Philippians Chapter 1
Philippians 1:1,2 Paul saluteth the Philippians,
Philippians 1:3-7 and testifieth his thankfulness to God for their
uninterrupted fellowship in the gospel,
Philippians 1:8 his affection for them,
Philippians 1:9-11 and prayers for their spiritual improvement.
Philippians 1:12-20 He informeth them that his bonds at Rome had turned
out to the advancement of the gospel: which many were
thereby induced to preach, though with different views,
Philippians 1:21-24 that, considering how serviceable his life might be
to the cause of Christ, though for himself it were
happier to die, he was doubtful in his choice,
Philippians 1:25,26 but that he knew he should soon be at liberty to
visit them again for their comfort,
Philippians 1:25-30 He exhorteth them to walk worthy of their profession,
and to be steady and unanimous in the faith, for
which they had already been fellow sufferers with him.
Paul and Timotheus; i.e. the author and approver, intimating the good agreement between Paul and Timothy, whom they well knew, to gain their fuller assent to what should be written, Matthew 18:16: see 1 Corinthians 1:1 2 Corinthians 1:1.
The servants of Jesus Christ; in a special manner being wholly and perpetually dedicated to his more immediate service in the ministry of reconciliation, Acts 13:2 Romans 1:1 1 Corinthians 4:1 2 Corinthians 5:18 Galatians 1:1 James 1:1.
To all the saints in Christ Jesus; i.e. all the community of church members at Philippi, called out of the world to Christ, sanctified, separated, and dedicated to him, by a credible profession of faith in him and obedience to him, 1 Corinthians 1:2 Ephesians 1:1 Colossians 1:2; the apostle now being well persuaded of their perseverance, Philippians 1:6,7.
With the bishops and deacons: from the Syriac version it is rendered presbyters and ministers. And there appears no cogent reason why we should not adhere to the exposition of ancient and modern interpreters, who understand the apostle writing in the plural number, particularly, to the church and her officers living in this city, as meaning the two orders of ordinary standing officers, which are appointed for the church, and not the church for the officers. By the former of which are meant such pastors and teachers as did agree in name, office, and power with the bishops during the apostles' times, as they collect from several other scriptures besides this, compared together, viz. Acts 20:17,20,25,28, with Acts 11:30 1 Corinthians 4:1, 1 Corinthians 12:28 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13 1 Timothy 3:1-8 5:17 Titus 1:5,7 Heb 13:17 James 5:14 1 Peter 5:1,3 3 John 1:1,9: these, whether bishops or elders, having the oversight, rule, guidance, feeding of the people, preaching of the word, and administration of the sacraments or mystical ordinances of the gospel, committed to them in common. By the latter, those to whom the special care was committed for serving of tables, the Lord's table and the poor's, together with a receiving and orderly disposing and distributing the collected alms and other goods of the church given to pious uses, according to their own discretion, taking advice of the pastors, for the support and benefit of the poor members of the church who needed as to this temporal life, to orphans, widows, yea, and strangers, especially of the household of faith, that their bodily necessities might be supplied, Acts 6:2, &c. with Romans 12:7,8 Ro 15:25-27 16:1 1 Corinthians 12:28 2 Corinthians 9:1,2,12 1 Timothy 3:8, with 1 Peter 4:11 Galatians 6:10,11 Php 2:1,25,30, with Philippians 4:18 Judges 1:12. "But two learned doctors amongst us have opposed this and made it difficult, the one by restraining the word bishops to diocesans, and the other by enlarging the word deacons to note their presbyters. He would have no such order of presbyters as now in the apostles' days; this would have deacons then to be only temporary, not standing officers in the church; and so they agree not. The former finding Clement and Polycarp agreed with the apostle here, as to two distinct orders of bishops and deacons, going upon an unproved supposition that Philippi was then a metropolis, he would, without any satisfactory evidence to one that doubted, infer the bishops here were diocesans; however, the forementioned scriptures compared, all prove the words bishop and elder in the apostles' days, to be used promiscuously, only the word elders, or presbyters, more frequently than that of bishops; conceiving that the office of presbyters was not in use till after-ages, though he assigns not the time how and when it came in. So that in effect he would have Philippi to be a mother church (that then had several daughter churches) in her infancy. Whereas the apostle writes to those who were church officers in that city, yet he would have them none of that order which we now call presbyters; thinking, whatever the apostle writes of laying on the hands of the