NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV) ********************************************************************************
From: Philippians 1:1-11
Greeting
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[1] Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: [2] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
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[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, [4] always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, [5] thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. [6] And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. [7] It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. [8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. [9] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruits of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
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Commentary:
1-2. The epistle begins with the normal words of greeting. St Paul calls the Philippians "saints", which was the usual way Christians referred to one another, because they had been consecrated or sanctified by Baptism (cf. note on Eph 1:1). This description underlines, for one thing, the fact that they have been chosen by God, an election which is signified by the ceremony of anointing or consecration that forms part of the baptismal rite whereby they become members of the holy people of God, the Church. The term "saints" also recalls the privilege their God-given vocation involves, and their consequent duty to respond faithfully to the personal call to holiness which each has received.
The entire epistle has the tone of a family letter with dogmatic and moral teachings alternating with personal news. The Apostle's deep affection for his readers makes his words especially convincing. When identifying himself at the start of the letter, he simply gives his name, without adding any reference to his authority--as Apostle of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1, 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1, Col 1:1); there is no need to do so, so obedient is the community at Philippi, so much at one with him.
Timothy, whose name appears alongside Paul's in the heading of the letter, had worked with the Apostle in the evangelization of the Philippians and accompanied him on one of his apostolic journeys (cf. Acts 16:1, 3, 10ff; 20:4) and acted as his envoy (cf. Acts 19:22). The church at Philippi, then, knew him well and loved him.
In the Old Testament certain outstanding people--Moses (Ex 14:31), Joshua (Josh 24:29), David (2 Sam 3:18), etc.--whom God used to advance his plans, were described as "servants of Yahweh". Paul and Timothy are "servants of Christ Jesus", that is, people who serve God by preaching his Gospel.
Our Lord Jesus Christ chose twelve Apostles with Peter at their head and commissioned them to make disciples of all nations, whom they were to sanctify and govern. Certain others were invited to assist them in this ministry; and because it had to last until the end of time, the Apostles appointed people to succeed them in their role in the Church, which is a hierarchically structured institution (cf. Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 20). Within a few years of their receiving their commission the Apostles already had a number of helpers in the ministry: the Apostle describes them here as "bishops and deacons". The Greek word episkopos means "watchman, guardian, overseer" and diakonos "servant, keeper". Although in this period these names did not carry the exact meaning they now have, they do indicate that the local church already had a form of hierarchical structure (cf. note on Acts 11:30). At the time this letter was written, "deacons" or servants seem to have been regarded, already, as sacred ministers, helpers of the bishops (cf. Acts 6:1ff).
It is worth pointing out that the names of the various forms of Church office always have to do with service, ministry. The bishops are men chosen "to take charge of the community, presiding in God's stead over the flock of which they are the shepherds in that they are teachers of doctrine, ministers of sacred worship and holders of office in government" (Lumen Gentium, 20). And deacons, for their part, "strengthened by sacramental grace, are dedicated to the people of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests, in the service of the liturgy, of the Gospel and of works of charity" (Lumen Gentium, 29).
No mention is made in this letter of the "priests" or "elders" referred to in other Pauline letters (cf. 1 Tim 5:17, Tit 1:5). In the Apostle's time the terminology used did not clearly distinguish the various grades of holy order. It is possible that the "bishops" referred to here belong to the same level of the hierarchy as the "elders" (priests) of other letters--sacred ministers on a lower level than the Apostles and their co-workers (Timothy, Titus, etc.), who presided over the Christian communities. Their role would have been similar to that which parish priests later fill.
On the greeting " grace and peace", see the note on Eph 1:2.
[The Note on Ephesians 1:2 states:
2. Shalom!--"Peace!"--is the usual way Jews greet one another. According to the prophets, peace was one of the gifts the Messiah would bring. After the incarnation of the Son of God, now that the "prince of peace" has come among men (cf. Is 9:6), when the Apostles use this greeting they are joyfully proclaiming the advent of messianic peace: all good things, heavenly and earthly, are attainable because by his death and resurrection Jesus, the Messiah, has removed, once and for all, the enmity between God and men: "since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1).
The same expression--"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"--is frequently to be found in St Paul's letters. For its meaning, see the notes on Rom 1:7 and 1 Cor 1:3.
The note on Romans 1:7 states:
The formula "grace and peace" seems to be St Paul's own: it is a combination of the usual Greek greeting at the start of letters and the Hebrew shalom (peace). The Apostle uses this double greeting very often (cf., for example, 1 Cor 1:3 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; etc). It is a Christian greeting, referring to the gifts the Holy Spirit brings us. Jewish and pagan greetings wished people material prosperity or good fortune; the Apostle's are wishes for something higher—divine benevolence, which comes in the form of the gift of sanctifying grace and the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and interior peace, which derives from reconciliation with God brought about by Christ. These gifts, according to the Apostle, come to us from God our Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Lord, who is equal to the Father. Thus we see Christian life as being inserted in the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity, for "grace and peace" came from the goodness and mercy of God, by way of the Incarnation of the Word and the Redemption wrought by him.
