Philippians 2:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But here he exhorts them so that it may not arise. It would have been excessive to warn those who had not yet sinned by reproaches. Therefore, when urging them to humility, he did not set before them the Gospel example in which the proud are humbled. For persuasion he presented God Himself as an example. He speaks with them as with free men and as with his own children, not as with slaves. For a prudent and noble person is moved to good deeds by the example of the virtuous. The senseless person is moved not by their example, but by the example of those who are punished. The one is moved by honor, the other by punishment. Therefore, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, he brought Esau onto the scene, who sold his birthright for one meal. And again: “Behold, the proud soul shall not be at rest” (Hab 2:4; Heb 10:38). Among the Corinthians there were many who had committed fornication. Therefore the Apostle said: “Lest, when I come again, my God humble me among you, and I mourn over many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and licentiousness which they practiced” (2 Cor 12:21).

Although in Rome he is now becoming “a sacrifice upon the sacrifice and service of their faith,” he not only does not murmur, but, on the contrary, “rejoices and rejoices together with them all.” Thus he desires and expects from them, instead of grief and despondency over his fate, the joy of joyful greetings sent to him in Rome.

And if someone is called to church in such a way that he must take a few minutes from sleep, even that does not pass without grumbling.” “By saying, ‘without disputings,’ the Apostle forbade wavering of thoughts and doubt in the fulfillment of the commandments. When some commandment lies before someone, let no one say, ‘Will there be a reward for me? Is this good?’ Such doubtful thoughts must not be admitted, but one must act with assurance” (blessed Theophylact). Setting Christians over against the embittered and corrupt pagan world, the Apostle commands them to be completely pure in everything. No one should be able to reproach them in anything. On the contrary, they should be lights of the world and shine as luminaries in impenetrable darkness. This was evidently already partly visible in the good Philippians, who remembered the Savior's commandment: “Let your light so shine before men.” “Strive also to shine by uprightness and blamelessness among the corrupt, as the luminaries shine in darkness,” commands blessed Theophylact. The designation of Christians as blameless children of God has significance in contrast to the designation of the others, Jews and pagans, as crooked and perverse. Both expressions are often used in Scripture (see Deut 32:5; cf. Rom 8:16; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5; Mt 17:17; Lk 9:41; Acts 2:40). In the opinion of St. Irenaeus, when the Apostle calls Christians luminaries, he points to the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, that he would have offspring, the faithful, like the stars. According to St. Gregory the Theologian, this means that they must be a life-bearing power for other people. Jesus Christ, His teaching, and His followers in general are often called the light of the world, a shining light (Mt 5:14; Jn 1:5; Eph 5:11).

The Greek stands in the plural. These murmurings conceal dissatisfaction and displeasure because one must act in this way.

If one takes the opposite of this, the meaning will be: do everything willingly, with pleasure, joyfully, and actively.

Among us, for example, when the fast comes, how much grumbling there is. And not only this. If someone is called to church and must take a few minutes from sleep, even that does not pass without grumbling.

Another gives alms, yet grumbles within himself: this man keeps wandering about, gives no peace, and so on.

Judging from this, one may understand what the Apostle means when he commands us to do all things without murmurings.

Blessed Theodoret writes: “Bear readily both labor for virtue and dangers for the Gospel. Do not be distressed by the sorrows that meet you, and do not be led by various thoughts, because you are gathering wealth for yourselves. No one who acquires great profits laments and murmurs.”

Chrysostom speaks more broadly about this: “Do you see that the Apostle teaches us not to murmur? For murmuring belongs to ungrateful and insensible servants. Tell me, what son murmurs while laboring in his father’s affairs and laboring for himself? Consider, he says, that you are laboring for yourself, that you are gathering for yourself. Murmuring belongs to servants, since they labor for others and work for others. But why should one who gathers for himself murmur? It is better to do nothing than to do it with murmuring. For the work itself loses its value. Murmuring is close to blasphemy. Murmuring is ingratitude. He who murmurs is ungrateful to God, and one ungrateful to God is truly a blasphemer.”

“Without disputings,” διαλογισμων, without reasonings. There unwillingness and displeasure at deeds were rebuked, a bad condition of the will and heart. Here a bad condition of the mind is rebuked.

Every deed must be done with discernment and thought, but without disputing. The murmurer acts, but with displeasure. The one who disputes has not yet begun to act.

He stands at the beginning of the deed and thinks whether he should abandon it. He recognizes that it is a commandment, but disputes whether he needs to fulfill it.

He wonders whether in such a measure, in such a form, or perhaps whether it would be better to do it differently, and the like.

This disputing reveals the wavering of the will’s resolve to do every recognized good for God’s pleasure.

When this resolve is firm, a man takes up every work ardently as soon as he recognizes that it is good and that it lies before him to do. He is zealous with burning zeal.

But the one who disputes is neither hot nor cold. He keeps looking to see whether he can somehow release himself from the work.

Do not dispute. Go more boldly. “Even if labor lies before you, even if sorrow, even if something else, do not reason about it” (Chrysostom).

“By saying ‘without disputings,’ the Apostle forbade wavering of thoughts and doubt in fulfilling the commandments. When the fulfillment of some commandment lies before us, no one should say: will there be a reward for me if I do this? Is this good? Such doubtful thoughts must not be admitted, but one must act with confidence” (blessed Theophylact).