Always at the atoning Cross;--yes, every day and hour; "knowing no other stand" before the face of the Holy One. Always receiving there the Risen Life, the presence inwardly of the Risen One, the secret power to suffer and to serve in peace;--yes, for ever yes; "to the praise of the glory of His grace." So, and only so, shall we live the life of real sinners really saved; "worshipping by the Spirit of God, exulting in Christ Jesus, and confident, but not in the flesh." [1] The reader may be aware that Bishop Lightfoot's theory of the connexion of thought at the beginning of ch. iii. is different from that advocated here. He thinks that St Paul dictated on continuously _till the close of_ iii. 1, and was interrupted there, and then began _de novo_ with iii. 2, entirely on another line. In this view, the words about "writing _the same things_ unto you" refer still to _Christian unity_, on which St Paul was going to dilate further, but a sudden pause occurred, and the theme was dropped. With reverence for the great expositor, I cannot but think this unlikely. It assumes that St Paul was curiously indifferent to the sequence of thought in an important apostolic message, which assuredly he would _read over again_ before it was actually sent. A theory which fairly explains the passage, and meanwhile avoids the thought of such indifference, seems to me far preferable. [2] The words obviously may be rendered, "_Farewell_ in the Lord"; and so some take them, explaining that St Paul was intending to close immediately, and so wrote his "Adieu" here; but then changed his plan. This is very unlikely however. See below, iv. 4: _Chairete en Kurio pantote_. The "always" there scarcely suits a formula _of farewell_, while it perfectly suits an injunction _to be glad_. And that passage is the obvious echo of this.--A.V. and R.V. both render "rejoice," though R.V. writes "or, _farewell_" in the margin. St Chrysostom in his comments here explains the passage as referring to the Christian's joy (_chara_). The ancient Latin versions render _Gaudete_ (not _valete_) in _Domino_. [3] I thus render _rhythmically_ the rhythmical Greek (it is an iambic trimeter): _emoi men ouk okneron, humin d asphales_. It is probable that the words are a quotation from a Greek poet, perhaps a "comic" poet; the "comedies" being full of neatly expressed reflexions. For such a quotation, probably from the "comedian" Menander, see 1 Cor. xv. 33: _phtheirousin ethe chresth homiliai kakai_: "_Ill converse cankers fair morality._" [4] The reading _pneumati Theou_ (not _Theo_) _latreuontes_ is to be preferred. [5] _Datreuien_ means first to do servants' work, then to do religious "service" (so almost always in LXX. and N.T.) and sometimes specially _priestly_ duty (see e.g. Heb. xiii. 10). This latter may be in view here: we Christians, born anew of the Spirit, are the true _priests_, and we little need to be made Jewish proselytes first.