Inscription and Greeting (Philippians 1:1–2)

Phil. 1:1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

At that time there were also other fellow-workers of St Paul in Rome, as may be seen from the greetings in the Epistle to the Colossians. But he makes no mention of them; instead he places beside himself only St Timothy—perhaps because the others were not with him at that moment, having been sent somewhere; or perhaps because Timothy had a closer relationship with the Philippians, having labored with St Paul in their first conversion. When writing to the Thessalonians, he placed Silas and Timothy beside himself, because with them he had preached among them; here he places only Timothy, because Silas was not with him. Had he been present, he would likely have included him as well. One may also suppose he did this because, as he writes below, he intended to send Timothy to them soon (St John of Damascus). St Timothy was greatly attached to the Philippians; and they to him, of course. They would have been glad to receive him—but it was precious to them to know whether he stood in the same relation to St Paul as before. By placing him beside himself, St Paul gave them to understand that he still loved and esteemed St Timothy as much as when they had been together among them and when he had sent him ahead from Ephesus into Macedonia (Acts 19:22).

“Servants of Jesus Christ.” When writing to the Colossians, the holy Apostle said: “Paul—an Apostle… and Timothy—the brother”; but here he places himself and Timothy on the same level, calling them servants of Jesus Christ. Servants of Jesus Christ—all Christians are such; for they were bought with the price of His blood and pledged to serve Him without wavering, walking in His will to the laying down of life, and moreover in such a way that even when fulfilling all that is commanded, they count themselves unprofitable servants. St Paul applied this title to himself in no other sense. By doing so he places himself in the same rank as the Philippians and as all Christians—showing thereby that he “writes to them as to those of equal honor with himself, not putting forward his own dignity as a teacher” (St Chrysostom). There is nothing diminishing in that name itself; on the contrary, “to be a servant of Christ—to be, not merely to be called—is truly a great dignity and the height of perfections. For he who is Christ’s servant is without doubt free from sin; and a true servant would not consent to be a servant of anyone else: otherwise he would be Christ’s servant only by halves” (St Chrysostom). It may be supposed that St Paul named himself thus and did not distinguish himself either from St Timothy or from them, in order to show by his own example the way of humility. He sets before them in the Epistle a very striking motive for humility (Phil. 2:3). In all likelihood this was a pressing need. If it was pressing, nothing was more fitting than to frame even his opening words in such a way that it would be evident how one ought to “esteem each other as more important than oneself” (Phil. 2:3). Having done so, he could the more boldly write afterward: imitate me, and take note of those who walk as you have us as an example (Phil. 3:17).

“To all the saints.” A saint is not merely a virtuous person—but, chiefly, one sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit and made His dwelling-place. Among the pagans too there were virtuous people, but they were not saints; for they did not have the Spirit. This is the privilege of Christians, who are so called because they have an anointing from the Holy One. Such a state can be attained only in Christ Jesus. Those who believe in the Lord draw near to His sacraments and in them are born again (baptism) and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (chrismation). The power of the sacraments derives entirely from union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are baptized are clothed with Christ; and as the Spirit of God rested upon Him in all fullness, so through Him the gift of the Holy Spirit descends in chrismation upon believers. They are the dwelling-place of the Spirit, for they are one spirit with the Lord. This is the basis on which Christians are holy—and only they are holy. “It was fitting also for the Jews to call themselves ‘saints’ on the basis of the ancient prophecy in which they were called ‘a holy people, a chosen people’ (Deut. 7:6; 14:2). This is why the Apostle added: ‘saints in Christ Jesus’—to show that now these alone are saints, while those have become unclean” (St Chrysostom).

“With the bishops and deacons.” Were there then many bishops in a single city? No—the bishop in each city, if there was one, was one. And among them, surely, there was one bishop—Epaphroditus, as Theodoret supposes. But there could be many presbyters alongside a single bishop; and in Philippi there was certainly more than one. These are the ones whom St Paul here calls bishops. This is the understanding of all our commentators following St Chrysostom. For in the beginning, although bishops were clearly distinguished from presbyters, they were sometimes called bishops and sometimes presbyters; and conversely, presbyters were called sometimes presbyters and sometimes bishops. So in the present passage, those who are clearly presbyters are called bishops. And in other places, bishops are called presbyters. Thus St Timothy was a bishop; for St Paul writes to him: “lay hands suddenly on no one” (1 Tim. 5:22), which it belongs to a bishop alone to do. And how did he become a bishop? “By the laying on of the hands of the presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14). But how could presbyters ordain a bishop? Evidently because in that place the word “presbytery” is used in the sense of “episcopate” (St Chrysostom). Likewise, writing to Titus, the Apostle commands him to appoint presbyters in every city, meaning bishops by this; for after saying so, he immediately adds: “for a bishop must be” (Tit. 1:5–7) (St Chrysostom). It is thus evident that bishops and presbyters in the early time, in the age of the Apostles, differed in dignity, but were designated interchangeably sometimes as presbyters and sometimes as bishops. In the present passage the presbyters are called bishops because it was also their responsibility to watch over the believers, to build them up in the faith, to correct morals, to sanctify them through the sacraments, and to defend them from the enemies of the faith.

The word “deacons” is used here in its usual sense and refers to those who assisted the presbyters and bishops in their labors and works in the pasturing of the flock.

But why did the Apostle make special mention of the clergy here? In his other Epistles he writes generally to all the saints, or the faithful, or the beloved, or those called of God; but here, having mentioned all believers in the words “to all the saints”—he separately singles out the clergy, adding: with the “bishops and deacons.” “The Apostle did this because it was the clergy who wrote, who were beneficent, and who sent Epaphroditus to him” (St Chrysostom and Oecumenius with blessed Theophylact). Such deeds could certainly not have been done without the participation of the clergy; and if the clergy were a special instigator and guide in this, then justice required showing them a special attention as well. But was there not also, in the relations of the believers toward the clergy in Philippi, some ground for lifting their standing by a special Apostolic notice, or for encouraging greater deference and submission toward them than was actually being shown? The Apostle’s exhortations in the Epistle concerning concord, humility, and peaceableness make this supposition probable.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:2)—the customary greeting. To say “grace to you and peace” is the same as to say: I wish you all good things from the Lord. “Peace” means peace in the conscience before God, the quieting of the heart from passions and the assaults of the enemy, and mutual concord within the family and in relations with others. “Grace” denotes the power granted from above for the enlightenment of the mind, for guidance and strengthening in the God-pleasing life, and for the most intimate communion with God. Whoever possesses all of this possesses everything that the one who thirsts for salvation can ever desire.

Here, as everywhere, the Apostle presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of all good, placing Him closer to us, while behind Him pointing also to God the Father—or God worshipped in the Trinity. So God was pleased to ordain: that we should draw near to Him, and that every good should descend to us from Him—only through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sole Mediator. Apart from Him no blessing comes from heaven to earth, and there is no other way of ascent from earth to heaven.