John Chrysostom

"Many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ." Since there were some who made a pretense of Christianity, yet lived in ease and luxury, and this is contrary to the Cross: therefore he thus spoke. For the cross belongs to a soul at its post for the fight, longing to die, seeking nothing like ease, whilst their conduct is of the contrary sort. So that even if they say, they are Christ's, still they are as it were enemies of the Cross. …

Homily on Philippians 13 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

He does not name such people by name, so as not to cause agitation, but still gives the Philippians an idea of them when he says: "of whom I often told you." And now, since the evil has increased and spread, I cannot even remember them without tears. Do you see his compassion? He wept not over his own vices (for he had none), but over the fact that others lived without being aware of their vices and in pleasures. …

Commentary on Philippians ↗

Ignatius of Antioch

And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]. Looking forward to this, the prophet declared, "To the end, for the eighth day," on which our life both sprang up again, and the victory over death was obtained in Christ, whom the children of perdition, the enemies of the Saviour, deny, "whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things," who are "lovers of pleasure, and not lovers of God, having a form of …

Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ, he gives the reason for his admonition: first, on the part of those to be avoided; secondly, of those to be followed (3:20). But lest this admonition seem to proceed from hatred: first, he mentions his affection; secondly, he describes the ones to be avoided (3:18b). He says, therefore: I say that the ones to follow should be watched, because some walk otherwise, namely, from bad to worse: "They walk about in darkness" (Ps. 82:5). …

Commentary on Philippians ↗