Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Introduction: Paul was in prison. He faced a capital crime and there was a strong chance he might be executed. He did not think so, but there was a possibility. He was not sure if he would ever see the Philippian church again, so he sat down and began to write to them. What would you say if you were writing to a group of God’s people for the last time? One of the subjects that concerned Paul was the subject of this passage: the marks of a great church. The Philippian church was a great church, and Paul wanted it to remain great. Therefore, he reviewed with them the marks of a great Christian church.
1.  Mark 1: Christian conduct—heavenly citizenship (v.27).
2.  Mark 2: honoring the gospel (v.27).
3.  Mark 3: standing fast (v.27).
4.  Mark 4: courage and fearlessness (v.28-30).

1. (1:27) Citizenship, Heavenly— Believers, Duty: the first mark of a great church is Christian conduct or heavenly citizenship. The word “conversation” or “conduct” is significant. A.T. Robertson points out that this word is used only twice in the New Testament (Acts 23:1; Phil. 1:27). Usually, when the New Testament refers to behavior or conduct, it uses a word meaning how a person should walk about day by day. But Paul switches the word in writing to the Philippians. Why? The reason is significant. As stated in the introductory material, Philippi was a proud Roman colony. In fact, it was famous as a miniature Rome. A city became a Roman colony by one of two ways. At first Rome founded colonies throughout the outer reaches of the Empire to keep the peace and to guard against invasions from barbaric hordes. Veteran soldiers, ready for retirement, were usually granted citizenship if they would go out and settle these colonies. Later on, however, a city was granted the distinctive title or a Roman Colony for loyalty and service to the Empire. The distinctive thing about these colonies was their fanatic loyalty to Rome. The citizens kept all their Roman ties: the Roman language, titles, customs, affairs, and dress. They refused to allow any infiltration of local influence whatsoever. They totally rejected the influence of the world around them. They were Roman colonists within an alien environment.
This is the reason Paul uses the word conversation. It means conduct and behavior, but more accurately it means the conduct and behavior of citizenship, of a person who is the citizen of a great nation. The Philippian church knew exactly what Paul was saying: they were citizens of heaven. Therefore, they must…
•  keep their close ties with heaven.
•  speak the clean and pure language of heaven.
•  bear the title of heaven, Christian, and do so proudly.
•  bear witness to the customs of heaven.
•  carry on the affairs of heaven.
•  dress as a citizen of heaven.
•  allow no infiltration of worldly influence whatsoever.
•  live and conduct themselves as a heavenly colony within a polluted and dying environment.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9-10).
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation [behavior, conduct] his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13).
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Philippians 1:24-26
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Believer— Ministry: the great Christian believer has one great willingness—to serve sacrificially. This is an interesting statement by Paul. Sitting there in prison waiting for the trial which would determine whether he lived or died, something happened to Paul. Either through thinking about the needs that existed in the world and in the churches, or through some sense from the Holy Spirit, Paul became convinced that he would be found innocent of the false charges and released from prison. But note why: it was not for his sake and enjoyment of life, but so that he could continue to minister.
The point to see is Paul’s heart—how it longed to reach people for Christ and to meet the needs of a world that reels under the weight of desperation.

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19).
“Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification” (Romans 15:2).
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephes. 4:11-12).

