Philippians 4:1 - Exposition

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown. The apostle here, as in 1 Corinthians 15:58 , urges the hope of a glorious resurrection as an incentive to steadfastness in the Christian life. He seems scarcely able to find words adequate to express his love for the Philippians; he heaps together epithets of affection, dwelling tenderly on the word "beloved." He tells them of his longing desire to see them, repeating the word used in Philippians 1:8 . He calls them his "joy and crown"—his joy now, his crown hereafter. He uses the same words of the other great Macedonian Church in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 , "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye?" The Greek word for "crown" ( στέφανος ) means commonly either the wreath ("the corruptible crown," 1 Corinthians 9:25 ) which was the prize of victors at the Grecian games; or a garland worn at banquets and festivities. The royal crown is generally διάδημα . But στέφανος is used in the Septuagint for a king's crown (see (in the Greek) 2 Samuel 12:30 ; Psalms 20:4 (A.V., Psalms 21:3 ); Esther 8:15 ). The crown of thorns, too, which was used in mockery of the Savior's kingly title, was στέφανος ἐξ ἀκανθῶν , though this may possibly have been suggested by the laurel wreath worn by the Roman Caesars (see Trench, 'Synonyms of the New Testament,' sect. 23.). "The crown of life," "the crown of glory that fadeth not away," is the emblem both of victory and of gladness. Yet it is also in some sense kingly: the saints shall sit with Christ in his throne; they shall reign with him; they are kings ("a kingdom," R.V., with the best manuscripts) and priests unto God ( Revelation 1:6 ). In this place victory seems to be the thought present to the apostle's mind. In Philippians 2:16 and Philippians 2:12-14 he has been comparing the Christian life with the course of the Grecian athletes. Now he represents his converts as constituting his crown or wreath of victory at the last; their salvation is the crowning reward of his labors and sufferings . So stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved . So ; that is, as ye have us for an example; or perhaps, as becomes citizens of the heavenly commonwealth. The same word ( στήκετε ) is used in Philippians 1:27 , also in connection with the idea of citizenship.