A. The Appeal — To Steadfastness And Unity In The Face Of Opposition (1:27-30)
III. THE PHILIPPIANS' "AFFAIRS" — EXHORTATION
TO STEADFASTNESS AND UNITY (1:27-2:18)
In vv. 25-26 Paul concluded his "reflections on imprisonment" (vv. 12-26) with a perceptible shift of focus from himself to his relationship with the Philippians — in terms of an anticipated reunion. He follows that transitional passage by throwing the spotlight now entirely on them and their present circumstances (1:27-2:18). Two matters in the opening sentence (vv. 27-30) drive the whole — (1) concern for the Philippians' steadfastness and unity, (2) in the face of opposition and suffering.1
This section is thus as obviously about "their affairs" as 1:12-26 was about his.2 In fact, a degree of formal similarity exists between the two sections. Each begins on the same note: "my affairs/your affairs."3 First person pronouns and verbs dominated 1:12-26 ;4 second plural pronouns and verbs now dominate.5 "His affairs" concluded in a transitional way by focusing on them (vv. 24-26); this section concludes by focusing on Paul (2:16-18), also in a transitional way. And both sections conclude on the note of "joy" (theirs in 1:25; his in 2:17; and his and theirs together in 2:17-18). Finally, just as the heart of the previous section focused on Christ (vv. 21-23), so also with the heart of this section (2:5-11).
But there are three significant differences. First, the previous section was primarily narrative; this one is primarily imperative.6 If 1:12-26 is the stuff of a letter of friendship, this is the stuff of a letter of exhortation.7 Second, references to himself appear more frequently throughout this section than references to the Philippians did in 1:12-26, understandably so, since the appeal is based in part on their secure relationship. Third, the focus on Christ stands out in a unique way, in one of the most exalted passages in the NT, again understandably so. That is, if the focus on Christ in 1:21-23 was paradigmatic by implication, this one is explicitly so, as vv. 5 and 12-13 make plain; thus the "story" of Christ serves as paradigm for the "mindset" necessary for unity among them with regard to the gospel, both as they themselves "advance" in the faith (1:25) and as they hold fast the word of life for the sake of others (2:16).
One further formal note. Excluding 2:17-18, which serves as transition to the next section of the letter (vv. 19-30), the several parts of the argument fall out8 into a nearly perfect chiasm:
A Appeal to steadfastness and unity in the face of opposition (1:27-30)
Β The appeal to unity, based on Paul's and their common life in Christ (2:1-4)
C The appeal to Christ's example (2:5-11)
B' Application of the appeal, again based on their mutual relationship (2:12-13)
A' Further application: unity in the face of opposition (for the sake of witness) (2:14-16)
These formal observations together tell the story. The stage is set by the appeal in vv. 27-30: the need for unity in the face of opposition — with its concomitant suffering — for the sake of the gospel. The Philippians are apparently being sorely tested, which now explains some of the emphases in the foregoing section.9 But they do not have their act fully together, which also explains some further emphases in the foregoing10 — and the following. At issue for Paul, however, is not simply their own lives in Christ, but the cause of the gospel in Philippi (where Nero is acclaimed as kyrios, "lord"). Thus the reason for the further appeals in 2:1-18, all of which proceed from this initial "table-setting" paragraph.
The next paragraph (2:1-4), predicated on his and their long-term relationship in Christ and the Spirit, is a straightforward appeal to unity, set over against self-centered attitudes ("selfish ambition" and "vain conceit") that destroy the community. That appeal is reinforced by the example of Christ (5-11), who as God and man displayed the opposites of "selfish ambition" and "vain conceit" by, first, "pouring himself out" in taking the form of a servant and, second, humbling himself to the point of death for the sake of others. But the Suffering One is now the Exalted One (future orientation again); not only so, he alone reigns as Kyrios, and at his name every knee shall bow and tongue confess (including "lord" Nero!). After applying all of this to their own situation (12-13; God himself at work among them for his own good purposes), Paul makes a final appeal to harmony (14-16), because believers alone "shine as (God's) stars in the world"—in Philippi ("a crooked and depraved generation") — even as they "hold fast/forth the word of life." For the sake of all this, Paul concludes (vv. 17-18), he is quite prepared himself to suffer still more, being "poured out as a sacrificial libation" in conjunction with the "sacrificial offering" of their own faith(fulness).
With this section we come to the heart of matters, the primary reason for having written this letter — why he takes the occasion of Epaphroditus' return to write to them, rather than waiting until he himself returns. And here in particular the three-way bond that holds the letter together stands out.11 The problem is not schism, but posturing and bickering — selfish ambition, empty conceit, complaining, arguing. At stake is the gospel in Philippi — Christ himself, if you will. Thus Christ and the gospel are Paul's ultimate concern, now as always (point 1 in the diagram); the penultimate concern is with the Philippians' relationship with Christ (line C), and thus for the Philippians themselves (point 3), whose united front for Christ is breaking down under outside pressure ("those who oppose you," v. 28). Thus Paul appeals, on the one hand, to the example of both Christ (vv. 5-11; point 1) and himself (v. 17; point 2), and on the other hand, to his and their long-term and secure relationship in Christ and the Spirit (vv. 1-2; cf. 1:27; 2:12, 16-18; line B).
A. THE APPEAL — TO STEADFASTNESS AND UNITY IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION (1:27-30)
27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear12 about you13 in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one [person]14 for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that15 they will be destroyed, but that you16 will be saved — and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you17 on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I18 still have.
