{Our citizenship} (h(886d)(936e) to politeuma). Old word from
piliteu(935c) ( Php 1:27 ), but only here in N.T. The inscriptions
use it either for citizenship or for commonwealth. Paul was proud
of his Roman citizenship and found it a protection. The
Philippians were also proud of their Roman citizenship. But
Christians are citizens of a kingdom not of this world ( Joh
18:36 ). Milligan (_Vocabulary_) doubts if commentators are
entitled to translate it here: "We are a colony of heaven,"
because such a translation reverses the relation between the
colony and the mother city. But certainly here Paul's heart is in
heaven. {We wait for} (apekdechometha). Rare and late double
compound (perfective use of prepositions like wait out) which
vividly pictures Paul's eagerness for the second coming of Christ
as the normal attitude of the Christian colonist whose home is
heaven.