Philippians 1:22-23
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Believer, Life: the great Christian believer has one great dilemma—to live or to depart and be with Christ. The word “depart”  is descriptive. It has a twofold meaning that speaks to the believer’s heart.
1.  It means to break up; to loosen as in breaking camp and loosening the ropes of the tent. It is the picture of breaking loose; packing up; and moving on to a new location. The same picture is true of the believer when he departs this life. He is not ceasing to exist; he is simply breaking loose and moving on to a new campsite, in fact, a perfect campsite.
2.  It means to loosen the moorings of a ship, weigh anchor, and set sail for another port. Again, the believer does not cease to exist, he simply loosens the moorings of this life, pulls the anchor up, and sets sail for God’s eternal presence.
Paul says that he is caught between two great desires:
⇒  One desire is to live a life of fruitful service for the Lord Jesus Christ.
⇒  The other desire is to depart and go on to be with Christ which is far better.
The natural mind wonders and questions how a person in his right mind could ever want to go ahead and die. The reason is simply answered: the genuine believer does not die; he never tastes death. He is transferred into the presence of Christ. Immediately—quicker than the blinking of an eye—the believer is transported into the perfect world of God which is named heaven. The believer is perfected—never again to experience pain, suffering, sin, corruption, infirmity, weakness, deformity, disappointment, fear, loss, or death. He will be perfected to work for Christ throughout the new heavens and earth, and he will serve and worship Christ for ever and ever. The promises of God to the believer are phenomenal; they just explode the human mind. It is for this reason that the believer can declare: “To die is gain.”
⇒  There is the promise of never dying and of living forever with Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
“[God's grace] is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10).

⇒  There is the promise that is most dear to the heart of every faithful believer, the promise of being with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself forever and ever.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:16-17).

⇒  There is the promise of receiving a glorious body just like our Lord’s glorious body.

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:50-53).
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil. 3:21).
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43).

⇒  There is the promise of being made an heir of God.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

⇒  There is the promise of ruling and reigning with Christ forever and ever.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23).
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth the light; and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

Promise after promise could be listed, and reason after reason could be given as to why the faithful believer sometimes aches to go on to be with the Lord. As Barclay so aptly says, it will be a glorious day of union and reunion—a glorious day of union with our wonderful Lord and a glorious day of reunion with all our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us. The only word that can adequately express all that God has prepared for us who know Him is the word that is the same in all human languages: Hallelujah!

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning” (Mark 13:35).
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding” (Luke 12:35-36).

Philippians 1:21
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Believer, Purpose: the great Christian believer has one great commitment in life and death—Jesus Christ. Paul declares two phenomenal statements:
1.  First, “To me to live is Christ.” What did he mean by this? He meant at least five things.
a.  He presented his body as a living sacrifice to Jesus Christ.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

b.  He struggled to yield the parts of his body—every member of his body—to Christ as a tool for righteousness.

“Neither yield ye your members [bodily parts] as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).

c.  He struggled to control his mind—to control every thought and to focus every thought upon Jesus Christ and the great virtues of life.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

d.  He committed himself to work for love and justice within all of society.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39).

e.  He gave his life—every moment of it—to reach and minister to as many people as possible during his journey upon earth.

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21. Cp. Matthew 20:28 and Luke 19:10, the two verses below.)
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Thought 1. What does life mean to you? Why are you living? What is your great purpose in life?
⇒  Are you living for money and possessions (clothes, houses, cars, property)? If so, what do you do in a few years when you die—if you escape accident or disease? What do you do if you lose it? When that day comes—and it is coming, there is nothing in heaven or earth that can stop it—if you have lived for money, what good will it do you?
⇒  Are you living for comfort (a good job, a nice place to live, plenty to eat, and enough money to do what you desire now and at retirement)? If so, what happens when disease or accident or tragedy strikes or old age comes? And one or the other is coming. It cannot be stopped. If you have lived for comfort, what good will it do you?
⇒  Are you living for a position? If so, what do you do when you are edged out, removed, demoted, transferred, by-passed, face disease or accident? What good will position do you?
⇒  Are you living for family? If so, what do you do when the family has transferred, moved away, or when the various family members die? And it happens to everyone of us. What good will family do you when you face Christ?
⇒  Are you living for recognition, honor, popularity, recreation, gratification, sensuality—whatever? What do you do when you face the crises of life and then in the end come face to face with death? At that moment if not before, what good will anything on this earth do you?

