Epistle to the Philippians

In the second half of this chapter, the holy Apostle, depicting the negative aspects of the life of the pagans, such as the Ephesians were before, exhorts "to put off the former way of life of the old man, corrupting in deceitful lusts" and "to put on the new man, created according to God, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth," that is, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth. This inner renewal must be expressed first of all in truthfulness: "Therefore, rejecting falsehood, speak the truth every man to his neighbor" (v. 25); then in angerlessness: "When you are angry, do not sin: let not the sun go down on your anger" (v. 26), that is, make peace with him whom you are angry with before the sun goes down; Further, the Apostle exhorts not to steal, but to work with one's own hands, "so that there may be something to give to the needy," to avoid rotten words, that is, foul language, and to be modest and edifying in conversation, not to offend the Holy Spirit with one's bad behavior, to shun all strife, irritation, rage, anger, shouting, and slander, but to be kind and compassionate to one another, and to forgive offenses in return. "As God also in Christ has forgiven us" (vv. 17-32).Continuing the same moral exhortations in the fifth chapter, the holy Apostle urges Christians to imitate God in love, as children imitate their father, taking his example in all things (vv. 1-2 [1]). As an incentive to a moral life, the holy Apostle points out the deprivation of sinners of the Kingdom of God, warning especially against fornication and drunkenness and against all impurity and covetousness, and exhorting Christians to "walk as children of light," testing what is pleasing to God. The state of the inveterate sinner is like a deep sleep, but he too can awaken from this sinful sleep, and the Apostle cries, "Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (v. 14). Some commentators believe that these words are a free translation of what the holy prophet Isaiah said in verses 60:1 and 26:9 [2] and verses 19: "Arise, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light has come... Thy dead shall live, dead bodies shall arise." Further teaching that this temporal life is given to us in preparation for eternity, and bearing in mind the multitude of sinful temptations that surround us in this life, the holy Apostle exhorts: "Take heed, therefore, that ye walk carefully, not as foolish, but as wise, valuing the time, for the days are evil" (vv. 15-16), that is, do not waste precious time, but use it to prepare yourselves for eternity. To do this, first of all, one should not be "senseless," but one should "understand what is the will of God." The Apostle especially warns against the abuse of wine, saying that such abuse leads a person to debauchery. Instead of carnal pleasures, Christians should seek spiritual pleasures, being filled with the Spirit and edifying themselves by singing psalms and spiritual songs, and demanding that these songs be sung not only with the tongue, but also with the heart (vv. 1-20). Here the Apostle presents the conjugal union as an image of the mysterious union of the Lord Jesus Christ with the Church, which is why these verses 20-33 constitute the content of the Apostolic reading during the celebration of the sacrament of marriage. The Apostle demands self-sacrificing love for their wives from husbands, and prescribes complete obedience to their husbands to wives: "Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord" (v. 22) — since: further, the Apostle explains that "the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church" (v. 23), then "as the Church obeys Christ, so also the wives are subject to their husbands in all things" (v. 24), that is, in all that is good. From this it is clearly seen that obedience is commanded to wives not at all slavish and compulsory, but "as to the Lord", that is, sincere and heartfelt, based on love. The headship of the husband in a Christian marriage should be understood only as primacy, which is always inevitable in any unions and societies consisting of several persons, but not as power. The husband is the natural head of the family, if only because he bears the main burden of family duties, which the wife cannot bear with the relative tenderness of her nature and the weakness of her physical strength. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her" – consequently, conjugal love must be first of all spiritual love, and not carnal, and have a moral goal: "in order to sanctify it, cleansing it with a bath of water by means of the word"... "that it may be holy and blameless" (vv. 25-27) — here by "the bath of water" is meant the sacrament of baptism, by which Christ cleanses from all defilement and impurity those who enter His Church. In the same way, husbands should be concerned about the moral purity and salvation of the souls of their wives. At the same time, husbands should express their love in caring for their wife as for their own body – to "nourish and warm" her, "as the Lord does the church" (vv. 28-30 [3]). This again points to the need for spiritual love between spouses in Christianity: the husband should look at his wife not as some kind of mechanical tool for carnal pleasures, but as a part of himself.In this regard, the Apostle also reminds us of the biblical basis for such love for his wife: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). With these words, the Apostle wishes to dispose Christian spouses to a strong marital union and to show how unnatural and ungodly marital disagreements, and even more so divorces, are. "This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church" (v. 32) – St. John Chrysostom best explains these words: "Truly it is a sacrament that a man, having left him who begat him, who gave birth to him, who brought him up, and the one who conceived him, was sick with him, gave birth to him in sickness, leaving those who have done so much good, to whom he is accustomed, is united with her whom he has not seen before, who has nothing in common with him, and prefers it to everything... Truly this is a great mystery, containing some hidden wisdom." "I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church" — with this addition the holy Apostle wishes to suggest that the closeness of husband to wife and their mutual union in blessed Christian marriage are so great and contain such a mystery that they can be the best and most obvious likeness of the mysterious unity of Christ with the Church, in which they have their highest prototype. "There