Charles Ellicott Commentary Philippians 1:9

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;" — Philippians 1:9 (ASV)

That your love may abound more and more in knowledge.—The original verb here means to "overflow," a meaning that our word "abound" properly has, but has partly lost in general usage; and Paul's meaning clearly is that love is not only to primarily fill the heart, but also to "overflow" in its secondary influence on the spiritual understanding.

1. The "knowledge" spoken of here is the knowledge gradually rising to perfection, so constantly alluded to in these Epistles (see Ephesians 1:17, and the note there).

   Since it is clearly a personal knowledge of God in Christ, it may be gained, under His inspiration, by one of many processes: by thought, by practice, by love, by devotion, or, perhaps more properly, by some or all of these combined. Here Paul singles out the way of love—the enthusiasm of love to God and humanity which he knew the Philippians had—and prays that it may overflow from the emotional to the intellectual element of their nature. He prays that it may become, as we constantly see it does in simple and loving characters, a means of spiritual insight, in knowledge and all judgment, or rather, all perception.

2. The word "perception" properly applies to the senses and seems here to mean the insight that recognizes a truth as the eye recognizes an object. In the same sense (Hebrews 5:14), Holy Scripture speaks of those who by use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

   In fact, the "perception" spoken of here differs from knowledge in that it deals not with general principles, but with concrete examples and questions.

3. Accordingly, he connects with it, as a direct consequence, the power of "approving" or "testing" the things that are excellent. Now, the word translated here as "excellent" carries with it the idea of distinctive and relative excellence, conspicuous amid what is either evil or defective. To "test" is obviously first to distinguish what is best, and then by trial to prove its absolute goodness. Clearly, the process may be applied either speculatively to truths or practically to duties. In Romans 2:18, where exactly the same phrase is used, the latter application is made.

On verses 9-10:

If we carefully study the opening thanksgivings and prayers of Paul's Epistles, we may note that he always thanks God for what is strong in the Church to which he writes, and prays to God for the supply of that in which it is weak.

Here he thanks God for the characteristic enthusiasm and large-heartedness of the Philippians. He prays for their advance in knowledge, perception, and judgment—the more intellectual and thoughtful side of the Christian character—in which they, and perhaps the Macedonian Churches generally, were less conspicuous. In the opposite case of the Corinthian Church (see 1 Corinthians 1:4–10), he thanks God for their richness in all utterance and all knowledge, but he bids them "wait" for Him who will establish them as blameless, and exhorts them to unity and humility.

[Verses 9-11] In this sentence, the original Greek shows that there is not the threefold parallelism that our version would suggest. Paul's immediate prayer is that their love may abound in knowledge and all judgment. To this is added, as an immediate consequence, the proving the things that are excellent. The final result of the knowledge and judgment so applied is that they may be sincere and without offence.