Fathers

Philippians 1

Tap a verse to read the Fathers. Press and hold, then drag, to make a card.

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

About · Privacy · Credits · Support VRSZ

What the Fathers say

Philippians 1:23

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Oh that spirit of Paul! nothing was ever like it, nor ever will be! Thou fearest the future, thou art compassed by innumerable dreadful things, and wilt thou not be with Christ? No, he answers, and this for Christ's sake, that I may render more loving unto Him those whom I have made his servants, that I may make the plot which I have planted bear much fruit. Didst thou not hear me, when I declared that I sought not "that which profited myself" but my neighbor? …

Homily on Philippians 4 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

He says this with the purpose of preparing them to bear his coming death courageously. Why, he says, should you grieve over my death? I desire this, and it is better for me, because it gives me the opportunity to be with Christ. Therefore you should not grieve. "I am torn between the two," that is, I find myself in a difficult position and do not know what to prefer.

Commentary on Philippians ↗

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

And so that you may know that it is good to agree the beginning and the end, Jesus Himself says: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Therefore, since our mind is always with him, let it never depart from his temple, from his word. Let it always be in the reading of the Scriptures, in meditations, in prayers, so that his word, who he is, may always work in us, and so that every day as we go to the Church, or as we engage in domestic prayers, we may begin with him and end in him. …

On Abraham ↗

Thomas Aquinas

But why do you hesitate? Because I am hard pressed between the two. First, he gives a reason for one side; secondly, for the other side. The first reason is that there are two impulses in man, the impulse of nature and that of grace: of nature, not to die: "Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed" (2 Cor. 5:4); "And another will carry you where you do not wish to go" (Jn. 21:18); and the impulse of grace, which charity follows, is to love God and neighbor. …

Commentary on Philippians ↗