Fragments on Philippians · §4 · Severianus of Gabala

The law's chaff separated and Paul's forward focus

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Severianus is closing his agricultural image of the law as chaff and now applies it to Paul's words about forgetting what lies behind and about Euodia and Syntyche.

So the stalk of the law finally ceased, and circumcision, Sabbath observance, and the other things were separated off like rubbish. The pure grain of faith that had been hidden in the prophetic stalk was stored away in the storehouses of the common Master. This name 'rubbish,' then, shows that the name is appropriate to the law. And just as the seed could not have come to be without the rubbish, so neither could the perfection of grace have been accomplished without the law.

Philippians 3:13: 'Forgetting what lies behind'—not as though those things were evil, but what Paul says is this: 'I do not busy myself with remembering my past struggles, but with giving my attention to what I will accomplish in what lies ahead.'

Philippians 4:2: Some say that Euodia was the jailer's wife, and Syntyche was the man.

Greek

οτε λοιπὸν ἐπαύσατο μὲν ἡ καλάμη τοῦ νόμου, ωσπερ δὲ σκύβαλον ἐχωρίσθη περιτομή, σαββάτων τήρησις καὶ τῶν αλλων, καὶ καθαρὸς ὁ τῆς πίστεως

σῖτος ὁ ἐναποκεκρυμμένος τῇ προφητικῇ καλάμῃ ἀπετέθη ταῖς ἀποθήκαις τοῦ κοινοῦ δεσπότου. τοῦτο ουν τὸ τοῦ σκυβάλου ονομα δείκνυσιν οἰκεῖον τὸν νόμον· καὶ ωσπερ ανευ τοῦ σκυβάλου οὐχ οιόν τε ην γενέσθαι σπόρον, ουτως οὐδὲ ανευ τοῦ νόμου τὸ τέλειον τῆς χάριτος κατορθωθῆναι. Phil 3,13 Τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, οὐχ ὡς κακά, ἀλλ' ο λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οὐκ ἀσχολοῦμαι εἰς τὸ ἀναμιμνήσκεσθαι τοὺς ἀγῶνάς μου τοὺς παρελθόντας, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ μεριμνᾶν, τί κατορθώσω εἰς τὰ ἑξῆς. Phil 4,2 Τινὲς δὲ Εὐοδίαν ειναί φασι τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος, Συντύχην δὲ τὸν ανδρα.

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About this text

A theological reflection on humility and faith, offering insight into early Christian leadership and spiritual growth.

Severianus of Gabala (fl. c. 400) wrote these comments on selected verses of Paul's Letter to the Philippians. The fragments survive in chain commentaries that gathered excerpts from various interpreters.

Severianus addresses the question of Paul's audience and purpose. He argues that Paul wrote Philippians to clergy, not laity, and that his main aim was to instill humility in them, since pride especially afflicts those who live well. He explains Paul's appeals to the Philippians' faith and steadfastness as proof that his sufferings and defense of the gospel are not fruitless.

A reader will meet Paul, Timothy, the patriarch Abraham, and Euodia and Syntyche, the two people Paul urges to agree in Philippians 4:2. Severianus quotes Paul's words and argues against alternative readings. He interprets Paul's counting his former gains as loss and rubbish through an extended agricultural image: Abraham's faith is like the seed producing the root of the law, the stalk of the prophets, and the ear of grain that is Christ, . He also clarifies that Paul's forgetting what lies behind does not mean his past labors were evil, and he notes a tradition identifying Euodia as the jailer's wife and Syntyche as the man, likely the jailer himself. Readers should know that Bible books are cited by their traditional English names.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 65 (Greek)

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