Paul now turns to "your affairs," and does so by way of imperative. The whole is a single, nearly impossible, sentence in Greek, which probably assumes this form because Paul tries to include all of the urgencies of the letter (at least as far as their situation is concerned) in this opening word. Indeed, the weakness of some interpretations has been the failure to recognize the initial imperative as the key to the whole, and that everything else in the sentence functions as a modifier in some way. Here especially a structural display will help both to identify its various parts and to follow the train of thought ("stream of consciousness"?).19
Only
(1) worthy of the gospel of Christ, live out your "citizenship" so that
(2) whether coming and seeing you
or being absent,
I hear about "your affairs," that
(a) you stand firm
in the one Spirit,
(b) as one person
contending together for the faith of the gospel
(3) not being frightened in any way
by those who oppose you
[ which
(4) is for them an "omen"
(a) of destruction
but
(b) of your salvation,
(c) and this from God ]
because
(5) it has been granted to you,
on behalf of Christ,
(a) not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for him
(b) having the same struggle,
which
you saw in me
and now
you hear in me
Thus, Paul's concerns:
(1) The exhortation: that they live as worthy citizens of the gospel of Christ;
(2) The reasons: that in his current absence, he may hear about "their affairs":
(a) that they stand firm in the one Spirit
(b) contending side by side as one person for the faith of the gospel
(3) The circumstances that called this forth: intimidation by their adversaries
(4) Which leads to an aside:
(a) Their doing 2 and 3 will become an "omen" of the opponents' destruction;
(b) but evidence of the Philippians' salvation,
(c) which has God as its source;
(5) A concluding theological explanation of their suffering (implicit in item 3):
(a) It is a "grace" given to those who believe
(b) It is consonant with Paul's own struggles (past and present).
This paragraph thus holds the keys to much in this letter, especially regarding Paul's concerns about things on their end, which have undoubtedly been reported to him by Epaphroditus. Although he does not explicitly say so (but cf. 4:2-3), 2:2-3 and 14 imply there are some internal tensions among them; at the same time there are some external pressures being applied, which bid fair to make their situation as God's people in Philippi tenuous. Paul's ultimate concern for them is directly related to his concern for the gospel in Philippi. His obvious hope, as 2:1-2 makes plain, is that his and their long-term friendship and participation together in the gospel will pull them through this twofold crisis.
27 With the adverb "only"20 Paul moves directly from "your [future] progress and joy in the faith" to the present scene in Philippi, which has all the potential for "regress" rather than "progress." Thus: "Only — in light of what I have just said about my coming, but in the meantime before I get there — let this be what I hear you to be about," namely, "living out your citizenship — the heavenly one of course — in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." This imperative controls the argument from here to 2:18.
The rendering of the imperative as "conduct yourselves"21 is unfortunate22 — and unnecessary.23 When Paul intends the general idea of conduct he uses the common Jewish metaphor of "walking."24 Along with the noun politeuma in 3:20 (q.v.), Paul is here making a play on their "dual citizenship" — of the empire by virtue of their being Philippians; of heaven by virtue of their faith in Christ and incorporation into the believing community. On the one hand, the city boasted of its privileged status as a Roman colony, made so by Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) after his decisive victory on the plains of Philippi; hence its people thereby had Roman citizenship conferred on them, a matter in which they took considerable pride.25 The verb thus means (literally) to "live as citizens." On the other hand, by joining it with the adverb "worthily," Paul now uses the verb metaphorically, not meaning "live as citizens of Rome"26 — although that is not irrelevant — but rather "live in the Roman colony of Philippi as worthy citizens of your heavenly homeland." That, after all, is precisely the contrast made in 3:17-20, where "our 'citizenship' is in heaven," in contrast to those whose minds are set on "earthly things."
As Philippi was a colony of Rome in Macedonia, so the church was a "colony of heaven"27 in Philippi, whose members were to live as its citizens in Philippi. This suggests a missionary outlook on the one hand (they are "contending for the gospel" in Philippi; cf. 2:14-16), but a concern for the "welfare of the state" — the believing community itself — on the other. Thus this is the fitting verb for the setting. It would be full of meaning in light of their privileged status as Roman citizens, now addressing them as to their "civic" responsibilities to the new "polis," the believing community, of which they are a part and whose responsibilities will be spelled out in what follows.28
With the modifier, "worthy of the gospel of Christ," Paul defines both the parameters and the nature of the new "polis" of which they are citizens and to which they have obligation. As noted above (vv. 5, 7, 12), the gospel is the crucial matter. He and they have had a long-term participation together in the cause of the gospel (1:5), for the confirmation and defense of which Paul is now in prison (vv. 7, 15), an imprisonment which in its own way has fallen out for the "advance of the gospel" (v. 12). What was anticipated in the prayer (vv. 9-11) is now spelled out by way of imperative. Whatever they do or suffer in Philippi, they must live in a way that is "worthy of the gospel of Christ."29 The phrase presupposes that the gospel had known ethical content,30 and that "selfish ambition, vain conceit, grumbling, and disputing," for example, are not in keeping with their heavenly citizenship, since they do not reflect the ethical character of the gospel. In God's time Paul will return to Philippi for their own "advance" in "the faith" (= the gospel); for now he writes to encourage the same. Thus, if Paul's "affairs" are all about Christ and his being glorified, so he now urges the same on them, that whatever else, for them, too, "to live is Christ."
The reason for this exhortation is given next, but in a way that has been complicated by Paul's urgencies. He begins with a purpose clause that appeals to his and their relationship, whose content is finally given in the "that" clause that serves as the object of "I hear." To get there he ties two concerns together (his coming [vv. 25-26] and their present situation). But he also writes in light of two (anticipated) realities: (1) that he is about to send Timothy to "learn about your affairs" (2:19), who will obviously come after this letter — and perhaps return to Paul31 before Paul himself comes; and (2) that Paul intends to come soon, when he can (2:24). This accounts for the grammatical awkwardness. He really is expecting to hear about "their affairs" before he comes; hence this is how the clause concludes: "or whether, being absent, I (nonetheless) hear about your affairs," presumably from Timothy. But because of what was said in vv. 25-26, with the word about his own coming, he begins first with "whether I come and see you," which in fact he expects to happen after he first "hears" about their situation.32
In the meantime he spells out specifically three coinciding matters he hopes to hear about "their affairs": (1) that by standing firm in the one Spirit (2) they are contending together as one person for the faith of the gospel; and (3) that in so doing they are not themselves intimidated in any way by the opposition that is responsible for their present suffering.33
While the above seems clearly to be Paul's point, the first of these matters is most often understood otherwise,34 not to refer to the Holy Spirit, but to a kind of "common mind" within the community. The primary reason35 put forward for this view is the close juxtaposition of this phrase with the "one soul" that begins the next clause. Thus (literally): "that you stand firm in one pneuma, [as] one psyche contending together36 for the faith of the gospel." This is understood to be a piece of Semitic parallelism (a distich), in which the second "line" is synonymous with, or explanatory of, the first.37 While that appears to have much going for it, several matters indicate that Paul is instead referring to their standing firm in the Spirit.
