Philippians 4

Philippians 4:1

VIII. APPEAL FOR HARMONY, MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, JOY, FORBEARANCE, PRAYERFULNESS, AND A DISCIPLINED THOUGHT LIFE (4:1-9) 4:1 On the basis of the wonderful hope which the apostle had set before the minds of the believers in the previous verse, he now exhorts them to stand fast in the Lord. This verse is filled with endearing names for the believers. First of all, Paul calls them his brethren. But not only his brethrenhis beloved brethren. Then he adds the thought that he longs for them, that is, he longs to be with them again. Further, he speaks of them as his joy and crown. Doubtless he means that they are his joy at the present time and will be his crown at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Finally, he closes the verse with the expression beloved. The apostle really loved people, and doubtless this is one of the secrets of his effectiveness in the work of the Lord. 4:2 Euodia and Syntyche were women in the church at Philippi who were having difficulty getting along together. We are not given details as to the cause of their disagreement (and perhaps it is just as well!). The apostle uses the word implore twice to show that the exhortation is addressed just as much to one as to the other. Paul urges them to be of the same mind in the Lord. It is impossible for us to be united in all things in daily life, but, as far as the things of the Lord are concerned, it is possible for us to submerge our petty, personal differences in order that the Lord may be magnified and His work advanced. 4:3 There is considerable speculation as to the identity of the true companion whom Paul addresses in this verse. Timothy and Luke have both been suggested, but Epaphroditus is probably the person spoken of. He is exhorted to help these women who had labored with Paul in the gospel. We take it that these women were Euodia and Syntyche, and that the Apostle Paul is giving what experience has proven to be sound advice. Often when two people have been quarreling, the quarrel can best be settled by taking it to an independent third partysomeone with mature, spiritual judgment. It is not that he acts arbitrarily in the case and hands down a decision, but rather that by appealing to the word of God, he is able to show the contending persons the scriptural solution to their problem. Care should be taken in interpreting the expression [they] labored with me in the gospel. By no stretch of the imagination can this be taken to mean that they preached the gospel with the Apostle Paul. There are many ways in which women can labor in the gospelby hospitality to the servants of Christ, by home visitation, by teaching younger women and childrenwithout assuming a ministry of public teaching or preaching. Another co-laborer named Clement is mentioned. Nothing further is known of him with certainty. Then Paul mentions the rest of his fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. This is a lovely way of expressing the eternal and unspeakable blessedness that attaches to faith in Christ and service for Him. 4:4 Turning now to the entire church, Paul repeats the favorite exhortation. The secret of his exhortation is found in the words in the Lord. No matter how dark the circumstances of life may be, it is always possible for the Christian to rejoice in the Lord. Jowett shares his experience regarding Christian joy: Christian joy is a mood independent of our immediate circumstances. If it were dependent on our surroundings, then, indeed, it would be as uncertain as an unprotected candle burning on a gusty night. One moment the candle burns clear and steady, the next moment the blaze leaps to the very edge of the wick, and affords little or no light. But Christian joy has no relationship to the transient setting of the life, and therefore it is not the victim of the passing day. At one time my conditions arrange themselves like a sunny day in June; a little later they rearrange themselves like a gloomy day in November. One day I am at the wedding; the next day I stand by an open grave.

