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The wonderful greatness of the heritage of Christians might tempt them to pride, self-confidence, self-assertion. St Paul lays down that they are bound to cultivate the opposite graces of lowliness, meekness, long-suffering. It is through these that the unity of the Church is established and maintained. Our Faith sets before us not our own greatness but the greatness of GOD. We are all, the strongest no less than the weakest, dependent on Him in all things. Therefore in view of His glorious purpose for us, we must strive to attain to a corresponding life, first recognising in deepest humility our true relation towards Him.

1. I beseech you therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord (or, I beseech you therefore , I, the prisoner , beseech you in the Lord ) to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye are called , 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

1. parakalw' ou\n ...] I beseech—entreat—you therefore, I the prisoner in the Lord ... or, I beseech you therefore , I, the prisoner , beseech you in the Lord. The connexion of ejn kurivw/ is very doubtful. It may be taken with parakalw' , ‘I beseech you in the Lord’; or with oJ devsmio" , ‘the prisoner in the Lord.’ The first connexion is supported by vs. 17 ( I adjure you in the Lord , see note) where the words are resumed: comp. 1 Thess. 4:1. But the connexion with oJ devsmio" is also correct: Eph. 6:21; Phil. 1:14; Rom. 16:10-13; and oJ devsmio" by itself is perhaps abrupt, though the position of ejgwv relieves the abruptness. In any case St Paul refers to his position in order to shew that his sufferings had not lessened his joy in that faithful service to which he calls his readers. Comp. Philem. 9. Ign. ad Trall. 12 parakalei' uJma'" ta; desmav mou .

For ou\n compare Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 4:16; 1 Tim. 2:1. ajxivw" ] 1 Thess. 2:12; Rom. 16:2; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10; 3 John 6. klhvsew" ] Compare Eph. 1:18, and Epict. Diss. 1.29, 46 f. (quoted by Lightfoot on Philippians p. 314 note).
h|" ejklhvqhte ] The tense carries back the thought to the decisive moment when they accepted the Gospel. Comp. hjkouvsate Eph. 3:2; vs. 21. For the attraction h|" (for h{n ) see Eph. 1:6.

2. meta; p. tap ....] The test of our true apprehension of the Gospel is our
sense of the majesty of GOD. Humility, which answers to reverence, is the sign of a noble character. The proud man only looks at that which is (or which he thinks to be) below him; and so he loses the elevating influence of that which is higher.
tapeinofrosuvnh and prau?th" are closely related. ‘Humility’ is a thankful sense of dependence upon GOD, as opposed to pride and self-confidence. Meekness is a consideration for others even under provocation, as opposed to self-assertion. ‘Long- suffering’ has regard to a different kind of trial which comes from the mysteriousness of the ways of Providence and the unreasonableness of men. ‘Long-suffering’ supports us when we are disappointed in not finding the results for which we naturally looked.

‘Meekness’ and ‘humility’ are claimed by the Lord for Himself: Matt. 11:29; and the perversity of man brings out the ‘long-suffering’ of GOD: 2 Pet. 3:9, 15; 1 Pet. 3:20.

The three graces occur together with others Col. 3:12. pavsh" ] in all its forms: Acts 20:19; Eph. 1:8; 4:19, 31;5:3, 9; 6:18, & c. It is to be taken with both nouns.

The use of metav in place of the simple dat. gives greater distinctness to the qualities: 2 Cor. 7:15.


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