Philippians 4:15

He recalls these acts in order that, hearing that their good works are still held in mind and praised, they may have no doubt that they are counted acceptable in the Lord's sight, adding zeal in faith to their generosity.

"Ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church had communicated with me, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only."

Lo, how great is his commendation! For the Corinthians and Romans are stirred up by hearing these things from him, whilst the Philippians did it without any other Church having made a beginning. For "in the beginning of the Gospel," saith he, they manifested such zeal towards the holy Apostle, as themselves first to begin, without having any example, to bear this fruit. And no one can say that they did these things because he abode with them, or for their own benefit; for he saith, "When I departed from Macedonia, no Church had fellowship with me, in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only." What meaneth "receiving," and what "had fellowship"? Wherefore said he not, "no Church gave to me," but "had fellowship with me, in the matter of giving and receiving"? Because it is a case of communication. He saith, "If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things." And again, "That your abundance may be a supply to their want." How did they communicate? In the matter of giving carnal things, and receiving spiritual. For as they who sell and buy communicate with each other, by mutually giving what they have, (and this is communication,) so too is it here. For there is not anything more profitable than this trade and traffic. It is performed on the earth, but is completed in heaven. They who buy are on the earth, but they buy and agree about heavenly things, whilst they lay down an earthly price.

But despond not; heavenly things are not to be bought with money, riches cannot purchase these things, but the purpose of him who giveth the money, his true wisdom, his superiority to earthly things, his love toward man, his mercifulness. For if money could purchase it, she who threw in the two mites would have gained nothing great. But since it was not the money, but the purpose that availed, she received everything, who exhibited a full purpose of mind. Let us not then say, that the Kingdom can be bought with money; it is not by money, but by purpose of mind which is exhibited by the money. Therefore, will one answer, there is no need of money? There is no need of money, but of the disposition; if thou hast this, thou wilt be able even by two mites to purchase Heaven; where this is not, not even ten thousand talents of gold will be able to do that, which the two mites could. Wherefore? Because if thou who hast much throwest in but a small portion, thou gavest an alms indeed, but not so great as the widow did; for thou didst not throw it in with the same readiness as she. For she deprived herself of all she had, or rather she deprived not, but gave it all as a free gift to herself. Not for a cup of cold water hath God promised the kingdom, but for readiness of heart; not for death, but for purpose of mind. For indeed it is no great thing. For what is it to give one life? that is giving one man; but one man is not of worth enough.

Since it might have seemed that he reproached them above by saying, "you have now once again begun to care," he now wisely justifies himself, saying that the very thing by which I seemed to have reproached you, I did not do because I wished to receive something from you, but because I was fully confident regarding you, and you yourselves were the cause of it, for you were the first of all to begin caring for my needs. It was by virtue of this very confidence in you that I, as it were, reproached you, as having abandoned a practice that was formerly customary for you. And here is your great praise: that you not only helped me at the beginning of the gospel, not only when I was among you, but also when I departed from Macedonia, that is, from your region. He did not say that no church gave to me, but "no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving"; because the essence of the matter lies in fellowship. You give what is carnal and receive what is spiritual, as it is said elsewhere: "If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?" (1 Cor. 9:11). Thus, the other churches did not share in the sense of giving what is carnal and receiving what is spiritual.

Secondly, he recalls a past favor; and you Philippians yourselves know. For he had received nothing from certain ones, such as the Corinthians and Thessalonians, because the Corinthians were covetous and became annoyed when they ministered to him; and because the Thessalonians were given to idleness, he labored, giving them an example of work. Yet the Philippians were good, whether he was present or absent; hence he says in 2 Corinthians (11:8): "I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you." No church entered into partnership with me in giving temporal things and receiving spiritual things except you only. "If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits?" (1 Cor. 9:11).