Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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Philippians

Completed by WILLIAM HARRIS.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

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AN

EXPOSITION,

W I T H   P R A C T I C A L   O B S E R V A T I O N S,

OF THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO

T H E   P H I L I P P I A N S.

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PHILIPPI

was a chief city of the western part of Macedonia, prote tes

meridos tes Makedonias polis,
Acts xvi. 12.

It took its name from Philip, the famous king of Macedon, who repaired

and beautified it, and it was afterwards made a Roman colony. Near this

place were the Campi Philippici, remarkable for the famous

battles between Julius Cæsar and Pompey the Great, and that

between Augustus and Antony on one side and Cassius and Brutus on the

other. But it is most remarkable among Christians for this epistle,

which was written when Paul was a prisoner at Rome, A.D. 62. Paul seems

to have had a very particular kindness for the church at Philippi,

which he himself had been instrumental in planting; and, though he had

the care of all the churches, he had, upon that account, a

particular fatherly tender care of this. To those to whom God has

employed us to do any good we should look upon ourselves both as

encouraged and engaged to study to do more good. He looked upon them as

his children, and, having begotten them by the gospel, he was

desirous by the same gospel to nourish and nurse them up.

I. He was called in an extraordinary manner to preach the gospel at

Philippi,

Acts xvi. 9.

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of

Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help

us. He saw God going before him, and was encouraged to use all

means for carrying on the good work which was begun among them, and

building upon the foundation which was laid.

II. At Philippi he suffered hard things; he was scourged, and put into

the stocks

(Acts xvi. 23, 24);

yet he had not the less kindness for the place for the hard usage he

met with there. We must never love our friends the less for the ill

treatment which our enemies give us.

III. The beginnings of that church were very small; Lydia was

converted there, and the jailer, and a few more: yet that did not

discourage him. If good be not done at first, it may be done

afterwards, and the last works may be more abundant. We must not be

discouraged by small beginnings.

IV. It seems, by many passages in this epistle, that this church at

Philippi grew into a flourishing church, and particularly that the

brethren were very kind to Paul. He had reaped of their temporal

things, and he made a return in spiritual things. He acknowledges the

receipt of a present they had sent him

(iv. 18),

and this when no other church communicated with him as concerning

giving and receiving

(v. 15);

and he gives them a prophet’s, an apostle’s reward, in this epistle,

which is of more value than thousands of gold and silver.

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