Philippians 2:12–18

Verse 12. With fear and trembling. That is, be equally upon your guard against presumption and despair. Saint Paul is anxious to inspire a just confidence in Jesus Christ, but he is not less solicitous to root out all self-confidence arising from our supposed merits or excellence.

Verse 13. It is God who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish. We can neither have a will, nor begin, nor fulfil any thing of ourselves, in order to a reward in heaven. Witham.—Our free-will is not taken away, or we should not be commanded to work; but it is added, with fear and trembling, says Saint Augustine, that we might not be proud of our good works. De grat. et de lib. ab. c. ix.

Verse 16. To my glory, and so forth That is, I beseech you to continue in faith, and comply with the word and doctrine of the gospel, that I may have glory, and rejoice together with you in the day of Christ, when he shall come to judgment.

Verse 17. And if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice [5] and service of your faith, I rejoice, and so forth The sense of these obscure words seems to be: that I shall rejoice, and you also may rejoice and congratulate with me, if after having first offered up your faith and obedience to the gospel, as an acceptable sacrifice to God, I myself (or my blood, by martyrdom) be also added, and poured out as a second sacrifice upon the other. It is to be understood with an allusion to those sacrifices of the old law called libations, consisting of liquid things, as wine, oil, blood, which were poured out, or at least sprinkled, upon other victims and things sacrificed: so that he compares the shedding of his blood to these libations, and their submission to the faith of Christ to the sacrifice before offered to God. Witham.