Philippians 3:1

Philippians 3:1-3. Let them cultivate Joy in the Lord, as the true preservative from the Dangers of Judaistic Teaching

1. Finally Lit., "For the rest"; "For what remains." See Ephesians 6:10, and note in this Series. In 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; below Philippians 4:8; and (in a slightly different form) Galatians 6:17; the phrase appears to mean "in conclusion." But it is plainly elastic, and in 1 Thess. we have an example, as here, of its use (and of course of its retention by the writer on review of his writing) some time before the actual farewell. As a fact the Apostle is just about to open the last largetopic of his letter, the topic of the difference between a true and a false Gospel; all else in the remaining paragraphs is only accessory. Hitherto he has been dealing, in effect, with the duty and blessedness of unity, secured by humility and watchfulness; bringing in some all-important doctrinal statements, but only by the way. He will now close with a definite and solemn message of spiritual truth, in a matter of present urgency.

The connexion of this passage has been much debated, and particularly the bearing of the phrase "to write the same thingsunto you." What does he refer to? To a previous Epistle? To a previous similar statement in this Epistle? But there is no other hint whatever of a previous letter; and in this present letter there is no previous injunction to rejoice. The solution offered by Bp Lightfoot is as follows: "The same things" are the exhortations to unityso often made already, and which the Apostle was about to reinforce. But he was interrupted in his work, and not till after an interval of days, perhaps, did he resume it. He then dropped the intended appeal, and turned instead to the yet more serious subject of doctrinal error.

This ingenious suggestion offers, however, a serious difficulty, by assuming that St Paul, with his scribe beside him, would have sent out an Epistle in a state so disjointed, simply for lack of revision. No view of Divine inspiration demands it; and certainly all considerations of thoughtful authorship are against it.

We offer the following theory: The Apostle sees before him, as he thinks of Philippi, the danger of doctrinal error; error which in one way or another undervalues Christ and Him crucified. The true antidote to such error is a developed and rejoicing intuition into Christ and His work, such as had been granted to himself. This he will now make his theme. But he has, in a sense, done so already, by the oft-repeated allusions to the Lord's sovereign and vital connexion with His people (" in the Lord," "in the heart of Christ," &c.), and above all by the opening passages of ch. 2. So he is "writing the same things" when he writes now "finally" about "rejoicing in the Lord" as their righteousness, life, glory, strength, and peace. All "other Gospels" were obscurations of that great joy.

Thus the special injunction to "rejoice" has regard to the past and coming context at once. In particular, it anticipates Philippians 3:3 below, (" glory in Christ Jesus").

A suffrage in one of the Litanies of the venerable Church of the Unitas Fratrum("the Moravians") is in point here: "From the loss of our glory in Thee, preserve and keep us, gracious Lord and God."

rejoice R.V. margin, "or, farewell." But the evidence of Philippians 4:4, which plainly takes this phrase up, and adds the word "always," is altogether for the text R.V., and A.V. "Farewell always" is an impossible formula of conclusion; we are constrained to render "Be gladalways" there. And already Philippians 2:18 he has used the same Greek word in that sense beyond doubt. See the last note.

in the Lord See last note but one, and that on Philippians 1:8.

To write the samethings] See last note but two, for a reference of this to "the things" already written in this Epistle about the glory and fulness of Christ.

to me indeed … safe The Greek words form an Iambic trimeter, a verse corresponding in the Greek drama to our blank heroic, and may thus be a quotation by the way [22]. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 we almost certainly have such a quotation from a Greek dramatist, Menander or perhaps Euripides; "Ill converse withers fair morality." We may render here, with a view to the rhythm, To me not irksome, it is safe for you. St James (Philippians 1:17) appears similarly to adopt a Greek hexameter; "Every giving of good and every boon of perfection."

[22] I owe this remark to a friend.