4:22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of {p} Caesar's household.
(p) Those who belong to the emperor Nero.
4:22 Chiefly. Especially. The class next named send special greetings.
They that are of Caesar's household. Amid the vast number who dwelt in the palace as immediate attendants of the emperor, amounting to hundreds and perhaps thousands, there were some who had become Christians. What was their condition in life is a matter of conjecture. Philippi was a colony, a sort of outlying suburb of Rome, populated with Roman citizens (Ac 16:12). Hence it is possible that these would have friends in the Philippian church, who would know well who were meant, and to them they send special greetings.
4:20-23 The apostle ends with praises to God. We should look upon God, under all our weakness and fears, not as an enemy, but as a Father, disposed to pity us and help us. We must give glory to God as a Father. God's grace and favour, which reconciled souls enjoy, with the whole of the graces in us, which flow from it, are all purchased for us by Christ's merit, and applied by his pleading for us; and therefore are justly called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