is also much that is mysterious in the natural marriage between husband and wife, as the Apostle says, but I am speaking of Christian marriage, which is concluded in the image of the union of Christ with the Church. Such a marriage is already the greatest mystery, it is already a sacrament of the Church." What is the union of Christ with the Church? It is the closest union, imbued with love, holy and indissoluble. In conclusion, the Apostle says: "So let each one of you love his wife as himself; and let the wife be afraid of her husband" – everything should be mutual for spouses. In the beginning, the Apostle said: "Obey one another in the fear of God," but nevertheless, the husband is the head, and therefore the wife owes him special obedience. Since wives are inclined to be burdened by the power of their husbands over them, and husbands are inclined to abuse their primacy position, the Apostle concludes by commanding that which can be violated primarily in marriage: he commands husbands to love, and obedience to wives. The expression: "And let the wife fear her husband" is, of course, only a figurative expression, and does not at all signify the wife's slavish fear of her husband, who has no place and cannot have a place in Christianity. This "fear" is nothing but respect for the husband with the fear of offending him and diminishing his love for himself. Blessed Jerome translates this expression: "Let the wife honor her husband."In the sixth chapter, the holy Apostle speaks first of all about the duties of children to their parents, and then of parents to their children. Children should obey their parents, for the natural law of justice requires it, and the fifth commandment of the Law of God commands it, and parents should not be excessively harsh to their children, should not lead them into sin, but should bring them up wisely in the teaching and chastisement of the Lord (vv. 1-4 [4]). Further, the Apostle inspires slaves with obedience to their masters, and masters with a just and lenient attitude towards their slaves. The political or social question of the legality or illegality of slavery is not touched upon here by the holy Apostle at all. The Christian Church in general did not set herself the task of bringing about external political or social upheavals, but only the internal rebirth of people, which should naturally lead to external changes in all human life (vv. 5-9 [5]).In conclusion of his moral instructions, the holy Apostle calls Christians to an invisible spiritual battle with the enemy of our salvation, the devil, and his servants: here we see the foundation of Christian asceticism. The whole life of a Christian should be an unceasing struggle. For this struggle, the Apostle calls on Christians to put on the whole armor of God, to gird up their loins with truth, to put on the armor of righteousness, to put on their feet in readiness to preach the gospel of peace, and above all to take up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God, and, armed in this way, to wage a stubborn struggle against the snares of the devil, against the spirits of wickedness in the heavenly places, which constantly draw man to the path of sin and opposition to the will of God. This Apostolic reading (vv. 10-17) is read on the feast days of some monks and at monastic tonsures. The main weapon in this case should be prayer, and at the same time it should be unceasing – "at all times". Evil spirits are called "peacekeepers" here not in the sense that they have been given power over the world, but because all evil in the world, all evil people do their will: they are the peacekeepers of the world "lying in evil." The expression "under the heavens" means that the spirits of evil hover everywhere between heaven and earth, embracing us from everywhere, as the air surrounds us everywhere, and are constantly attaching themselves to us, "like mosquitoes in a damp place," according to the figurative comparison of Ep. Theophanes the Recluse. The "whole armor of God" is especially necessary for us to be able to resist these evil spirits "in the evil day." By this "evil day" we must understand especially decisive moments in our lives, such as death and the Last Judgment, when we will need to give an account to God of our earthly life as we spent it. From all this it is clear that Christians are soldiers of Christ, obliged to wage an unceasing struggle against the enemy of God and the enemy of human salvation, the devil, and against his servants and all kinds of evil that proceeds from them. A Christian must be completely irreconcilable to all kinds of devilish evil, but, of course, fight against it by means worthy of a Christian (vv. 10-18).In the conclusion of the epistle, which contains verses 19-24, the holy Apostle asks, firstly, prayers for himself, thereby teaching that the prayers of the Church are more important and higher than all the persons who are placed in it, and, secondly, he speaks of the embassy to the Ephesians of Tychicus, The holy Apostle Paul concludes his epistle with a wish for peace and love to the brethren and with the usual Apostolic blessing: "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. In "incorruptibility" means, according to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, in sinlessness.Therefore, imitate God, as beloved children, and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God, as a sweet fragrance. ^With my soul I have sought Thee by night, and with my spirit I will seek Thee within me from the early morning: for when Thy judgments are done on earth, then those who dwell in the world will learn righteousness. ^Thus should husbands love their wives as their own bodies: he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and warms it, even as the Lord does the Church, because we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ^Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is what justice requires. Honor your father and mother, this is the first commandment with a promise: let it be good for you, and you will live long on earth. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord. ^Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ, not only with visible helpfulness, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, serving with diligence, as the Lord, and not as men, knowing that each will receive from the Lord according to the measure of the good he has done, whether slave or free. And you, gentlemen, do the same to them, moderating your severity, knowing that there is a Lord in heaven over yourselves and over them, who has no respect of persons. ^

