Christ Must be Confessed
W. H. Baxendale. Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;… Victorinus, a teacher of rhetoric at Rome, was in his old age converted to Christianity, and came to Simplicianus, one eminent at that time for his piety, whispering in his ear softly these words, "I am a Christian;" but this holy man answered, "I will not believe it, nor count thee so, till I see thee among the Christians in the church," at which he laughed, saying, "Do then those walls make a Christian? cannot I be such except I openly profess it, and let the world know the same?" This he said for fear, being yet but a young convert, though an old man; but some time after, when he was more confirmed in the faith, and had seriously considered that if he should continue thus ashamed of Christ, He would be ashamed of him at last, he changed his purpose, and came to Simplicianus, saying, "Let us go to the church, I will now in earnest be a Christian." And there he made an open confession, observing that "as he had openly professed rhetoric, which was not essential to salvation, he ought not to be afraid to own the Word of God in the congregation of the faithful." (W. H. Baxendale.) Parallel Verses KJV: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; WEB: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,