John Gill Commentary Philippians 1

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ
The apostle sets his own name first, as being not only superior to Timothy in age, in office, and incharacter, but the sole writer of this epistle. The reasons of his joining Timothy with him are, because hewas with him when he first preached at Philippi, and so was known to the Philippians, and respected bythem; and because he was about to send him to them again, whose commendations he enlarges on in the epistleitself; and to let them see, that there was a continued agreement between them in affection and doctrine. Itshows indeed great humility in the apostle to join with him one so young, and so much inferior to him on allaccounts; though it must be observed, that Timothy was not a partner with him in composing the epistle; heonly joined in the salutation to this church, and approved of the letter to it, and might be the amanuensisof the apostle; but had no hand in the epistle itself, which was dictated by Paul under divine inspiration.He chooses a character which agreed to them both; he does not say apostles, for Timothy was no apostle,though he himself was, but "servants of Jesus Christ"; not of men; nor did they seek to please men bypreaching the doctrines and commandments of men, and which are suited to the carnal reasonings, lusts, andpleasures of men; for then the character here assumed would not belong to them: but servants of Christ; andthat not in such sense only as all mankind are, or in right ought to be, since all are his creatures, andtherefore ought to serve him; nor merely as all the saints in common are, being bought with the price ofChrist's blood, and being effectually called by his grace, and so made willing to serve him from a principleof love, without servile fear, and with a view to his glory; but as ministers of the word, and preachers ofthe Gospel; they were his servants in the Gospel, they served him under the ministerial character, and assuch were the servants of the most high God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; so that this title is farfrom being mean and despicable, it is high, honourable, and glorious.

To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the
bishops and deacons .
The persons to whom this epistle is inscribed are here described by the place of their abode, Philippi, andby the various characters they bore in the church; which was at this time very numerous, consisting of manymembers, and of proper officers, and are both taken notice of here. The members are meant by "all the saintsin Christ Jesus"; they were saints or holy persons, not by Moses and his law; not by ceremonial ablutions andsacrifices, which only sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, but could not take away sin, or cleanse fromit; nor by themselves and their moral righteousness; for though thereby men, nay outwardly appear holy andrighteous, yet they remain inwardly unholy and impure; nor by baptism, which has no regenerating norsanctifying virtue in it; if persons are not saints before that, they are never by it; it leaves them as itfinds them, and neither takes away original or actual sin: but these were saints in and by Christ; they werebecome holy in consequence of being in Christ; men are first in Christ, and then saints in him; they arechosen "in him" before the world began to be holy, and in time are made new men, new creatures, are createdin him to good works by virtue of their being in him; hence he sanctifies his church and people by hisblood, they being so nearly related to him, and interested in him, and he in them; hence they being first ofGod in Christ, he is made sanctification to them; and hence internal holiness is wrought in them from Christ,by his Spirit; which being begun is carried on, and will be performed until the day of Christ; and which wasthe happy case of these Philippians, as the apostle was confident of.

The officers of this church were "the bishops and deacons". The "bishops" were the pastors, elders, and overseers of the church, for a bishop and an elder is one and the same; see (Acts 20:17Acts 20:28) ; where the elders of the church at Ephesus are called "overseers" or "bishops"; for the same word is used there as here; and the Syriac version here renders the word by (avyvq) , "elders": and they design no other than common and ordinary pastors; who have the name of elders from their age, gravity, and seniority; and that of bishops and overseers from the nature of their office, which is to feed, watch, inspect, and take the oversight of the flock, minister sound doctrine to them, and preserve them from error and heresies.

It seems by this, and the instance of the church at Ephesus, that there were, and so may be, where there is necessity for it, more pastors or bishops than one in a church; unless it can be thought that there were more churches than one in each of these cities; or that the pastors of adjacent churches are here included; neither of which seem to be a clear case, but the contrary: but then these pastors or bishops were all upon an equal foot; one has not any authority or power over another, or more authority than another; they were not metropolitan or diocesan bishops, but pastors of a particular church; and were neither lords over one another, nor of God's heritage.

The "deacons" were such as served tables, the Lord's table, the minister's table, and the poor's table; took care of the secular affairs of the church, received and disbursed moneys, kept the church's accounts, and provided everything necessary for its temporal good. The one sort of these officers were concerned with the souls and spiritual estate of the members of the church; the others with their bodies and temporal estate, by visiting the sick, relieving the poor; and both these exhibit the true primitive plan of church offices and discipline; there being no other order of offices or officers, in a Christian church of divine institution, but pastors and deacons; whatever else is introduced is without warrant, and comes from the man of sin.

