The Philippians by their very calling were `in Christ'. `For', `through' and `of' Christ meet us in Philippians itself

more than `in' Christ, for the words `in Christ' refer rather to our blessed position by grace than to our outworking of

the calling in suffering and endurance.

This POSITION `in Christ' finds its EXPOSITION in the unfolding of grace in Ephesians. The apostle does not go

over the ground again in Philippians, but says `is there no encouragement in the fact that you are "in Christ"?' as

though he would lead them to see that all he was asking of them was but `their reasonable service'.

A.

The encouragement of being `in Christ'.

B.

The comfort of love.

The fellowship of the Spirit.

Bowels and mercies.

Before the apostle proceeds to the second objective ground of appeal, `the fellowship of the Spirit', he turns to

the warmth and affectionate element of love, the encouragement of being `in Christ' being associated with love,

while the fellowship of the spirit is associated with mercies.

The word translated `comfort' in the phrase `comfort of love' is much nearer to the idea of consolation and

soothing than the word has attached to it in English. Paramutheomai is related to muthos `myth' and musterion

`mystery' by the common idea of keeping anything close, and it reappears in Philippians 4:12 in the word mueo

`instructed' or `initiated' into a secret. Paramutheomai therefore has the idea of coming close to another, especially

in a time of trouble, and so is appropriately found in the comforting of Martha and Mary (John 11:19), and when the

apostle used the figure of a father comforting his children (1 Thess. 2:11). This comfort, said the apostle, is the

comfort of love.

Love is used in Philippians in a way that marks off the epistle from Ephesians, as fruit is marked off from the

root. We do not read of the love of Christ in Philippians, nor the love to all the saints, which are characteristics of

the Ephesian epistle. The recurring phrase `in love' which punctuates the epistle to the Ephesians and which is

essential to its calling and walk is not found in Philippians. In Philippians which stresses the working out of truth,

the running for the prize, the striving together for the faith, love is used four times and associated with knowledge

and discernment, the preaching of the gospel, and the comfort and unity of believers (Phil. 1:9,17; 2:1,2).

He now turns and uses another pair as a ground of appeal, `the fellowship of the Spirit' and `bowels and mercies'

which refer rather to contact with others, than what is internal and peculiarly our own as in the first pair. Again we

may learn much by comparing Ephesians with Philippians. All the critical Greek texts justify the Revised Version

of Ephesians 3:9, where the true reading is `the dispensation of the mystery' not `the fellowship of the mystery'. By

restoring this true reading we remove the only reference to `fellowship' from the epistle to the Ephesians. The word

moreover is not found in Colossians either. Philippians uses koinonia `fellowship' three times and koinoneo `to

communicate' once.

`Your fellowship in the gospel'; `If any fellowship of the spirit'; `The fellowship of His sufferings'; `No church

communicated with me, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only' (Phil. 1:5; 2:1; 3:10; 4:15).

It will be seen that in each case active participation is intended and a participation not of gifts and rewards, but of

service and of suffering. In the three great Prison epistles the employment of `fellowship' is peculiar to Philippians,

so also the use of pneuma `spirit' in that epistle, differs materially from its employment in Ephesians.

In Ephesians we read of the Holy Spirit of promise, the one spirit in which the believer has access, and which

pervades the unity. In Philippians 1:19, the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, is seen implementing the answer to

the believer's prayer for Paul. In one spirit, they are exhorted to stand fast (Phil. 1:27); the fellowship of the spirit is

a ground of appeal to extend kindness and mercy to others (Phil. 2:1); and the essential nature of the worship of God

(Phil. 3:3), rounds off the references to the spirit in Philippians. This fellowship of the spirit is accompanied by a

deep love to fellow believers, `bowels and mercies'.

In modern usage `the heart' is generally referred to as the seat of the affections, and it is considered impolite to-

day to refer to other parts of the viscera, such as `bowels', `liver' or `kidneys' in this connection. In this, we have

departed from the richer and more comprehensive language of Scripture and the ancients to our loss.