Philippians 1:9-11
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to under stand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives
until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
New Living Translation
Verse nine
“Pray” is the translation of a word which speaks of prayer directed consciously to God, and with a definite aim. As Paul prayed, he had a definite consciousness of the presence of God, and that he was speaking, not into mere space, but to a Person, and that that Person was listening, giving attention to what he was saying. The word “that” could also be rendered, “this is the purport and substance of my prayer.”
The love spoken of here is the love that God is (I John 4:16), produced in the heart of the yielded believer by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), its chief ingredient, self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one who is loved (John 3:16), and its constituent elements analyzed for us in I Corinthians 13. “overflow more and more“, (abound) is from a Greek word which means “to exceed a fixed number or measure, to exist in superfluity.” This divine love, an exotic flower from heaven, planted in the foreign soil of the be
liever’s heart (I John 3:1), “what manner of,” namely, “what for eign kind of”), was existing in superabundance in the hearts of these Greeks who had been saved out of gross paganism, and was
overflowing into the hearts of others. Paul prays that it might in crease.
But like a river in flood- time, its volume needed to be brought within guiding limitations lest it work harm rather than bring blessing. There was an eager and enthusiastic spirit among these new converts, but a lack of a deep understanding of the truth, and also a lack of a sensitive moral perception and tact. So Paul prays that this love may overflow more and more, but that its outflow and application might be brought within the guiding limita
tions of knowledge and judgment. “Knowledge” is from the Greek work speaking of knowledge gained by experience, as contrasted to intuitive knowledge, which is from another word. A prefixed prepo sition intensifies the word, and we have “full knowledge.” The full knowledge which these Philippians needed to gain by experience was a better understanding of God’s Word as translated into their experience, and a clearer vision of the Lord Jesus in all the beauty and fragrance of His Person. A Christian can have an “understanding” knowledge of the Word, that is, be able to explain its meaning to others, without having an experiential knowledge of
the same. But when that Christian has put the Word of God into practice in his life, then he has what Paul is talking about here. This is the difference between a young convert and a matured be liever. The former has not had time to live long enough to live out the Word in his life, the latter has. The former, if his life is wholly yielded, is a delight to look upon in his Christian life, as one would enjoy the vigor and sparkle of youth. The latter, in his mellowed, well- rounded, matured, and fully- developed Christian experience, his life full of tender reminiscences of his years of companionship with the Lord Jesus, has the fragrance of heavenly things about him. This was what the Philippian saints needed, but it would take time for this to be brought about. This mellowed Christian experi ence would constitute the limitations thrown around this overflow ing love that would insure its proper application and wise outreach.
The word “understanding” is the translation of a Greek word referring to a sensitive moral perception, and a quickness of ethical tact. How often we saints mean to be loving to others, and say the wrong words or do the wrong thing. We lack that delicate sensibility, that ability to express ourselves correctly, that gentle, wise, discriminating touch which would convey the love we have in our hearts to the lives of others. But this can be ours if we but live in close companionship with the One who always exhibited that sense of delicate tactfulness in His life.
Verses ten and eleven
Paul prays that the love manifested by the saints might be guided into proper channels by the limiting factors of a full and experiential knowledge and a sensitive moral and ethical tact, in order that they may be able to approve things that are excellent.
The word “understand” (approve, discern) is from a Greek word which refers to the act of testing something for the purpose of ap proving it, thus “to approve after testing.” It was used of the standing of candidates for the degree of doctor of medicine, who had passed their examinations. They were certified physicians. Here the word refers to the ability of the saints to sift or test a cer tain thing and thus to recognize its worth and put their stamp of approval upon it. The expression “what really matters” (what is best, the things that are more excellent) (the definite article is used in the Greek, pointing to particular things), comes from a word that means “to carry two ways,” thus “to carry different ways,” thus “to differ.” It refers here to those moral and spiritual concepts and actions which involve delicate and keen distinctions, those that require a deep and keen discernment to recognize. Not the ordinary, every- day, easily- understood spiritual obligations, but the finer points of Christian conduct are in the apostle’s mind. The Greek word is found in an early secular document in the sen tence, “you are superior to Ptolemais in experience,” and in the phrase “most vital interests in the treasury.” It speaks of those things therefore that are superior, vital, that surpass, that excel. Thus, a Spirit- produced love in the heart and life of the saint, which has been confined like a river within the limiting banks of a full experiential knowledge and a sensitive moral and ethical tact, is the thing that sharpens the moral and spiritual perceptions for the discernment of the finer qualities of Christian conduct. This will result in the saint being sincere and without offence until the day of Christ, which latter expression refers to the Rapture of the Church. ” pure and blameless” is from a Greek word which means “distinct, unmixed, pure, unsullied.” There is no hypocrisy about such a saint. His life is open like a book waiting to be read. “Without offence” is literally, “not cut against, not stumbled against.” This saint is not a stumbling block to others. Wuest Commentary
