Calvin: Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Chapter 1

Philippians 1:1-6

1. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

1. Paulus et Timotheus, servi Iesu Christi, omnibus sanctis in Christo Iesu, qui sunt Philippis, cum Episcopis et Diaconis

2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Iesu Christo.

3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

3. Gratias ago Deo meo in omni memoria vestri.

4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

4. Semper in omni precatione mea pro vobis omnibus cum gaudio precationem faciens,

5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

5. Super communicatione vestra in Evangelium, a primo die hucusque;

6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

6. Hoc ipsum persuasus, quod qui coepit in vobis opus bonum, perficiet usque in diem Iesu Christi.

1 Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ While Paul is accustomed, in the inscription of his epistles, to employ titles of distinction, with the view of procuring credit for himself and his ministry, there was no need of lengthened commendations in writing to the Philippians, who had known him by experience as a true Apostle of Christ, and still acknowledged him as such beyond all controversy. For they had persevered in the calling of God steadfastly, and in an even tenor.

Bishops He names the pastors separately, for the sake of honor. We may, however, infer from this, that the name of bishop is common to all the ministers of the Word, inasmuch as he assigns several bishops to one Church. The titles, therefore, of bishop and pastor, are synonymous. And this is one of the passages which Jerome quotes for proving this in his epistle to Evagrius, and in his exposition of the Epistle to Titus. Afterwards there crept in the custom of applying the name of bishop exclusively to the person whom the presbyters in each church appointed over their company. It originated, however, in a human custom, and rests on no Scripture authority. I acknowledge, indeed, that, as the minds and manners of men are, there cannot be order maintained among the ministers of the word, without one presiding over the others. I speak of particular bodies, not of whole…