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| They Met at Philippi A Devotional Commentary on Philippians |
Oxford University Press, 1958
Author
Reverend Carroll E Simcox, Ph.D. (1912-2002)
Saint Thomas Church, New York City
Kirkus Review of The Met at Philippi
News Article about Dr. Carroll Simcox in The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg, March 20, 1971
News Article: Dr. Carroll Simcox rencounced ministry in the Episcopal Church, July 24, 1980
Wikipedia Article on Dr. Carroll Eugene Simcox
They Met at Philippi: Preface
By general Christian consensus, Paul the Apostle is the greatest Christian who ever lived. Unquestionably he is the greatest in influence. Whether he is the greatest in spiritual stature God only knows; but that he is worthy of our reverent regard and diligent sutdy need not be argued.
There are difficulties. It is easy to revere Paul even to love him; but it is not so easy to like him, and it is not easy to understand him. he is Jewish where we are Gentile, ancient where we are modern, zealous where we are indifferent, paradoxical where we are platitudinous. He has been called, with considerable truth, the innocent father of all heresies. He has suffered this fate because he is not generally a clear expositor of his own convictions. His writing, though profoundly inspired, is seldom easy to read. Both the casual reader and the professional scholar find these difficulties in his writing many and baffling.
We cannot have a real meeting of minds with Paul except by serious effort, but nobody makes this effort without being richly rewarded. In this book we are taking Paul's Letter to the Philippians as our literary portal to his mind and spirit. Among the undisputed Pauline writings it has as good a claim as any to be thoroughly representative of him and to be his simplest, or least difficult, letter. Paul writes from a prison cell, with the shadow of death heavily upon him, but his mood is serene and his mind is calm. His heroic faith and deep love for his Lord and his brethren are nowhere more clearly visible than in this letter. For some readers this commentary may be an introduction to Paul, a first meeting. I hope that it will truly introduce.
Our procedure is the following: each section begins with a translation of the text, andmy translation of the Letter as a whole is presented at the close. In the exegesis of each section we try to see what is in Paul's own mind as he writes. Then we consider, in a discursive meditation, what God is communicating to us through Paul's words.
My purpose as a commentator is devotional, but this word needs precise definition. A truly devotional commentary on Holy Scripture must deepen the Christian reader's devotion to his Lord. It's aim is loving knowledge of Him who is the truth. hence there can be in it no intellectual shortcuts or false simplifcations. If I am guilty of any such in this work, my offense is unintended. The purpose of a devotional commentary is to make better Christians out of Christians: to strengthen faith, to enlighten understanding, to quicken love, and ot stir up wills. Faith and love are gifts of God, but God gives them to us through other people. A current slang phrase suggests that one person's virtue can 'rub off' on someone else. Thank God, it is true. If something of Paul's vision, courage, joy, faith, and love will 'rub off' on us as we ponder his words to the Philippians, again I say: thanks be to God.
It is a pleasure to acknowledge my debt to my friend Eric W. Hutchison for going over this book with me in its preparation and for many wise and illuminating suggestions.
Carroll E. Simcox
New York
January 1958
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