Founding of the Philippian Church

The Church of Philippi was founded by the holy Apostle Paul during his second preaching journey. When the great Apostle of the Gentiles with his companions and co-workers Silas, Timothy and Luke passed through Galatia and Phrygia and reached the shores of the Aegean Sea, the Holy Spirit did not allow them to go either south to Asia or north to Bithynia. Here, in the seaside town of Troas, St. Paul had a vision. A certain Macedonian man appeared before him and asked him: "Come to Macedonia and help us." It is believed that he was the Guardian Angel of the inhabitants of Macedonia. Having received such instructions, Saint Paul immediately set out there by sea through Naples and arrived in the city of Philippi, located on the border with Thrace, not far from the sea. It received its name from the father of Alexander the Great Philip, who built and strengthened it (in 358 BC). The writer says that it is "the first city in that part of Macedonia" and moreover "Colony". The Romans, having conquered Macedonia, under its last king Perseus, divided it into 4 regions, and the emperor Augustus, in order to strengthen the Roman influence in Macedonia, resettled there many eminent citizens from Italy, placed a Roman garrison in Philippi and granted the inhabitants the rights of the indigenous inhabitants of Italy ("ius italicum"). All this so elevated the importance of Philippi, that they began to be venerated more important than the main city of the region, Amphipolis.Here the holy Apostle Paul and his companions stayed for several days, doing nothing. On the Sabbath they went out of town to the local Jewish meeting-house, where they preached to some of the women who had gathered there. One of these women who heeded the apostolic preaching was Lydia, who sold scarlet, "worshiping God," that is, apparently, a proselyte (a pagan who converted to Judaism). Having believed, she was baptized together with her entire household, and offered shelter to St. Paul and his companions. Her house became a place of assembly for all who believed. From there Saint Paul addressed his preaching to the pagans, without ceasing to visit the Jewish prayer house by the river. Everything went well and well, until the greed and avarice of a certain pagan family, apparently influential, stirred up a rebellion among the people against Paul, because he had expelled the spirit of divination from a certain servant girl, who brought great income to the masters by her prophecies. Meeting the holy Apostle Paul and those who were with him, she followed them and cried out: "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." When St. Paul found that this preaching from the spirit of flattery could harm the preaching from the Spirit of Truth, he rebuked this spirit and in the Name of the Lord expelled him from the handmaiden. The enemy raised a storm because of this. The handmaidens, seeing that the hope of the income which the maid had given them by her prophecy had vanished, seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the public square to the rulers. There they accused them of disturbing the city by preaching new forbidden customs, "which we Romans should neither accept nor observe."According to the latest laws of the Roman Empire, in order to protect the weakening state power of Rome, the establishment of new religious sects was indeed a criminal offense. The gentlemen of the maid managed to turn the crowd against the preachers of the Gospel. The governors, tearing off the clothes of the apostles, ordered them to be beaten with sticks, and then threw them into prison. The prison guard put the apostles in an inner prison and hammered their feet into a stock. But according to the dispensation of God, this conclusion of St. Paul served only to his greater glorification and the success of his preaching. About midnight, when Paul and Silas were singing praises to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, its doors were opened of their own accord, and the bonds of all the prisoners were loosened. The prison guard, awakening and seeing what had happened, drew his sword and wanted to kill himself, fearing responsibility for the escape of the prisoners. But Paul calmed him down, and he, demanding fire, could not but be convinced that all that had happened was the work of the power of God. Struck by this, he trembled at Paul's feet, and having brought him and Silas out, he prayed: "My lords, what shall I do to be saved?" Everyone believed and was baptized at the same hour.Meanwhile, with the onset of day, the city governors, who had allowed the Apostles to be beaten the day before, probably not so much out of personal conviction of their guilt as to calm the people's fury, ordered them to be released. However, Saint Paul, undoubtedly in order to erase the impression of the dishonor he had inflicted on the work of preaching, demanded that the governors apologize to them, since they were Roman citizens. The governors were afraid that they had subjected the Roman citizens to corporal punishment, and even without trial, and when they came, they apologized to them, asking them only to leave the city. But the Apostles did not immediately depart, but first came to the house of Lydia in order to establish in the faith the newly founded young Christian community. Only after arranging everything necessary for the further existence of the community, did they go on (Acts 16:9-40). Thus was founded a Christian community in Philippi in the year 51 or 52 A.D. After leaving Philippi, Saint Paul left his co-workers Luke and Timothy there for a short time. St. Paul's relations with the Philippians did not end there. The Church of Philippi proved to be the most ardent and devoted to its founder and the most abundant in the fruits of Christian mercy and charity. The Philippians' relationship with the Apostle Paul was touchingly loving. Wherever the holy Apostle was, the Philippians watched him with loving filial eyes and constantly gave him material and moral support in his life full of labors and sorrows. The Apostle responded to them with the same mutual love. "My beloved and desired, my joy and my crown," the Apostle addressed them later in his Epistle (Phil. 4:1). More than once they sent him help to Thessalonica (Philippians 4:16 [1]), and probably also to Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:8-9 [2]). When the Apostle was sent to Rome to be judged by Caesar (62-63), the Philippians sent their eldest presbyter Epaphroditus to him with a monetary allowance. On his third preaching journey, after spending three years in Ephesus and deciding to visit Achaia, he went there through Macedonia and, among other cities, visited Philippi, as one might think, twice (Acts 19:21 [3] and 20:3-6 [4]). ^To the other churches I have caused expenses, obtaining from them an allowance for the service of you; and when I was with you, although I suffered a deficiency, I did not trouble anyone, for my lack was made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia; and in everything I have tried and will try not to be a burden to you. ^When this was done, Paul resolved in the Spirit, having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "Having been there, I must see Rome also." ^There he stayed for three months. When, on account of the indignation made against him by the Jews, he wanted to go to Syria, it occurred to him to return by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied to Asia by Sopater Pyrrhus the Berian, and from the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius the Derbean and Timothy, and the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus. They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. And we, after the days of unleavened bread, sailed from Philippi, and in five days came to them at Troas, where we tarried seven days. ^

