Philippians, Volume 43

Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, Bruce M. Metzger, David Allen Hubbard, Glenn W. Barker, John D. W. Watts, James W. Watts, Ralph P. Martin, Lynn Allan Losie

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780310588320
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Overview of Commentary Organization

• Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
• Each section of the commentary includes:
• Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
• Translation—the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
• Notes—the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
• Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
• Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
• Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
  • General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliographycontains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

I. Introductory Section (1:1–11)

A. Salutation (1:1–2)

Bibliography

Adkins, L., and R. A. Adkins. Ancient Greece: A Handbook. Stroud: Sutton, 1997. Asting, A. Die Heiligkeit im Urchristentum. FRLANT 26. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1930. Bahr, C. J. “The Subscriptions in the Pauline Letters.” JBL 87 (1968) 27–41. Baur, F. C. Der Ursprung des Episkopats. Tübingen: Fues, 1838. Beare, F. W. “The Ministry in the New Testament Church: Practice and Theory.” AThR 37 (1955) 14–17. Berger, K. “Apostelbrief und apostolische Rede: Zum Formular frühchristlicher Briefe.” ZNW 65 (1974) 190–231. Best, E. “Bishops and Deacons: Phil 1:1.” SE IV (= TU 102 [1968]) 371–76. Bousset, W. Kyrios Christos: A History of the Belief in Christ from the Beginnings of Christianity to Irenaeus. Trans. J. E. Steely. Nashville: Abingdon, 1970. Bouttier, M. En Christ: Etude d’exégèse et de théologie pauliniennes. Paris: Presses Université de France, 1962. Brooke, D., ed. Private Letters, Pagan and Christian. New York: Dutton, 1930. Brun, L. “Zur Formel ‘In Christo Jesu’ im Brief des Paulus and die Philipper.” SO 1 (1922) 19–38. Büchsel, F. “ ‘In Christus’ bei Paulus.” ZNW 42 (1949) 146–52. Campbell, R. A. The Elders: Seniority within Earliest Christianity. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994. Campenhausen, H. von. Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Centuries. Trans. J. A. Baker. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1969. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997. Originally published under the title Kirchliches Amt und geistliche Vollmacht in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten, BHT 14 (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1953). Chevallier, M.-A. Esprit de Dieu, Paroles d’hommes: Le rôle de l’esprit dans les ministères de la parole selon l’apôtre Paul. Neuchâtel: Delachaux et Niestlé, 1966. Conzelmann, H. An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament. Trans. J. Bowden. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. Deissmann, A. Light from the Ancient East. Trans. L. R. M. Strachan. New York: Doran, 1927. ———. Die neutestamentliche Formel “in Christo Jesu.” Marburg: Elwert, 1892. ———. Paul, A Study in Social and Religious History. Trans. W. E. Wilson. New York: Doran, 1962. Dix, G. “The Ministry in the Early Church, c. A.D. 90–410.” In The Apostolic Ministry: Essays on the History and Doctrine of Episcopacy. Ed. K. E. Kirk et al. New York: Morehouse-Gorham, 1946. 183–303. Doty, W. G. Letters in Primitive Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1973. Driver, G. R. Aramaic Documents of the Fifth Century B.C. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1900. Ernst, J. “From the Local Community to the Great Church, Illustrated from the Church Patterns of Philippians and Ephesians.” BTB 6 (1976) 237–57. Escande, A. Kyrios, Iésous, Christos: Notes exégétiques. Paris: Librairie Protestante, 1970. Fitzmyer, J. A. “The Aramaic Background of Philippians 2:6–11.” CBQ 50 (1988) 470–83. ———. “New Testament Epistles.” JBC 2:223–26. ———. “Some Notes on Aramaic Epistolography.” JBL 93 (1974) 201–25. Reprinted in A Wandering Aramean: Collected Aramaic Essays, SBLMS 25 (Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1979) 183–204. Hopkins, K. (with P. J. Roscoe). Conquerors and Slaves. