The life and work of St. Paul

604 THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST. PAUL.
" Fare ye well always ; again I will say, fare ye well. Let your reasonableness
be recognised by all men. Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, in your
general and special prayers, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
before God. Then shall the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep
sentry over your hearts, and the devices of your hearts, in Christ Jesus.
" Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are real, whatsoever things are awful,
whatsoever thing?, are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
amiable, whatsoever things are winning, if '
virtue,' l if '
honour,' have a real meaning
for you, on these things meditate. The things which ye both learned and
received, both heard and saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace shall be
5 3
with you.'
Then comes the warm yet delicate expression of his heartfelt gratitude to
them for the pecuniary contribution by which now, for the fourth time, they,
and they only, had supplied the wants which he could no longer meet by
manual labour.
" One word more : I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now once more your
thought on my behalf blossomed afresh.* In this matter ye were indeed bearing mo
in mind, but ye were without opportunity. Not that I speak with reference to
deficiency, for I learnt to be always independent in existing circumstances. I know
how both to be humiliated, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all
things I have been initiated how both to be satisfied and to be hungry, both to
abound and to be in need. I am strong for everything in Him who gives me power.
Still ye did well in making yourselves partakers in my affliction. And ye know as
well as I do, Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I went forth
from Macedonia, no Church communicated with me as regards giving and receiving,
except ye only, for even in Thessalonica both once and twice ye sent to my need
not that I am on the look-out for the gift, but I am on the look-out for the fruit
which abounds to your account. Now, however, I have all things to the full, 4 and
I abound. I have been fulfilled by receiving from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent,
an odour of sweet fragrance, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. 5 But my
God shall fulfil all your need according to His riches, in glory, in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6
" Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren with me salute you. All the
saints salute you, and especially'' those of Caesar's household. 8
" The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
his identity with the Consular Flavius Clemens, and that the whole of this Epistle is
forged to lead up to this passing allusion looks almost tame beside Volkmar s hypothesis
(?) about Euodia and Syntyche viz., that Euodia = "orthodoxy," the Petrine
party, and Syntyche, "the partner " = the Pauline party! Clement, though a Philippian,
may possibly be identical with " Clement of Rome " (Orig. in Joann. i. 29 ; Euseb.
H. E. iii. 15, &c.); we cannot even say "probably," because the name is exceedingly
common.
1 iv. 8, open?, here alone in St. Paul. 2 iv. 4 9.
3 Ver. 10, aveSoAeTe, literally, "ye blossomed again to think on my behalf." Chry-
sostom says, Sri trporepov ovres dvtfijpol efjjpav&ja-ai', which is to touch the metaphor with an
Ithuriel spear (Repullvlastis, Aug. ; Eeflaruistis, Vulg.).
4 Ver. 18, airexw. (Matt. vi. 2.) The word is used for "giving receipt in full."
* Gen. viii. 21. iv. 1020.
7 Why especially ? It Is impossible to say.
8 It should be borne in mind that these slaves would be counted by thousands
atrioises, cubicularii, secretarii, Icctores, introductory, nomcnclatores, dispensatores,
silentiarii (to keep the others quiet), &c. &c., and even slaves to tell the master the
names of his other slaves I We read of Romans who had 20,000 slaves. Four thousand
was no very extraordinary number (Sen. De Vit. Beat. 17 ; Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 10 ; Athen.
vi., p. 272):