which was written over it. But name is here put for person, bowing of the knee for inward subjection. It is taken out of Isaiah 45:23. Sir Edwin Sands in Spec. Europ.
Ver. 11. And that every tongue] The heathens were wont to say, Mutus sit oportet qui non laudarit Herculem. Let that tongue be tied up for ever that cries not out with David, Vivat Dominus, and with Luther, Vivat et regnet Christus, Amen.
Ver. 12. Work out your salvation] κατεργαζεσθε. The reason that men still tremble, and are still troubled with this doubt, and that fear, is, because their salvation is not wrought out, something is left undone and their conscience tells them so. With fear and trembling] Opposed to carnal security. Those venturous bold spirits that dare live in any evil, so it stare not in their faces, and have not a heart fearful of the least evil, aspire not to immortality.
Ver. 13. For it is God which worketh] Therefore work out, &c. As acti agentes, moti moventes, as the inferior orbs move, as acted by the superior. When God hath turned, and doth touch us, we must move; and while the Spirit imbreathes us, we must turn about like the mill. To will and to do] Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae, saith Augustine; who stood so much for grace, that the schoolmen say he yielded too little to freewill. That we live is the gift of the gods (saith Seneca); that we live well, is of ourselves. A base speech! So Cicero (De Nat. Deor.), Iudicium hoc omnium mortalium est fortunam a Deo petendam, a seipso sumendam sapientiam. For which impious sentence Augustine saith of him, Eum, ut faceret homnes liberos, fecisse sacrileges. (De Civ. Dei, 5.)
Ver. 14. Without murmurings] Gr. οργης, wrath and rancour, or discontent, which makes men’s lips like rusty hinges seldom to move without murmuring and complaining. And disputings] Or wranglings about trifles, niceties or novelties, things whereof we can have neither proof nor profit. Zanchy thus distinguisheth these two; murmurings are secret complaints one of another, like to the grunting of hogs; disputings are open contentions and quarrels.
Ver. 15. Blameless and harmless] Gr. ακεραιοι, hornless, or sincere, without mixtu re of deceit or guile, Israelites indeed. The sons of God] Dignity enforceth duty. Remember that thou art a king’s son, said he to Antigonus, and thou canst not do amiss. Without rebuke] Αμωμητα, such as envy itself cannot justly tax, or fasten her fangs on. Si Luthero faverem ut viro bono, quod fatentur et hostes, &c., saith Erasmus, who yet loved him not. Luther is a good man, as his very enemies cannot but acknowledge. So Bucer, Bradford, Melancthon. Christians should excel others, standing as standard bearers, higher than others, as Saul was by the head and shoulders; being without blemish from head to foot, as Absalom; fair to the eye and good to the taste, as the tree of knowledge, Genesis 3:6. In the midst of a crooked] As Noah was righteous in his generation; as Joshua would serve Jehovah, though alone; as David therefore loved God’s testimonies, because other men kept not his law; as Elijah amidst the Baalites cries, Zelando zelavi; the worse they were, the better was he. Baruch kindled himself (accendit seipsum, Trem.) from other men’s coldness, and quickened himself from other men’s dulness, Nehemiah 3:20. As lights in the world] φωτηρες, luminaries, great lights, su ch are the sun and moon, that give light to others. Some wicked have greater common gifts than the godly; as many metals are brighter and more orient than the heavens: yet as those metals are not fit to convey the light of the sun, nay indeed they would stop it; so neither are the wicked fit to shine the true light into us; but Christ and Christians, those lights of the world. Such as Chrysostom was, whom Theodore styleth eximium orbis terrarum luminare, a famous light of the Church; and others said, that the sunlight might better be spared than Chrysostom’s preaching.
Ver. 16. Holding forth the word] επεχοντες, as an ensign, or rather as the hand doth the torch, or the watch tower the light, and so the haven to weather beaten mariners.
Ver. 17. Yea, and if I be offered] Or, be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice, &c., to seal up my doctrine, whereby I have brought you to the obedience of faith. Bishop Ridley in a letter to Bishop Brooks of Gloucester, writeth thus: “As for the doctrine which I have taught, my conscience assureth me that it was sound and according to God’s word, to his glory be it spoken; the which doctrine, the Lord being my help, I will maintain, so long as my tongue shall wag, and breath is within my body, and in confirmation thereof seal the same with my blood.”