2.  This brings us to the second point of Paul. He declares that “to die is gain.” He knew better than to base his life upon these things. He knew that everything upon earth was aging and passing away including man himself. Therefore, Paul reached out for a Savior, a Person who could save him and give him an eternal world that would never age or pass away. This is the reason he grabbed hold of Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son whom God sent into the world to reveal the truth of another world to us, a world that is permanent and that has no corruption—no aging—no passing away in it. Therefore, Paul grabbed hold of Christ when he found out…
•  that Christ saved men from sin, death, and condemnation.
•  that Christ made it possible for men to live forever with God in a new heavens and earth.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
“For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11).
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:13-14).
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14).
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away” (Rev. 21:1).

Philippians 1:20
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Believer, Purpose— Hope: the great Christian believer has only one great expectation and hope—to magnify Christ in his body.
1.  Note the words “earnest expectation”. It means to gaze into the distance with the head erect and outstretched just like a watchman on a tower. It is aiming one’s attention at an object with concentration, eagerness, and intensity. It is turning the eyes away from everything else and focusing upon one object and one object alone. It is total concentration upon a person’s desire.
2.  Note what Paul’s expectation and hope was. Remember Paul was in prison being charged with a capital crime which carried with it the penalty of death. The one hope of most prisoners would be release from prison or else to have the death penalty reduced to a lesser punishment. But note Paul’s “earnest expectation and hope”: to magnify Christ in his body. Paul’s mind was not upon his terrible plight and circumstances; it was upon Christ—upon magnifying Christ in his body. As a prisoner he wanted to guard his body from…
•  wondering and questioning God
•  becoming discouraged and depressed
•  becoming complacent and lethargic
•  becoming inactive and undisciplined
•  denying and turning away from God
•  reacting and cursing God
Paul knew the weakness of the human body, how it tended toward doubt, questioning, self-centeredness, pride, boasting, self-satisfaction, indulgence, extravagance, habit, lethargy, complacency, laziness, enslavement, bondage, and neglecting and ignoring God. Since his conversion, Paul had totally committed himself to magnifying Christ. And there was only one place where Christ could be magnified and seen: that was in his body. The only place that men can see Jesus Christ living is in the body or life of a person. Jesus Christ was no longer on the earth; therefore, He could not be seen unless Paul and others allowed Christ to magnify Himself through their bodies. Paul knew this; therefore, he gave his body to Jesus Christ.
3.  Note the reference to “by life, or by death.” Paul was facing death. He did not know if he was going to die or continue living. If he was to be executed, he wanted to be as faithful as ever and to magnify Christ in death. If he was to be declared innocent and set free, he wanted to continue to magnify Christ in his body.
4.  Note why Paul wanted Christ to be magnified in his body: that he might not be ashamed in anything. Paul knew that he was going to face the same thing that every believer is to face: the judgment seat of Christ. He knew that everyone of us has to give an account for what we have done with our bodies while on earth. In fact, Lehman Strauss points out that it had been only about four years earlier that Paul had written the piercing words:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

When believers face Christ in judgment, the experience will not necessarily be peaches and cream.
⇒  There will be some believers who will be ashamed.

“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28).

⇒  There will be some believers who will suffer loss and look like a burned out building.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:13-15).

This is what Paul meant: he did not want to be ashamed when he stood before Christ. He loved Christ with all of his heart, for Christ had done so much for him. Therefore, his one expectation and hope was for Christ to be magnified in his body. He wanted Christ to be honored both in his life and in his death. Above all, he did not want to be ashamed when he stood before his wonderful Lord.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24).
“Neither yield ye your members [bodily parts] as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

