Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
Through your prayer That he may stir them up to pray more ardently, he declares that he is
confident that the Lord will give them an answer to their prayers. Nor does he use dissimulation:
for he who depends for help on the prayers of the saints relies on the promise of God. In the mean
time, nothing is detracted from the unmerited goodness of God, on which depend our prayers, and
what is obtained by means of them.
And the supply. Let us not suppose, that because he joins these two things in one connection,
they are consequently alike. The statement must, therefore, be explained in this manner: — “I know
that all this will turn out to my advantage, through the administration of the Spirit, you also helping
by prayer,” — so that the supply of the Spirit is the efficient cause, while prayer is a subordinate
help. We must also observe the propriety of the Greek term, for ἐπιχορηγία is employed to mean
the furnishing of what is wanting, 79 just as the Spirit of God pours into us everything of which we
are destitute.
He calls him, too, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, to intimate, that if we are Christians, he is common
to all of us, inasmuch as he was poured upon him with all fullness, that, according to the measure
of his grace, he might give out, so far as is expedient, to each of his members.
20 According to my expectation. Should any one object, “From what do you derive that
knowledge?” he answers, “From hope.” For as it is certain that God does not by any means design
to frustrate our hope, hope itself ought not to be wavering. Let then the pious reader carefully
observe this adverb secundum, (according to,) that he may be fully assured in his own mind, that
it is impossible but that the Lord will fulfill our expectation, inasmuch as it is founded on his own
word. Now, he has promised that he will never be wanting to us even in the midst of all tortures,
if we are at any time called to make confession of his name. Let, therefore, all the pious entertain
hope after Paul’s example, and they will not be put to shame.
With all confidence We see that, in cherishing hope, he does not give indulgence to carnal
desires, but places his hope in subjection to the promise of God. “Christ,” says he, “will be magnified
in my body, whether by life or by death ” By making express mention, however, of the body, he
intimates that, amongst the conflicts of the present life, he is in no degree doubtful as to the issue,
for we are assured as to this by God. If, accordingly, giving ourselves up to the good pleasure of
God, and having in our life the same object in view as Paul had, we expect, in whatever way it may
be, a prosperous issue, we shall no longer have occasion to fear lest any adversity should befall us;
for if we live and die to him, we are his in life and in death. (Romans 14:8.) He expresses the way
in which Christ will be magnified — by full assurance. Hence it follows, that through our fault he
is cast down and lowered, so far as it is in our power to do so, when we give way through fear. Do
not those then feel ashamed who reckon it a light offense to tremble, 80 when called to make
confession of the truth? But how much ashamed ought those to feel, who are so shamelessly
impudent as to have the hardihood even to excuse renunciation?
He adds, as always, that they may confirm their faith from past experience of the grace of God.
Thus, in Romans 5:4, he says, Experience begets hope.
21 For to me to live. Interpreters have hitherto, in my opinion, given a wrong rendering and
exposition to this passage; for they make this distinction, that Christ was life to Paul, and death
79 “The word ἐπιχορηγία which we translate supply, signifies also furnishing whatever is necessary.” — Dr. A. Clarke. —
Ed.
80 “De varier et chanceler;” — “To shift and waver.”
23
John Calvin