Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Sunday

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.  (Phil 2:14-16 NKJV)

We ought to understand what is the force and meaning of this saying, for the word may suit the leader, but the effectual work suits the king.  And accordingly, as one who looks for the arrival of his king strives to be able to present all who are under his charge as obedient and ready and estimable and lovely and faithful, and not less also as blameless and abounding in all that is good, so that he may himself get commendation from the king and be deemed by him to be worthy of greater honors as having rightly governed the province which was entrusted to his administration, so also does the blessed Paul give us to understand our position when he uses these words: “That you may be as lights in this world, holding the word of life for my glory against the day of Christ.”  For the meaning of this saying is, that our Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes, will see that his doctrine has proved profitable in us, and that, finding that he, the apostle, has not run in vain, neither labored in vain, He will bestow on him the crown of recompense.  And again, in the same epistle, he also warns us not to mind earthly things, and tells us that we ought to have our conversation in heaven, from which also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ

Archelaus of Caschar, Disputation with Manes 38