<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</SPAN></span></p>
<h2>LESSON XXV</h2>
<h3>CHRIST AND HIS FOLLOWERS</h3>
<p>The Epistle to the Philippians is the only one of the letters of
Paul which is addressed to an approved church with whom he stood
on terms of untroubled intimacy and affection. In Galatians and
both the Corinthian epistles, serious errors in the churches addressed,
as well as unscrupulous personal criticism, lend a tone of bitterness to
the apostle's words; Romans, Colossians and perhaps "Ephesians"
are addressed to churches which he had never seen. In some ways
the little letter to Philemon is very similar to Philippians. Both
Philippians and Philemon display the same perfect confidence in
the readers, the same perfection of courtesy, the same tone of untroubled
cordiality. But Philemon is addressed primarily to an
individual, and Philippians to a church; Philemon confines itself
almost exclusively to one little personal matter, while Philippians
discusses a variety of topics. Among the letters addressed to
churches, perhaps the First Epistle to the Thessalonians is more
similar to Philippians, at least in tone, than is any of the others.
Like Philippians it is animated by a deep satisfaction with the
readers, and a certain pleasing simplicity of manner. But here
again of course there are wide differences. First Thessalonians is
addressed to an infant church, which has just passed through its
first trial, and needs the most elementary instruction; in Philippians
Paul is writing to old friends, to a church which for ten years has
endured bravely the hardships incident to the Christian profession,
and has shared in fullest sympathy the joys and sorrows of the
apostle's life.</p>
<p>During the ten years, moreover, which have elapsed between
First Thessalonians and Philippians, there has been a change in
the apostle himself, as well as in his readers. Those years of conflict
and labor and meditation and suffering have borne fruit in the
apostle's own thinking. His gospel was the same from the beginning,
but the expression of it has become richer and maturer and nobler
with the advancing years. Philippians is a wonderful letter.
Simplicity and profundity are here combined. This simple letter
of thanks, with its delicate courtesy and tactful admonition, has<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</SPAN></span>
engaged the profoundest study of the theologians, and touched the
grandest chords of the Christian heart.</p>
<h4>1. THE ADDRESS. Phil. 1:1,2</h4>
<p>The address of Philippians is remarkable because of the mention
of bishops and deacons, which occurs in this way in no other of the
Pauline Epistles. Possibly, as has been suggested, these officers are
here mentioned because they had had a special part in sending the
gifts of the church. It is important to observe that there was a
plurality of bishops in the Philippian church. At a later time,
when the "bishops" were exalted above the other presbyters, there
was only one bishop in every church. In The Acts and in the
Pauline Epistles, "bishop" and "presbyter" appear plainly as
nothing more than two names for exactly the same office.</p>
<p>It should be noticed that the title "apostle," which appears at
the beginning of all the other Pauline Epistles addressed to churches,
except First and Second Thessalonians, the two earliest, is lacking
in the address of Philippians. Perhaps in writing to such a devoted
church Paul considered it unnecessary to mention his apostleship
as he had regularly done in his epistles since the denial of it in
Galatia. On account of the peculiar nature of the Philippian church,
the Epistle to the Philippians partakes somewhat of the informality
and intimacy of such a letter as that to Philemon, where the title
is also lacking in the address.</p>
<p>Very naturally Timothy is associated with Paul in the address of
the epistle, for he had been one of Paul's companions in founding
the Philippian church. At what time Timothy had come to Rome
we do not know. His name appears also in the address of Colossians
and of Philemon. Luke, although he had journeyed with Paul to
Rome, and was in Rome at the time when Colossians and Philemon
were written, Col. 4:14; Philem. 24, was apparently absent at the
time of Philippians; for since he, like Timothy, had assisted in
founding the Philippian church, and perhaps had even remained in
Philippi for years after the departure of the others, he would probably
have been associated in the address, or at least would have sent
greetings, if he had been at hand.</p>
<h4>2. THE THANKSGIVING. Phil. 1:3-11</h4>
<p>As might have been expected, the thanksgiving for the Christian
state of the readers is in this epistle of unusual cordiality. In the
mention of their "fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</SPAN></span>
first day until now," there is perhaps a delicate allusion to the
material assistance which they had sent him from time to time and
especially a little while before the writing of the letter; but such
material assistance was for Paul of course not the only, or even the
principal, manifestation of their fellowship. Here as often, the
thanksgiving runs over into a prayer—and this time it is a prayer
of singular beauty and depth.</p>
<h4>3. PROGRESS OF AFFAIRS IN ROME. Phil. 1:12-30</h4>
<p>In this section, Paul hastens to relieve the minds of his readers
about the course of events in Rome. Even his bonds, and the
jealousy of certain preachers, have resulted only in the furtherance
of the gospel. With regard to the outcome of his trial, there is
every reason to be hopeful. For his part he would prefer to depart
and to be with Christ, but there is still work for him to do. And
whether he is present or absent, let the Philippians give him joy by
living in a manner worthy of the gospel, and by being steadfast in
the persecutions which are bound to come to them as well as to
him. It is a high privilege not only to believe in Christ, but also to
suffer for him.</p>
<h4>4. EXHORTATION TO UNITY. Phil. 2:1-18</h4>
<p>With the utmost earnestness, Paul here appeals to his readers to
keep their Christian life free from selfishness and quarreling. The
stupendous "Christological" passage of the epistle, vs. 5-11, which
has given rise to endless discussion, is introduced merely in an
incidental way, in order to strengthen the apostle's exhortation.