The note on 1 Corinthians 1:3 states:
3. Peace of soul, that "serenity of mind, tranquillity of soul, simplicity of heart, bond of love, union of charity" of which St Augustine spoke (De Verb. Dom. Serm., 58), originates in the friendship with God which grace brings with it; it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23). This is the only true kind of peace: "There is no true peace, just as there is no true grace, other than the grace and peace which come from God," St John Chrysostom teaches, "Possess this divine peace and you will have nothing to fear, even if you be threatened by the direct danger, whether from men or even from the demons themselves; whereas see how everything is a cause of fear for the man who is at war with God through sin" (Hom. on 1 Cor", 1, "ad loc.).]
3-5. "Your partnership": in the original this reads "your communion". In the New Testament this term has a wide meaning, mainly denoting closeness of thought, action and lifestyle. It is sometimes used in connection with collections made in favor of the needy (cf. Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 9:13).
Despite the fact that the faithful at Philippi were in general people of modest means and were themselves experiencing hardship (cf. 2 Cor 8:2), they never spared any effort when others were in need, and always did what they could to help the spread of the Church, by both almsgiving (cf. 2 Cor 8:3-4) and personal commitment (cf. 2 Cor 8:5), prayer and help to the ministers of the Gospel, as the Apostle knew from personal experience (cf. Phil 4:14-16).
St Paul recognizes their difficulties are due to their generous response to the demands of the faith-- a gift from God (cf. v. 29); that is why he continually prays that they may always have the grace they need.
4. "With joy": the Apostle's joy is one of the outstanding features of this epistle; the good spirit of the Philippians makes him particularly happy: the very thought of them brings him joy. Further on, in 3:1, he tells them to rejoice in the Lord; and in 4:4 he twice repeats this exhortation to a joy that comes from closeness to the Lord (cf. notes on Phil 4:4; 4:5-7).
The same exhortation to true joy is very often to be found in early Christian writings: "Clothe yourself with cheerfulness, which always finds favor with God and is acceptable to him. Take all your delight in this, for every cheerful man does good, has good thoughts, and despises melancholy" (The Pastor of Hermas, X, 3, 1).
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22) and a virtue intimately connected with supernatural charity, from which it derives (cf. Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 23, a. 4). It is a gift a soul in grace experiences, irrespective of its personal situation or circumstances. It comes from union with God and recognition of his loving Providence towards all creation and especially towards his children. Joy gives the Christian peace and objectivity in everything he does.
6. The Old Testament teaches that God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6; Ps 119:137). His faithfulness means that he always is true to his word, always keeps the promises he makes to his people (cf. Deut 34:4); therefore man can abandon himself into God's hand without fear, for there he will find a safe refuge (cf. Ps 31:5-6). God, who initiated the work of salvation by giving Christians the gift of faith and filling them with sanctifying grace, will continue to enrich them with his grace until they at last encounter Christ in heaven (cf. 1 Cor 1:4-9).
On the basis of this verse of Scripture, the Church's Magisterium, in reaction to the Pelagian heresy, taught that the beginnings of faith, as also increase of faith and the act of faith whereby we believe, are all the result of grace and man's free response to that gift (cf. Second Council of Orange, can. 5). Centuries later, the Council of Trent repeated this teaching: just as God began this good work, he will bring it to completion, if we for our part cooperate (cf. De Iustificatione, chap. 13).
By reflecting on this truth, St. Francis de Sales tells us, we shall come to realize how much we ought to trust in God: "Our Lord is ever watchful of the actions of his children; he gets them to walk ahead of him and gives them a helping hand if they meet up with difficulty. He said as much through Isaiah: 'For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, Fear not, I will help you" (Is 41:13 ). So, in addition to having good morale, we should put all our trust in God and in his help, for, provided we don't lose the state of grace, he will complete in us the good work of our salvation which he has already begun" (Treatise on the Love of God, 3. 4).
To this trust in divine help must be added a personal effort to respond to grace, for, in the words of St. Augustine, "God who created you without your cooperation will not save you without your cooperation" (Sermon 169, 13).
"The day of Christ Jesus": see the note on 1 Cor 1:8-9.
The note on 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 states:
8-9. "The day of our Lord': in St Paul's writings and in the New Testament generally, this refers to the day of the General Judgment when Christ will appear as Judge, clothed in glory (cf. 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thess 5:2).
