But
even
if I am being
poured out as a
drink
offering upon the
sacrifice and
service of your
faith:
alla
ei
kai
spendomai (1SPPI)
epi
te
thusia
kai
leitourgia
tes
pisteos
humon:
(Phil
2:30; 1:20; Acts 20:24; 21:13; 2Co 12:15; 1Thes 2:8; 2Ti 4:6; 1John
3:16) (Php 4:18; Ro 12:1; 15:16; Heb 13:15,16; 1Pet 2:5)
Poured out
as a drink offering
(4689) (spendo
[word study]) means to pour out an offering as
an act of worship or ritual observance or as a libation. Paul is
alluding to his possible martyrdom (which by tradition did become a
reality).
The picture
of poured out is from OT sacrificial system. As commanded in the book of Numbers,
the people of Israel, as well as Gentiles who lived among them, were
first to give a burnt offering of one of the prescribed animals, then
a grain offering, and finally a drink offering (Nu 15:1-10). Pouring
out as a drink offering refers to the topping off of an ancient animal
sacrifice. The offerers poured wine either in front of or on top of
the burning animal and the wine would be vaporized. That steam
symbolized the rising of the offering to the deity for whom the
sacrifice was made (cf. Ex 29:38, 39, 40, 41; 2Ki 16:13 ;Jer 7:18 ; Ho
9:4).
In OT sacrificial system this was the final offering that followed
burnt and grain offerings prescribed for the people of Israel (Nu
15:1-16).
In
Paul's last letter ever recorded, 2Timothy, the apostle pictured his coming death as his final offering to God in a
life that had already been full of sacrifices to Him writing that...
I am already being poured out as
a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. (2Ti 4:6-note)
Just as he had
offered himself to the Lord as “a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God” (see note
Romans 12:1)
while he was alive, he now offered himself to the Lord in his death.
He was
ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that [his] offering
of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy
Spirit (see note
Romans 15:16).
Wuest adds...
The words “offered up” (Php
2:17KJV) are the translation of a Greek word used in the pagan Greek
religions, of the drink-offering poured out upon the sacrifice itself,
the latter being the major part of the offering to the gods, and the
former, the minor part. Paul uses this drink-offering or libation to
speak of the violent death he will some day die as a martyr. It will
be his blood poured out. Indeed, during his second Roman imprisonment,
knowing that he would shortly be sent to the executioner’s block for
decapitation, he writes to Timothy, using the same word, “For I am now
ready to be offered,” or as one could translate, “For my life’s blood
is already being poured out” (2Ti 4:6-note).
He uses the main sacrifice as an illustration of the Philippian
saint’s Christian life and service. The Greek word for “sacrifice”
used
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Sacrifice
(2378) (thusia from thúo = to sacrifice) is used
metaphorically in the NT referring as here to one's service but also
to obedience and praise. Thusia was used for both pagan animal
sacrifices and in the
Septuagint,
(some of the uses of thusia = Ge 4:3, 5; 31:54; 46:1; Ex 10:25; 12:27;
18:12; 24:5; 29:34, 41f; 30:9; 32:6; Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15; 3:1, 3, 6, 9; 4:10, 26, 31,
35; 5:13; 6:14, 15, 20, 21, 23; 7:9-17, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 29, 32,
34, 37; 9:4, 17, 18; 10:12, 14; 14:10, 20f, 31; 17:5, 7f; 19:5; 21:6,
21; 22:21, 29; 23:13, 16, 18f, 37; 26:31)
Thusia - 28x in 28v - Matt
9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33; Luke 2:24; 13:1; Acts 7:41, 42; Ro 12:1; 1 Cor
10:18; Eph 5:2; Phil 2:17; 4:18; Heb 5:1; 7:27; 8:3; 9:9, 23, 26;
10:1, 5, 8, 11f, 26; 11:4; 13:15, 16; 1 Pet 2:5.
Service (3009)
(Leitourgia) (see word study of
verb
Leitourgeo)
was used for used of the religious service of the Old Testament
priests (see the
Septuagint,
where leitourgia used in Ex 38:21; Nu 4:24, 27f, 33; 7:5, 7f; 8:22,
25; 16:9; 18:4, 6f, 21, 23, 31; 2Sam 19:18; 1 Chr 6:32, 48; 9:13, 19,
28; 23:24, 26, 28; 24:3, 19; 26:30; 28:13, 20f; 2 Chr 8:14; 31:2, 4,
16; 35:10, 15f; Ezra 7:19; Ezek 29:20) the religious service of
the Old Testament priests.
Williams comments
The apostle compares the
self-sacrifice and energy of the Philippians with his own, magnifying
theirs and minimizing his. They were both laying down their lives for
the sake of the gospel, but their action he regards as the great
sacrifice, and his as only the drink offering poured out upon it.
Under this beauteous figure of speech, he speaks of his possible
approaching death as a martyr. (George Williams, The Student’s
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, p. 931)
Wuest adds
What humility for the great apostle
to rejoice at the fact that some day he would be the lesser part of
the sacrifice poured out upon the major part, the Philippian’s
Christian testimony and service to God. (Ibid)
Leitourgia - 6x in 6v - Luke 1:23; 2 Cor 9:12; Phil 2:17,
30; Heb 8:6; 9:21. NAS = ministry(2), priestly service(1), service(3).
The writer of Hebrews gives
us a proper perspective on service...
Through Him (Christ, our Great High
Priest) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise
to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And
do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices
God is pleased. (He 13:15, 16-note)
I
rejoice
and
share my
joy
with
you
all:
chairo
(1SPAI)
kai
sugchairo
(1SPAI)
pasin
humin:
(2Co7:4; Col 1:24; 1Th3:7, 8,
9)
Paul would gladly be poured out in
martyrdom on the sacrifice and service of their faith. If this
should be his lot, he would rejoice that it should be so.
Rejoice (5463) (chairo) means to be be cheerful
and to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being.
Share joy (4796) (sugchairo from
sun = together,
speaks of an intimate union + chaíro = rejoice) means to
rejoice together and thus to share in another’s joy.
