Philippians 2:17

17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with all of you.

Philippians 2:17 Meaning and Commentary

Philippians 2:17

Yea, and if I be offered
Or "poured out", as the drink offerings of wine or oil were; meaning the effusion of his blood, which he compares to a libation, or drink offering, which was poured upon the sacrifice; and the laying down of his life for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel: which he knew not how soon might be, though he was in some hopes of a deliverance for the present, and therefore speaks of it in an hypothetical way: yet he expected it sooner or later; and that whenever it was, it would be as the libation upon the offering.

Upon the sacrifice and service of your faith;
he had been the means of bringing them to the faith of Christ, in which they were an offering acceptable to God, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost; see ( Romans 15:16 ) ; and should he suffer and shed his blood in the cause of Christ, it would be as a libation on them, as a sacrifice; it would be for the sake of preaching the doctrine of faith, by which they were brought to believe on Christ; and it would be for the further confirmation of their faith, and as a drink offering acceptable unto God; upon all which accounts it would be matter of joy to him.

I joy and rejoice with you all;
meaning at his sufferings and death, and the advantages thereof to Christ, to his churches, and to himself.

Philippians 2:17 In-Context

15 in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,
16 holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride to me in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with all of you.
18 And [in] the same [way] also you rejoice and rejoice with me.
19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I also may be encouraged [when I] know {your circumstances}.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.