Ver. 18. For the same cause also, &c.] The hearers’ affections and endeavours should exactly answer to the affections and endeavours of the preacher, as the elders of Ephesus did, Acts 20:31,37; and as those religious Romans did, Romans 6:17, and these Philippians, 2 Corinthians 8:5.
Ver. 19. That I also may be of good comfort] εμψυχω, that I may be inspirited. For when Silas and Timotheus were come from these Macedonians, Paul was pressed in spirit, and set vigorously upon the Lord’s work, Acts 18:5.
Ver. 20. Likeminded] ισοψυχον, an alter ego to me. True friendship transformeth us into the condition of those we love, as Eusebius into his friend Pamphilus the martyr, whence he was called Eusebius Pamphili. Amicitia sit tantum inter binos qui sunt veri, et bonos qui sunt pauci. (Jerome.)
Ver. 21. For all seek their own] If it were so then, what wonder if now, as was so long since foretold, 2 Timothy 3:2. Self must be shouldered out, and Christ’s share studied more than our own; all private interests let fall, and all self-respect drowned in the glory of God and the public good; or else we want that pious ingenuity that becometh saints. It is said of Cato, that he did— toti genitum se credere mundo, That the care of the community lay upon him. (Lucan.) Timothy was of a choice and excellent spirit that naturally cared for the Churches’ welfare; few such today. [See Trapp on “Php 2:3”]
Ver. 22. As a son with the father] Happy son in such a father, 1 Timothy 1:2. If Jason the Thessalian held himself so happy in his tutor Chiron (Pindar. lib. 4, Pyth.), Alexander in his Aristotle, Paul in his Gamaliel, how much more was Timothy in Paul the aged, Philemon 9, whose not only doctrine but manner of life he knew fully and followed faithfully, 2 Timothy 3:10, as a diligent disciple!
Ver. 23. So soon as I shall see] For his life was now in suspense by reason of that roaring lion Nero, whom Tertullian wittily calleth Dedicatorem damnationis Christianorum, quippe qui orientem fidem primus Romae cruentavit.
Ver. 24. Shall come shortly] Whether ever he did come or no we know not. Fallitur augurio spes bona saepe suo. Good hopes are often frustrated. Howbeit the word here signifieth an “assured confidence”; and is seldom or never used but when the thing followeth, which thus is trusted.
Ver. 25. Necessary to send to you] It is not meet that a pastor be long absent from his people. Moses was away but 40 days, and before he came again Israel had made them a golden calf. A godly minister when he is abroad is like a fish in the air; whereinto if it leap for recreation or necessity, yet it soon returns to his own element.
Ver. 26. For he longed after you] επιποθων. The word signifieth such a vehement desire as is impatient of delays. His heart was in the same place his calling was. And was full of heaviness] Gr. αδημονων, h e was out of the world, as it were, and could not take comfort in any company.
Ver. 27. For indeed he was sick] Which should not have been, if St Paul could have cured him, as he did others. This shows that the apostles cured the sick, and did miracles, not by their own power, or at their own pleasure, &c. But God had mercy on him.] A great mercy it is to recover health, and highly to be prized. After sickness, offer to God the ransom of thy life, as they did, Exodus 32:31-33. Bless Jehovah thy physician, so he is called, Exodus 15:26. Thus did David, Psalms 103:3. Thus Hezekiah, Isaiah 36:9. Thus the very heathens, whose custom was after a fit of sickness to consecrate something to their gods. But on me also] For it is a very sore affliction to lose a dear friend, which is as a man’s own soul, Deuteronomy 13:6, and is there set after brother, son, daughter, wife of a man’s bosom, as dearer than all of them. Lest I should have sorrow] God’s care is that we suffer in measure, Isaiah 27:8; and according as we can, 1 Corinthians 10:13. [See Trapp on “1Co 10:13”]
Ver. 28. That when ye see him] And receive him as risen from the dead. God knows how to commend his mercies to us, by threatening us with the loss of them; for Bona a tergo formosissima. We know best the worth of mercies by the lack of them.
Ver. 29. Hold such in reputation] Or set a just price, a due estimate upon them. Horrible is the contempt that is now cast upon the ministry, by our novellers, as if they had learned of Campian to say, Ministris eorum nihil vilius. To your minister, nothing is vile.
Ver. 30. Not regarding his life] Gr. Ill providing for his life, casting away all inordinate care of it, as if he had put on that Roman resolution, Necesse est ut eam, non ut vivam, Needsly I must go, not needsly live.