PHILIPPIANS, EPISTLE TO THE (ph11-ip' pi-anz, e-prs"1 tee the).
/. ..eluthenticity. Of this part of the Apostle Paul's writings the authenticity has never been questioned. Professing to be written by that dis tinguished servant of Christ, it bears on every part of it the impress of his peculiar style, manner of thought, and form of doctrine; and the internal evidence of authenticity arising from the inci dental allusions in it to persons and circumstances is very strong (1-lore Paulina, c. 7). It is referred to formally and expressly by Polycarp, in his Epistle to thc Philippians (sec. 3, sec. it), besides being repeatedly quoted by him. It is quoted by the churches at Vienne and Lyons, in their letter to the churches in Asia and Phrygia, preserved by Eusebius (Hist. Eccles., v. 2); by Iremrus (Cont. Ha,r., iv, 18, sec. 4) ; by Clement of Alexandria (Pirclag. lib. i, p. to7; Strom., iv, p. 511; Adman. ad Genies, p. 56) ; by Tertullian (De Resur. Carnis, c. 23) ; by Origen (Cont. Cels., lib. p. 122, ed. Spencer ; et scpiss.); by Cyprian (Lib. Testim., iii, 39); and by many of the later Fathers.
(1) When Written. From allusions in the epistle itself, it is evident that it was written at Rome during the period of the apostle's two years imprisonment in that city, and in all probability towards the close of that period 0:13. 14, 23, 26; ii:18, 25).
(2) Occasion. It seems to have been composcd on the occasion of the return to Philippi of Epaphroditus, a member of the church in that place, who had been deputed to Rome with a pecuniary contribution from the church in aid of the apostle. Full of gratitude for this work of friendly remembrance and regard, Paul addressed to the church in Philippi this epistle, in which, besides expressing his thanks for their kindness, he pours out a flood of eloquence and pathetic exhortation, suggested partly by his own circum stances, and partly by what he had learned of their state as a church. That state appears to have been on the whole very prosperous, as there is much commendation of the Philippians in the epistle, and no censure is expressed in any part of it either of the church as a whole, or of any in dividuals connected with it.
2. Contents. At the same time the apostle deemed it necessary to put them on their guard against the evil influences to which they were exposed from Judaizing teachers, and false pro fessors of Christianity. These cautions he inter poses between the exhortations suggested by his own state and by the news Ile had received con cerning the Philippians, with which his epistle commences and with which it closes.
(1) Part First. NVe may thus divide the epistle into three parts. In the first of these (i, ii), after the usual salutation and an outpouring of warm-hearted affection towards the Philippian church (i:1-11).the apostle refers to his own con dition as a prisoner at Rome; and lest they should be cast down at the thought of the unmerited in dignities he had been called upon to suffer, he as sures them that these had turned out rather to the furtherance of that great cause on which his heart was set, and for which Ile was willing to live and labor, though, as respected his personal feelings, he would rattler depart and bc with Christ, which he deemed to be 'far better' (12 24). He then passes by an easy transition to a
hortatory address to the Philippians, calling upon them to maintain steadfastly their profcssion, to cultivate humanity and brotherly love. to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, and concluding by an appeal to their regard for his reputation as an apostle, which could not but bc affected by their conduct. and a reference to his rcason for sending to them Epaphroditus instead of Timothy, as he had originally designed 0:25; ii :3o) .
(2) Part Second. In part second Ile strenu ously cautions them, as already observed, against Judaizing teachers, whom he stigmatizes as 'dogs' (in reference probably to their impudent, snarling, and quarrelsome habits), 'evilworkers,' and 'the concision ;' by which latter term he means to inthnatc, as Thcophylact remarks (in /oc.), that the circumcision in which the Jews so much gloried had now ceased to possess any spiritual significance, and was therefore 110 better than a useless mutilation of the person. On this theme he enlarges, making reference to his own stand ing as a Jew, and inthnating. that if under the Christian dispensation Jewish descent and Jewish privileges were to go for anything, no one could have stronger claims on this ground than he; but at the same time declaring that however he had once valued these, Ile now counted them 'all but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ' (iii:1-12). A reference to his own sanctified ambition to advance in the service of Christ leads him to exhort the Philippians to a similar spirit; from this he passes to caution them against unnecessary contention, and against those who walk disorderly, concluding by remind ing them of the glorious hopes which, as Chris tians, they entertained (ver. 13-21).
(3) Part Third. In the third part we have a series of admonitions to individual members of the church at Philippi (iv :t-3), followed by some general exhortations to cheerfulness, moderation, prayer, and good conduct (ver. 4-9) ; after which come a series of allusions to the apostle's circum stances and feelings, his thanks to the Philippians for their seasonable aid, and his concluding bene dictions and salutations (ver. io-23).
Heinrichs has advanced the opinion, that of these three parts of this epistle the first belongs to a different composition from the other two (Nov. Tcst. Koppan. vol. vii. pt. ii. p. 31). It is not worth while to recapitulate his reasonings in support of this notion; they have been fully ex amined and sufficiently refuted by Krause (An Epist. Pauli ad Plzil. in dues Epistolas . . . . dispescenda Dis. crit. exeget. Regiom. 1811), and Schott (Isogoge in New Testament sec. 7o).
3. Style. This epistle is written throughoutin a very animated and elevated style. It is full of the most sublitne thoughts and the most affec tionate exhortations. It resembles more the pro duction of a father addressing his children than that of an apostle laying down authoritatively what is to be received and followed. The whole of it shows, as Theophylact observes, how very much he loved and estimated those to whom it was addressed. (Proem. in Ep. ad Phil.)