These officers are mentioned by the apostle, not only to show his respect to them, but to observe to the members of this church, that they ought to esteem them highly for their works' sake; these being offices of great importance and usefulness to the church, which, by having such, was a truly organized church of Christ.

Grace be to you
This form of salutation is used by the apostle in all his epistles; (See Gill on Romans 1:7);

I thank my God
After the inscription and salutation follows a thanksgiving, the object of which is God; to whom thanks is to be given at the remembrance of his name, and the perfections of his nature, and for all his mercies, temporal and spiritual. The apostle expresses his propriety and interest in him, calling him "my God"; thereby distinguishing him from all others, the nominal and fictitious gods of the Gentiles, and the idols and lusts of men's hearts; he was the God whom he served in the Gospel, by whom he was sent, and from whom he received all his possessions, and to whom he was accountable. He had a special, particular, covenant interest in him, had knowledge of it, and faith in it; and therefore could draw nigh to God with freedom, use confidence, plead promises, expect favours, and do all he did, whether in a way of prayer, or praise in faith, and therefore was acceptable unto God.

This work of thanksgiving he was often employed in on account of these Philippians, even, says he, upon every remembrance of you ;
that is, as often as I remember you, or make mention of you to God at the throne of grace, it being a customary thing with the apostle to mention by name the several churches, the care of which was upon him, in his prayers to God; see (Romans 1:9) (Ephesians 1:16) (1 Thessalonians 1:2) ; and so he used to mention this church; and whenever he did, it was with thankfulness. The Arabic version reads it, "for", or "concerning all your remembrance"; meaning of himself, and as if the sense was, that he gave thanks to God for their remembrance of him at all times, and particularly at that time, by sending him relief in his present circumstances. But the former sense is preferable.

Always in every prayer of mine for you all
The apostle was a praying believer, and a praying minister: notwithstanding all his gifts, and graces, and high attainments, he was not above the work and duty of prayer, and in which he was sensible he stood in need of the assistance and direction of the Spirit of God, As soon as he was converted he prayed, and continued to do so without ceasing, as he himself directs; he was constant and assiduous at the throne of grace, and was concerned for others, as well as himself, for all the churches, and for this church, and all the saints in it.

Making request with joy ;
for what God had done for them, and continued with them. Requests are to be made known to God with thanksgiving. When we request a favour of him, it becomes us to return thanks for what we have received from him. Thanksgiving is a branch of prayer; as we have always mercies to ask for, we have always mercies to be thankful for.

For your fellowship in the Gospel
Or "for your communication to the Gospel"; that is, to the support of it. These Philippians were one of the churches of Macedonia the apostle so highly commends for their liberality in (2 Corinthians 8:1–3); they had been very communicative to him, and those that were with him, from the beginning of the Gospel being preached to them: as the instances of Lydia and the jailer show, and which are taken notice of in this epistle, (Philippians 4:15Philippians 4:16); And this same generous spirit still continued, of which their present by Epaphroditus was an evidence; and for this the apostle gives thanks, not only that they had an ability to support the Gospel, and assist Gospel ministers, but that they were willing to communicate, and did communicate, readily and cheerfully, largely and liberally;

or this may intend their "participation in the Gospel", as the Arabic version renders it. The Gospel was in a very wonderful and providential manner brought to them, and it was attended with mighty power to the conversion of them; they received it with joy and gladness, and cheerfully submitted to the ordinances of it; they had much light into it, and spiritual knowledge of it; and were made partakers of the blessings of grace, which are revealed and exhibited in it, and of the exceeding great and precious promises of it, for which the apostle gives thanks to God; for all this was from him, and a wonderful instance of his grace it was. Moreover, through the Gospel being thus brought to them, and succeeded among them, they became a Gospel church, and had, through the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, fellowship one with another; yea, they had fellowship with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, to which they were called by the Gospel; and in this they remained

from the first day until now ;
they continued in the Gospel which they were made partakers of, and in fellowship with one another, in breaking of bread, and in prayer, and in hearing the word, which they constantly attended to, and were blessed with communion with Father, Son, and Spirit, to that time; and therefore the apostle continued from the first of their receiving the Gospel, to that moment, to give thanks to God for them on that account: for this last clause may be connected with the words in (Philippians 1:3), "I thank my God", as well as with those immediately preceding, "your fellowship in the Gospel"; and shows not only their perseverance in the Gospel, from the first to the present time, as the Ethiopic version renders it, for which he was abundantly thankful; but the continuance of his thankfulness on that account, from his first acquaintance with them to that time.