Philippians and Philemon

JAMES W. THOMPSON

and

BRUCE W. LONGENECKER

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Philippians © 2016 by James W. Thompson

Philemon © 2016 by Bruce W. Longenecker

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Thompson, James, 1942– author. | Longenecker, Bruce W., author.

Title: Philippians and Philemon / James W. Thompson and Bruce W. Longenecker.

Other titles: Philemon

Description: Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. | Series: Paideia: commentaries on the New Testament | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016006548 | ISBN 9780801033391 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Philippians—Commentaries. | Bible. Philemon—Commentaries.

Classification: LCC BS2705.53 .T46 2016 | DDC 227/.607—dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016006548

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are the authors’ own translations.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ paideia

Commentaries on the New Testament

General Editors

Mikeal C. Parsons, Charles H. Talbert, and Bruce W. Longenecker

Advisory Board

†Paul J. Achtemeier

Loveday Alexander

C. Clifton Black

Susan R. Garrett

Francis J. Moloney

J. W. T.

For my grandchildren,

Elizabeth Anne Bryant	Andrew William Thompson
Benjamin Thompson Bryant	Gabrielle Lynn Thompson

B. W. L.

For my mother,

Frances Lee Wilson Longenecker,

currently enslaved to Alzheimer’s

but soon to be released forever

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Foreword

Abbreviations

Philippians

Introduction to Philippians

Philippians 1:1–11 Part 1, Exordium: Thanksgiving and Prayer for Moral Formation

Philippians 1:12–26 Part 2, Narratio: The Present and Future Advance of the Gospel

Philippians 1:27–30 Part 3, Propositio: Citizens United in an Alternative Commonwealth

Philippians 2:1–4:1 Part 4, Probatio: Examples of Faithful Living

Philippians 2:1–11 The Ultimate Example

Philippians 2:12–18 Following the Example of Christ

Philippians 2:19–30 The Examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 3:1–4:1 The Example of Paul

Philippians 4:2–23 Part 5, Peroratio: Summarizing ...