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 1:6

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." See how he also teaches them to be unassuming. For since he had witnessed a great thing of them, that they may not feel as men are apt to do, he presently teaches them to refer both the past and the future to Christ. How? By saying, not, "Being confident that as ye began ye will also finish," but what? …

Homily on Philippians 1 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

I give thanks, he says, and "I rejoice," in the hope that God, "who began a good work in you," will Himself also "bring it to completion," because from the past I draw conclusions about the future as well. See how he teaches them to think humbly of themselves, when he ascribed everything to God and not to them alone; however, by this he in no way deprived them of honor, since he said: "who began in you," that is, according to your desire. …

Commentary on Philippians ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

And being confident of this very thing, I take joy in you because, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man" (Jer. 17:5), and in (17:7): "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord." And this by God's power; hence he says, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion: "Apart from me you can do nothing" (Jn. 15:5). This is against the Pelagians, who say that the principle of every good work is from ourselves, but its completion is from God. …

Commentary on Philippians ↗