First, "in one spirit," which seems to make perfectly good sense to us, in fact has no analogy in Greek literature, especially not in Paul and the NT. Whereas the term "one psyche" occurs frequently to describe oneness or unity between two or more people,38 the word pneuma is never so used. Indeed, it is not easy to determine exactly what "in one spirit" means.39 Ordinarily, it suggests something attitudinal,40 that is, a "community spirit"41 or (worse yet, in terms of Pauline usage) "a common mind."42 But Paul himself never elsewhere uses pneuma in this way.43 What is altogether missing in Paul is any hint that "spirit" might be an anthropological metaphor for a community disposition. Although the French have a word for it (esprit de corps = "spirit of the body"), the Greeks apparently did not; and it is highly questionable whether Paul is here creating such a usage.
Second, also regarding a matter of known (especially Pauline) usage, whenever Paul uses the verb "stand firm" followed by the preposition "in," the prepositional phrase is invariably locative; that is, it defines the "sphere" in which one is to stand firm.44 That regular usage works perfectly with "the one Spirit," by whom they have all been incorporated into Christ, whereas "in one spirit" functions not as a locative but as a dative of "manner," indicating how they are to stand firm. There is no Pauline analogy for such usage.
Third, in the resumption of the appeal that follows in 2:1-4, these two words are picked up again by Paul and used exactly as we are suggesting he uses them here. Thus in v. 1, he appeals to their common "participation in the Spirit" and in v. 2 argues that they be "soul brothers and sisters" in this matter. Thus, just as he has (indirectly) asked for their prayers that he might be supplied afresh with the Spirit of Christ as he faces his ordeal (v. 19), so now in the midst of their ordeal he urges them to stand firm in, and thus by, that same Spirit, the one and only Spirit whom they have in common.
Fourth, and most significantly, Paul himself uses this very language ("in one Spirit") in another Prison Epistle (Eph 2:18; cf. 4:4) as well as in 1 Cor 12:13 to describe the Holy Spirit, precisely in passages where the emphasis is on believers ' common experience of the one Spirit as the basis for unity. No one would imagine in these cases that "in one Spirit" refers to the esprit de corps of the community. Paul's point is that their being one in Christ is the direct result of the one Spirit's presence in their individual and community life. So too in this case.
That leads, then, to the further contextual observation that such an understanding not only fits Pauline usage, but also fits the present appeal and his theology as reflected elsewhere. The present appeal is for their unity in the face of opposition. That Paul should twice urge them to hold firm and contend with unity of purpose makes for a much weaker appeal than that he should urge them first to stand firm in the "one Spirit," and thereby to contend "as one person" against their opposition.45 It is, after all, an especially Pauline point of view that the Spirit is the key to unity in the church. This is expressly stated in such passages as 1 Cor 12:13 or Eph 4:4, and is the clear implication of many other texts (including 2:1 that follows). That he should qualify the Spirit as "the one Spirit" emphasizes the source of their unity. Only by standing firm in the one and only Spirit can they hope to contend as "one person" for the gospel against their opposition. We should therefore not be surprised that this is the first thing said in the long appeal for unity (1:27—2:18) that begins with this sentence.
The reason they need to "stand firm in the one Spirit" is so that they might "contend together46 as one person for47 the faith of the gospel." The non-compounded verb (athleō) means "to engage in an athletic contest." The compounded form, which occurs only here and in 4:3 in the NT, is strictly metaphorical, carrying the sense of "engaging side by side" or "helping one another," in this case in the struggle for the gospel in Philippi. That he repeats the verb again in 4:3, when referring specifically to Euodia and Syntyche, who once "contended side by side with (Paul) in spreading the gospel" in Philippi but who are now at odds, indicates that that passage gives the particulars toward which the imperative in 1:27 is directed. Thus, even though we do not come upon reasons for this stress on unity until later (2:1-4; 4:2-3), the issue is one that the Philippians are privy to; there can be little question that they heard this emphasis in light of their present situation. This also helps to explain the earlier emphasis on "all of you," especially in 1:25.
What Paul has said in 1:25 also explains the unusual expression, "for the faith of the gospel," which is probably an appositional genitive (= "the faith, that is, the gospel"; or "the faith that is contained in the gospel").48 As always the gospel is the urgency. Thus it turns out that their own "progress and joy in the faith" (mutual love and unity) is directly related to their contending side by side "for the faith of the gospel" in the face of current opposition in Philippi.
28 The second participial modifier, "without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you," serves as the fulcrum between his appeal for unity in the face of opposition and the ensuing mention of suffering (vv. 29-30), which together serve as the primary "historical context" of the letter.49 At the same time this modifier furnishes us with some much-needed historical background in order to make sense of the matter of their suffering. There were those in Philippi who "stood in opposition to them."50 Since the Philippians knew to whom Paul is referring, he does not elaborate; we can only surmise. But in light of several hints within the letter, especially the emphasis on Christ as "lord" and "savior," and of the loyalty of this colony to the cult of the emperor, it seems very likely that the (Roman) citizens of Philippi, who would have honored the emperor at every public gathering, were putting special pressure on the Philippian believers; their allegiance had now been given to another kyrios, Jesus, who had himself been executed at the hands of the empire. The present context, in which Paul asserts that they are undergoing "the same struggle" he is now engaged in — as a prisoner of the empire — gives us good reason to believe so.
