The Jewish Annotated New Testament (278 page)

9
:
Highly exalted him
, reminiscent of enthronement (Ps 47; 93; 95–99). Entailed here is, first, Christ’s being raised from the dead, and then his ascension to installation in the highest place of honor, the seat of power and might (cf. Eph 4.10).
Name … above every name
, parallels his exaltation to a place above any other. If meant literally, “name” is Lord rather than Jesus or Jesus Christ (despite vv. 10–11). But more likely “name” is here meant metaphorically (Eph 1.21; cf. 4.10; Heb 1.4), signifying rank, office, dignity, or glory of person, as in “seated at the right hand of God” (see Acts 2.33; 5.31; 7.56).

10
–11
:
Every knee … every tongue
, drawing on Isa 45.23 (as does Rom 14.11 and, centuries later, the Hebrew “Aleinu” prayer, the prayer of congregational praise in the synagogue that begins “It is incumbent upon us to praise the Lord” and includes “all humanity shall call upon your name” and “to [God] every knee must bend, every tongue vow loyalty”); in Isa 45.24, “LORD” (as distinct from “God”) became typically construed by Christians as the second person of the Trinity (i.e., Christ the Son of God).

12
–13
:
Work out … own salvation
, the salvation process, while accomplishable solely by God, also activates a drive for human self-betterment that completes God’s work; hence:
God … at work in you, enabling you … to will and to work for his … pleasure
(cf. Rom 6.12ff.).

15
:
Blameless and innocent
, repeating Paul’s concern (1.10) that the Philippians will be found “blameless.”
Without blemish
, in contrast to those “no longer [God’s] children because of their blemish” (quoting here Deut 32.5).
Crooked … perverse generation
, while Deut 32.5 designates Israel as “blameworthy,” Paul here substitutes pagans in Philippi.

17
:
Poured out
, possibly intended to parallel Christ’s emptying himself (v. 7). The imagery casts the Philippians (with Paul now adding himself to them) as priests offering their faith as a sacrifice to God, with Paul’s present suffering, even potential death sentence (Phil 1.20–25; cf. 2 Tim 4.6), a wine libation willingly poured out beside the altar (a standard culmination of the sacrificial ceremony); thereby the ebbing away of Paul’s own life will meld Paul into the perfection of the Philippians’ own sacrifice. Cf. Rom 12.1; Heb 13.15.

2.19
–3.1a: Planning travels for Timothy and Epaphroditus. 19
:
Cheered by news of you
, Paul may mean “cheered” only if Timothy confirms that the Philippians have heeded his advice in 1.27–2.18; 3.2ff.,17ff.; 4.2ff.

23
:
How things go
, what the verdict regarding Paul will be.

25
:
Still, I think it necessary to send … Epaphroditus
, Paul softens the news that he is sending Epaphroditus first and alone, and only later Timothy—whom Paul knows they have been awaiting (see 2.19n.).

26
:
Because you heard that he was ill
, how they heard is unspecified.

30
:
Came close to death
, underscoring v. 27 so as to motivate the Philippians to welcome Epaphroditus enthusiastically.
Risking his life … you could not give me
, it is unclear what Paul is alluding to, but it may be a further commendation of Epaphroditus’s willingness to die for his faith.

3.1a
:
Finally
, seen by some to indicate that one letter ended here.

3.1b
–11: Warnings against false teachers. 1b
:
The same things
, of which Paul had warned others (cf. Gal 6.12–15), possibly even the Philippians—as in another letter.

2
:
Dogs
(see “Beware of the Dogs,” p.
359
).

3
:
We … are the circumcision
, suggests that the Philippians are Gentiles. This one full verse essentially summarizes the core of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. Cf. Rom 2.28–29, echoing Deut 30.6.

4
:
I have more
, Paul is a truer son of Israel than are his opponents, so he cannot only refute but preempt their contention that observing the law will bring salvation from the bondage to sin.

5
:
Circumcised on the eighth day
, not in his maturity (as with male proselytes).
Of the people of Israel
, not grafted in.
Of the tribe of Benjamin
, source of Israel’s first king (Saul) and the sole tribe remaining loyal to Judah when the Northern Kingdom broke away (1 Kings 12.21–23).
Hebrew … of Hebrews
, from Hebrew parentage (unlike proselytes).
Pharisee
, far more expert in the law than his opponents.

6
:
Persecutor
, an expression of Paul’s zeal before his conversion (cf. 1 Cor 15.9; Gal 1.13).
Blameless
, upstaging Paul’s opponents who champion the law instead of faith; i.e., the reason Paul is a follower of Jesus cannot be due to any incapacity on his part to fulfill Torah. Rather, one could be justified not by fulfilling works of the law but only by righteousness based on faith in Christ’s sacrifice as the only means to accomplish forgiveness of humanity’s sinfulness.

