Philippians and Philemon - MR Vincent - 1906.pdf

Il6 PHILIPPIANS [ill. 17, 18
.yiv., in which, indeed, it may be impHed; but by the other construction
it is directly and naturally related to what follows by . of
vs. i8.
: 2 signifies the union of the subjects :
' be tmitedly imitators of me.' Not as Beng., ' be imitators along
with me in imitating Christ.' There is no reference to Christ in
the context. '. only here in Bib. No self-conceit is implied
in . (Comp. i Cor. iv. i6, xi. i ; i Thess. i. 6 ; 2 Thess. iii.
7' 9•)
7££ :
See on ii. 4, and comp. Rom. xvi. 1752 Cor. iv. 18.
TOiis/: Paul often uses to describe con-
duct. (See Rom. vi. 4, viii. i ; i Cor. iii. 3 ; Gal. v. 16 ; Eph. ii. 2.)
Never in the literal sense. In the Synop., on the other hand, it
never occurs in the metaphorical sense, and but once in Acts
(xxi. 21). The metaphorical sense appears in John, especially in
the Epistles. (See Jn. (Ev.) viii. 12, xii. 35 ; i Jn. i. 6, 7, ii. 6,
II, etc.) / : Frequent in Paul; as Rom. v. 14, vi. 17 ; i Cor. x. 6,
11; I Thess. i. 7. Originally ' the impression left by a stroke
(). (See Jn. XX. 25.)
Generally, 'image,' 'form,' always
with a statement of the object which it represents. Hence * pattern,'
' example.'
The exhortation is enforced by the contrast presented by those
who follow a different example.
18. : Precisely who are meant cannot be determined.
According to most of the earlier expositors, the Judaisers described
in vs. 2. So Lips. Some later authorities, as Weiss and
Ril., the heathen. The majority of modern comms., antinomian
Christians of im-
Libertines of Epicurean tendencies :
moral life.
nominal
So Lightf , Mey., Kl., De W., Ellic, Alf., Beet.
Weiss (^Am. Jotirii. of Theol. April, 1897, P• 390
^^ very severe upon
this explanation. He reasons that it is impossible to conceive of such
nominal Christians in the beloved Philippian church, and identifies the
KoKKol with the%of vs. 2, who, according to him, are the heathen. He
cites Apoc. xxii. 15 for KUves, and in his latest commentary, 2 Pet. ii. 22.
But the latter passage is distinctly of apostate Christians.
'
: conduct themselves ' '
; behave,' as vs.
unnecessary to supply a qualifying word, as.
1 7. It is
eXeyov : When he was at Philippi, or possibly in former
letters. (See on vs. i.)
: Contrasted with. t\.
: This deep emotion would more probably be excited by
recreant Christians than by heathen whose sensuality and worldliness
were familiar to the Apostle. He would be most sorrowfully
'