One day, in my ministry, I win ten converts for the Lord; and then, for a long stretch of days, I never win one. Yes, the days are as changeable as the weather, and yet the Christian joy can be persistent. Where lies the secret of its glorious persistency? Here is the secret. Lo! I am with you all the days. In all the changing days, He changeth not, neither is weary. He is no fairweather Companion, leaving me when the year grows dark and cold. He does not choose my days of prosperous festival, though not to be found in my days of impoverishment and defeat. He does not show Himself only when I wear a garland, and hide Himself when I wear a crown of thorns. He is with me all the daysthe prosperous days and the days of adversity; days when the funeral bell is tolling, and days when the wedding bell is ringing. All the days. The day of lifethe day of deaththe day of judgment. 4:5 Now Paul urges them to let their gentleness be known to all men. This has also been translated yieldedness, sweet reasonableness, and willingness to give up one’s own way. The difficulty does not lie in understanding what is meant, but in obeying the precept to all men.The Lord is at hand may mean that the Lord is now present, or that the Lord’s coming is near. Both are true, though we favor the latter view. 4:6 Is it really possible for a Christian to be anxious for nothing? It is possible as long as we have the resource of believing prayer. The rest of the verse goes on to explain how our lives can be free from sinful fretting. Everything should be taken to the Lord in prayer. Everything means everything. There is nothing too great or small for His loving care! Prayer is both an act and an atmosphere. We come to the Lord at specific times and bring specific requests before Him. But it is also possible to live in an atmosphere of prayer. It is possible that the mood of our life should be a prayerful mood. Perhaps the word prayer in this verse signifies the overall attitude of our life, whereas supplication signifies the specific requests which we bring to the Lord. But then we should notice that our requests should be made known to God with thanksgiving. Someone has summarized the verse as saying that we should be anxious in nothing, prayerful in everything, thankful for anything.4:7 If these attitudes characterize our lives, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God is a sense of holy repose and complacency which floods the soul of the believer when he is leaning hard upon God. Stayed upon Jehovah, Hearts are fully blessed; Finding, as He promised, Perfect peace and rest. Frances Ridley Havergal This peace surpasses all understanding. People of the world cannot understand it at all, and even Christians possessing it find a wonderful element of mystery about it. They are surprised at their own lack of anxiety in the face of tragedy or adverse circumstances. This peace garrisons the heart and the thought life. What a needed tonic it is, then, in this day of neuroses, nervous breakdowns, tranquilizers, and mental distress. 4:8 Now the apostle gives a closing bit of advice concerning the thought life. The Bible everywhere teaches that we can control what we think. It is useless to adopt a defeatist attitude, saying that we simply cannot help it when our minds are filled with unwelcome thoughts. The fact of the matter is that we can help it. The secret lies in positive thinking. It is what is now a well-known principlethe expulsive power of a new affection.

A person cannot entertain evil thoughts and thoughts about the Lord Jesus at the same time. If, then, an evil thought should come to him, he should immediately get rid of it by meditating on the Person and work of Christ. The more enlightened psychologists and psychiatrists of the day have come to agree with the Apostle Paul on this matter. They stress the dangers of negative thinking. You do not have to look very closely to find the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 8. Everything that is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy is found in Him. Let us look at these virtues one by one: True means not false or unreliable, but genuine and real. Noble means honorable or morally attractive. Just means righteous, both toward God and man. Pure would refer to the high moral character of a person’s life. Lovely has the idea of that which is admirable or agreeable to behold or consider. Of good report has also been translated of good repute or fair sounding. Virtue, of course, speaks of moral excellence; and praiseworthy, something that deserves to be commended. In verse 7, Paul had assured the saints that God would garrison their hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. But he is not neglectful to remind them that they, too, have a responsibility in the matter. God does not garrison the thought-life of a man who does not want it to be kept pure. 4:9 Again the Apostle Paul sets himself forth as a pattern saint. He urges the believers to practice the things which they learned from him and which they saw in his life. The fact that this comes so closely after verse 8 is significant. Right living results from right thinking. If a person’s thought-life is pure, then his life will be pure. On the other hand, if a person’s mind is a fountain of corruption, then you can be sure that the stream that issues from it will be filthy also. And we should always remember that if a person thinks an evil thought long enough, he will eventually do it. Those who are faithful in following the example of the apostle are promised that the God of peace will be with them. In verse 7, the peace of God is the portion of those who are prayerful; here the God of peace is the Companion of those who are holy. The thought here is that God will make Himself very near and dear in present experience to all whose lives are embodiments of the truth.

