Philippians 3:20

τὸ πολίτευμα. “Our commonwealth.” (Tertull., municipatus. Cyp., Iren., conversation.) The thought is certainly suggested by ἐπίγ. φρον. in Philippians 3:19 (this is the force of γάρ). This world has a characteristic spirit of its own. Worldliness is the common bond of citizenship in it. There is another commonwealth, not of the world (John 18:36), which inspires its members with a different tone of life. They “seek the things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God”. Cf. 4 Ezr. 8:52, Vobis enim apertus est paradisus … praeparata est habundantia, aedificata est civitas. The stability and security of the pax Romana (one of the most favourable influences for Christianity) filled the thought of the time with high conceptions of citizenship and its value. This would specially appeal to the Philippians, who must have prided themselves on possessing the jus Italicum with all its privileges (see Marquardt, Römische Staatsverwaltung, Bd. i., pp. 363 365). Again and again Paul himself found his Roman citizenship a sure protection. Perhaps the unjust treatment he had received in that capacity at Philippi (Acts 16:22-23; Acts 16:37-39) resulted in securing for the young Christian community a certain immunity from persecution through the favour of the magistrates who might fear the consequences of their gross violation of justice. The word πολίτευμα had been adopted by the Jews from Greek civic life long before this letter was written (see Hicks, Classical Review, i., 1, pp. 6 7, on the whole subject of political terms in N.T.). Cf. Philo, de Conf. Ling., p. 78 (ed. Wendl.), πατρίδα μὲν τὸν οὐράνιον χῶρον ἐν ᾧ πολιτεύονται, ξένην δὲ τὸν περίγειον ἐν ᾧ παρῴκησαν νομίζουσαι; Aug., de Civ. D., xi., 1 (quoted by Wohl [4].); the Latin Mediaev. Hymn, Urbs Jerusalem beata, Dicta pacis visio, Quae construitur in caelis, Vivis ex lapidibus; and see Hebrews 10:34; James 4:4; 1 John 2:17. πολίτ. is used = “commonwealth” in 2Ma 12:7 and Inscriptions. There is a good discussion of Paul's relation to the state in Hltzm [5]., N.T. Th., ii., p. 157 ff. ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Paul had no earthly home. ὑπάρχει. It is perhaps used to add dignity to the thought, or, possibly, to emphasise the idea of substantial existence and reality. Cf. ὑπάρχων in chap. Philippians 2:6. ἐξ οὗ. It seems needless to make this an adverb. οὗ refers quite directly to πολίτευμα (so also Beng., Hfm [6]., Lips [7]., Holst., etc.). καί marks the reasonableness of looking for the Saviour from the heavenly commonwealth. Because their πολίτ. is in heaven they have a claim on the Saviour, just as the Philippians might rightfully look for protection to Rome. σωτῆρα. Used, no doubt, in the technical sense of Christ's deliverance at His coming (so also Kl [8].), but strangely rare until the Pastoral Epistles. It corresponds to Paul's use of σωτηρία. ἀπεκδεχ. The compound emphasises the intense yearning for the Parousia. It is no wonder that early Christian thought centred round that time. There was nothing to root their affections in the world (Cf. Galatians 1:4). The dominant influence of this expectation in Paul's thinking and working is only beginning to be fully recognised. See some suggestive paragraphs in Wernle's Der Christ u. die Sünde bei Paul., pp. 122 123. Κύρ. Ἰ. Χ. This order is always found in the phrase.

[4] Wohlenberg.

[5] tzm. Holtzmann.

[6] Hofmann.

[7] Lipsius.

[8]. Klöpper.