But since the Philippians did not need to be informed along these lines — after all, they knew better even than Paul what he is here referring to — why mention it at all? The answer lies first in the participle, "not being frightened51 in any way," and second in the reassuring "aside" which immediately follows. Thus Paul urges that as they contend for the truth of the gospel against the opposition in Philippi, they not let the opposition intimidate them, formidable as it might appear. Now one can also better understand Paul's sounding out the clear note that "to die is gain," since death means to "depart and be with Christ." People who hold firmly to such an eschatological orientation— the "mature," after all, have this "mindset" (3:15) — will not be intimidated by opponents. They recognize that, in Luther's words, "the body they may kill; God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever." This, then, is Paul's (circuitous) way of urging them also to "glorify Christ," whether "through life or through death."
To plant that eschatological certainty firmly in their hearts, he offers a brief parenthetical moment, which seems to be much more straightforward than some interpreters have allowed. That the rest of our v. 28 is parenthetical most are agreed. At issue are two points of grammar: (1) that the clause is introduced by the (indefinite) relative pronoun, which does not seem to have an immediate antecedent; and (2) that the second clause is elliptical (something must be supplied to make it work), which has been considered to be problematic since the two pronouns ("to them" and "your" ["you" NIV]) are in different cases (dative and genitive respectively). But both of these have readily available explanations in terms of Pauline usage and Greek grammar, which point toward the understanding reflected in the structural analysis given above (pp. 159-60).52
The "which" ("this," NIV) with which the clause begins is best understood as referring to the Philippians' following through on the three matters he has just urged on them.53 If they do so, Paul says by way of encouragement, that will function with regard to the opposition54 as an "omen55 of destruction."56 How so, Paul does not say, but the answer probably lies with the Philippians' embracing the eschatological outlook just given in vv. 21-24. Such people cannot be intimidated by anyone or anything, since they belong to the future with a kind of certainty that people whose lives are basically controlled by Fate could never understand. Such a united front in spreading the gospel in Philippi, by people whose eschatological certainties give them uncommon boldness, will mean that those who oppose them can in no way intimidate them; indeed, such a disposition will serve as an omen with regard to the opponents of their destruction.
By the same token such resolve and unity in the face of opposition will fall out as salvation for the Philippians. Although the grammar is a bit sticky here, most likely Paul intends that their following through on his exhortations, which will serve as an omen regarding their opponents, will at the same time result in their own salvation,57 where the word "salvation" probably carries a sense very close to that in v. 19. Such salvation/vindication will not necessarily be manifest to the opponents, but it will become clear to the believers themselves. To drive this point of assurance home, Paul adds, "and this (i.e., your salvation/vindication)58 comes from none other than God himself."
As often in Paul, God is both the first and last word. Salvation is at his initiative; it comes "from" him. Thus it is the first word. But in this sentence, in light of their need for reassurance, it is now the last word as well. Everything is from God; the Philippians can rest assured here. Which is also a necessary word in light of the final theological explanation regarding suffering that he is about to offer.
29 The final clause in this long sentence (which began in v. 27) offers a theological explanation for their suffering.59 The explanation is in two parts, corresponding to our current verse divisions. In v. 29 Paul puts the Philippians' present suffering in terms of their relationship with Christ; in verse 30 in terms of their relationship with him.
Because of the parenthetical character of v. 28b, what Paul is setting out to explain is not immediately clear.60 Most likely these words were triggered by the combination of items in v. 28: his mention of the opposition and the strong affirmation of the Philippians' salvation, as from God. Picking up on the latter, Paul proceeds to explain: . . . will serve as evidence of your salvation, because the God who has given you his salvation has with that gift also "graced" you to be Christ's people in the world, which means that you will suffer for his sake just as he did for yours, and as I do as well. But what ultimately triggers all of this is the mention of the opposition, undoubtedly filtered through Paul's knowledge of his readers' present, very real, situation.
The keys to understanding the passage lie first in the text, and secondly in the larger context of the letter. About the text, two things stand out: Paul's choice of the verb "graciously given," and its striking Christocentric character. Thus Paul begins with an emphatic, "because to you has been graciously given."61 Your salvation which comes from God, Paul explains, graciously given you through Christ, also includes another extension of grace, namely to suffer on his behalf. This may also be the clue to "sharing in God's grace with me" mentioned in v. 7. In any case, suffering should not surprise or overwhelm them; it is rather evidence that "God looks upon you with favor."62
What is even more striking to the Greek reader, which is not easily captured in English translation, is how thoroughly Christocentric this clause is, an emphasis that is created in part because of an awkward stylistic feature that probably resulted from dictation. Paul (apparently) began to dictate the subject ("to suffer on behalf of Christ") immediately after the verb ("it has been graciously given"). But he got as far as "on behalf of Christ" and interrupted himself with a "not only" phrase, intending to emphasize their suffering for Christ, but within the context of what he has just said about their salvation.63 Paul's point is easy enough to see. The God who has graciously given them salvation through Christ ("not only to believe in him"), has with that salvation also graciously given them "to suffer on his behalf." But the interruption has created a striking focus on Christ: thus, "to you has been graciously given on behalf of Christ... to suffer on his behalf"64
And herein lies the clue. What Paul is not doing is offering encouragement to believers about suffering in general.65 That too is our lot, as Paul explains in Rom 8:17-30. But here he is speaking specifically of their living for Christ in a world that is openly hostile to God and resistant to his love lavished on them in Christ. Those who have received this gracious love of God in Christ are also thereby given the grace to "shine out as stars in this wicked and perverse generation" (2:15). This accent on "for Christ's sake" also explains why Paul goes on (in v. 30) to link their present suffering to his, to which he has just spoken. Indeed, in vv. 19-20, he had solicited their prayers for a fresh supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus so that Christ will be glorified in his forthcoming trial whether through life or through death. Now the Philippians, too, are encouraged to "stand fast in the one Spirit" as they contend for the gospel in the face of similar opposition.
This emphasis in turn must also be understood in light of the "story " of Christ to which he will appeal in 2:5-11. They are to live "on behalf of Christ" in the same way Christ himself lived — and died — on behalf of this fallen, broken world. The Christ in whom they have believed for their salvation effected that salvation because as God he poured himself out by taking the form of a servant and as man he humbled himself to the point of death — death for theirs and the world's sake — even death on a cross. That is why Paul can now explain that their salvation includes suffering "on behalf of Christ," since those who oppose them as they proclaim the "faith of the gospel of Christ" are of a kind with those who crucified their Lord in the first place. And for believers, as with their Lord, the path to glorification leads through the suffering of the cross.
