Philemon 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Those who speak of the Christian warfare, as I have observed, almost always limit it to the narrow path in which one treads alone. That was the idea so grandly wrought out by Bunyan in his "Pilgrim's Progress." But that sort of warfare belonged to the days of knight errantry. The modern soldiers of the Cross, like other soldiers, are massed in armies. No doubt each Christian has many a fight single-handed with the adversary. But those thrilling appeals in the Epistle to the Ephesians, concerning taking the whole armour of God, were addressed to the Church collectively. Individualism has its perils. Christians are fellow soldiers. We need to build a common barrier against the common foe. Side by side we need to charge on the enemy's works. And then, in the final day of triumph, we shall join with "thousands of thousands, and ten times ten thousand," in shouting the glad chorus of victory. (J. Hovey.) Parallel Verses KJV: And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:WEB: to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house: |
    |