(1:19) Deliverance: a mature witness possesses the assurance of a happy ending—that of deliverance. Again, remember Paul’s circumstances: he was in prison, but he was, as always, preaching Christ. No matter his circumstances, he was always preaching Christ; and because he was so faithful to his call, God was honoring his preaching. Tremendous results were occurring: unbelievers from all over were being saved, and believers were being encouraged to step forward and become bolder witnesses for Christ. The result was that everyone throughout all of Rome, believers and non-believers, were talking about Paul, esteeming and holding him ever so highly in their minds. However, some were beginning to show so much attention and support and loyalty to him that some of the local preachers were becoming nervous, jealous, and envious, so they began to speak out against Paul and his ministry.
The point of the present verse is this: Paul is sure God will save and deliver him from their criticism and opposition. He is sure of God’s help and deliverance because of two things:
1. There was the prayer of those who supported him—both those in Rome and those around the world who were praying for him daily. Note that he was writing to the Philippians, so he knew they would begin to pray for him immediately, and God answered their prayer. Therefore, he knew that God would deliver him from such antagonistic opposition because the Philippians were praying for him even if no one else was.

Thought 1. What a glorious teaching for a church—a church so strong in the Lord that the answer to its prayers are always answered.

2. The supply of the Holy Spirit would deliver him. Paul knew that the Holy Spirit would supply whatever he needed to get through his circumstances. No matter what our need is nor how great our need is, the Holy Spirit will deliver us. Strauss points out why the Holy Spirit has been given to believers, and Paul knew the reasons; therefore, he knew that he would be delivered.

a. The Holy Spirit was given to be our compassion.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16).

b. The Holy Spirit was given to counsel us.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

c. The Holy Spirit was given to give us courage for witnessing no matter the circumstances.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).

d. The Holy Spirit was given to put conviction in our lives and ministry.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8).

e. The Holy Spirit was given to share the deep things of God with us.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

f. The Holy Spirit was given to pray and intercede for us and to help us pray.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).

g. The Holy Spirit was given to bear His fruit in us.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

h. The Holy Spirit was given to fill us and to put a song and joy in our hearts despite circumstances.

“…be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephes. 5:18-19).

i. The Holy Spirit was given to give us assurance that we are children and heirs of God.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

Verse 6. Being confident. This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced. Part. Luke 16:31: “Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead;” that is, they would not be convinced. Acts 17:4, Hebrews 11:13, Acts 28:24. It means here that Paul was entirely convinced of the truth of what he said. It is the language of a man who had no doubt on the subject.

That he which hath begun a good work in you. This is called the work of God; the work of the Lord; or the work of Christ, John 6:29.  1 Corinthians 15:58, 16:10, Philippians 2:30. Paul affirms here that that work was begun by God. It was not by their own agency or will. John 1:13. It was on the fact that it was begun by God, that he based his firm conviction that it would be permanent. Had it been the agency of man, he would have had no such conviction, for nothing that man does today can lay the foundation of a certain conviction that he will do the same thing to-morrow. If the perseverance of the Christian depended wholly on himself, therefore, there could be no sure evidence that he would ever reach heaven.

Will perform it.  “or, finish.” The Greek word—means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end. It occurs in the following places: Luke 13:32, “I do cures;” Romans 15:28, “when I have performed this;” 2 Corinthians 7:1, “perfecting holiness ;” 2 Corinthians 8:6, “so he would also finish in you;” Philippians 1:11, “perform the doing of it;” Galatians 3:3, “are ye now made perfect by the flesh;” Hebrews 8:6, “when he was about to make the tabernacle;” Hebrews 9:6, “accomplishing this service;” and 1 Peter 5:9, “are accomplished in your brethren.” The word occurs nowhere else; and here means that God would carry on the work which he had begun to completion. He would not leave it unfinished. It would not be commenced, and then abandoned. This would or could be “performed” or “finished” only

(1.) by keeping them from falling from grace, and

(2.) by their ultimate entire perfection.

