For God is my witness, how greatly I long after you all in the affections of Jesus Christ.
All Commentaries on Philippians 1:8 Go To Philippians 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Since he had said that they had fellowship with him, in order that they would not suppose that he longed for them for this reason and not simply for their own sake, he therefore “in the bowels of Christ.” What does this mean? It means “in accord with the deep affection we have for Christ, because you are faithful, because you love Christ, because your love stands in accord with Christ.” But he does not say “love” but uses the warmer term bowels, as if he had “become as a father to you through kinship with Christ.” … “I cannot,” he says in effect, “express in words the greatness of my longing. It is not even possible to articulate. Therefore I leave it to God to know, who dwells in the heart.” But suppose he had just been flattering them—would he then have called God to witness? That would not have been safe. .