Christians actively hope that that Day will find them "blameless" (cf. Phil 1:10; 1 Thess 3:13; 5:23); the basis for this hope is God's faithfulness--an attitude frequently applied to him in the Old Testament (cf. Deut 7:9; Is 49:7) and in St Paul's letters (cf. 1 Cor 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18; 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3; Heb 10:23): the Covenant which God made with the chosen people was primarily a gift and a grace, but it also was a legal commitment. The Covenant was grounded on God's fidelity, which was not merely a matter of legal obligation: it involved faithful, constant love. The God's fidelity will finds its fullest expression in the Redemption brought about by Jesus Christ: "If, in fact, the reality of the Redemption," Pope John Paul II says, "in its human dimension, reveals the unheard-of greatness of man, qui talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem, at the same time "the divine dimension of the Redemption" enables us [...] to uncover the depth of that love which does not recoil before the extraordinary sacrifice of the Son, in order to satisfy the fidelity of the Creator and Father towards human beings, created in his image" (Dives In Misericordia, 7).]
7. St Paul's calling to the apostolate was entirely a matter of the grace of God (cf. Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; Col 1:25; etc.); however, staying faithful to this vocation meant that he had to work very hard and cope with all kinds of difficulties. He spared no effort to spread Christ's teaching, defend it from its enemies, and strengthen the faith of his converts (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-33).
"Partakers with me of grace": every Christian is called to play a part in the apostolate. "To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole people of God. In the concrete, their apostolate is exercised when they work at the evangelization and sanctification of men; it is exercised too when they endeavor to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve the temporal order, going about it in a way that bears clear witness to Christ and helps forward the salvation of men. The characteristic of the lay state being a life led in the midst of the world and of secular affairs, laymen are called by God to make of their apostolate , through the vigor of the Christian spirit, a leaven in the world" (Vatican II, Apostolicam Actuositatem, 2).
8. "With all the affection of Christ Jesus": St Paul is so identified with our Lord that he can say that he has the same sentiments towards them as Christ has. This supernatural love is quite compatible with human affection, but it raises it on to a higher level. This entire epistle is an excellent proof of how the two kinds of love--human and divine--interweave. Charity "joins closely to God those in whom it reigns", Leo XIII teaches, "and causes them to receive from God the life of the soul and to live with him and for him. Love of neighbor has to go hand in hand with charity and love of God, for (we must recognize that) all mankind share in God's infinite goodness and are made in his image and likeness" (Sapientiae Christianae, 51-52).
Helping others is the surest sign of true love, for, writes St Teresa of Avila, "we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God; for so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward our love for our neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to himself, and that in a thousand ways" (Interior Castle, 5, 3, 8).
This love is the basis of apostolic effectiveness: "A sign of love will be the concern to give the truth and to bring people into unity. Another sign of love will be a devotion to the proclamation of Jesus Christ, without reservation or turning back" (Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 79).
9-11. "Discernment": a deeply Christian view of things, which enables one to see the events of everyday life in a supernatural light and therefore understand them properly--very much the same idea as conveyed by the "wisdom" so often referred to in the Old Testament.
Up to this point St Paul's prayers and exhortations have had to do with steady growth in charity. Since charity is a supernatural virtue, "one needs to ask God to increase it, since God alone can bring that about in us" (St Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Phil, ad loc.). Growth in charity means our attaining greater "knowledge" of God. "The lover", St Thomas says, "is not satisfied with superficial knowledge of the beloved, but strives to gain an intimate knowledge of everything pertaining to him, so as to penetrate his very soul" (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 28, a. 2). Eagerness to know God brings one closer and closer to Jesus Christ, in an effort to absorb his teachings and put into practice the saving truths they contain--to act "with discernment", knowing what is the best thing to do in every situation.
A personal relationship with God through prayer, identification with Christ by frequent reception of the sacraments, and the action of the Holy Spirit indwelling in the soul in grace, give the Christian a special insight that enables him to distinguish good from evil in the concrete situations that arise. The gift of wisdom "allows us to know God and rejoice in his presence; it enables us to judge accurately the situations and events of this life [...].
"Not that the Christian should neglect to see all that is good in humanity, appreciate its healthy joys or participate in its enthusiasm and ideals. On the contrary, a true Christian will vibrate in unison with all the good he finds in the world. And he will live in the midst of it with a special concern, since he knows, better than anyone, the depth and the richness of the human spirit.
"A Christian's faith does not diminish his spirit or limit the noble impulses of his soul: rather it makes them grow with the realization of their true and authentic meaning" ([St]J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 133).