Reason for writing

When, after his third missionary journey, the holy Apostle Paul set off for Jerusalem, he was subjected there to a fierce attack by the Jews, he was imprisoned and demanded the judgment of Caesar, after which he was sent to Rome. During all this time the Philippians tried to help the holy Apostle, as he himself hinted at (Phil. 4:10 [1]), but circumstances were not favorable to them. When the Apostle arrived in Rome, the Philippians collected for him abundant financial aid and sent him with Epaphroditus, whom the holy Apostle calls his brother, co-worker and companion (Philippians 2:25 [2]). Accepting the offering of the Philippians from Epaphroditus, as "fragrant incense, a pleasing sacrifice, acceptable to God" (Philippians 4:18), Saint Paul learned from him that among the Philippians, in addition to grief for him, there spread a heavy contemplation about the fate of the persecuted faith of Christ itself, as a result of which there was also a faint-hearted fear of its enemies and a lack of unanimity in the struggle against them. Then Saint Paul also learned that among some of the heterogeneous members of the Philippian community, vanity and covetousness had arisen before one another, as a result of which mutual disagreements arose. It is possible that the Judaizers began to confuse the faithful there, as well as everywhere where Christian communities arose. Finally, Epaphroditus informed the holy Apostle about certain persons who served as a temptation for the Philippians. All this, taken together, disposed the holy Apostle Paul to write an Epistle to the Philippians. But the coming of Epaphroditus was soon darkened by sorrow for the Apostle: Epaphroditus fell ill, and moreover so gravely that he was at the point of death, the news of which reached the Philippians. Finally, God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but "also on me, so that sorrow should not be added to sorrow" (Philippians 2:27). When the recovered man had recovered to such an extent that he could endure the hardships of the journey, the Holy Apostle sent him to his own people, handing him his epistle.As is natural to expect, in view of the above circumstances, the main purpose of the epistle was to express love and gratitude to the Philippians, and at the same time to praise them, as faithful to the faith, sincerely and without hypocrisy. However, the Apostolic Epistle could not do without instructions in faith and morals, but these instructions are set forth here without the usual strict logical sequence. In this epistle there is no division into dogmatic and moral parts, which is usual for Paul's epistles: the epistle is private, not official. It resembles rather a fatherly friendly letter and is filled with expressions of gentle and tender feelings that were established between the holy Apostle and the Philippians. We do not see in this epistle either the severity of rebukes, or persistent commands, or authoritative apostolic decrees. Especially characteristic of this epistle is the absence of the accusatory element in it.I rejoiced in the Lord that you have already begun to take care of me again; you have been concerned before, but circumstances have not been favorable to you. ^However, I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and co-worker and companion, and your messenger and servant in my need. ^

Time and place of writing

The timing of the writing of the Epistle to the Philippians is evident from the fact that St. Paul expresses in it the hope of a speedy release from bondage and arrival in Philippi (Phil. 1:25-26 [1] and 2:24 [2]), and also reports that the faith preached by him spread even to the house of Caesar (4:22 [3]). That the holy Apostle was at that time in prison in Rome is evident from the mention of the praetorium in 1:13 [4]. And that these bonds were the first, and not the second, can be concluded from the fact that the Apostle greets the Philippians in this epistle together with Timothy (1:1 [5]), who was not with the Apostle during his second imprisonment (2 Tim. 4:9-10 [6]). From all the above considerations, we can conclude that the Epistle to the Philippians was written in Rome at the end of the year 63 or the beginning of the year 64 A.D. And I know for a fact that I will remain and abide with you all for your success and joy in the faith, that your praise in Christ Jesus may increase through me at my second coming to you. ^I am confident in the Lord that I myself will soon come to you. ^All the saints greet you, especially from the house of Caesar. ^So that my bonds in Christ were made known to all the praetorium and to all the rest. ^Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons ^Try to come to me quickly. For Demas left me, loving this present world, and went to Thessalonica, Crescentius to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; Luke alone is with me. ^