30 Paul now concludes this exhortation-turned-theological-explana-tion by reminding them that he and they are in it together. With these final words, "having66 the same struggle," the reason for both the length and the content of the preceding narrative about "my affairs" (w. 12-26) now falls into place. Three points are made.
First, their present "struggle"67 is of a kind with his, both that which they have known about in the past and that which he is currently experiencing. The accent falls on "the same," which minimally points to their common suffering on Christ's behalf brought on by those who oppose the gospel. Very likely, as was suggested above (p. 167), "the same" reflects the common source as well, the Roman Empire.
Second, he reminds them that their "struggle" is identical with that which "you saw I had."68 Paul and his readers, one must sometime be reminded, lived in a real world of flesh and blood people who knew one another. Among the recipients of this letter, after all, are the jailer and his family and (perhaps) the young slave girl whose having been set free from Satan's tyranny had resulted in the first of his sufferings on behalf of Christ that they "had seen." Indeed, not long after that initial stay in Philippi he wrote to another Macedonian congregation and refers to his Philippian experience in terms of "suffering and being shamefully treated" (1 Thess 2:2). Nonetheless, the "struggle" was always with him, and every time he came through Philippi they saw more of the same, which in time took on a variety of forms.
But, third, and now back to vv. 12-26, he reminds them that their present suffering is precisely of a kind with his current Roman imprisonment. Whatever else, they are in this thing together. And it is that reality — and resource — that he will draw on as he now returns to the appeal that they stand firm in the one Spirit, contending side by side for the gospel (2:1-4).
Although our particulars may differ considerably, the theological concerns that emerge in this paragraph are greatly needed in the church today (especially in our current post-Christian, post-modern world), both in the Western church where the "struggle" is immense, but the suffering itself less so, and in churches in the emerging world, where suffering is often more prevalent but where sectarian strife all too often hampers the cause of the gospel.
One of the reasons most of us in the West do not know more about the content of vv. 29-30 is that we have so poorly heeded the threefold exhortation that precedes: (1) to stand firm in the one Spirit (overall our pneumatology is especially weak); (2) to contend for the faith of the gospel as one person (the "faith of the gospel" has been watered down in so many ways, on all sides [not just by "liberalism," but by the blatant materialism that erodes the evangelical church], that it is sometimes not worth contending for; and our sectarianism has more often resulted in in-house furor than in contending for the gospel in the face of pagan opposition); and (3) to do so by not being intimidated in any way by the opposition (who tend to focus on our many weaknesses, so as continually to deflect our contending for the gospel of our crucified Savior per se).
The net result is that the content of Paul's explanation is something contemporary Christians hear reluctantly, either out of guilt that so many of us look so little like this, or out of fear that it might someday really be true for us. The key is to return to Paul's emphasis, "for the sake of Christ." Our tendency is to focus on the suffering; what is needed is a radical paradigm shift toward Christ — and his apostle — as God's ultimate paradigm for us. Through "death on a cross" he not only "saved us," but modeled for us God's way of dealing with the opposition — loving them to death.
What for Paul was exhortation to a concrete historical situation may well still function that way today in various local situations. But might it not also now take the form of prayer as we look at the church and the world in our day?
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1. There has been some debate as to which of these two (unity or suffering) is the main concern of the sentence/paragraph. Unfortunately, such debate tends to divide what Paul clearly holds together. In terms of primary focus, both the structure of the sentence and the ensuing appeal verify that it has do with "unity." Cf. Martin, 80-81. But that is thoroughly bound up with his concern for the gospel in Philippi, and therefore with their standing firm in the face of opposition, even if it means further suffering. To entitle the whole, "Die Gemeinde im Martyrium" (Lohmeyer), is surely a mistaken emphasis.
2. Thus the lack of a section break here in the NIV with a major break at 2:1 — signaled by the new section title — is especially unfortunate (cf. GNB, Phillips). There is nothing in favor of a major break at 2:1, and everything in favor of one here, including not only the shift from talking about himself to exhorting them noted here, but also such clues as his "being absent/present" with which it begins (v. 27) that is picked up again in 2:12, plus the chiastic structure noted below. The REB has nicely captured the sense by its title, "Unity and witness," which it (correctly) puts here.
3. See n. 17 on 1:12.
4. See n. 4 on 1:12-26 and η. 1 on l:18b-26.
5. There are 9 second person plural pronouns (plus 2 reflexives), 1 vocative ("my beloved ones," 2:12), 14 second plural verbs (plus 8 participles modifying these verbs).
6. Of the 14 verbs, 10 are imperatives, while 4 others are implied imperatives (στήκετε, 1:27: φρονήτε, 2:2; γενήσθε, φαίνεσθε, 2:15), as are 5 of the participles.
7. On these matters, see the Introduction, pp. 2-7, 10-14.
8.I put it this way, because I am less certain than others that this kind of "chiasm" is a part of Paul's upfront consciousness. Rather, I think this is simply the way his mind works, as an argument unfolds. The key matter in pointing it out is to show that the whole argument is unmistakably a single piece.
9. For example, Paul's joy-filled response to his detainment, since it has served to "advance the gospel," even though some fellow believers — out of "selfish ambition" and "envy" — are doing so hoping to stir up θλιψις ("tribulation, suffering") for him; so also with the joy-filled anticipation of his forthcoming trial, where he expects Christ to be magnified whether through his release or execution; so too with his explanation that "death is gain," since it means the fulfillment of his yearning to depart and be with Christ; not to mention that the source of their "same struggle" (v. 30) is probably the same, perceived disloyalty to the empire.
10. Especially his readiness to rejoice even when fellow believers through their own selfish ambition try (unsuccessfully) to make his life miserable while in prison; see above on ν v. 15-17.
