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Fr. Paul reads Paul's thanksgiving for the Philippians' sharing "in the gospel from the first day until now" as table fellowship, the sharing of the scriptural word rather than an exchange of gifts . Even the aid they sent him is not what the thanks
A daily note from the team at OCABS.ORG, drawing on the published works of Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, with citations to his books and lectures.
Readings: Philippians 1:1-7; Luke 6:24-30.
Fr. Paul reads Paul's thanksgiving for the Philippians' sharing "in the gospel from the first day until now" as table fellowship, the sharing of the scriptural word rather than an exchange of gifts [10]. Even the aid they sent him is not what the thanks is for, since Paul elsewhere refuses payment for preaching, holding that "he preaches the gospel free of charge" [1]. Their true gift is steady adherence to that gospel, whose advance from its beginning to its completion by God Paul traces throughout the letter, the one gospel he says he teaches "everywhere in every church" [9,7].
Paul's thanksgiving is addressed to God rather than to the Philippians themselves, since God is the one who will ensure the good work is "brought to full fruition until the day of Christ Jesus" [11]. Naming that day lets Paul prepare the Philippians for his probable death, assuring them that his end is not the end, because God remains in control of the gospel's outcome [3]. Being "partakers with me of grace" in his imprisonment and in the defense of the gospel means that affliction belongs within this shared life [12,6]. Fr. Paul likens this shared path to a race that Paul and the Philippians run together, one whose beginning already includes the grace to suffer for Christ [5].
In Luke, Fr. Paul hears the woes against the rich, the full, and the well-spoken-of as the curse side of Jesus' new law, patterned on the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy and delivered, Moses-like, to a crowd on level ground [15,14]. He reads the scene as Ezekiel's son of man pronouncing judgment on those who refuse the word, so blessing and woe fall as complete, opposing sets [16,19]. Loving enemies and turning the other cheek follow at once as the law's extreme point, asked with no condition that the enemy respond in kind: "what would you wish that the others do to you, Do to them" [13]. This mercy mirrors the Father's own kindness "to the ungrateful and the selfish," whose children are called to be like him [18].
Sources: Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 183; Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 75; Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 96; Tarazi, 2 Corinthians: A Commentary, p. 166; Tarazi, The New Testament: An Introduction, vol. 4, Matthew and the Canon, p. 32; Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 84; Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 73; Tarazi, Philippians: A Commentary, p. 75; Tarazi, Hebrews: A Commentary, p. 93; Orthodox Audio Bible Commentary, Luke (vol. 42), part 1, at 2:20:04; Tarazi, The New Testament: An Introduction, vol. 2, Luke and Acts, “Luke’s Sources Other then Mark”; Tarazi, The New Testament: An Introduction, vol. 2, Luke and Acts, “The Law of Christ”; Orthodox Audio Bible Commentary, Luke (vol. 42), part 1, at 2:17:53; Orthodox Audio Bible Commentary, Luke (vol. 42), part 1, at 2:22:08; Orthodox Audio Bible Commentary, Luke (vol. 42), part 1, at 2:15:48.
Opening music: Taksim Arbi, Bichi Slama, oud (Tunis, Archives de la Parole, 1930s), public domain. Source: gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.
A daily note from the team at OCABS.ORG, drawing on the published works of Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, with citations to his books and lectures.
Every day: the readings of the Orthodox lectionary read in full, a short note on them, and a root pair from the Consolation of Consonants, Hebrew and Arabic, chosen for the day’s readings. About five minutes a day, from OCABS on the Ephesus School Network. Read each note, with its citations, at ocabs.org.