SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:1
¶ Por tanto, si hay en vosotros alguna consolacin en el Cristo; si algn refrigerio de caridad; si alguna comunin del Espíritu; si algunas entraas y misericordias,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:1
Verse 1. If there be therefore any consolation] The ei, if, does not express any doubt here, but on the contrary is to be considered as a strong affirmation; as there is consolation in Christ, as there is comfort of love, &c. The word paraklhsiv, translated here consolation, is in other places rendered exhortation, and is by several critics understood so here; as if he had said: If exhorting you in the name of Christ have any influence with you, &c. It is extremely difficult to give the force of these expressions; they contain a torrent of most affecting eloquence, the apostle pouring out his whole heart to a people whom with all his heart he loved, and who were worthy of the love even of an apostle.
If any comfort of love] If the followers of Christ, by giving proofs of their ardent love to each other in cases of distress, alleviate the sufferings of the persecuted; If any fellowship of the Spirit] If there be an intimate relation established among all Christians, by their being made mutual partakers of the holy Ghost; If any bowels and mercies] If you, as persons whom I have brought to God at the hazard of my life, feel sympathetic tenderness for me now, in a farther state of suffering;
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ , etc.] Or exhortation, as the word is sometimes rendered; that is, either if there is any exhortation of Christ to love and unity, as there is in ( John 13:34 15:11,17), and this is of any weight and value; or if an exhortation hereunto made in the name of Christ, by any of his ministers, messengers, and ambassadors, will be regarded, as it ought to be, then fulfil ye my joy, etc. ( Philippians 2:2), but as the word is frequently translated consolation, as it is here in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; the sense may be either, if there is any comfort to be given to them that are in Christ Jesus, as every converted man is, and as the apostle was, and especially to them that are afflicted and persecuted for the sake of Christ, are prisoners in him, and on his account, which was the apostle's case, then he desired they would attend to his following request: or if there was any consolation for them, and they had had any comfort in and from Christ; as all true, solid, strong, and everlasting consolation is only in Christ, and is founded on the greatness of his person, as God our Saviour, on the fulness of his grace, the efficacy of his blood, the perfection of his righteousness and sacrifice, and on the great salvation he is the author of: agreeably the Syriac version renders it, if therefore ye have any consolation in Christ; and the Arabic version, if therefore ye enjoy any consolation from the grace of Christ; which is displayed in the Gospel, as undoubtedly they did; and since then all this comfort was enjoyed by them, through the Gospel the apostle preached to them, the argument from hence must be strong upon them, to attend to what he desired of them: if any comfort of love ; in it, or from it; as from the love of God the Father, which is everlasting and unchangeable, and must be comforting, when shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit; and from the love of the Son, which is the same, and equally immovable and lasting, and which passeth knowledge; and from the love of the Spirit, in applying the grace of the Father, and of the Son, whereby he becomes a glorifier of them, and a comforter of his people; and from the love of the saints to one another, which renders their communion with each other comfortable, pleasant, and delightful: or the apostle's sense is, if they had so much love for him, as to wish and desire he might be comforted in his present situation, and that they would be willing to make use of any methods to comfort him, then he desires this; and this is all he desires, mutual love, peace, harmony, and agreement among themselves: if any fellowship of the spirit : of the spirit of one saint with another; if there is such a thing as an union of spirits, an oneness of souls, a tasting of each other's spirits, and a communion with one another, then care should be taken to keep this unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, ( Ephesians 4:3): or if there is any fellowship of the Holy Spirit of God, any communion with him, any such thing as a witnessing of him to, and with our spirits, or as fellowship with the Father and the Son by him, and saints are baptized into one body by one Spirit, and have been made to drink of the same Spirit, ( 1 Corinthians 12:13), then it becomes them to be of one mind, and to stand fast in one Spirit, ( Philippians 1:27): if any bowels and mercies ; as there are in God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, moving towards the saints; or such as become Christians, who, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to put on bowels of mercies to one another; express the most hearty, inward, tender, and compassionate concern for each other's welfare, temporal and spiritual. Thus the apostle premises the most moving and pathetic arguments, leading on to the exhortations and advice, to love, harmony, and unity, given in ( Philippians 2:2).