So it is frequently in the letters of Paul. The apostle was always able
to make the profoundest verities of the faith immediately effective
in conduct. Theology in Paul was never divorced from practice.
The converse of the proposition, however, is also true. If Paul's
theology did not exist apart from practice, neither did his practice
exist apart from theology. It is the latter proposition which needs
to be emphasized to-day. Modern liberalism has sometimes endeavored
to reproduce Paul's religion apart from his theology; but
the effort has resulted in failure.</p>
<p>The example of Christ which Paul holds up before his readers is
briefly as follows: Originally Christ not only existed in the form of
God—that is, was in full possession of the divine attributes—but
also lived in glory, in a way befitting deity. Instead, however, of
keeping hold of this heavenly glory, he humbled himself by<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</SPAN></span>
becoming man. He laid aside, not indeed his divine attributes,
but the enjoyment of his divine glory. He who was Lord of all
took the form of a servant like other men. And even more. His
obedience extended even to death, and to the shameful death of
the cross. But after humiliation came exaltation. God gave to
him a name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow, in earth and in heaven, to the glory of God
the Father.</p>
<h4>5. THE MISSION OF TIMOTHY AND OF EPAPHRODITUS. Phil. 2:19-30</h4>
<p>The personal appeal with which the preceding section closed leads
Paul to speak of the plans which he has for the comfort and help of
the readers. Timothy will be sent as soon as the issue of Paul's trial
is definitely in view; Epaphroditus will return to Philippi at once.</p>
<h4>6. WARNING AGAINST OPPONENTS. Phil., ch. 3</h4>
<p>The men who are rebuked in very vigorous language in the former
part of this section evidently placed an excessive emphasis upon
circumcision and connection with the people of Israel. Perhaps
also they were advocates of a law righteousness. V. 9. The most
obvious suggestion is that they were Judaizers like those in Galatia,
or at least like the opponents of Paul in Corinth. Paul's account
in vs. 4-6 of the Jewish advantages, fully equal to those of his
opponents, which he counts as nothing in view of the superior advantages
of faith in Christ, is strikingly similar to II Cor. 11:21,22.
If, however, Paul is here referring to Judaizers, it looks as
though they were at least as cautious as the opponents in Corinth
about presenting the claims of the law. At any rate, the danger
of a legalistic propaganda either in Philippi or in Rome does not
seem to be very seriously in view. Apparently the acute stage of
the Judaistic controversy is over. It is possible that Paul is referring
to Jews rather than Jewish Christians. We must remember that
Judaism in the first century was still an active missionary religion.
A Jewish propaganda, with stress upon circumcision and law righteousness,
might conceivably become, even in Philippi, where the
Jews seem not to have been numerous, a serious danger, if not to
the stability, at least to the rapid extension, of the Christian Church.</p>
<p>Finally, it is uncertain whether "the enemies of the cross of
Christ," Phil. 3:18, are the same as those who are combated in the
former part of the section.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Fortunately these various uncertainties do not affect the lofty
teaching of this part of the epistle. Whoever the opponents were,
what Paul says in opposition to them is the thing of real value. In
the wonderfully terse, complete, vigorous description of the Christian
salvation and of the Christian life which Paul gives in ch. 3:7-14,20,21,
the long years of the Judaistic controversy have borne
glorious fruit. The final, eternal truth of God, in classic statement,
has at last emerged triumphant from the conflict.</p>
<h4>7. EXHORTATION, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, GREETINGS AND
BENEDICTION. Phil., ch. 4</h4>
<p>The principal contents of this section have been discussed in the
Student's Text Book. First Paul applies the general exhortation
to unity, Phil. 2:1-11, to the case of Euodia and Syntyche, and
adds certain other brief exhortations. The "true yokefellow" of
ch. 4:3 probably refers to Epaphroditus, the bearer of the epistle.
Then, in a characteristically delicate and worthy manner, he
acknowledges the gift of the Philippians. Next, in just a word, he
transmits, along with his own, the greetings of his immediate
companions, and of the Roman church in general, especially of those
members who were connected, as slaves or officials, with the immediate
service of the emperor. Finally, with a brief benediction,
the epistle closes.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p><span class="smcap">In the Library.</span>—Purves, "Christianity in the Apostolic Age," pp.
249-251. Davis, "Dictionary of the Bible": Purves (edited) article on
"Philippians." Hastings, "Dictionary of the Bible": Gibb, article on
"Philippians, Epistle to the." M'Clymont, "The New Testament
and Its Writers," pp. 83-90. Ellicott, "A New Testament Commentary
for English Readers", vol. iii: Barry, "The Epistles of Paul the Apostle
to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians," pp. 61-90. "The
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges": Moule, "The Epistle to the
Philippians." Zahn, "Introduction to the New Testament," vol. i,
pp. 522-564. Lightfoot, "Saint Paul's Epistle to the Philippians."
The two last-named works are intended primarily for those who have
some knowledge of Greek, but can also be used by others.</p>
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