Philippians 4:10

IX. PAUL’S THANKS FOR FINANCIAL GIFTS FROM THE SAINTS (4:10-20) 4:10 In verses 10-19, Paul speaks of the relationship which existed between the church at Philippi and himself in connection with financial assistance. No one could ever tell how meaningful these verses have been for saints of God who have been called upon to go through times of financial pressure and reverses! Paul rejoices that now at last, after a period of time had elapsed, the Philippians had sent him practical assistance in the work of the Lord. He does not blame them for the period of time in which no help was received; he gives them credit that they wanted to send gifts to him but that they lacked opportunity to do so. Moffatt translates: For what you lacked was never the care but the chance of showing it.4:11 In handling the whole subject of finances, it is lovely to see the delicacy and courtesy which Paul employs. He does not want them to think that he is complaining about any shortage of funds. Rather, he would have them know that he is quite independent of such mundane circumstances. He had learned … to be content, no matter what his financial condition might be. Contentment is really greater than riches, for if contentment does not produce riches, it achieves the same object by banishing the desire for them.It is a blessed secret when the believer learns how to carry a high head with an empty stomach, an upright look with an empty pocket, a happy heart with an unpaid salary, joy in God when men are faithless (Selected). 4:12 Paul knew how to be abased, that is, by not having the bare necessities of life; and he also knew how to abound, that is, by having more given to him at a particular time than his immediate needs required. Everywhere and in all things he had learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. How had the apostle learned such a lesson? Simply in this way: he was confident that he was in the will of God. He knew that wherever he was, or in whatever circumstances he found himself, he was there by divine appointment. If he was hungry, it was because God wanted him to be hungry.

If he was full, it was because his Lord had so planned it. Busily and faithfully engaged in the service of his King, he could say, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.4:13 Then the apostle adds the words which have been a puzzle to many: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Could he possibly mean this literally? Did the apostle really believe that there was nothing he could not do? The answer is this: When the Apostle Paul said that he could do all things, he meant all things which were God’s will for him to do. He had learned that the Lord’s commands are the Lord’s enablements.

He knew that God would never call on him to accomplish some task without giving the necessary grace. All things probably applies not so much to great feats of daring as to great privations and hungerings. 4:14 In spite of what he had said, he wants the Philippians to know that they have done well in having shared in his distress. This probably meant the money they sent to supply his needs during his imprisonment. 4:15 In the past, the Philippians had excelled in the grace of giving. During the early days of Paul’s ministry, when he departed from Macedonia, no church shared with him financially except the Philippians. It is remarkable how these seemingly unimportant details are recorded forever in God’s precious word. This teaches us that what is given to the Lord’s servants is given to the Lord. He is interested in every cent. He records all that is done as to Him, and He rewards with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. 4:16 Even when he was in Thessalonica, they sent aid once and again for his needs. It is apparent that the Philippians were living so close to the Lord that He was able to direct them in their giving. The Holy Spirit placed a burden on their hearts for the Apostle Paul. They responded by sending money to him once and again, that is, twice. When we remember that Paul was in Thessalonica only a short time, it makes their care for him there all the more remarkable. 4:17 The utter unselfishness of Paul is indicated in this verse. He was more elated by their gain than by their gift. Greater than his desire for financial help was his longing that fruit should abound to the account of the believers. This is exactly what happens when money is given to the Lord. It is all recorded in the account books and will be repaid a hundredfold in a coming day. All that we have belongs to the Lord, and when we give to Him, we are only giving Him what is His own. Christians who argue as to whether or not they should tithe their money have missed the point. A tithe or tenth part was commanded to Israelites under the law as the minimum gift. In this age of grace, the question should not be, How much shall I give the Lord? but rather, How much dare I keep for myself? It should be the Christian’s desire to live economically and sacrificially in order to give an ever-increasing portion of his income to the work of the Lord that men might not perish for want of hearing the gospel of Christ. 4:18 When Paul says I have all he means I have all I need, and abound. It seems strange in this day of twentieth-century commercialism to hear a servant of the Lord who is not begging for money, but who, on the contrary, admits having sufficient. The unrestrained begging campaigns of the present day are an abomination in the sight of God and a reproach to the name of Christ. They are completely unnecessary. Hudson Taylor once said, God’s work carried on in God’s way will never lack God’s resources. The trouble today is that we have failed to distinguish between working for God and the work of God.

