The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (224 page)

3:3 true circumcision:
The spiritual circumcision of the heart performed in Baptism (Col 2:11-12). • This covenant procedure was prefigured by the ritual circumcision of the foreskin (Gen 17:9-14) and was announced in advance by Moses as a sign of the messianic restoration (Deut 30:6).
See note on Rom 2:29
. 
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3:4-5
Paul boasts impeccable credentials in the face of Judaizing missionaries trying to discredit his theology and mission. He was
circumcised
in accordance with the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17:9-14); his tribal affiliation with
Benjamin
makes him a true Israelite (2 Cor 11:22); his ancestry as a
Hebrew
(from Eber, Gen 11:16) makes him a pure-blooded Semite (from Shem, Gen 11:10); and his zeal as a
Pharisee
linked him with one of the strictest renewal movements in Judaism (Acts 22:3; Gal 1:14). Paul is confident these facts will silence the rival claims of any Judaizing competition that makes its way to Philippi.
See note on 2 Cor 11:22
. 
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3:6 zeal:
Sometimes expressed through violent action in the OT. Ancient defenders of Israel like Phinehas and the Maccabees were revered for their commitment to this philosophy (Num 25:6-13; Sir 45:23; 1 Mac 2:23-26; 3:8). Paul's zeal as a Pharisee was unleashed on the early Christians, whom he persecuted as traitors to the hopes and ideals of Judaism (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13). After his conversion, he realized this zeal was tragically unenlightened (Rom 10:2).
blameless:
Faultless in his outward commitment to the Jewish way of life (Lk 1:6). God asked this of Abraham in his preface to the covenant of circumcision (Gen 17:1). • Paul could have fulfilled the Law outwardly, for fear of punishment, and still transgressed the Law inwardly through evil desire (St. Augustine,
Answer to Two Pelagian Letters
1, 15). The apostle lived innocently according to the external righteousness of the Law, not according to the righteousness of faith, which pertains to the heart and makes a man pure (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Commentary on Philippians
3, 1). 
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3:7 I counted as loss:
Paul renounces the resume he built up in Judaism. The benefits of being a Pharisee are counted as trash compared to the blessings he received from Jesus (3:8). The point is that God's gifts to us in Christ far exceed in greatness and worth anything we can give back to him (CCC 428). 
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3:9 righteousness:
A distinction is made between
legal
righteousness, which persons under the Old Covenant tried to attain by faithfulness to the Law (Deut 6:25), and
divine
righteousness, which we receive through faith in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant (Rom 5:17). For Paul, legal righteousness is not a saving righteousness because it depends on human effort apart from the inward grace of God. This distinction is also set forth in Rom 9:30-32 and 10:3.
See note on Mt 5:20
. 
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3:12 made me his own:
Christ took possession of Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-19). 
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3:14 I press on:
The life of faith is compared to a race, where the prize of salvation has yet to be won since the competition is still in progress. Paul is encouraging readers to summon their energy and charge ahead after holiness (Heb 12:14).
See note on 1 Cor 9:24-27
. 
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3:17 imitating me:
Paul knows that his witness will leave a more lasting impression than his words. He appeals to readers to follow his example as he models his own life after Christ (4:9; 1 Cor 11:1). • Imitation of the saints is a practice long revered in the spiritual tradition of the Church. The heroism of holy men and women can inspire a deeper commitment in others who contemplate their extraordinary faith and generosity of life. 
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3:18-19
Paul attacks unidentified opponents. Whoever they are, they are slaves of gluttony, shamelessness, and worldly ways of thinking. Paul weeps because their indulgence in earthly pleasures is holding them back from heaven and hastening their doom (1 Cor 6:9-10). 
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3:20 our commonwealth:
Many residents of Philippi are honored recipients of Roman citizenship. Civil privileges such as these are only a dim reflection of the benefits they possess as Christians. Believers are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, enrolled among the angels and saints in the family of God (Heb 12:23) (CCC 2796). See introduction:
Destination.
 
