1.
The Philippians are of a city in Macedonia, a city that is a colony, as Luke saith. Here that seller of purple was converted, a woman of uncommon piety and heedfulness. Here the ruler of the synagogue 1 believed. Here was Paul scourged with Silas. Here the magistrates requested them to depart, and were afraid of them, and the preaching had an illustrious commencement. And he bears them many and high testimonies himself, calling them his own crown, and saying they had suffered much. For, "To you," he saith, "it hath been granted of God, 2 not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer in His behalf." (Philip. i. 29.) But when he wrote to them, it happened that he was in bonds. Therefore he says, "So that my bonds became manifest in Christ in the whole praetorium," calling the palace of Nero the praetorium. 3 But he was bound and let go again, 4 and this he showed to Timothy by saying, "At my first defence no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me." (2 Tim. iv. 16.) He speaks of the bonds then in which he was before that defence. For that Timothy was not present then, is evident: for, "At my first defence," he says, "no man took my part"; and this, by writing, he was making known to him. He would not then, had he already known it, have written thus to him. But when he wrote this epistle, Timothy was with him. And he shows it by what he says: "But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you." (Philip. ii. 19.) And again, "Him I hope to send forthwith so soon as I shall see how it will go with me." For he was loosed from his bonds and again bound after he had been to them. But if he saith, "Yea, and I am 5 offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith," it is not as though this were now come to pass, but as much as to say, "and whenever this takes place I am glad," raising them from their dejection at his bonds. For that he was not about to die at that time is plain from what he saith: "But I hope 6 in the Lord that I myself also shall come shortly unto you." (Philip. ii. 24.) And again, "And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all."
[This reading contains an obvious error, and would be readily altered by students or copyists; and one manuscript gives "keeper of the prison." Chrysostom not unfrequently makes slips in quoting from memory, as do most preachers. He is here doubtless thinking of Crispus. (Acts xviii. 8.) Below, in paragraph 3, he has it right.--J.A.B.] ↩
[All documents for New Testament give "in behalf of Christ." Chrysostom was quoting from memory.--J.A.B.] ↩
[Scholars now generally understand the praetorian camp or the praetorian guard. See Lightfoot here.--J.A.B.] ↩
His statement amounts to this, that the present epistle was written in St. Paul's first imprisonment, when Timothy was with him, for that the second to Timothy was written in a second imprisonment, from which he was only released by martyrdom. The "first defence" belongs to the second imprisonment. Between the two, it is probable that he visited the Philippians, according to his intention. ↩
The if is omitted, perhaps in order to put the objection in a strong light. ↩
[Correct New Testament text, "trust."--J.A.B.] ↩