Until the day of Jesus Christ. The day when Christ shall so manifest himself as to be the great attractive object, or the day when he shall appear to glorify himself, so that it may be said emphatically to be his day. That day is often called “his day,” or “the day of the Lord,” because it will be the day of his triumph and glory. It refers here to the day when the Lord Jesus will appear to receive his people to himself-the day of judgment. We may remark on this verse, that Paul believed in the perseverance of saints. It would be impossible to express a stronger conviction of the truth of that doctrine than he has done here. Language could not be clearer, and nothing can be more unequivocal than the declaration of his opinion that where God has begun a good work in the soul, it will not be finally lost. The ground of this belief he has not stated in full, but has merely hinted at it. It is based on the fact that God had begun the good work. That ground of belief is something like the following.

(1.) It is in God alone. It is not in man in any sense. No reliance is to be placed on man in keeping himself. He is too weak; too changeable; too ready to be led astray; too much disposed to yield to temptation.

(2.) The reliance, therefore, is on God; and the evidence that the renewed man will be kept is this:

(a.) God began the work of grace in the soul.

(b.) He had a design in it. It was deliberate, and intentional; it was not by chance, or hap-hazard; it was because he had some object that was worthy of his interposition.

(c.) There is no reason why he should begin such a work, and then abandon it. It cannot be because he has no power to complete it, or because there are more enemies to be overcome than he had supposed; or because there are difficulties which he did not foresee; or because it is not desirable that the work should be completed. Why, then, should he abandon it?

(d.) God abandons nothing that he undertakes. There are no unfinished worlds or systems; no half-made and forsaken works of his hands. There is no evidence in his works of creation of change of plan, or of having forsaken what he began from disgust, or disappointment, or want of power to complete them. Why should there be in the salvation of the soul?

(e.) He has promised to keep the renewed soul to eternal life. See John 10:27,28,29, Hebrews 6:17-20. Romans 8:29,30.

(*) “of this very thing” Hebrews 10:35
(*) “which hath begun” Psalms 138:8
(*) “perform” “finish”
(*) “work” Hebrews 10:35
(*) “day of Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:10

Verse 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all. “There is a reason why I should cherish this hope of you, and this confident expectation that you will be saved. That reason is found in the evidence which you have given that you are sincere Christians. Having evidence of that, it is proper that I should believe that you will finally reach heaven.”

Because I have you in my heart. Ye have me in your. The Greek will bear either, though the former translation is the most obvious. The meaning is, that he was warmly attached to them, and had experienced many proofs of their kindness; and that there was, therefore, a propriety in his wishing for their salvation. Their conduct towards him, moreover, in his trials, had convinced him that they were actuated by Christian principle; and it was proper that he should believe that they would be kept to eternal life.

Both in my bonds. While I have been a prisoner-referring to the care which they had taken to minister to his wants, Philippians 4:10,14,18.

And in the defence. Gr., apology. Probably he refers to the time when he made his defence before Nero, and vindicated himself from the charges which had been brought against him. 2 Timothy 4:16. Perhaps he means, here, that on that occasion he was abandoned by those who should have stood by him, but that the Philippians showed him all the attention which they could. It is not impossible that they may have sent some of their number to sympathize with him in his trials, and to assure him of the unabated confidence of the church.

And confirmation of the gospel. In my efforts to defend the gospel, and to make it known. Philippians 1:17. The allusion is probably to the fact that, in all his efforts to defend the gospel, he had been sure of their sympathy and co-operation. Perhaps he refers to some assistance which he had derived from them in this cause, which is now to us unknown.

Ye all are partakers of my grace. “Or, with me of grace.” The meaning is, that as they had participated with him in the defence of the gospel; as in all his troubles and persecutions they had made common cause with him, so it followed that they would partake of the same tokens of the Divine favour, he expected that the Divine blessing would follow his efforts in the cause of the gospel, and he says that they would share in his blessing. They had shown all the sympathy which they could in his trials; they had nobly stood by him when others forsook him; and he anticipated, as a matter of course, that they would all share in the benefits which would flow to him in his efforts in the cause of the Redeemer.