Phili 1:6, 4:7, 2Ti 1:12 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 6. Being confident . This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced. Part. Mid. voice from πειθω--to persuade. Comp. : "Neither will they be persuaded , though one rose from the dead;" that is, they would not be convinced . . It means here that Paul was entirely convinced of the truth of what he said. It is the language of a man who had no doubt on the subject. That he which hath begun a good work in you . The "good work" here referred to, can be no other than religion, or true piety. This is called the work of God; the work of the Lord; or the work of Christ, . Comp. . Paul affirms here that that work was begun by God. It was not by their own agency or will. . It was on the fact that it was begun by God, that he based his firm conviction that it would be permanent. Had it been the agency of man, he would have had no such conviction, for nothing that man does today can lay the foundation of a certain conviction that he will do the same thing to-morrow. If the perseverance of the Christian depended wholly on himself, therefore, there could be no sure evidence that he would ever reach heaven. Will perform it . Marg., "or, finish ." The Greek word--επιτελεσει --means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end . It occurs in the following places: , "I do cures;" , "when I have performed this;" , " perfecting holiness ;" , "so he would also finish in you;" , " perform the doing of it;" , "are ye now made perfect by the flesh;" , "when he was about to make the tabernacle;" , " accomplishing this service;" and , "are accomplished in your brethren." The word occurs nowhere else; and here means that God would carry on the work which he had begun to completion. He would not leave it unfinished. It would not be commenced, and then abandoned. This would or could be "performed" or "finished" only (1.) by keeping them from falling from grace, and (2.) by their ultimate entire perfection. Until the day of Jesus Christ . The day when Christ shall so manifest himself as to be the great attractive object, or the day when he shall appear to glorify himself, so that it may be said emphatically to be his day . That day is often called " his day," or " the day of the Lord ," because it will be the day of his triumph and glory. It refers here to the day when the Lord Jesus will appear to receive his people to himself--the day of judgment. We may remark on this verse, that Paul believed in the perseverance of saints . It would be impossible to express a stronger conviction of the truth of that doctrine than he has done here. Language could not be clearer, and nothing can be more unequivocal than the declaration of his opinion that where God has begun a good work in the soul, it will not be finally lost. The ground of this belief he has not stated in full, but has merely hinted at it. It is based on the fact that God had begun the good work. That ground of belief is something like the following. (1.) It is in God alone. It is not in man in any sense. No reliance is to be placed on man in keeping himself. He is too weak; too changeable; too ready to be led astray; too much disposed to yield to temptation. (2.) The reliance, therefore, is on God; and the evidence that the renewed man will be kept is this: (a.) God began the work of grace in the soul. (b.) He had a design in it. It was deliberate, and intentional; it was not by chance, or hap-hazard; it was because he had some object that was worthy of his interposition. (c.) There is no reason why he should begin such a work, and then abandon it. It cannot be because he has no power to complete it, or because there are more enemies to be overcome than he had supposed; or because there are difficulties which he did not foresee; or because it is not desirable that the work should be completed. Why, then, should he abandon it? (d.) God abandons nothing that he undertakes. There are no unfinished worlds or systems; no half-made and forsaken works of his hands. There is no evidence in his works of creation of change of plan, or of having forsaken what he began from disgust, or disappointment, or want of power to complete them. Why should there be in the salvation of the soul? (e.) He has promised to keep the renewed soul to eternal life. See . Comp. . (c) "of this very thing" (d) "which hath begun" (2) "perform" "finish" (e) "work" (f) "day of Jesus Christ"

Philippians 1:6

Verse 6. Being confident. This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced. Part. Mid. voice from πειθω--to persuade. Comp. Lk 16:31: "Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead;" that is, they would not be convinced. Acts 17:4, Heb 11:13, Acts 28:24. It means here that Paul was entirely convinced of the truth of what he said. It is the language of a man who had no doubt on the subject.