Content and Division of the Message

The Epistle to the Philippians contains only four chapters. Although it does not have such a clear and definite plan of narration as in the other epistles, its content can still be divided into the following sections: The usual preface with an inscription and greeting (1:1-2) and the beginning of the epistle (1:3-11); Informing about oneself, namely, about the success of the gospel and one's dispositions and hopes in relation to it (1:12-26) and exhortation about a life worthy of this gospel (1:27-2:18); Announcing his intentions: Timothy's letter to the Philippians (2:19-24), Epaphroditus' return (2:25-30). Then follows the warnings against the Judaizers (3:1-3), an indication of his own example to follow (3:4-16).In conclusion, the Apostle admonishes some people and gives general instruction to all how to manifest in their lives the characteristic features of the Christian life (4:2-9). In the usual afterword, the Apostle recalls the allowance sent to him, greets everyone, and gives a blessing (4:10-23).

Exegetical analysis

The Epistle to the Philippians contains only four chapters. Although it does not have such a clear and definite plan of narration as in the other epistles, its content can still be divided into the following sections: The usual preface with an inscription and greeting (1:1-2) and the beginning of the epistle (1:3-11); Informing about oneself, namely, about the success of the gospel and one's dispositions and hopes in relation to it (1:12-26) and exhortation about a life worthy of this gospel (1:27-2:18); Announcing his intentions: Timothy's letter to the Philippians (2:19-24), Epaphroditus' return (2:25-30). Then follows the warnings against the Judaizers (3:1-3), an indication of his own example to follow (3:4-16).In conclusion, the Apostle admonishes some people and gives general instruction to all how to manifest in their lives the characteristic features of the Christian life (4:2-9). In the usual afterword, the Apostle recalls the allowance sent to him, greets everyone, and gives a blessing (4:10-23).