It is possible to engage in so-called Christian service which might not be the will of God at all. Where there is an abundance of money, there is always the greatest danger of embarking on ventures which might not have the divine sanction. To quote Hudson Taylor once again: What we greatly need to fear is not insufficient funds, but too much unconsecrated funds.The love-gift which Epaphroditus brought from the Philippians to Paul is described as a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. The only other time these words are used, they refer to Christ Himself (Eph_5:2). Paul dignifies the sacrificial giving of the Philippians by describing what it meant to God. It ascended as a fragrant sacrifice to Him.

It was both acceptable and well pleasing. Jowett exclaims: How vast, then, is the range of an apparently local kindness! We thought we were ministering to a pauper, and in reality we were conversing with the King. We imagined that the fragrance would be shut up in a petty neighborhood, and lo, the sweet aroma steals through the universe. We thought we were dealing only with Paul, and we find that we were ministering to Paul’s Savior and Lord. 4:19 Now Paul adds what is perhaps the best-known and best-loved verse in this entire chapter. We should notice that this promise follows the description of their faithful stewardship. In other words, because they had given of their material resources to God, even to the point where their own livelihood was endangered, God would supply their every need. How easy it is to take this verse out of context and use it as a soft pillow for Christians who are squandering their money on themselves with seldom a thought for the work of God! That’s all right. God will supply all your need.While it is true in a general sense that God does supply the needs of His people, this is a specific promise that those who are faithful and devoted in their giving to Christ will never suffer lack. It has often been remarked that God supplies the needs of His peoplenot out of His riches, but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. If a millionaire gave a dime to a child, he would be giving out of his riches. But if he gave a hundred thousand dollars to some worthy cause, he would be giving according to his riches. God’s supply is according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and nothing could be richer than that! Williams calls verse 19 a note drawn upon the bank of faith: My Godthe name of the Banker. Shall supplythe promise to pay. All your needthe value of the note. According to His richesthe capital of the bank. In glorythe address of the bank. By Christ Jesusthe signature at the foot, without which the note is worthless. 4:20 Thinking of God’s abundant provision causes the apostle to break out into praise. This is suitable language for every child of God who daily experiences God’s gracious care, not only in providing guidance, help against temptation, and the quickening of a languishing devotional life.

Philippians 4:21

CLOSING GREETINGS (4:21-23) 4:21 Thinking of the believers as they are gathered together and listening to the Letter which he was writing them, Paul greets every saint in Christ Jesus and sends greeting from the brethern who are with him. 4:22 We are compelled to love this verse for its reference to Caesar’s household. Our imaginations are strongly tempted to run riot. Who are the members of Nero’s household referred to here? Were they some of the soldiers who had been assigned to watch the Apostle Paul, and who had been saved through his ministry? Were they slaves or freedmen who worked in the palace? Or might the expression include some officials of the Roman government?

We cannot know with certainty, but here we have a lovely illustration of the truth that Christians, like spiders, find their way into king’s palaces (Pro_30:28)! The gospels knows no boundries. It can penetrate the most forbidding walls. It can plant itself in the very midst of those who are seeking to exterminate it. Truly, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ! 4:23 Now Paul closes with his characteristic greeting. Grace sparkled on the first page of this Letter, and now is found again at the close. Out of the abundance of a man’s heart his mouth speaks. Paul’s heart was filled to overflowing with the greatest theme of all the agesthe grace of God through Christand it is not at all surprising that this precious truth should flood over into every channel of his life. Paul Rees concludes for us: The greatest of humans has written his warmest of letters. The love-task is finished. The day is done. The chain is still there upon the apostolic wrist. The soldier is still on guard. Never mind! Paul’s spirit is free! His mind is clear! His heart is glowing! And next morning Epaphroditus strides away to Philippi!