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1978. Hort, F. J. A. The Christian Church. London: Macmillan, 1897. Hunt, A. S., and C. C. Edgar. Select Papyri. 2 vols. New York: Putnam’s Sons, 1932–34. Jeremias, G. Der Lehrer der Gerechtigkeit. SUNT 2. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1963. Jeremias, J. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Trans. F. H. and C. H. Cave. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969. Kennedy, H. A. A. The Theology of the Epistles. New York: Scribner’s Sons, 1920. Koskenniemi, H. Studien zur Idee und Phraseologie des griechischen Briefes bis 400 n. Chr. Helsinki, 1956. Lauerer, H. “ ‘Diakonie’ im Neuen Testament.” NKZ 42 (1931) 315–26. Lemaire, A. Les ministères aux origines de l’Eglise: Naissance de la triple hierarchie: Evêques, presbytres, diacres. Paris: Cerf, 1971. Lightfoot, J. B. “The Christian Ministry.” In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. London: Macmillan, 1913. Reprint, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1953. 181–269. ———. “The Synonyms ‘Bishop’ and ‘Presbyter.’ ” In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. London: Macmillan, 1913. Reprint, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1953. 96–99. Lohmeyer, E. “Briefliche Grussüberschriften.” ZNW 26 (1927) 158–73. Longenecker, R. N. Paul, Apostle of Liberty. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Loofs, F. “Die urchristliche Gemeindeverfassung mit spezieller Beziehung auf Loening und Harnack.” TSK 63 (1890) 619–57. Malherbe, A. J. “Ancient Epistolary Theorists.” OJRS 5 (1977) 3–77. Manson, T. W. The Church’s Ministry. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1948. Martin, R. P. New Testament Foundations. 2:241–47. Mengel, B. Studien zum Philipperbrief: Untersuchungen zum situativen Kontext unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Frage nach der Ganzheitlichkeit oder Einheitlichkeit eines paulinischen Briefes. WUNT 2.8. Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1982. Moule, C. F. D. The Origin of Christology. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1977. Neugebauer, F. In Christus: Eine Untersuchung zum paulinischen Glaubensverständnis. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1961. Oakes, P. Philippians. Ollrog, W.-H. Paulus und seine Mitarbeiter: Untersuchungen zu Theorie und Praxis der paulinischen Mission. WMANT 50. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1979. Peterlin, D. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. Pilhofer, P. “Die ἐπίσκοποι.” In Philippi. 2:140–47. Reicke, B. “Constitution of the Primitive Church.” In The Scrolls and the New Testament. Ed. K. Stendahl. New York: Harper, 1957. 143–56. Ridderbos, H. N. Paul. Roberts, C. H. “Elders: A Note.” JTS n.s. 26 (1975) 403–5. Rohde, J. Urchristliche und frühkatholische Ämter. Berlin: Ost, 1976. Roller, O. Das Formular der paulinischen Briefe: Ein Beitrag zur Lehre von antiken Briefen. BWANT 58. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1933. Sass, G. “Zur Bedeutung von δοῦλος bei Paulus.” ZNW 40 (1941) 24–32. Schweitzer, A. The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle. Trans. W. Montgomery. New York: Holt, 1931. Schweizer, E. Church Order in the New Testament. Trans. F. Clarke. SBT 32. Naperville, IL: Allenson, 1961. Skeat, T. C. “Did Paul Write to ‘Bishops and Deacons’ at Philippi? A Note on Phil 1:1.” NovT 37.1 (1995) 12–15. Spinks, B. D. The Sanctus in the Eucharistic Prayer. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Stauffer, E. New Testament Theology. Trans. J. Marsh. London: SCM Press, 1955. Stock, W. Kultische Terminologie in ekklesiologischen Kontexten in den Briefen des Paulus. BBB 92. Weinheim: Beltz Athenäum, 1994. Sykutris, J. “Epistolographie.” PWSup 5:187. Thiering, B. E. “MEBAQQER and EPISKOPOS in Light of the Temple Scroll.” JBL 100 (1981) 59–74. Thraede, K. Grundzüge griechisch-römischer Brieftopik. Munich: Beck, 1970. Weber, H. E. “Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’ und die paulinische Christusmystik.” NKZ 31 (1920) 213. White, L. M. “Morality between Two Worlds: A Paradigm of Friendship in Philippians.” In Greeks, Romans and Christians. FS A. J. Malherbe, ed. D. L. Balch, E. Ferguson, and W. A. Meeks. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990. 201–15.

