to convince (by argument · verb — second perfect active participle, nominative singular masculine
this
τοῦτοtoûto
G5124
that thing
thing
αὐτὸauto
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular neuter
that
ὅτιhoti
G3754
demonstrative · conjunction
begun
ἐναρξάμενοςenarxamenos
G1728
to commence on · verb — aorist middle deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
a
ἔργονergon
G2041
toil (as an effort or occupation) · noun — accusative singular neuter
good
ἀγαθὸνagathon
G18
"good" (in any sense · adjective — accusative singular neuter
work
ἔργονérgon
G2041
toil (as an effort or occupation)
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
you
ὑμῖνhymîn
G5213
to (with or by) you
perform
ἐπιτελέσειepitelesei
G2005
to fulfill further (or completely) · verb — future active indicative, 3rd person singular
until
ἄχριachri
G891
(of time) until or (of place) up to · preposition
day
ἡμέραςhēmeras
G2250
day · noun — genitive singular feminine
Jesus
Ἰησοῦ·Iēsou
G2424
Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
Christ
ΧριστοῦChristou
G5547
anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of…
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlastin…
Psalms 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,…
Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
1 Corinthians 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Philippians 1:3-6
The apostle proceeds after the inscription and benediction to thanksgiving for the saints at Philippi. He tells them what it was he thanked God for, upon their account. Observe here,
I. Paul remembered them: he bore them much in his thoughts; and though they were out of sight, and he was at a distance from them, yet they were not out of his mind: or, Upon every mention of you - epi pasē tē mneia. As he often thought of them, so he often spoke of them, and delighted to hear them spoken of. The very mention of them was grateful to him: it is a pleasure to hear of the welfare of an absent friend.
II. He remembered them with joy. At Philippi he was maltreated; there he was scourged and put int…
confident--This confidence nerves prayers and thanksgivings (Phi 1:3-4).
this very thing--the very thing which he prays for (Phi 1:4) is the matter of his believing confidence (Mar 11:24; Jo1 5:14-15). Hence the result is sure.
he which hath begun--God (Phi 2:13).
a good work--Any work that God begins, He will surely finish (Sa1 3:12). Not even men begin a work at random. Much more the fact of His beginning the work is a pledge of its completion (Isa 26:12). So as to the particular work here meant, the perfecting of their fellowship in the Gospel (Phi 1:5; Psa 37:24; Psa 89:33; Psa 138:8; Joh 10:28-29; Rom 8:29, Rom 8:35-39; Rom 11:1-2 Heb 6:17-19; Jam 1:17; Jde 1:24). As God cast not…
Being confident - There shall be nothing lacking on God's part to support you; and to make you wise, holy and happy; and bring you at last to his kingdom and glory.
John Gill on Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing,.... The reason of his thanksgiving, and of his making request with joy continually on the behalf of this church, was the confidence and full persuasion he had of this same thing, of which he could be as much assured as of any thing in the world:
that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: by this good work is not meant the preaching of the Gospel among them, nor a Gospel church state set up in the midst of them: for though the preaching of the Gospel was a good work, and issued well in the conversion of many, in their edification and comfort, and which was still continued; and though a Gospel church state wa…
The Church Fathers
God can work in our acts without our help. But when we will the deed, he cooperates with us.
"Being confident of this very thing, that He which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." See how he also teaches them to be unassuming. For since he had witnessed a great thing of them, that they may not feel as men are apt to do, he presently teaches them to refer both the past and the future to Christ. How? By saying, not, "Being confident that as ye began ye will also finish," but what? "He which began a good work in you will perfect it." He did not rob them of the achievement, (for he said, "I rejoice for your fellowship," clearly as if making it their act,) nor did he call their good deeds solely their own, but primarily of God. "For I am confident," saith he, "that He which began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." That is, God will. And it is not about yourselves, he implies, but about those descending from you that I feel thus. And indeed it is no small praise, that God should work in one. For if He is "no respecter of persons," as indeed He is none, but is looking to our purpose when He aids us in good deeds, it is evident that we are agents in drawing Him to us; so that even in this view he did not rob them of their praise. Since if His working were indiscriminate, there would have been nothing to hinder but that even Heathens and all men might have Him working in them, that is, if He moved us like logs and stones, and required not our part. So that in saying "God will perfect it," this also again is made their praise, who have drawn to them the grace of God, so that He aids them in going beyond human nature. And in another way also a praise, as that "such are your good deeds that they cannot be of man, but require the divine impulse." But if God will perfect, then neither shall there be much labor, but it is right to be of good courage, for that they shall easily accomplish all, as being assisted by Him.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Perseverance of the saints — Their certain continuance in a state of grace. Once justified and regenerated, the believer can neither totally nor finally fall away from grace, but will certainly persevere therein and attain…
Assurance · .Conti — .Conti
Grace Of God · GROWTH IN — GROWTH IN
Perseverance · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Second Coming Of Christ, The · Shall be preserved to — Shall be preserved to
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Philippians 1:1-6
1. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
1. Paulus et Timotheus, servi Iesu Christi, omnibus sanctis in Christo Iesu, qui sunt Philippis, cum Episcopis et Diaconis
2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Iesu Christo.
3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
3. Gratias ago Deo meo in omni memoria vestri. [23]
4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
4. Semper in omni precatione mea pro vobis omnibus cum gaudio precationem faciens,
5…
God, who began the good work within you: God takes the initiative to work his salvation in people (see Rom 9:16; Eph 1:3-8, 11; 2:4-10), so he can be trusted to continue his work of changing people into the likeness of his Son (see Rom 8:29; Eph 4:13, 15).
