Philemon 1:6
That the communication of thy faith…
The grace of faith
itself cannot be communicated from one to another; a believing
parent cannot communicate it to his children, nor a master to his
servants, nor a minister to his hearers; but an account of it, of
its actings and exercises, of the joy of it, and of the peace a soul
is filled with through believing, may be given to the mutual comfort
and edification of saints; and it may be shown forth to others by
the fruits of it, works of righteousness: but here it seems to
design acts of beneficence, communicating to the necessities of
others, as flowing from faith; and these words are to be connected
with (Philemon 1:4) as a part of the apostle's prayers, as what is
contained in the preceding verse is the matter of his thanksgiving.
And his prayer is, that such a communication of good things, which
springs from faith,
may be effectual;
to answer some very good purposes, the good of
others, and the service of the interest of Christ, and the glory of
God; or, as the Vulgate Latin version reads, only by the change of
one letter, that it "may be evident"; to which the Syriac version
seems to incline, rendering it, that it "may be fruitful in works";
or show itself in fruits of righteousness, in works of mercy and
kindness; and the apostle's sense is, that it might be more and more
so:
by the acknowledging of every good thing that is in you in Christ
Jesus;
the meaning is, that every good thing that is in the saints,
or among them, should be acknowledged to come to them in and through
Christ Jesus, in whom all fulness of grace dwells, and from whom all
is imparted; and that every good thing that is communicated, or done
in faith, which is effectual to any good purpose, should be owned as
done by the grace and strength of Christ, and be done to his saints,
as if done to himself, and be directed to his glory: the phrase, "in
you", respects not Philemon only, but Apphia, Archippus, and the
church in Philemon's house; the Arabic version reads, in us.
Printer friendly version
HOME 
TOP