presbytery, there were then no presbyters ordained in the church: which is a singular opinion, of holding all the places in the New Testament where presbyters are named, precisely to intend diocesan bishops in distinction from them who are only deacons, allowing the office of deacons, and the continuance of it, to be appointed therein, when that of elders (acknowledged to be superior) is not. But if, according to this novel tenet, there were not then preaching presbyters, that were not metropolitans or diocesans, how could diocesans have presbyters under them? And if they had none, what should denominate them properly diocesans? When it seems to be of the formal reason of a diocesan, to be chosen out of presbyters, or to have them to govern. And if the diocesan bishops were then as the apostles, who must the pastors and teachers be? 1 Corinthians 12:28,29 Eph 4:11,12. Exhorting, teaching, ruling were then present offices, which the apostles ordained in every church, Acts 14:23. Cenchrea was no diocess or metropolis, neither was Aquila's and Priscilla's house, Romans 16:3,4 1 Corinthians 16:19, yet are said to be churches, in the plural number, 1 Corinthians 14:33,34. If metropolitical or diocesan, how hath not the Scripture the name or thing? This appears not to be agreeable to the apostle's way who writes particularly to churches in cities, towns, and countries, as to the Hebrews. He distinguisheth Thessalonica, in directions from Macedonia and Achaia, 1 Thessalonians 1:7,8; Colosse and Laodicea, Colossians 4:13. And as there were bishops, plural, in this city of Philippi, so more doing the office in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 5:12, which was in Macedonia too. And would it not look oddly: Ye Christians of Macedonia are examples to all the Christians of Macedonia? In Colosse were more bishops or presbyters, because there is mention made of Epaphras and Archippus, Colossians 4:12,17. And would it not appear strange, when they were charged, upon persons being sick, to send for the elders of the church, to conclude the intent of the injunction was to send for all the diocesans of the metropolis? James 5:14. If so he would likely have enjoined them to have called the elders of the churches, not of the church, of which, in the singular, at Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas were received, and of the apostles and elders, Acts 15:4, who were all present at Jerusalem, Acts 21:18, which, under the Roman power, was not the metropolis of Palestine, but Caesarea was chief. The latter, contradictory to the former doctor, and to the office of the Church of England for ordaining of deacons, would have the term deacons to note the order of presbyters, looking upon deacons only as temporary and occasional trustees, whose office Paul in his Epistle did not so much as hint, thinking it unreasonable by deacon in those Epistles to understand any other office than that of presbyters as now used. Whereas the word deacons being analogous and put absolutely here, in contradistinction to bishops, should, according to right reason, be expounded in the most famous and distinctive signification, wherein, no doubt, Luke, a good Grecian, and Paul's companion at Philippi, used it in the Acts, \Acts 6:3,4, &c.\ written after this Epistle; unto which special import we should rather understand Paul using it here, for those who were not mere occasional and prudential temporary officers, but such as were to abide in the church: wherein, upon the multiplying of disciples, the bodily necessities of the poor saints, always with us, 1 Thessalonians 12:8, did require such who should have the peculiar care of these committed to them, Acts 20:34,35. We find the apostle in his Epistles evidently enough appointing and describing such a special ministry, yea, and giving directions about it as a distinct branch from prophecy and teaching, if we compare places, Romans 12:6-8, with Romans 15:26,27 Romans 16:1 2 Corinthians 8:19, 2 Corinthians 9:1,2,12; and what is said in this Epistle, Philippians 2:25,30 Philippians 4:18; answerable to Luke's history of the Acts, and to what is written by Peter, 1 Peter 4:11; taking in what Paul wrote to Timothy about this office, in distinction from his who was to be apt to teach, that he should be grave, temperate, giving proof of freedom from covetousness, of conversation blameless, having a faithful wife, and governing his family (that he may be hospitable) orderly, 1 Timothy 3:8-13, qualified to distribute, as in the texts forementioned, &c. The Church of England, in her ordination, hath reference to this special office, when yet it calls deacons, ministers; declaring there, 'It appertains to the deacon's office to assist the presbyter in distribution of the elements, gladly and willingly to search for the poor, sick, and impotent, that they may be relieved. Praying that they may be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration.'"