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3:21 like his glorious body:
Christ will complete his work of salvation in us when he transforms our frail and mortal bodies into glorious and immortal ones like his own (CCC 999).
See note on 1 Cor 15:42-44
. 
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4:2 agree in the Lord:
Paul bids two individuals,
Euodia
and
Syntyche,
to resolve their personal differences before tensions become more serious. The cause of this friction is left unspecified, and the two women are otherwise unknown. 
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4:3 co-worker:
The Greek, here rendered as a descriptive title, can also be translated as a personal name, "Syzygus". Whatever the case, Paul is asking a particular individual to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche (4:2).
Clement:
Otherwise unmentioned in the NT. Early Christian tradition identifies him as Clement of Rome, the fourth bishop of Rome (after Peter, Linus, and Anacletus) and the author of an ancient epistle known as
1 Clement
(Eusebius,
Ecclesiastical History
3, 15-16; St. Jerome,
On Illustrious Men
15).
the book of life:
A registry of the saints kept in heaven (Dan 12:1; Lk 10:20). God alone knows the complete list of names since he alone made the entries (Ex 32:32). 
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4:4 Rejoice . . . Rejoice:
Repeated for emphasis. The joy of the Lord is produced in believers by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) and can flourish despite trying circumstances and even crushing misfortunes (Mt 5:11-12; Jas 1:2). Paul exemplifies this in Philippians, where a spirit of gladness dominates the tone of his letter even though he is writing from prison. 
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4:5 The Lord is at hand:
Probably refers to the near presence of Christ at all times rather than to his scheduled return at the end of time (Ps 145:18; Mt 28:20). This ready access to Jesus through prayer should encourage believers to seek his help and consolation in times of need (Phil 4:6; Eph 6:18; Heb 4:16). 
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4:7 the peace of God:
The tranquility of heart and soul that comes from Christ (Jn 14:27). Paul insists that if we pray about our problems rather than worry about them, God will post a guard around our minds to protect us from the doubts and disturbances that weaken our confidence in his fatherly care (1 Pet 5:7). Jesus gives similar instructions in Mt 6:25-34 (CCC 2633). 
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Word Study

Excellence
(
Phil 4:8
)

Aretē
(Gk.): means "goodness" or "moral virtue". The term is found only four times in the NT but was commonly used by the philosophers and moralists of Greek antiquity. Peter uses it to describe the "wonderful deeds" of the Lord displayed in the gospel (1 Pet 2:9). In another place, he specifies that God's power works in us to produce lives of "excellence" and "virtue" through grace (2 Pet 1:3, 5). When Paul uses the term, he challenges us to ponder all that is virtuous in order to crowd every impure and unworthy thought out of our minds (Phil 4:8). This implies a close relationship between contemplation and conduct, so that wholesome meditation can be an inspiration for exemplary living (Wis 8:7) (CCC 1803).

4:13 I can do all things:
I.e., Paul can endure the extremes of earthly life, from peace and prosperity to affliction and destitution. The hidden source of his strength is not in himself but in the Lord Jesus, who enables him to take everything in stride and live detached from the need for physical comforts (Mt 19:26; Jn 15:5). 
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4:18 the gifts you sent:
The tangible assistance delivered to Paul by Epaphroditus. His appreciation goes out to the Philippians for this sacrifice of their resources (Heb 13:16). Paul's situation in Rome, where he lived as a prisoner in his own rented quarters, would have made their monetary assistance all the more welcome (Acts 28:16, 30). According to Phil 4:15-16, the Philippians were consistently generous in supporting his ministry in this way. 
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4:19 God will supply:
Generosity is richly rewarded by the Lord (Lk 6:38; 2 Cor 9:6-8). 
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4:21 brethren who are with me:
This wording includes Timothy (1:1) and others not mentioned by name. 
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4:22 Caesar's household:
The gospel was gaining ground not only among the emperor's soldiers (1:13), but also among his hired servants. Paul must have been proud to say that the gospel of Christ's Lordship was echoing throughout the halls of the Imperial palace. This detail lends solid support to the view that Philippians was written from Rome. See introduction:
Author and Date.
 
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INTRODUCTION TO

Author
 The author of Colossians twice identifies himself as the Apostle Paul, once at the opening of the letter (1:1) and once at its closing (4:18). The Church Fathers accepted this claim from earliest times, and Christian scholarship continued to uphold the tradition of Pauline authorship until the early nineteenth century, at which time some began to question the link between Paul and Colossians. Modern scholarship remains divided over whether Colossians came from the hand of Paul or from one of Paul's admirers writing in his name. The case against Pauline authorship is built on perceived differences of style and theology that make Colossians stand out from the acknowledged writings of the apostle. This type of comparative analysis is easily overdrawn, however, since Colossians addresses an altogether unique situation in the early Church, and this could well account for the unique approach of the letter. In any case, the undeniable presence of Pauline themes in the letter is precisely what leads more skeptical scholars to assign the letter to one of Paul's disciples.

In favor of Paul's authorship, the letter appears to have been written under the same set of circumstances as the NT letter to Philemon, a work that scholarship continues to accept as authentically Pauline. Both letters have Paul in prison (Col 4:3; Philem 1); both are sent jointly by Paul and Timothy (Col 1:1; Philem 1); both have Paul surrounded by the same circle of friends (Col 4:10-14; Philem 23-24); and both mention the return of a runaway slave named Onesimus back to the area (Col 4:9; Philem 12). In light of this and other evidence that links the letter to Paul's personal situation, it is best to appreciate the uniqueness of Colossians without dissociating the letter from the apostle.