There are, however, sacrifices that set forth in type the offering of Christ, an offering offered once, which can

neither be repeated nor shared by others.

The offering therefore of Philippians 2:17; 4:18 and of Colossians 1:24, must fulfil some other type, if they fulfil

a type at all. We therefore turn to the passage before us and observe that the word translated `offer' is spendomai.

The word sounds so much like the English `spend', and the meaning of the word `spend' is so illustrative of the

apostle's meaning, that we may feel reluctant to acknowledge that the likeness is superficial only. Even though the

apostle does not use the word spendomai in 2 Corinthians 12:15, when he says `I will very gladly spend and be spent

for you', the spirit is the same.

Between the writing of the preceding pages and the writing of the present, we have listened to the Archbishop of

Canterbury preaching in Westminster Abbey, at the dedication of the memorial to the airmen who fell in `The Battle

of Britain'. He opened his address by giving a paraphrase of Matthew 10:39 :

`He that HOARDS his life shall lose it: and he that SPENDS his life for My sake shall find it'.

These words well illustrated the spirit that prompted the writing of Philippians 2:17.

Spendomai has a well defined meaning, `to pour (i.e. offer) a drink offering', and this offering is not confined to

the Levitical law. It was practised by the idolatrous nations outside Israel. It gives the word sponde `a drink

offering' and in the plural from spondai, it came to mean `solemn treaty or covenant' secured and set forth by the

pouring out of a libation. This in its turn gives the word aspondos `implacable' (Rom. 1:31), `truce breakers' (2 Tim.

3:3), the two translations revealing the origin and intent of the word.

The word spendo occurs about twenty times in the LXX, in most cases the reference is to the literal `pouring out'

of a drink offering.

(1) Jacob's offering at Bethel is the only reference to this custom before the law (Gen. 35:14).

It was

unaccompanied by any other sacrifice, but the intention of the patriarch is obvious.

(2) The references to the `pouring out' of the drink offering in the tabernacle service, where the LXX uses the word

spendo are Exodus 25:29; 30:9; 37:16; Numbers 4:7 and 28:7. Exodus 25:29 calls for a word of explanation.

There we read of `bowls ... to cover withal', and in Exodus 37:16 and Numbers 4:7 of `covers to cover withal',

but in each case the margin reads `pour out' which reading has been adopted as the true one in the Revised

Version. Exodus 30:9 gives a solemn warning against the pouring out of drink offerings and the altar of incense,

showing that in some aspects of the work of Christ, fellowship is impossible and an intrusion, for verse 10 which

immediately follows says: `And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year' and in

Leviticus 16:17 it is written `And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to

make an atonement in the holy place'.

Neither the apostle's `offering' of Philippians 2:17, nor the `tribulations' which he endured (Col. 1:24) could ever

be looked upon as in any sense supplementing the once offered and perfect sacrifice of the Son of God.

Something of the sacredness of the drink offering and the sense of complete surrender to God, may be seen in

David's act after the three mighty men had, at the risk of their lives, brought to David water from the well of

Bethlehem. He realized that such a `drink offering' could not be made to mortal man, and so he poured it out before

the Lord, saying `Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in

jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it' (2 Sam. 23:16,17). There is no equivalent word in the LXX

for `jeopardy', because the Hebrew simply says halak be nephesh `to go on with the soul' as the Companion Bible

comments `with their lives (in their hands)', or, as the Archbishop paraphrased the passage in Matthew, they did not

`hoard' their souls, they `spent' them.

The apostle then, used a very intense and expressive figure when he spoke of himself being `poured out as a

drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith'.

The reader will remember that of the Lord it is written, `He emptied Himself' ekenose, a translation that is often

set aside in favour of `He divested Himself', but without warrant. The great self emptying of the Son of God is

echoed at an infinite distance by this pouring out of his faithful follower. The offering of Christ was in itself perfect