THE PORTION THAT now comes before us might be termed the Epistle of Christian experience. It is not characterized by the unfolding of doctrine, as are the epistles to the Romans and the Ephesians: any doctrine that it contains is brought in incidentally and not as the main theme. It is characterized by a spirit of great intimacy-for there was a very strong bond of affection between Paul and the Philippian saints—and by many personal details being given. Thus it comes to pass that in it we are given an extraordinary insight into the Apostle’s inner spiritual history that is most edifying. We are permitted to scrutinize his spiritual experience that we may understand what proper Christian experience is, and discover how marvelously it worked out in a man of like passions to ourselves. Under the most disadvantageous and depressing circumstances it was a triumph.
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