11. See esp. the diagrammatic presentation of these matters in the Introduction, p. 13.
12. The manuscript tradition varies between the present (άκούω) and aorist (ακούσω) subjunctive. The present (read by Ρ4 6 Χ* Β D* Ρ 629 1241s 2464 pc) is to be preferred on all counts: the aorist is the "normal" tense and would be the one toward which scribes would normally change, whereas it is nearly impossible to account, even by sheer accident, for a change in the other direction. It is doubtful whether the present is "meaningful," unless it reflects the possibility of Paul's hearing more than once.
13. Gk. τα περί ύμων; while one may perhaps leave out the τά for the sake of dynamic equivalence, to render this "about you" is neither "dynamic" nor "equivalent." On the use of this kind of phrase in letters of friendship (in his case, τα πρός σε), see the "example letter" of Pseudo-Demetrius in the Introduction, p. 3. See furthern. 17 on 1:12.
14. NIV, "man"; Gk. μια ψυχή, lit. "as one soul." Under no circumstances does the idiom mean "man." See the discussion below.
15. The later manuscript tradition conforms Paul's Greek to a more classical idiom by (1) inserting a μεν, while (2) the majority of these also shift the word order (from έστίν αÙTOÎçto αύτοΐς έστίν — correctly so, in light of the addition), and (3) by changing Paul's ΰμών to ύμϊν, so that the whole is now nicely balanced: "which to them, on the one hand," "to you, on the other hand"). This helps to make sense of a difficult clause, but it is scarcely original.
16. For the textual variation ύμών/ΰμιν, see the preceding n.
17. Typically — and understandably — a few MSS (A 1241s) replace this "you" (ύμϊν) with an "us" (ήμΐν). Although this is a logical place for such an interchange, the focus of the argument to here is on the Philippians, not on the Philippians and Paul. That will come in the next clause (v. 30), where Paul appeals to his example of suffering as being the "same" as theirs.
18. Paul's sentence reads (literally): "what you saw in me, and even now hear in me." The awkwardness (apparently) of this final έν έμοί caused it to be omitted in P4 6 and 81.
19. Lying behind this overview are a number of exegetical decisions on some difficult questions that receive further explanation in the exposition that follows. Lohmeyer's attempt (72-73; cf. Michaelis) to find strophic patterns to all this must be judged a failure.
20. Gk. μόνον, the neuter accusative of μόνος used as an adverb; cf. Gal 5:13, the other comparable use in Paul. "Lifted like a warning finger" (Barth, 45).
21. Gk. πολιτεύεσθε, a common verb in Greco-Roman authors, which in the active denotes to "live in the polis [city state] as a free citizen," but which in the middle (as here) meant "to take an active part in the affairs of the polis," hence to "be a citizen" (almost always literally, either of the Greek city state or of the empire). The metaphorical use is rare, since there would be little place for it in the Greco-Roman world.
22. But cf. NASB, RSV, NRSV, GNB, NEB, JB, NAB (cf. Brace); the metaphor is kept intact by Berkeley, Rotherham, and Goodspeed (cf. O'Brien). Despite Lenski, et al., R. Roberts ("Philippians i.27," 325) had it right: "It is inconceivable that the idea of citizenship should be absent from his mind as he dictated the word πολιτεύεσθε."
23. That is, one can capture the sense of the metaphor in English without such bland language as "conduct yourselves." Cf. O'Brien (144): "as citizens of heaven live . . . worthy of the gospel."
24. As in Phil 3:17, 18, and in 15 other instances in the corpus (see on Gal 5:16 in Fee, Presence, 429-30). Indeed, on three occasions Paul uses the present combination with περιπατείτε ("walk worthy of"; 1 Thess 2:12; Col 1:10; Eph 4:1).
25. See further the Introduction, pp. 25-26.
26. This is the view put forward by Brewer ("Meaning"; cf. Scott), but most interpreters take it the way that is suggested here, and for good reason in light of 3:20. Some (Hendriksen, Hawthorne, Silva) would have both, but that is unlikely, since 3:20 certifies that we are involved in a word play and such plays seldom incorporate the literal reality of the meaning being played on. E. C. Miller ("πολιτεύεσθε") wants to find the background in hellenistic Judaism, thus urging the Philippians to live as "the true Israel." But there is nothing in the immediate context nor in the historical context of Philippi that favors this view.
27. The language is from Moffatt's translation of 3:20, which may not be precise in that instance, but nicely captures the sense of Paul's concern here.
28. So also R. Roberts, "Philippians i.27," 327-28; cf. Martin, 82.
29. As in all other instances, the qualifier "of Christ" refers to the content of the gospel, not its source.
30. Cf. J. Schütz (Paul, 50): "The gospel establishes the norm of the Philippians' conduct."
31. On this question, see n. 26 on 2:19.
32. This so easily accounts for the grammar of this sentence and is so clearly in keeping with vv. 24-25 and 2:24 that one wonders about Michael's comment (64), "To say the least, the words make it clear that he was far from being certain that acquittal would be his lot." They do no such thing. Nor are the various emendations noted by Loh-Nida (38) necessary or helpful.
33. To which he will then append two explanatory words: (1) that when they do as he urges, it will serve as an omen against their opponents, while it evidences God's salvation of them; (2) that in any case their present suffering is part and parcel of discipleship, as they have already seen and now hear in the case of Paul.
34. Put baldly by Melick (89): "It naturally cannot refer to the Holy Spirit"! If "natural" has anything to do with ordinary Pauline usage, then this is a remarkable overstatement indeed. Several have taken the view argued for here (Erasmus, Weiss, Ewald, Moule, Jones, Dibelius, Bonnard, Collange, Gnilka, Martin; C. Brown, NIDNTT, 3.702; L. T. Johnson. Writings, 342). Attempts to make it refer to the human spirit or community spirit as that is influenced by the Holy Spirit (as, e.g., by Michael, Barth) will not work, since it does not take the Pauline data seriously enough. On this whole question, see Fee, Presence, 743-46.
