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Selected Verse: Philippians 1:6 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Php 1:6 |
King James |
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
confident--This confidence nerves prayers and thanksgivings (Phi 1:3-4).
this very thing--the very thing which he prays for (Phi 1:4) is the matter of his believing confidence (Mar 11:24; Jo1 5:14-15). Hence the result is sure.
he which hath begun--God (Phi 2:13).
a good work--Any work that God begins, He will surely finish (Sa1 3:12). Not even men begin a work at random. Much more the fact of His beginning the work is a pledge of its completion (Isa 26:12). So as to the particular work here meant, the perfecting of their fellowship in the Gospel (Phi 1:5; Psa 37:24; Psa 89:33; Psa 138:8; Joh 10:28-29; Rom 8:29, Rom 8:35-39; Rom 11:1-2 Heb 6:17-19; Jam 1:17; Jde 1:24). As God cast not off Israel for ever, though chastening them for a time, so He will not cast off the spiritual Israel (Deu 33:3; Isa 27:3; Pe1 1:5).
perform it until--"perfect it up to" [ALFORD, ELLICOTT, and others].
the day of . . . Christ-- (Phi 1:10). The Lord's coming, designed by God in every age of the Church to be regarded as near, is to be the goal set before believers' minds rather than their own death. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Being confident - This is strong language. It means to be fully and firmly persuaded or convinced; participle, middle voice, from πείθω peithō - to persuade; compare Luk 16:31. "Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead;" that is, they would not be convinced; Act 17:4; Heb 11:13; Act 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; Joh 6:29; compare Co1 15:58; Co1 16:10; Phi 2:30. Paul affirms here that that work was begun by God. It was not by their own agency or will; compare the notes on Joh 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 tomorrow. 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 - Margin, "Or, finish" The Greek word - ἐπιτελέσει epitelesei - 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: Luk 13:32, "I do cures;" Rom 15:28, "when I have performed this;" Co2 7:1, "perfecting holiness;" Co2 8:6, "so he would also finish in you;" Co2 8:11, "perform the doing of it;" Gal 3:3, "are ye now made perfect by the flesh;" Heb 8:5, "when he was about to make the tabernacle;" Heb 9:6, "accomplishing this service;" and Pe1 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 he 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 upon 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 haphazard. 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 lack 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 Joh 10:27-29; Heb 6:17-20; compare Rom 8:29-30. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
day of
(See Scofield) - (Co1 1:8). |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Being confident (πεποιθὼς)
With a slightly causative force: since I am confident.
Hath begun - will perform (ἐναρξάμενος - ἐπιτελέσει)
The two words occur together, Co2 8:6; Gal 3:3. Both were used of religious ceremonials. So Euripides: "But come! Bring up the sacrificial meal-basket" (ἐξάρχου κανᾶ); that is, begin the offering by taking the barley-meal from the basket ("Iphigenia in Aulis," 435). Some find the sacrificial metaphor here, and compare Phi 2:17, see note. Perform, better as Rev., perfect. Perform, in its older and literal sense of carrying through (per) or consummating would express the idea; but popular usage has identified it with do. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Being persuaded - The grounds of which persuasion are set down in the following verse. That he who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ - That he who having justified, hath begun to sanctify you, will carry on this work, till it issue in glory. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Being confident - There shall be nothing lacking on God's part to support you; and to make you wise, holy and happy; and bring you at last to his kingdom and glory. |
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
3 I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.