Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament

ST. PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS

J. B. LIGHTFOOT, D.D., D.C.L., LL.D.

Bishop of Durham,

Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge

EIGHTH EDITION

THE EPISTLES OF ST PAUL

III.

THE FIRST ROMAN CAPTIVITY

1.

EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS

ΜΙΜΗΤΑί ΜΟΥ ΓΊΝΕΣΘΕ ΚΑΘὼΣ ΚἀΓὼ ΧΡΙΣΤΟῦ

Παῦλος γενόμενος μέγιστος ὑπογραμμός

Clement

Οὐχ ὡς Παῦλος διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν· ἐκείνος ἀπόστολος, ἐγὼ κατάκριτος· ἐκεῖνος ἐλεύθερος, ἐγὼ δὲ μέχρι νῦν δοῦλος.

Ignatius

οὔτε ἐγὼ οὔτε ἄλλος ὅμοιος ἐμοὶ δύναται κατακολουθῆσαι τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ ἐνδόξου Παύλου.

Polycarp.

To

THE REV. B. F. WESTCOTT, D.D.,

REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY AT CAMBRIDGE,

IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE

of

MANY VALUABLE LESSONS LEARNT

from

AN INTIMATE PRIVATE FRIENDSHIPAND FROM

ASSOCIATION IN A COMMON WORK

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

The present volume is a second instalment of the commentary on St Paul’s Epistles, of which I sketched a plan in the preface to my edition of the Galatians. At the same time it is intended, like its predecessor, to be complete in itself; so that the plan, as a whole, may be interrupted at any time without detriment to the parts.

Here again I have the pleasure of repeating my obligations to the standard works of reference, and to those commentators, both English and German, whose labours extend over both epistles and to whom I before acknowledged my debt of gratitude. The special commentaries on this epistle are neither so numerous nor so important, as on the former. The best, with which I am acquainted, are those of Van Hengel, of Rilliet, and of Eadie; but to these I am not conscious of any direct obligation which is not acknowledged in its proper place. I have also consulted from time to time several other more or less important works on this epistle, which it will be unnecessary to specify, as they either lay no claim to originality or for other reasons have furnished no material of which I could avail myself.

It is still a greater gratification to me to renew my thanks to personal friends, who have assisted me with their suggestions and corrections; and to one more especially whose aid has been freely given in correcting the proof-sheets of this volume throughout.

The Epistle to the Philippians presents an easier task to an editor than almost any of St Paul’s Epistles. The readings are for the most part obvious; and only in a few passages does he meet with very serious difficulties of interpretation. I have taken advantage of this circumstance to introduce some investigations bearing on St Paul’s Epistles and on Apostolic Christianity generally, by which this volume is perhaps swollen to an undue bulk, but which will proportionally relieve its successors. Thus the dissertation on the Christian ministry might well have been left for another occasion: but the mention of ‘bishops and deacons’ in the opening of this letter furnished a good text for the discussion; and the ...