Philippians 1:26

That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) That your rejoicing may be more abundant.—The word translated “rejoicing” is that favourite word of St. Paul, which signifies a ground of “boasting,” or exultation. It is used both of blessing beyond strict necessity, and of service beyond legal duty; in both of which there is ground for joy and thankfulness. This is, perhaps, best seen in 1Corinthians 9:15-18, where he declares that the simple preaching of the gospel is “nothing to boast of,” but that the preaching it without cost is “the boasting,” of which he says that he would “rather die than that any man should make it void.” (Comp. also the use of the same word in Philippians 2:16, and in Romans 4:2; 1Corinthians 5:6; 2Corinthians 1:14; 2Corinthians 5:12; 2Corinthians 9:3.) Here, therefore, St. Paul speaks of them as having in him, and in their connection with him, a cause of boasting, or rejoicing, just as in 2Corinthians 1:14 (“We are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours”), and declares that this will become “more abundant” by his coming to them again.

In Jesus Christ for me.—The original runs, “in Christ Jesus in me.” The parallelism is instructive: all Christian rejoicing, or confidence, is primarily “in Christ Jesus,” even if it be secondarily “in” His servants. The suggestion of this idea here softens the apparent self-consciousness of the previous words. Comp., in 2 Corinthians 11, 12, his declaration of reluctance and distaste for the “boasting” of his apostolic authority and work, which was forced upon him.

By my coming to you again.—See in 1Timothy 1:3 the evidence of the fulfilment of this confident expectation.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:21-26 Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. It delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to possess the chief good. The apostle's difficulty was not between living in this world and living in heaven; between these two there is no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and enjoying him in another. Not between two evil things, but between two good things; living to Christ and being with him. See the power of faith and of Divine grace; it can make us willing to die. In this world we are compassed with sin; but when with Christ, we shall escape sin and temptation, sorrow and death, for ever. But those who have most reason to desire to depart, should be willing to remain in the world as long as God has any work for them to do. And the more unexpected mercies are before they come, the more of God will be seen in them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ - Through the mercy and grace of Christ, If he was spared, his deliverance would be traced to Christ, and they would rejoice together in one who had so mercifully delivered him.

For me by my coming to you again - Their joy would not only be that he was delivered, but that he was permitted to see them again.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26. Translate, "That your matter of glorying (or rejoicing) may abound in Christ Jesus in me (that is, in my case; in respect to me, or for me who have been granted to your prayers, Php 1:19) through my presence again among you." Alford makes the "matter of glorying," the possession of the Gospel, received from Paul, which would abound, be assured and increased, by his presence among them; thus, "in me," implies that Paul is the worker of the material of abounding in Christ Jesus. But "my rejoicing over you" (Php 2:16), answers plainly to "your rejoicing in respect to me" here.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Here, in confidence of being again with them, and staying with them, he expresseth an admirable affection to them, that he can be content for a time to be deprived of the glorious sight of Christ, that he might see and serve them, and that under persecution; that they might, upon his return to them, more abundantly glory together, not in themselves, but, Christian-like, in Christ Jesus, the author of that doctrine he had preached to them, the Captain of their salvation, and the common Head of Christianity.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

That your rejoicing may be more abundant,.... They had rejoiced greatly on his account already, blessing God that ever they had seen his face, or heard his voice; as they had great reason to do, he being the happy instrument of first bringing the Gospel to them, and of their conversion; and now he hoped he should be delivered out of prison, and see them again, that their joy might be increased and abound yet more and more, upon his deliverance, they had so earnestly prayed and so much longed for, and at the sight of him they so dearly loved: and yet to show that this their joy was not looked upon by him as a carnal one, or as arising from a natural affection, he observes that it was

in Jesus Christ; though they rejoiced in him as an instrument, and therefore he adds,

for me; yet it was on account of Jesus Christ, the subject of his ministry; their joy did not centre in the apostle, but had Christ for its object, whose person, righteousness, and salvation were held forth by him to their view and comfort; and though they would still more and more rejoice should he return to them once more,

by my coming to you again; yet still it would he in Christ, and because of the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, in which he should come to them.

Geneva Study Bible

That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Php 1:26. “In order that your ground of glorying may increase in Christ Jesus through me, by reason of my,” etc. Their καύχημα is their knowledge and possession of the Gospel. Christ Jesus is the sphere in which this blessing is enjoyed. Cf. Sir 9:16, ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἔστω τὸ καύχημά σου.—ἐν ἐμοί is defined by the following clause. Paul looks on his presence with them as an occasion of advance in their Christian calling. ἐν, which here denotes strictly the basis, may be translated “through”. This passage bears out the favourable turn which Paul’s affairs have taken. He looks forward to rejoining them.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. rejoicing] Better, with R.V., glorying; not the same word as that just previous, nor akin to it. The Greek word is a favourite with St Paul, especially in the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians. This fact is an item in the evidence for the time of writing of this Epistle. See Introduction, p. 14.

may be more abundant] On the Greek word thus rendered we may make the same remark precisely as on “glorying”; see last note.

in Jesus Christ] Read, with all the evidence, in Christ Jesus; and see note on Php 1:1 above.—Observe here, as so often (see above, on Php 1:8), how the whole action of the Christian’s life is carried on “in Christ.” This glad exultant pleasure, this “glorying,” was to be experienced as by men in vital union with their Lord by the Spirit.

for me] Lit. and better, in me.—Here, on the other hand, “in” bears its frequent meaning of “in the case of,” “on occasion of.” Cp. e.g. Galatians 1:24 (not Galatians 1:16) and 2 Thessalonians 1:4, a close parallel. This change of interpretation of the same preposition in one passage is not arbitrary. The phrase “in Christ” is, so to speak, stereotyped; not so this latter.—St Paul was to be their occasion for “glorying,” as a living example of the Lord’s faithfulness and love, restoring him to the needing disciples.

by my coming to you] R.V., “through my presence with you.” Better, perhaps, through my coming to you. The word (parousia) rendered “coming” is lit. “presence”; but by usage it very frequently means “coming to be present,” as especially in the case of the “Parousia” of the Lord at the Great Day.

Bengel's Gnomen

Php 1:26. Τὸ καύχημα ὑμῶν, your glorying [rejoicing]) concerning my restoration to you, who were praying for that very thing. It is correlative to the words, to my rejoicing [glorying over you], Php 2:16. Glory is joy, proceeding from virtue; glorying is the expression of joy, an affection full of joy: from virtue, either true or false; whence glorying is also true or false; comp. Isaiah 57:12, where righteousness is called, though it is falsely so called, righteousness.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. - That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Glorying or boasting (καύχημα), not rejoicing. Perhaps rather, as Meyer," That the matter in which you have to glory [i.e. the bliss in which you rejoice as Christians] may increase abundantly in Christ Jesus [as the element or sphere of the glorying] in me [as the instrument or cause]." Philippians 1:26

Vincent's Word Studies

Rejoicing (καύχημα)

The matter of rejoicing, wrought through your faith.

In Christ Jesus for me (ἐν Χριστῷ Ἱησοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ)

Construe in Christ Jesus with may abound, not with rejoicing. Christ is conceived as the element in which the matter of rejoicing grows and abounds. For me, better, as Rev, in me. The conjunction of the two phrases in Christ, in me, is somewhat confusing Paul's presence is the immediate cause of their christian joy; hence in me; but their rejoicing in Paul is in Christ - a joy evolved within the sphere of life in Christ, and peculiar to those only to whom to live is Christ.

Coming (παρουσίας)

Rev., better, presence.