Part I

The epistle begins with the inscription: "Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with bishops and deacons" (1:1). In extreme humility, the holy Apostle calls himself together with him only "servants of Christ," without emphasizing his apostolic dignity, as in other official epistles, where it was necessary for the greater authority of the epistle. "With bishops and deacons" – "Were there really many bishops in one city?" – asks St. Chrysostom and answers: "No. The Apostle called the elders this way. For at that time these names were still common." At that time, all believers were called "holy," as they were sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then follows the usual teaching of grace and peace (1:1-2).Further in the first chapter, the Apostle expresses gratitude to God for the diligence with which the Philippians share in the gospel of Christ through their generous benevolence to him, and prays that the love they testify to "increase more and more in knowledge and in every feeling," that they "may be pure and without stumbling in the day of Christ, are full of the fruits of righteousness." Consequently, the holy Apostle does not refer the benevolence of the Philippians to himself, but to God and prays to God that the Philippians, progressing more and more in good works, worthily prepare themselves for the "day of Christ," that is, for the day of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment (1:3-11). The news of the Apostle's stay in Rome in chains soon spread throughout Rome, and the majority of Roman Christians, encouraged by the Apostle's bonds, began to fearlessly preach the Word of God. They saw that the preaching of the Apostle, who was in chains, not only did not bring any harm, but, on the contrary, made him known even among the noblest people and in the praetorium itself, as the royal chambers were called in Rome. True, some preached Christ "not purely," "out of lust," i.e., insincerely, out of envy and love of disputes, and even with the thought of making trouble for the Apostle, but the Apostle rejoices that nevertheless, in one way or another, the gospel of Christ is spreading in the world. It is possible that these petty people out of jealousy wanted to precede the Apostle, to admire his glory as a preacher of Christ's teaching. Some probably acted contrary to the Apostle, contrary to his orders, but in any case they were not heretics. The Apostle is not afraid for himself. Nor is he afraid of death: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:12-21). The Apostle even finds it difficult to choose what is better to choose: life or death. "I have a desire to depart and be with Christ" – this is what he would like, but, on the other hand, he understands that his life is needed to continue the work of preaching the Gospel: "but it is more necessary for you to remain in the flesh." The Apostle exhorts the Philippians to live "worthy of the gospel of Christ." The main quality of such a life is immediately indicated to them: "that you stand in one spirit, striving with one accord for the faith of the Gospel." This firm standing in the truth, unanimity and fearless confession, which the Holy Apostle Paul wished to see in his Philippian disciples, is the first and fundamental quality of every true Christian. The Church of Christ in this world, hostile to it in its spirit, is and must be a militant Church, and its followers must certainly be fighters and confessors, ready to suffer for the truth (1:22-30).In the second chapter, the Holy Apostle inspires the Philippians to add to complete unanimity and mutual love the second important quality that characterizes the truly Christian life – humility. The highest example of humility and an example of imitation for Christians is Christ Himself, Who humbled Himself unto death on the cross: "You must have the same feelings as in Christ Jesus: He, being in the image of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but He humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming like men, and becoming like a man in appearance; humbled Himself, being obedient even unto death, even death on the cross" — here is a soul-shattering picture of Divine self-abasement, self-abasement, "Divine humiliation" for the sake of the salvation of people, as an inspiring example to follow: if the Only-begotten Son of God humbled Himself in this way, then how can we, accursed sinners, not humble ourselves? Here is a natural urge to humility for all true followers of Christ. Since these words speak of the incarnation of the Son of God, of His appearance into the world as a man, this passage of the Epistle to the Philippians with the following three verses 9, 10 and 11 is read at the Divine Liturgy on the feasts of the Mother of God. The humility of the Son of God served to exalt Him: "Therefore God also exalted Him, and gave Him a name that is above every name" (v. 9) – of course, this refers to the exaltation of the incarnate Son of God according to His humanity, that is, to the fact that for His humility, humanity itself, which He took upon Himself, was exalted to the height of God, brought into the glory and power of the Godhead. The consequence of this humility of the Son of God should be that before Him "every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth bowed," i.e. all creation – heavenly, or the angels of God, earthly – living people and hell, by which are meant the dead. "And every tongue has confessed that the Lord Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father" (v. 11), that is, all will glorify Him as Lord and God, equal in glory to God the Father.After this, after praising the Philippians for their obedience, the Holy Apostle Paul gives them a series of moral instructions, instilling in them: "With fear and trembling work out your salvation" (cf. Psalm 2:11 [1]) and exhorting them to do everything without murmuring or doubt, to be blameless and pure children of God in the midst of a stubborn and corrupt generation. Here the saying is noteworthy: "For God works in you both to will and to act according to His good pleasure." This, of course, does not destroy the freedom of human will, but only indicates that true piety is a gift of God, given to the humble. But God only arouses the will of good in man by the influence of His grace on him, and whether man responds to this depends on himself, on his free will. The grace of God only helps a person, helps him in his good deeds, but this does not mean that it does the work itself for a person. When a mother leads her child by the hand that is beginning to walk, she only helps him to walk, and does not make a movement for him herself. Such, according to the teaching of St. Macarius, is the cooperation of God's grace in our good works (vv. 12-18).In the rest of the second chapter, the holy Apostle Paul informs the Philippians of his intentions. Meaning that the Philippians are anxious about his fate, he promises to send his faithful co-worker Timothy to them as soon as he learns of the result of his trial by Caesar (vv. 19-23). Another purpose of this embassy is to obtain accurate information about the life of the Philippians in order to be calm about them. "Oh, what tender love he had for Macedonia," says St. John Chrysostom in this regard: "This is a sign of the greatest care, when, not being able to come soon himself, he sends a disciple, not tolerating even for a short time to remain ignorant of what was happening among them. Timothy is sent by the Apostle as the most faithful man, on whom one can rely in all things (vv. 20-22). In the meantime, the Apostle sends Epaphroditus, handing him his epistle, meaning that Epaphroditus was dangerously ill in Rome, and the Philippians, not knowing the outcome of his illness, were very anxious about him. separating Philippi from Rome and was subjected to a serious illness. Calling him his "brother," "co-worker," and "companion," the Holy Apostle asks to receive him "in the Lord with all joy" and "to have him in respect." ^