That he which hath begun a good work in you. The "good work" here referred to, can be no other than religion, or true piety. This is called the work of God; the work of the Lord; or the work of Christ, Jn 6:29. Comp. 1Cor 15:58, 16:10, Php 2:30. Paul affirms here that that work was begun by God. It was not by their own agency or will. Jn 1:13. It was on the fact that it was begun by God, that he based his firm conviction that it would be permanent. Had it been the agency of man, he would have had no such conviction, for nothing that man does today can lay the foundation of a certain conviction that he will do the same thing to-morrow. If the perseverance of the Christian depended wholly on himself, therefore, there could be no sure evidence that he would ever reach heaven.

Will perform it. Marg., "or, finish." The Greek word--επιτελεσει --means that he would carry it forward to completion; he would perfect it. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end. It occurs in the following places: Lk 13:32, "I do cures;" Rom 15:28, "when I have performed this;" 2Cor 7:1, "perfecting holiness ;" 2Cor 8:6, "so he would also finish in you;" Php 1:11, "perform the doing of it;" Gal 3:3, "are ye now made perfect by the flesh;" Heb 8:6, "when he was about to make the tabernacle;" Heb 9:6, "accomplishing this service;" and 1Pet 5:9, "are accomplished in your brethren." The word occurs nowhere else; and here means that God would carry on the work which he had begun to completion. He would not leave it unfinished. It would not be commenced, and then abandoned. This would or could be "performed" or "finished" only

(1.) by keeping them from falling from grace, and

(2.) by their ultimate entire perfection.

Until the day of Jesus Christ. The day when Christ shall so manifest himself as to be the great attractive object, or the day when he shall appear to glorify himself, so that it may be said emphatically to be his day. That day is often called "his day," or "the day of the Lord," because it will be the day of his triumph and glory. It refers here to the day when the Lord Jesus will appear to receive his people to himself--the day of judgment. We may remark on this verse, that Paul believed in the perseverance of saints. It would be impossible to express a stronger conviction of the truth of that doctrine than he has done here. Language could not be clearer, and nothing can be more unequivocal than the declaration of his opinion that where God has begun a good work in the soul, it will not be finally lost. The ground of this belief he has not stated in full, but has merely hinted at it. It is based on the fact that God had begun the good work. That ground of belief is something like the following.

(1.) It is in God alone. It is not in man in any sense. No reliance is to be placed on man in keeping himself. He is too weak; too changeable; too ready to be led astray; too much disposed to yield to temptation.

(2.) The reliance, therefore, is on God; and the evidence that the renewed man will be kept is this:

(a.) God began the work of grace in the soul.

(b.) He had a design in it. It was deliberate, and intentional; it was not by chance, or hap-hazard; it was because he had some object that was worthy of his interposition.

(c.) There is no reason why he should begin such a work, and then abandon it. It cannot be because he has no power to complete it, or because there are more enemies to be overcome than he had supposed; or because there are difficulties which he did not foresee; or because it is not desirable that the work should be completed. Why, then, should he abandon it?

(d.) God abandons nothing that he undertakes. There are no unfinished worlds or systems; no half-made and forsaken works of his hands. There is no evidence in his works of creation of change of plan, or of having forsaken what he began from disgust, or disappointment, or want of power to complete them. Why should there be in the salvation of the soul?

(e.) He has promised to keep the renewed soul to eternal life. See Jn 10:27,28,29, Heb 6:17-20. Comp. Rom 8:29,30.

(c) "of this very thing" Heb 10:35 (d) "which hath begun" Ps 138:8 (2) "perform" "finish" (e) "work" Heb 10:35 (f) "day of Jesus Christ" 2Pet 3:10

Philippians 4:7

Verse 7. And the peace of God. The peace which God gives. The peace here particularly referred to is that which is felt when we have no anxious care about the supply of our wants, and when we go confidently and commit everything into the hands of God. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee," Isa 26:3. Jn 14:27.

