calls it "that day" (II Tim. 1: 18; 4: 8).  Previously, to the church at Corinth, he had

declared that this future `day' will be the resting time for our service (I Cor. 3: 13), and

he placed it over against "man's day" of the present time (I Cor. 4: 3 margin). This

period is one of the great prophetic "days" of Scripture which cannot be limited to

twenty-four hours, and it is in harmony with the theme of Philippians, namely the

practical working out of the truth (2: 12), a goal to be reached, and the running of the race

for a prize to be awarded at the end by the Lord (3: 12-16).

In the section now before us (1: 3-26) we have three references to fellowship and

furtherance (verses 5, 12, 25) and in between a three-fold confidence (pepoitha, verses 6,

14, 25). This can be set our as follows:

A1 |

3-5. Thanksgiving. Fellowship and defence of the Gospel.

B1

| 6-8. Confidence.

A2 |

9-11. Paul's prayer. Furtherance of the Gospel.

B2

| 12-18. Confidence.

A3 |

19-21. The Philippians' prayer.

B3

| 22-26. Confidence.

After asserting his confidence in the fullness and completeness of the Lord's gracious

work on behalf of the Philippian believers (and all of the God's children for that matter),

Paul states that it is only "right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I

have you in my heart . . . . ." (1: 7 R.V.). Phronein, `minded' is of frequent occurrence in

this epistle. It occurs in 2: 2 (twice), 5, 3: 15 (twice), 16 (Received Text), 19, 4: 2,

and 10 (twice), "care" and "careful". It is obviously one of the key-words. In fact the

whole of the epistle revolves around the "mind of Christ" and its practical outworking in

the believer. The word means much more than mental acknowledgment. Sympathetic

concern is nearer the mark, the thought that touches the heart and the action in connection

with others. This the Apostle had in abundant measure towards all his converts, making a

close bond that distance could not affect or sever. "I have you in my heart", he says, and

this is surely one of the warmest expressions he ever used. This bond also came about

because he and the Philippians shared together in the "defence and confirmation of the

gospel", and in the grace of God which imparted the necessary strength for this defence

and confirmation (verse 7).

Just what does Paul mean by these latter words?  He could mean faithfully

proclaiming and defending the gospel in his oral and written ministry. Or he could be

referring to his prison experience, for the two terms apologia and bebaiosis are legal

terms which could be connected with his trial before the imperial court. Moulton and

Milligan, on the evidence of the papyri, state that "bebaiosis must always be read with