Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
3. Withal praying also for us, that God would 3. Orate simul et pro nobis, ut Deus aperiat
open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the nobis ianuam sermonis ad loquendum mysterium
mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: Christi, cuius etiam causa vinctus sum.
4. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to 4. Ut manifestem illud, quemadmodum
speak.
oportet me loqui.
1. Masters, what is just. He mentions first, what is just, by which term he expresses that kindness,
as to which he has given injunction in the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Ephesians 6:8.) But as masters,
looking down as it were from aloft, despise the condition of servants, so that they think that they
are bound by no law, Paul brings them under control, 462 because both are equally under subjection
to the authority of God. Hence that equity of which he makes mention.
And mutual equity. Some understand it otherwise, but I have no doubt that Paul here employed
ἰσότητα to mean analogical 463 or distributive right, 464 as in Ephesians, τὰ αὐτὰ, (the same things.)
465 For masters have not their servants bound to them in such a manner as not to owe something to
them in their turn, as analogical right to be in force among all ranks. 466
2. Continue in prayer. He returns to general exhortations, in which we must not expect an exact
order, for in that case he would have begun with prayer, but Paul had not an eye to that. Farther,
as to prayer, he commends here two things; first, assiduity; secondly, alacrity, or earnest intentness.
For, when he says, continue, he exhorts to perseverance, while he makes mention of watching in
opposition to coldness, and listlessness. 467
He adds, thanksgiving, because God must be solicited for present necessity in such a way that,
in the mean time, we do not forget favors already received. Farther, we ought not to be so importunate
as to murmur, and feel offended if God does not immediately gratify our wishes, but must receive
contentedly whatever he gives. Thus a twofold giving of thanks is necessary. As to this point
something has also been said in the Epistle to the Philippians. (Philippians 4:6.)
3. Pray also for us. He does not say this by way of pretense, but because, being conscious to
himself of his own necessity, he was earnestly desirous to be aided by their prayers, and was fully
persuaded that they would be of advantage to them. Who then, in the present day, would dare to
despise the intercessions of brethren, which Paul openly declares himself to stand in need of? And,
unquestionably, it is not in vain that the Lord has appointed this exercise of love between us —
that we pray for each other. Not only, therefore, ought each of us to pray for his brethren, but we
ought also, on our part, diligently to seek help from the prayers of others, as often as occasion
462 “Et rabbaisse leur presomption;” — “And beats down their presumption.”
463 Our author, has here in view a definition of Aristotle, quoted by him when commenting on 2 Corinthians 8:13. See Calvin
on the Corinthians, vol. 2, p. 294. — Ed.
464 “C’est a dire, qui est reglé et compassé selon la circonstance, qualité, ou vocation des personnes;” — “That is to say, which
is regulated and proportioned according to the circumstances, station, or calling of individuals.”
465 “Comme aux Ephesiens il a vsé de ce mot, Le mesme, ou Le semblable, en ceste signification, comme il a este là touché;”
— “As in the Ephesians he has made use of this word, the same, or the like, in this sense, as he has there noticed.”
466 “Comme il y a vn droict mutuel, reglé selon la consideration de l’office et vocation d’vn chacun, lequel droict doit auoir
lieu entre tous estats;” — “As there is a mutual right, regulated according to a consideration of the office and calling of each
individual, which right ought to have a place among all ranks.”
467 “Ou façon d’y proceder laschement, et comme par acquit;” — “Or a way of acting in it listlessly, and as a mere form.”
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John Calvin