Translation

1Paul and Timothy, slaves [or, servants] of Christ Jesus,a to all God’s people incorporate in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseersb who serve [or, overseers and deacons]. 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notes

1.a. There is no textual variant here, but in several MSS of Paul’s other letters the formula appears both as Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, “Jesus Christ,” and as Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, “Christ Jesus” (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; cf. Eph 1:1). In Philippians the following variations of this title appear: Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, “Jesus Christ” (1:6), 11, 19; κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, “Lord Jesus Christ,” 1:2; 2:11; 3:20; 4:23; Χριστός, “Christ,” 1:10, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 29; 2:1, 16, (30); 3:7, 8, 9, 18; Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ κύριός μου, “Christ Jesus, my Lord,” 3:8; Ἰησοῦς, “Jesus,” 2:10.

1.b. B² K 33 al. and Cassiodorus read συνεπισκόποις, “to the fellow bishops” (i.e., co-bishops with Paul and Timothy), for σὺν ἐπισκόποις, “with the bishops,” or “with the overseers.”

Form/Structure/Setting

This section follows a set pattern, drawn from the Hellenistic world, that Paul uses as an introduction to all his letters. It has three basic parts to it, and each part always appears in the same order: (1) the sender’s name, (2) the name of the person or persons to whom the letter is sent, and (3) the greeting.

Although quite unlike the twenty-first-century style of letter writing, this pattern, nevertheless, conforms closely to that of the letter form of the first century and earlier. It is reminiscent, on the one hand, of ancient Near Eastern letters (cf. Dan 4:1 [RSV]: “King Nebuchadnezzer to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you”; Ezra 7:12; 2 Bar. 78:2)—a fact that points to the possibility of Aramaic influence on Pauline epistolography, especially if one considers “seriously the proposal that the Captivity Letters . . . were composed in Caesarea Maritima” (Fitzmyer, JBL 93 [1974] 201–25; and idem on the Aramaic origin of Phil 2:6–11 [CBQ 50 (1988) 470–83]; see Martin, Hymn of Christ, chap. 2; yet this suggestion of Semitic background to Paul would be true no matter where he wrote). It also recalls, on the other hand, the personal letters of the Greco-Roman period published and discussed by Deissmann (see Light from the Ancient East, 148–217, and note this example: “Asclepiades, the son of Charmagon, to Portis, the son of Peramis, greeting [χαίρειν]” [152–53]; see also Hunt and Edgar, Select Papyri, 2:549–601; cf. Acts 15:23; Jas 1:1). Deissmann’s division of written conversations in the Greek world between popular “letters” (Briefe) and the more literary “epistles” (Episteln) has been vigorously challenged in recent times. Its validity has been denied on the ground that Deissmann’s dichotomy is too neat; his social analysis of early congregations as proletarian and illiterate is challenged by scholars such as Doty (Letters), and Deissmann failed to note the data from documents such as Seneca’s Epistulae and the Cynic epistles. So we should conclude that while Paul retained his Jewish thought forms, Hellenism had an even greater influence on his epistolary habits. And we should not overlook the simple observation that, after all, he was writing in Greek to a Greek-reading audience.

Although Paul may have owed much to both East and West for the basic form of his letters, so that the introductions of his letters, like their models, invariably followed the pattern “A to B, greeting,” his own contribution to the history of letter writing should not be denied. He often expanded these conventional formulas and infused them with deep theological or christological meaning (cf. Rom 1:1–7).

It is important to recognize this “literary” form, the letter form, for what it is. When Paul chose to express his ideas in this form, one can only surmise that he did so with a limited audience in mind—friends, for the most part, whom he knew personally and who, he knew, were facing particular problems of faith and life (the exception is the letter to the Colossians; see Col 2:1; 4:16, as well as Rom 1; Rom 16 with its many names is the exception to prove the rule). The content of his letters shows that Paul wrote with a keen awareness of apostolic authority, but the letter form seems to indicate that he had no intention of leaving behind him masterpieces of literature or theological treatises for the world (but see Malherbe, OJRS 5 [1977] 3–77, who notes that rhetorical theorists discussed the letter form). It is a...