Philippians 1:19

For I know A development of the thought implied in "I shall rejoice," just above. Subordinate to the supreme fact that "Christ is being proclaimed," comes in here the delightful certainty that the attendant discipline will further his own spiritual and eternal good, always in connexion with service rendered to his Lord.

that this shall turn to my salvation Rather more closely, in view of the Greek idiom, that I shall find this thing result in salvation.

" Salvation": here, probably, final glory. The word sótêriaincludes, in its widest reference, the whole process of saving mercy, from the gift of the Saviour to the ultimate bliss of the saved. More definitely, in the life of the Christian, it points sometimes to his first knowledge of and faith in the Saviour (2 Corinthians 6:2), sometimes to the lifelong process of his Divine preservation in Christ (2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:9), more frequently to the heavenly issue of the whole in glory (Rom 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5). The same may be said of the cognate verb, only that it more often than the noun refers to the lifelong process.

In a few passages (e.g. Acts 27:34) the noun refers to bodily preservation. But this meaning is precluded here by the reference just below to the "supply of the Spirit."

through your prayer He is sure of the coming blessing, and equally sure of the efficacy of the means to it intercessory prayer. For St Paul's high estimate of the worth of intercession for himself and his work cp. e.g. Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:11; Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1.

the supply The Greek word slightly indicates a supply which is large and free. For the thought cp. John 10:10.

of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Here first, what is "the Spirit of Jesus Christ"? Certainly not merely "His principles and temper." So vague a meaning of the word "Spirit" is foreign to the N. T. The analogy of e.g. Romans 8:9; Gal 4:6; 1 Peter 1:11; taken along with our Lord's own teaching about the personal Paraclete who was to be His Divine Representative and Equivalent in the true Church (John 14-16), assures us that this is the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the blessed Trinity. He is "the Spirit of Jesus Christ" because in the eternal relations within Deity He "proceeds" from the Eternal Son, and is sent by Him (John 15:26) as well as by the Father (John 14:16; John 14:26), and is so one with Christ that where the Spirit comes Christ comes (John 14:18). His whole work for and in the Church and the soul is essentially and entirely connected with the glorified Lord. He regenerates by effecting our vital union with Christ; He sanctifies and strengthens by maintaining and developing it. We possess the Spirit because of Christ; we possess Christ, in the sense of union, by the Spirit.

Secondly, what is "the supplyof the Spirit"? Grammatically, the phrase may mean either, "the supply which is the Spirit," or, "the supply which the Spirit gives." Happily the two practically converge. But we prefer the former, in view of Galatians 3:5, where the verb "ministereth," R.V. "supplieth," is cognate to the noun "supply" here. The Apostle thus anticipates, in answer to the Philippians" prayers, a new outpouring within him of the power of the blessed Paraclete, developing there the presence of Jesus Christ. Cp. his own prayer for other converts, Ephesians 3:14-19.