Philippians 2:17-30

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:20

For I have no man likeminded ,.... With myself; as my soul, so the Syriac version renders it. Timothy had a soul like the apostle's, which none that were with him, besides him, had; he was of the same judgment with him in the doctrines of grace; he received and preached the same Gospel as he did; he preached the same Christ, the Son of God, without yea and nay; he had the same affection for the apostle, and the souls of men, as he had; his soul was knit to his, and they had, as it were, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:21

For all seek their own ,.... Meaning not every individual, but the greatest part; and not merely such as were manifestly false teachers, but such as were with the apostle, as ministers of the word; and we may suppose him to be stripped, by one means or another, of the more valuable preachers of the Gospel, and to be in much such a case as he describes himself to be, in 2 Timothy 4:10 . He had none with him, excepting a very few, but such as he speaks of in the preceding chapter, that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:22

But ye know the proof of him ,.... They had had an experiment of him, a trial of his spirit, and a proof of his gifts and ministry, when he was among them with the apostle at his first preaching the Gospel to them, to the conversion of Lydia, and of the jailer, and their households, which laid the foundation of a Gospel church state among them, see Acts 16:3 . The Vulgate Latin version reads in the imperative, "know ye the proof of him"; but the former reading is to be preferred: that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:23

Him therefore I hope to send presently ,.... For the reasons now given: so soon as I shall see how it will go with me ; whether he should be released from his bonds or not; whether he should live or die; whether he should be set free, or be called to suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ; for he expected, that the matter would be determined in a very short time, when, be it at it would, Timothy would be spared. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:24

But I trust in the Lord ,.... The Syriac version reads, "in my Lord": that I also myself shall come shortly : this he adds, partly to let them see, that he still retained a secret hope and persuasion in his own mind of a deliverance, though he could not be certain of it, how things would go with him; and partly, that he might not be thought to put them off with sending Timothy to them; for notwithstanding that, his intention still was, should he be released, to pay them a visit himself.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:25

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus ,.... In the mean while, before either he or Timothy could come to them. This man was sent by the Philippians to the apostle with a present, and had been detained at Rome for some time, partly through business, and partly through sickness; but now the apostle thought it proper, he being recovered, to send him to them, who was one of their ministers. One of this name lived at Rome about this time, and was one of Nero's freemen F15 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:26

For he longed after you ,.... This verse and Phlippians 2:28 contain the reasons of the apostle's sending him; and the first is, because he had a very vehement and longing desire after all of them; to see them, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions add, and as it is read in the Alexandrian and Claromontane copies, and in others: it was not the city of Philippi he longed to see, which might be his native place, nor his natural relations and family, but the church there; and not the officers... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:27

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death ,.... It was not a mere rumour, or a false alarm, but was real matter of fact; and it was not a light disorder, a slight indisposition, but a very dangerous illness; though the sickness was not unto death, yet near it. Good men, such as Christ loves, as he did Lazarus, are sometimes sick; though their spiritual diseases are healed, and their sins forgiven, so that the inhabitants of Zion have no more reason to say that they are sick, since Christ has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:28

I sent him therefore the more carefully ,.... Or in greater haste, and as soon as possible: that when ye see him again ye may rejoice ; for this must greatly increase their joy, to see him again after he had been so long from them, and under such a disorder, which had made them to fear they should never see him more. The Syriac version renders it, "that when ye see him ye may rejoice again"; as they had done heretofore in his conversation and ministry, when among them: and that I may... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:29

Receive him therefore ,.... Not only into their houses, where such as bring the doctrine of Christ should be admitted, and not others; but into their bosoms, into their hearts and affections, as he had reason to believe they would, and into their fellowship and communion, and to the exercise of his office among them, as their minister: and that in the Lord ; or "for the Lord", as the Arabic version renders it; for his sake, because he was one that was put into the ministry by him, was... read more

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