Philippians 2:17

Yea, and if&c. He takes up the last word, characteristically. "Labouredfor you, did I say? Nay, if I have to say also died, poured out my heart's blood, it is only joy to me."

be offered upon Lit. and better, am being shed as a libation upon. The imagery is sacrificial. He views the Philippians as an altar-sacrifice, a burnt-offering, in their character of consecrated believers; and upon that sacrifice the drink-offering, the libation, the outpoured wine, is Paul's life-blood, Paul as their missionary martyr. On the libations of the Mosaic ritual, cp. Numbers 15:3-10, where the drink-offering appears as a conspicuous detail in the rite of the burnt-offering. Bp Lightfoot thinks that a reference to the pagan ritual of libation is more likely, in an Epistle to a Church of Gentile converts. But surely St Paul familiarized all his converts with O.T. symbolism; and his own mindwas of course deeply impregnated with it. The same word, but without any detail of imagery, appears again 2 Timothy 4:6, on the then actual eve of St Paul's death by the sword. "The present tense [-am being shed" places the hypothesis vividly before the eyes: but it does not … refer to present dangers … comp. e.g. Matthew 12:26 " (Lightfoot). Ignatius (To the Romans, c. 2) speaks of being "libated to God";probably an allusion to this phrase.

the sacrifice and service of your faith As we have just explained, their faith in Jesus Christ, resulting in their living self-sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1), constituted them as it were victims at a spiritual altar, and their lives a sacerdotal ritual or "service." Cp. for an instructive parallel Romans 15:16, with note in this Series. These are the only two passages in his whole writings where the Apostle applies the language of sacerdotalism to the work of the Christian ministry. (See Appendix C.) It is remarkable that in each place the language is obviously that of figure and, so to speak, poetry. In the Ep. to the Romans, "the Gentiles" are "the oblation," and "the glad-tidings" is the matter on which his "priest-work" is exercised. In this passage the Philippians are both "sacrifice" and "altar-ministers," while Paul is the "libation."

I joy, and rejoice with you all Again the warm and significant words, "you all." His willing death for Christ, viewed as a last contribution to their spiritual good, a last aid in their life of believing self-consecration, would be a personal joy to him, and an occasion of united joy with them or (as Lightfoot explains the phrase here) congratulation of them. The Apostle assumes that theywould rejoice, with the deep joy of men who shared the martyr spirit. Cp. Ephesians 3:13 for a somewhat similar thought.

Polycarp's Epistle (see our Introduction, ch. 5) almost begins with a phrase which is a reminiscence of this sentence and Philippians 4:10.