35. The only other reason offered is that the modifier "one" seems to put the emphasis on the Philippians' own unity, which it does indeed, but in terms of its source, not its expression, which is the point of the second clause.
36. Gk. στήκετε έν ένι πνεύματι, μια ψυχή συναθλοϋντες, which is also chiastic (Α Β Β' A').
37. So, e.g., Eadie, 72; Meyer, 61; Kent, 118; Bruce, 57; and esp. Hawthorne, 56-57; followed by Silva, 94; and O'Brien, 150. This is a perfectly valid observation, of course; but it is purely gratuitous to assume that the "parallel" is synonymous in the sense of the second repeating or explaining the first. Some older commentators (e.g., Lightfoot) not only saw the two terms as anthropological, but also were willing to distinguish the two, with "spirit" designating "the principle of the higher life," vis-à-vis the "soul, the seat of the affections, passions, etc." (106). The juxtaposition is undoubtedly for rhetorical effect, but there is no compelling reason why the meaning of the first of these phrases should be dictated by the second, while there are several good reasons why it should not. Moreover, in contemporary understanding of Hebrew poetry, the second line is understood, as happens here, to be advancing the idea of the first in some way. Thus Paul urges them to "stand firm in the one Spirit of God," and in so doing to contend together as one people of God. This both keeps the parallel and fits known usage. It is often argued that the juxtaposition of these two terms makes a synonymous understanding "more natural." But "natural" is in the eye of the (very Western) reader, since such an understanding of πνεϋμα would have been totally ««natural both to Paul and to the Greco-Roman hearer, as the linguistic evidence makes clear.
38. See esp. Acts 4:32, where the unity of the believers is described in terms of their being ψυχή μία. Aristotle explicitly calls μια ψυχή a common "proverbial" expression about friendship (Eth. Nie. 1163b6-7; cf. Euripides, Orest. 1046).
39. Thus Eadie (72), "pervaded with one genuine spiritual emotion"; Meyer (61), "the perfect accord of their minds in conviction, volition, and feeling"; Michael (65), "the disposition of the community"; Lohmeyer (75) "die innere Geschlossenheit" (= "the inner resolution of purpose"; cf. O'Brien [150], "with one common purpose").
40. Cf. Vincent, 33, who suggests "disposition" as the proper sense of πνεύματι here.
41. This is the language of Hawthorne, 56.
42. Cf. Kent, 118.
43. That is, he never uses πνεϋμα as an anthropological term for the human mind. Indeed, in this letter he uses the verb φρονειν when he wants to make this point (2:2; 4:2); in 1 Cor 1:10 he uses the actual words for "mind" and "opinion" in a context of schism; and in 1 Cor 2:10-16 the πνεϋμα is said to know the mind of God or people. Furthermore, when Paul does use πνεϋμα in the sense of an "attitude," he is dependent on the LXX and thus always qualifies it with a genitive modifier, specifying the kind of "spirit" he intends (e.g. "gentleness"; 1 Cor 4:21).
44. Thus in 4:1, when he renews this charge, he urges them to "stand firm in the Lord." So also in 1 Thess 3:8; while in 1 Cor 16:13 it is "stand firm in the faith." This point is recognized by Meyer, who says correctly (61, emphasis his), "it is the common element, in which they are to stand"; but he then proceeds to explain it as though it were a dative of manner.
45. This is such a thoroughly Pauline point of view that one wonders why it should even be imagined that the phrase might mean something like esprit de corps.
46. Gk. συναθλοϋντες. My translation "together" is an attempt to reflect the compound σύν, which in this case, given the metaphor, may mean something like "side by side" (so EDNT, 3.296, who also take the metaphor to have moved over into the arena of "battle," which very well may have been the case, since for ancients the "struggle" of the athletic contest was very much like that of "battle"). See further on v. 30, where the more common athletic metaphor, άγων, appears.
47. A dative of interest; Lightfoot (106; cf. Plummer, 34) understands this dative to go with the σύν in the participle, hence "striving in concert with the faith" (whatever that might mean). He says of the more common understanding that it seems "harsh and improbable." But his view fails to take seriously the emphasis on unity being stressed here.
48. Barth (47), as one might well expect, takes "of the gospel" to be subjective: "Faith is not mine but God's." Fair enough; but that simply is not Paul's point here. But cf. Hawthorne (57), who also sees it as subjective, but for less theological reasons.
49. See the Introduction, pp. 29-34.
50. On the question of their "identity," see the Introduction, pp. 7-9. That these are the same people warned against in 3:2 (as Hendriksen, Collange, Hawthorne, Silva) has nothing in its favor (except that both passages occur in the same letter) and everything against it: the adversaries here are a present reality, those in 3:2 are warned against as a "safety" measure (3:1); this situation reflects the "same struggle" as Paul is now experiencing, which can be laid at the feet of the Jewish community only in a very circuitous manner; the present struggle is "the same" as the one they saw with their own eyes, and at no known point when Paul was in Macedonia was a Jewish or Jewish Christian struggle in evidence, whereas conflict with the state was present from the beginning. Cf. O'Brien (153) for a similar assessment.
51. Gk. πτυρόμενοι; the verb occurs most often in the passive, bearing the sense of "being frightened," or "let oneself be intimidated"; or, since it sometimes appears with regard to "spooking" horses, it may mean something like, "not be thrown into consternation" (Meyer).
