Lecture 1 — Greeting

^1:1^ Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ: to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. [n. 3]

^1:2^ Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 7]

^1:3^ I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you: [n. 8]

^1:4^ Always in all my prayers making supplication for you all with joy:

^1:5^ For your communication in the Gospel of Christ, from the first day unto now. [n. 10]

^1:6^ Being confident of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus. [n. 12]

^1:7^ As it is right for me to think this for you all, because I hold you in my heart; and that, in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you all are partakers of my joy. [n. 13]

3. This letter is divided into a greeting and the letter’s message, which begins at I give thanks.

In the greeting he does three things:

first, the persons who send the greeting are described;

second, the persons greeted, at to all the saints;

third, the good things he wishes them, at grace be unto you.

In regard to the first he does two things: first, he mentions the persons who send the greeting;

second, their condition, at the servants.

4. In regard to the first he mentions, first of all, the principal person, when he says, Paul, which means ‘small.’ In this he indicates his humility: the least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation (Isa 60:22).

Second, the co-sender, when he says, and Timothy, because he was their preacher: for I have no man so of the same mind, who with sincere affection is solicitous for you (Phil 2:20).

5. Then when he says, servants of Jesus* *Christ, he states their condition: for what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants through Jesus (2 Cor 4:5).

But this seems to conflict with John: no longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (John 15:15).

I answer that there are two kinds of servitude, corresponding to the two kinds of fear. Fear of punishment causes evil servitude, and this is the kind meant in the above text from John. But chaste fear causes reverential servitude, which is the kind the Apostle has in mind.

6. The persons greeted are the saints of the church in Philippi: first, the lesser ones; hence he says, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, which is a city founded by Philip. He calls them saints on account of their baptism: do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Rom 6:3).

He includes the greater ones when he says, with the bishops and deacons. But why does he mention the lesser ones before the greater? Because the people are prior to the prelate: should not shepherds feed the sheep? (Ezek 34:2). For the flocks are to be fed by the shepherds, and not vice versa.

But why does he not mention the priests?

I answer that they are included with the bishops, because there are not a number of bishops in a city; hence when he puts it in the plural, he means to include priests. Yet it is a distinct order, because we read in the Gospel that after appointing twelve apostles (whose persons the bishops manifest), He appointed seventy-two disciples, whose place the priests hold. Dionysius also distinguished bishops from priests. But in the beginning, although the orders were distinct, there were not distinct names for the orders; hence here he includes priests with bishops.

7. Then he mentions the good things he desires for them when he says, grace be unto you and peace. These two goods include everything: first, there is God’s grace remitting sins: for by grace you have been saved through faith (Eph 2:8); lastly, there is man’s peace: he makes peace in your borders (Ps 147:14). Consequently, he wishes them all the good things between the two: and this, from God our Father: every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (Jas 1:17), and by the merit of Christ’s humanity; hence he says, and from the Lord Jesus Christ: grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17); for he is our peace, who has made us both one (Eph 2:14).

8. Then he begins the letter’s message,

in which he does two things:

first, he gives thanks for past benefits;

second, he urges them to continue making progress, at **now, brethren, I desire that you **(Phil 1:12).

In regard to the first: first, he gives thanks for them;

second, he mentions the subject matter, at for your communication.

9. First, therefore, he expresses thanks along with joy and a prayer. And so, touching these three things, he says, I give thanks to my God. To give thanks is to acknowledge a favor conferred on oneself: give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). In every remembrance of you, because in regard to them nothing occurred to the Apostle that was not worthy of thanksgiving; and this is very great: the memory of the righteous is a blessing (Prov 10:7). For you all: your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever (Isa 60:21). He gives thanks for their blessings, he makes prayers for their protection, and all of this with joy: far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you (1 Sam 12:23).

10. Then when he says, for your communication in the Gospel, he touches on the matter of the three things mentioned above.

First, he mentions the reason for his thanksgiving;

second, for his joy in things to come, at being confident;

third, for his prayer, at **for God is my witness **(Phil 1:8).

11. He says, therefore, for your communication, whereby you share in the doctrine of the Gospel by believing and by fulfilling it in work; for this is true partnership: do not neglect to do good and to share what you have (Heb 13:16); from the first day unto now: a holy man continues in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon (Sir 27:12).

12. And** being confident of this very thing**, I take joy in you because, he who began a good work in you will perfect it. Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm (Jer 17:5), and in: blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence (Jer 17:7). And this by God’s power; hence he says, he who began a good work in you will perfect it: apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). This is against the Pelagians, who say that the principle of every good work is from ourselves, but its completion is from God. But this is not true, because the principle in us of every good work is to think of it, and this itself is from God: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our sufficiency is from God (2 Cor 3:5). Unto the day of Christ* *Jesus, when he will reward each person: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day (2 Tim 4:8); he will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:8).

13. The reason for his joy is given when he says: as it is right for me to think this for you all, because it is right that you should rejoice with me in my blessing, because I hold you in my heart. As if to say: I have this knowledge of you that you are such; therefore, I rejoice so that you might rejoice in the things in which I rejoice, which is** in my bonds**. For he was imprisoned for Christ at that time and he rejoiced in it: count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect (Jas 1:2); then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name (Acts 5:41). And in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, namely, in preaching boldly against tyrants and heretics, and confirming the Gospel in the hearts of the faithful. He departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples (Acts 18:23).

Or another way according to a Gloss: in my heart, i.e., in my desire that you be partakers of eternal joy: no one will take your joy from you (John 16:22). And this cannot be snatched from my heart, for even though I am imprisoned and intent on confirming and defending the Gospel, my anxiety for you has not slipped from my heart.