Fragments on Philippians

Fragmenta in epistulam ad Philippenses

Severianus of Gabala · c. 400 AD · PG 65

Purpose of the Epistle§1

1In this letter, he writes to clergy, not to the laity; for this reason, he did not need more of the unrighteous, but rather he intended through the letter that the state of humility might be perfected in them. Through this exhortation, he shows the precision of the other life. For rarely does anyone both sin and become puffed up; for the one who is puffed up flies away from those living the most beautiful lives, and instead, is most often puffed up by this very thing.

Everywhere and through all things my sufferings and my defenses are shown to be not unprofitable (Phil 1:7). From your faith I make a proof, your standing. For if I defend myself by appealing to those who believe, you also are there; if I wish to confirm the gospel to anyone, it is from your standing; if...

Greek · §1

Fragmenta in epistulam ad Philippenses (in catenis) Phil: Prolog ̓Εν ταύτῃ τῇ ἐπιστολῇ κληρικοῖς γράφει οὐ λαϊκοῖς· δι' οπερ οὐδὲ πλειόνων ἐδεήθη ἠδικῶν, σπουδὴ δὲ αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὸ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης κατορθωθῆναι ἐν αὐτοῖς. δι' αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς παραινέσεως δείκνυσιν αὐτῶν τὸ ἀκριβὲς τοῦ αλλου βίου. σπανίως γάρ τις καὶ ἁμαρτάνει καὶ φυσιοῦται· τὸ γὰρ τῆς φυσιώσεως απτεται τῶν κάλλιστα βιούντων καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἐπαιρομένων. Phil 1,7 Πανταχοῦ καὶ διὰ πάντων δείκνυται οὐκ ἀνόνητά μου τὰ παθήματα οὐδὲ αἱ ἀπολογίαι. ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας πίστεως ἀπόδειξιν ποιοῦμαι τὴν ὑμετέραν ενστασιν. ἐάν τε γὰρ ἀπολογοῦμαι ἐγκαλούμενος διὰ τοὺς πιστεύοντας ων καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐστε, ἐάν τε βεβαιοῦν βούλομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν τισιν, ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐνστάσεως· ἐάν τε

The Nuance of Comparison and Loss§2

2To show that I will not endure bonds weakly, from your faith. Phil 2:7 And being found in form as a man. The 'as' is not of likeness but of extension, such as 'God is good to Israel', and 'as I loved your law, Lord, instead of having loved it greatly'. Phil 2:16 Instead of 'those who pay attention to the word of life'. And to Timothy he writes: 'Take care of yourself', instead of 'take care to yourself'. Phil 3:8a If through Christ loss is reckoned, it was not evil; for it was gain. And he said: it was not loss, but according to the arrangement of the better things' superiority it is reckoned loss. Phil 3:8b The refuse is a part of the reed, and the reed and the ear of grain sometimes come from the seed.

Greek · §2

δεικνύναι οτι οὐκ ἀνονήτως ὑπομένω δεσμούς, ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας πίστεως. Phil 2,7 Καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ανθρωπος. τὸ ὡς οὐχ ὁμοιώσεώς ἐστιν ἀλλ' ἐπιτάσεως, οιόν ἐστι τὸ ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὁ θεὸς τῷ ̓Ισραήλ, καὶ ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, κύριε, ἀντὶ τοῦ πάνυ ἠγάπησα. Phil 2,16 ̓Αντὶ τοῦ προσέχοντες τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ζωῆς. καὶ τῷ Τιμοθέῳ δὲ γράφει· επεχε σεαυτῷ, ἀντὶ τοῦ πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ. Phil 3,8a Εἰ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν ἡγεῖται, οὐκ ην κακά· ην γὰρ κέρδη. καὶ ηγημαι ειπεν· οὐ γὰρ ην ζημία, ἀλλὰ κατὰ παράθεσιν τῆς ὑπερβολῆς τῶν κρειττόνων ἡγεῖται ζημίαν. 314 Phil 3,8b Τὸ σκύβαλον μέρος ἐστι καλάμης, ἡ δὲ καλάμη καὶ ὁ στάχυς ποτὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σπόρου.

The Seed and the Harvest§3

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3Therefore, this refuse is ever most useful for the seed to be produced. For just as from a seed comes a root and a reed and an ear of grain, so too from the faith of Abraham—just as from a seed come those under the law, and the reed of the prophets, and the ear of grain already foretelling Christ in secret (Matt 3:12).

But the harvest of these and the thresher at the first presence of the Savior, who gathers the chaff in his hand and cleanses the threshing floor (Matt 3:12). When, therefore, the reed of the law ceased, it was separated like refuse: circumcision, the keeping of Sabbaths, and the others; but the one of faith is clean.

Greek · §3

τοῦτο ουν τὰ σκύβαλον ποτὲ χρησιμώτατον εἰς τὸ τεχθῆναι τὸν σπόρον. ωσπερ γὰρ ἀπὸ σπόρου ῥίζα καὶ καλάμη καὶ στάχυς, ουτως ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως τοῦ ̓Αβραὰμ ὡσπερεὶ ἀπὸ σπόρου ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν νόμῳ, καὶ ἡ καλάμη τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ὁ στάχυς ηδη τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ προκαταγγέλλων. ὁ δὲ τούτων θερισμὸς καὶ ὁ ἁλοητὸς ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ σωτῆρος, ου τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν αλωνα. οτε λοιπὸν ἐπαύσατο μὲν ἡ καλάμη τοῦ νόμου, ωσπερ δὲ σκύβαλον ἐχωρίσθη περιτομή, σαββάτων τήρησις καὶ τῶν αλλων, καὶ καθαρὸς ὁ τῆς πίστεως

The Necessity of Law and the Pursuit of the Future§4

4The wheat, having been concealed by the prophetic pen, was sent to the storehouses of the common master. Therefore, this name of refuse shows the law to be a dwelling-place; and just as without refuse it would not have been possible to be seed, so also without the law the perfection of grace would not have been established.

Regarding Phil 3:13, forgetting the things behind—not as if they were evil, but he says something like this: I am not occupied with remembering my past struggles, but with being anxious for what I will accomplish in the future.

Regarding Phil 4:2, some say that Euodia was the wife of the jailer, and Syntyche the man.

Greek · §4

σῖτος ὁ ἐναποκεκρυμμένος τῇ προφητικῇ καλάμῃ ἀπετέθη ταῖς ἀποθήκαις τοῦ κοινοῦ δεσπότου. τοῦτο ουν τὸ τοῦ σκυβάλου ονομα δείκνυσιν οἰκεῖον τὸν νόμον· καὶ ωσπερ ανευ τοῦ σκυβάλου οὐχ οιόν τε ην γενέσθαι σπόρον, ουτως οὐδὲ ανευ τοῦ νόμου τὸ τέλειον τῆς χάριτος κατορθωθῆναι. Phil 3,13 Τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, οὐχ ὡς κακά, ἀλλ' ο λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οὐκ ἀσχολοῦμαι εἰς τὸ ἀναμιμνήσκεσθαι τοὺς ἀγῶνάς μου τοὺς παρελθόντας, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ μεριμνᾶν, τί κατορθώσω εἰς τὰ ἑξῆς. Phil 4,2 Τινὲς δὲ Εὐοδίαν ειναί φασι τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος, Συντύχην δὲ τὸν ανδρα.

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