Homily IX. Philippians ii. 19–21 “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state. For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.” He had said, “have fallen out unto the progress of the Gospel; so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole prætorian guard.” (Philip. i. 12, 13.) Again, “Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith.” (Philip. ii. 17.) By these words he strengthened them. Perchance they might suspect that his former words were spoken just to comfort them. What then? “I send Timothy unto you,” says he; for they desired to hear all things that concerned him. And wherefore said he not, “that ye may know my state,” but, “that I may know yours”? Because Epaphroditus would have reported his state before the arrival of Timothy. Wherefore further on he says, “But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother (Philip. ii. 25.); but I wish to learn of your affairs. For it is likely that he had remained long time with Paul through his bodily weakness. So that he says, I wish to “know your state.” See then how he refers everything to Christ, even the mission of Timothy, saying, “I hope in the Lord Jesus,” that is, I am confident that God will facilitate this for me, that I too may be of good courage, when I know your state. As I refreshed you when ye heard the very things of me which ye had prayed for, that the Gospel had advanced, that its enemies were put to shame, that the means by which they thought to injure, rather made me rejoice; thus too do I wish to learn of your affairs, that I too may 224 be of good courage when I know your state. Here he shows that they ought to rejoice for his bonds, and to be conformed to them, for they begat in him great pleasure; for the words, “that I too may be of good comfort,” imply, just as you are. Oh, what longing had he toward Macedonia! He testifies the same to the Thessalonians, as when he says, “But we, brethren, being bereaved of639 you for a short season,” &c. (1 Thess. ii. 17.) And here he says, “I hope to send Timothy” that I may “know your state,” which is a proof of excessive care: for when he could not himself be with them, he sent his disciples, as he could not endure to remain, even for a little time, in ignorance of their state. For he did not learn all things by revelation of the Spirit, and for this we can see some reason; for if the disciples had believed that it were so, they would have lost all sense of shame,640 but now from expectation of concealment, they were more easily corrected. In a high degree did he call their attention by saying, “that I too may be of good comfort,” and rendered them 639 ἀπορφανισθέντες. 640 He means that if they thought he knew their exact condition by revelation, they would lose a motive for improvement, in the hope of standing well in his eyes. Such motives are of course still a part of our moral edu- cation. Philippians 2:19-21 397 Philippians 2:19-21