11
:
If somehow
, expresses humility, not doubt.
Attain the resurrection from the dead
, to become accounted worthy of, and possessing the sure hope of, securing the reward of resurrection from among the dead (Lk 20.35; cf. 1 Pet 1.3) at Christ’s coming (1 Cor 15.23; 1 Thess 4.15).

3.12
–4.1: Confession and further exhortation. 18
:
Even with tears
, possibly because the Philippians were back.

19
:
Is the belly
, likely libertines pandering to sensual pleasures (cf. Rom 16.18).

21
:
Conformed to
, fashioned in the manner of.
Body of his glory
, spiritual, upon resurrection (cf. 1 Cor 15.44).

4.2
–9: Final appeals. 2
:
Euodia … Syntyche
, whose dissension could destabilize this church, especially given the considerable social esteem accorded Macedonian women; cf. Paul’s earlier emphasis on unity (1.27; 2.2).

3
:
My loyal companion
, either some Philippian leader; or possibly a proper name (i.e., my loyal “Syzygus”); or, plausibly, Epaphroditus—who now hears himself directly charged to settle this quarrel.
Beside me
, as co-evangelists with Paul in founding this church.
Book of life
, cf. Ex 32.32; Ps 69.28; Lk 10.20; Rev 3.5.

4.10
–20: Thanking the Philippians. 14
:
Kind of you
, lest, in declaring his independence, Paul appear unappreciative of their gift.

15
:
Except you alone
, cf. 2 Cor 11.9.

18
:
Paid in full
, releasing them from further obligation.
Fragrant offering … sacrifice acceptable and pleasing
, cf. Lev 1.3–4,9.

4.21
–23: Closing greetings.
Emperor’s household
, soldiers and staff whom Paul had successfully evangelized (cf. 1.13n.).
The grace … spirit
, similar to the ending of Galatians (6.18).

1.1
–2: Salutation.
Colossians follows Paul’s salutation formula.

1
:
Apostle
, lit., “one sent” (cf. Heb “shalia
ḥ
”).
Timothy
, all of Paul’s authentic letters except Romans have multiple senders; Timothy is listed as co-sender of all except Galatians. Timothy is Paul’s chief lieutenant, whom he mentions more frequently than any other person except Jesus in his authentic letters. See also Acts 16; he was so prominent in the second century CE that the Pastoral Epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy are addressed to him.
Brother
, an address for unrelated members of a number of religious communities, including the Essenes (cf. Josephus,
J.W
. 2.122) and the followers of the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis (
Paris Papyrus
[second century BCE] 20).

2
:
Saints
, lit., “holy ones,” Paul’s most common designation for “believers” in his authentic letters; the term is more frequent in Ephesians and Colossians than in the authentic Pauline letters.
Brothers and sisters
, the plural of the Gk word for “brother” (“adelphos/adelphoi”) may refer to “brothers and sisters” (see translators’ note
a
).
Colossae
, city in the Lycus valley, east of Ephesus, substantially destroyed by an earthquake in 60 CE.
Grace … peace
, Paul adapted the standard Greek letter greeting (“chairein,” “greetings”) to the similar-sounding theological term “charis,” “grace,” and included the Jewish epistolary greeting “shalom,” “peace” (Gk “eirēnē”). Ephesians and the Pastoral Epistles follow the same practice.

1.3
–7: Thanksgiving.
Ancient Greek letters conventionally included a thanksgiving formula following the salutation, in which the sender offered the recipient good wishes. All of Paul’s authentic letters except Galatians include a thanksgiving (the thanksgiving of 1 Thess is the first three chs of the letter), which mentions the main themes of the letter. In Colossians and Ephesians the author thanks his audience for their faith, love, and hope, standard virtues in the church, as if the letter had no particular epistolary situation.

3
–5
:
Faith … love … hope
, imitating Paul’s triumvirate of virtues (“pistis,” “faith” occurs nearly a hundred times in the authentic letters). The three appear together in 1 Thess 1.3; 5.8; 1 Cor. 13.13.

3
:
Lord
, Jesus’ followers referred to him as “kyrios,” “Lord, master.” Paul, in his authentic letters, only once uses the term in a secular sense, as the master of a slave (Gal 4.1), and once ironically (1 Cor 8.5). All other 208 occasions refer to Jesus. In the Deutero-Pauline letters the authors refer to Jesus as “Lord” in the typical manner, but in the “Haustafeln” the word serves both functions: for Jesus, and for slave-owners, as in Col 3.22, where it means both.

4
:
Faith
, both trust and trustworthiness, often in the economic sphere, like the Heb “‘emunah.” For “agapē,” “love,” see 2.2n.