Which passeth all understanding. That is, which surpasses all that men had conceived or imagined. The expression is one that denotes that the peace imparted is of the highest possible kind. The apostle Paul frequently used terms which had somewhat of a hyperbolical cast, Eph 3:19; comp. Jn 21:25;) and the language here is that which one would use who designed to speak of that which was of the highest order. The Christian, committing his way to God, and feeling that he will order all things aright, has a peace which is nowhere else known. Nothing else will furnish it but religion. No confidence that a man can have in his own powers; no reliance which he can repose on his own plans or on the promises or fidelity of his fellow-men, and no calculations which he can make on the course of events, can impart such peace to the soul as simple confidence in God.

Shall keep your hearts and minds. That is, shall keep them from anxiety and agitation. The idea is, that by thus making our requests known to God, and going to him in view of all our trials and wants, the mind would be preserved from distressing anxiety. The way to find peace, and to have the heart kept from trouble, is thus to go and spread out all before the Lord. Comp. Isa 26:3,4,20, 37:1-7. The word here rendered shall keep is a military term, and means that the mind would be guarded as a camp or castle is. It would be preserved from the intrusion of anxious fears and alarms.

Through Christ Jesus. By his agency, or intervention. It is only in him that the mind can be preserved in peace. It is not by mere confidence in God, or by mere prayer, but it is by confidence in God as he is revealed through the Redeemer, and by faith in him. Paul never lost sight of the truth, that all the security and happiness of a believer were to be traced to the Saviour.

(e) "Peace of God" Isa 26:3, Jn 14:27

2 Timothy 1:12

Verse 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things. That is, I suffer on account of my purpose to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. Col 1:24.

Nevertheless I am not ashamed. Comp. Rom 1:16.

For I know whom I have believed. Marg., trusted. The idea is, that he understood the character of that Redeemer to whom he had committed his eternal interests, and knew that he had no reason to be ashamed of confiding in him. He was able to keep all that he had intrusted to his care, and would not suffer him to be lost. Isa 28:16.

And am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. That is, the soul with all its immortal interests. A man has nothing of higher value to intrust to another than the intereats of his soul, and there is no other act of confidence like that in which he intrusts the keeping of that soul to the Son of God. Learn hence,

(1.) that religion consists in committing the soul to the care of the Lord Jesus; because

(a) we feel that we cannot secure its salvation ourselves;

(b) it is by nature in danger;

(2.) That is a great and invaluable treasure which is committed to him.

(a) No higher treasure can be committed to another;

(b) in connection with that the whole question of our happiness on earth and in heaven is intrusted to him, and all depends on his fidelity.

(3.) It is done by the true Christian with file most entire confidence, so that the mind is at rest. The grounds of this confidence are

(a) what is said of the mighty power of the Saviour;

(b) his promises that he will keep all who confide in him, (comp. Jn 10:27-29;)

(4.) This act of committing the soul, with all its interests, to the Saviour, is the true source of peace in the trials of life. This is so because

(a) having done this, we feel that our great interests are secure. If the soul is safe, why need we be disturbed by the loss of health, or property, or other temporal comforts. Those are secondary things. A man who is shipwrecked, and who sees his son or daughter safe with him on the shore, will be little concerned that a casket of jewels fell overboard--however valuable it might be.

(b) All those trials will soon pass away, and he will be safe in heaven.

(c) These very things may further the great object--the salvation of the soul. A man's great interests may be more safe when in a prison than when in a palace; on a pallet of straw than on a bed of down; when constrained to say, "Give us this day our daily bread," than when encompassed with the wealth of Croesus.

Against that day. The day of judgment--called "that day," without anything further to designate it, because it is the great day; "the day for which all other days were made." It seems to have been so much the object of thought and conversation among the early Christians that the apostle supposed that he would be understood by merely referring to it as "that day ;" that is, the day which they were always preaching about, and talking about, and thinking about.

(a) "nevertheless" Rom 1:18 (1) "whom I have believed" "trusted" (b) "have committed"