52. Which is also very close to the "dynamic equivalent" offered in the NIV.
53. The justification for this is to be found in Pauline usage. Two observations: (1) As in most koine Greek, the indefinite relative pronoun (ήτις in this case) usually occurs in the nominative case. (2) The reason for the feminine singular is a simple matter of attraction — in this case, as elsewhere in Paul when using this idiom, to the number and gender of the predicate noun that follows. Thus the indefinite is used because it refers not to any specific word or idea that precedes (contra Hawthorne, who sees τή πίστει as its antecedent), but to the whole of the preceding clause; and the feminine singular is used because the predicate noun ενδειξις is feminine singular. This is precisely the same phenomenon as in the apparently "ungrammatical" οϊτινές έστε ύμεΐς in 1 Cor 3:17, where the plural οϊτινες in this case refers to the (masculine singular) "temple" that has just preceded; but it is masculine plural because it has been attracted to its predicate noun "you." Hawthorne constructs an elaborate case for reading the text as though it referred to the opponents' attitude toward the Philippian believers (they see your loyalty to the faith as senselessly leading to your destruction, while you see it as leading to salvation). While this may be remotely possible, it is highly improbable, since it is dependent on several contingent — and necessary — improbabilities for it to work (that the distant τη πίστει is in fact intended to be a specific antecedent to the indefinite relative; that Paul's ordinary usage noted above is not at work here; that the contrast between άπωλείας and σωτηρίας is not Paul's ordinary one [see n. 56 below] ; and [most improbably of all] that in an elliptical second line one may assume words from that line to be read back into the first line). The same must be said of Collange's less carefully worked out, but similar, attempt to read it this way.
54. O'Brien (155), probably correctly, sees this as a dative of reference, thus stressing that it will be a reality for them whether they recognize it or not.
55. Gk. ενδειξις; in its three other NT occurrences (2 Cor 8:24; Rom 3:25, 26) it clearly means "proof" or "evidence." It means that here as well, of course, but in light of the context, and since an "omen" constituted "proof" for most ancients, this meaning suggested by BAGD probably captures Paul's nuance. In any case, he did not use the ordinary word for "sign" (σημεϊον), which fact is obscured by rendering ενδειξις as "sign." The word ενδειγμα functions in a similar way in 2 Thess 1:5, although nouns with the -μα suffix tend to refer to a "concrete expression" of the verbal idea in the noun, hence in that case, a "clear indication."
56. Gk. άπωλείας, which in Paul carries the theological sense of utter ruin on the part of those who do not believe. Cf. 1 Cor 1:18, where the cognate verbs of these two nouns are likewise set in contrast to one another. This clear, and very Pauline, contrast tends to undercut the view of Hawthorne and Collange (see n. 53), who apply άπωλείας to the Philippians.
57. The resolution of the problem of the change of case from the dative (αΰτοΐς) to the genitive (ήμών) is most likely that offered by Kennedy (432): "The emphasis in Paul's mind changes from the persons to their destinies"; cf. Beare, 67. The result is that the genitive is a "vernacular possessive" (see on 2:2), with probable emphasis on "your."
58. Not all agree that τοũτο should be construed with "salvation." Lightfoot (106; cf. Michael, 71 ; Bruce, 60) considers the τοũτο to refer to ένδειξις; Plummer (35 ; cf. Jones, 25; Houlden, 67) to "the fearlessness with its meaning"; Vincent (35; cf. Silva, 93; O'Brien, 157) to both parts of the clause, which it very well may, but surely with the emphasis on the latter.
59. Similar to the kind of thing Paul has done elsewhere; cf., e.g., 1 Thess 3:2-3; 2 Cor 4:17-18; Rom 5:3-4; 8:17-18.
60. That is, at first blush the "because" does not seem to go easily with anything that precedes. Here is a case where Paul's understanding of their present context probably has as much bearing on what he says as the actual grammar of his sentence. Although most interpreters are happy to accept the ότι clause in this kind of "free floating" way, some (e.g., Kennedy) see it as going back to the mention of opposition at the beginning of the verse.
61. Gk. έχαρίσθη; the cognate of the noun χάρις ("grace"). In Paul's letters the verb means "to give graciously" (1 Cor 2:12; Gal 3:18; Rom 8:32[!]; Phlm 22), or by extension, "to forgive" (e.g., Col 2:13; Eph 4:32).
62. Lightfoot, 106.
63. The interruption, and therefore the emphasis, is even more startling in Greek. Ordinarily in Paul when an infinitive serves as the grammatical subject of the sentence, it is also accompanied by the Greek definite article (e.g., το ζην and τό άποθανεϊν in v. 21 above), as well as in the two infinitive phrases as the end of this verse. It is also typical of Paul, when such occurs, to "enclose" a prepositional modifier between the article and the infinitive. Thus the two contrasting infinitive phrases at the end of this clause read το είς αυτόν πιστεύειν and τό ύπέρ αύτού πάσχειν (lit., "the in him to believe" and "the in Christ's behalf to suffer"). This is where Paul was heading when he began to dictate the sentence; but in getting as far as τό ύπέρ Χρίστου, the mention of "Christ" triggers a momentary interruption in the form of a "not only/but also" contrast, thus leaving the original (and now ungrammatical) subject to dangle, but in an especially striking manner.
64. Hawthorne's suggestion (61) that ύπέρ here means "in Christ's stead" is an unnatural reading in this case and is based on an understanding of Col 1:24 that is not at all firm.
65. A point sometimes overlooked in the literature; but see Michael, Fitzmyer. Silva (97-98), while admitting no direct evidence for it, enters a theological plea for an extension in this direction. While sympathetic with his concern, I am not persuaded.
66. Although the nominative (έχοντες) could conceivably go back to the participle in v. 28 (so Kent, 120), more likely it is an "irregular nominative"; cf. Col 3:16; Eph 3:18; 4:2.
67. Gk. άγώνα, an athletic metaphor already so used by the philosophers to refer to "the heroic struggle which the pious has to go through in this world" (E. Stauffer, TDNT, 1.135; cf. G. Dautzenberg, EDNT, 1.25-27; and esp. V. C. Pfitzner, Agon, 114-29). For Paul, of course, it refers not to the "heroic struggle of the Christian life," an idea altogether foreign to him, but to the "noble contest" (1 Tim 6:12) of the gospel itself as one "contends" for it in a world altogether hostile to it (cf. 1 Thess 2:2; 1 Cor 9:25; Col 1:29; 4:12; 1 Tim 4:10; 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7).
68. Paul's Greek is a bit more emphatic: οίον ε'ίδετε έν έμοί = "of a kind that you saw in me" (cf. the emphatic "in me" in v. 26). This does not mean simply "which you saw I experienced," but "which you saw taking place in my life and experience among you." Does this emphasis on "of a kind" mean that some of them had now been imprisoned?