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Here are further exhortations to Christian duties; to like-mindednes and lowly-mindedness, according to the example of the Lord Jesus Kindness is the law of Christ's kingdom, the lesson of his school, the livery of his family. Several motives to brotherly love are mentioned If you expect or experience the benefit of God's compassions to yourselves, be compassionate one to another. It is the joy of minister to see people like-minded. Christ came to humble us, let there not be among us a spirit of pride. We must be severe upon our own faults, an quick in observing our own defects, but ready to make favourabl allowances for others. We must kindly care for others, but not be busy-bodies in other men's matters. Neither inward nor outward peac can be enjoyed, without lowliness of mind.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 τις 5100 ουν 3767 παρακλησις 3874 εν 1722 χριστω 5547 ει 1487 τι 5100 παραμυθιον 3890 αγαπης 26 ει 1487 τις 5100 κοινωνια 2842 πνευματος 4151 ει 1487 τινα 5100 σπλαγχνα 4698 και 2532 οικτιρμοι 3628
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Therefore. Paul has spoken, in ch. i. 26, of the Philippians' joy in his presence. Their joy is to find expression in duty - in the fulfillment of their obligations as members of the christian commonwealth, by fighting the good fight of faith and cheerfully appropriating the gift of suffering (ch. i. 27-29). Ver. 30, alluding to his own conflicts, marks the transition from the thought of their joy to that of his joy. Therefore, since such is your duty and privilege, fulfill my joy, and show yourselves to be true citizens of God's kingdom by your humility and unity of spirit.
Consolation (paraklhsiv). Rev., comfort. Better, exhortation. See on Luke vi. 24. If Christ, by His example, sufferings, and conflicts, exhorts you.
Comfort of love (paramuqion). Rev., consolation. Only here in the New Testament. From para beside, and muqov speech or word. Para has the same force as in paraklhsiv exhortation (see on Luke vi. 24); a word which comes to the side of one to stimulate or comfort him; hence an exhortation, an encouragement. So Plato: "Let this, then, be our exhortation concerning marriage" ("Laws," 773). A motive of persuasion or dissuasion. Plato, speaking of the fear of disgrace, or of ill-repute, says. "The obedient nature will readily yield to such incentives" ("Laws," 880). Also an assuagement or abatement. So Sophocles: "Offspring of the noble, ye are come as the assuagement of my woes" ("Electra," 130). Plato: "They say that to the rich are many consolations" ("Republic," 329). Plato also calls certain fruits stimulants (paramuqia) of a sated appetite ("Critias," 115). Here in the sense of incentive. As related to exhortation, exhortation uses incentive as a ground of appeal. Christ exhorts, appealing to love. Compare ch. i. 9 sqq. See Rom. v. 8; 1 Cor. xiii. 4; 2 Corinthians v. 14; Gal. v. 13; Eph. v. 2; 1 John iv. 16, etc. The two verbs kindred to exhortation and incentive occur together at 1 Thessalonians ii. 11. See on 1 Cor. xiv. 3. Render here, if any incentive of love.
Fellowship of the Spirit. Communion with the Holy Spirit, whose first fruit is love. Gal. v. 22. Participation in His gifts and influences. Compare 2 Pet. i. 4, and 2 Cor. xiii. 13.
Bowels and mercies (splagcna kai oiktirmoi). For mercies, see on 2 Corinthians i. 3, and compare Col. iii. 12.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:1 {If} (ei). Paul uses four conditions in this verse, all of the first class, assuming the condition to be true. {Comfort} (paraklesis). Rather, "ground of appeal to you in Christ." See #1Co 1:10; Eph 4:1. {Comfort} (paramuqion). Old word from paramuqeomai, persuasive address, incentive. {Of love} (agapes). Objective genitive, "in love" (undefined as in #1Co 13). {Fellowship} (koinwnia). Partnership in the Holy Spirit "whose first fruit is love" (#Ga 5:22). {Any tender mercies} (tis splagcna). Common use of this word for the nobler viscera and so for the higher emotions. But tis is masculine singular and splagcna is neuter plural. Lightfoot suggests an error of an early transcriber or even of the amanuensis in writing ei tis instead of ei tina.
