Phil.
4:9-23: “Learning To Be Content In Every Circumstance / I Can Do All Things
Through Christ”
By
1.
In our last
study, we looked verses 1-9 of chapter 4.
1.1.
Paul urges two
women in the church to get along, and enlists everyone’s help to make sure
these women somehow reconcile.
1.2.
Paul commanded us
yet again to rejoice always.
1.3.
Paul told us not
to worry about anything, but instead take everything to prayer and thus we will
have the incredible peace of God in our life, that peace which surpasses
comprehension, or cannot be explained apart from the supernatural presence and
work of God in our life.
1.4.
I was thinking
about the peace of God this week and how in the things that we do that we
always need to be led by the peace of God in our hearts. I think of the peace of God as being like the
supernatural cloud that covered the Israelites in the wilderness, and led them
wherever they went. We need to always
stay under the peace of God, and then only move as the peace of God in our
hearts moves us. The Bible Knowledge
Commentary says the following about the peace of God: “The peace of God” is one test of whether
or not we are in the will of God. “Let the peace that Christ can give keep on
acting as umpire in your hearts” (Col. 3:15, wms).
If we are walking with the Lord, then the peace of God and the God of peace
exercise their influence over our hearts. Whenever we disobey, we lose that
peace and we know we have done something wrong. God’s peace is the “umpire”
that calls us “out”!”
1.5.
Paul told us to
guard our minds concerning the things that we think about, and he give us a
list of those things that are worthy of our attention.
2.
In our study
today, we are going to look at verses 9-23 of chapter 4.
2.1.
Paul will tell
the Philippians to imitate everything about him that they have learned,
received, heard, and seen.
2.2.
Paul will tells
us that he has learned to be content in every situation he faces in life.
2.3.
Paul will then
tells us that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him, and we
will discuss what he means by that.
3.
VS 4:9 - “9
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice
these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Paul tells the Philippians to
imitate all that they know from and about him
3.1.
Paul tried to
live his life in such a way that it would be a pattern that all could and
should follow. He took being a apostle
very seriously, and lived his life with his apostleship always in view.
3.2.
Knowledge about
Paul and how he lived his life came to the Philippians in several ways,
including the things they had:
3.2.1. ‘Learned’ from him.
3.2.1.1.Paul had planted the church and been their teacher
from the beginning.
3.2.1.2.He had also taught them many things though just by his
example. It has been said that many
things are better ‘caught’ than ‘taught’, and they had ‘caught’
many things from observing Paul.
3.2.2. ‘Received’ from him.
3.2.2.1.This letter and perhaps other letters from Paul
addressed to them or other churches had been ‘received’ by the
Philippians, for we know that the churches copied the apostle’s letters and
sent distributed them far and wide.
3.2.2.2.Paul would be asking them here to study careful any
materials sent to them which had originated from him.
3.2.2.3.But, to truly “receive” something means that
you take it to heart and therefore seek to apply it to your life, just as Paul
writes about to the Thessalonians: 1
Thessalonians 2:13, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when
you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not
as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God,
which also performs its work in you who believe.”
3.2.3. ‘Heard’ about him.
3.2.3.1.Paul encourages the church to share the stories about
him and his teaching with each other.
Likewise, travelers who might come to the Philippian church from other
churches where Paul had been would share things that they had learned from or
about Paul, and Paul was confident that his reputation could be trusted, unless
of course the source of these stories was the Judaisers.
3.2.3.2.The stories about Paul didn’t just involve his
teachings, but also his sufferings and persecutions, and how he had reacted to
those things.
3.2.4. ‘Seen’ in him.
3.2.4.1.This refers to those things that are communicated mostly
in a non-verbal sort of way. The
Philippian church had ‘seen’ and observed Paul’s actions and
reactions in many pressing and trying situations. Paul calls upon them to imitate him in all of
these things.
3.2.4.2.Paul’s life could be a pattern to follow because it
was lived in the manner that James admonishes all believers in Christ to life: James
1:22, “But
prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude
themselves.”
3.3.
Paul tells the
Philippians to ‘practice’ all of the things they had learned and come to
know from and about him. He imitated
Christ in all things, and as he imitated Christ, they could also follow his
example.
3.4.
Paul was not a
perfect man, because perfect men do not exist, except for Jesus Christ. But, his life was still an example to all of
what a life totally surrendered and committed to the Lord could and should look
like.
3.5.
We Christians
would do well to try to live our own lives in such a way that we too could tell
people to just do what we do, and God will be with them and bless them in all
that they did. Can you tell those who
know you to live their life following your life as a pattern? Or, would you have to say, “Do as I say
not as I do!”
4.
VS 4:10 - “10
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your
concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked
opportunity.”
– Paul tells the Philippians that he ‘rejoiced in the Lord greatly’ because the
church had revived their concern for him, not that they weren’t concerned
before
4.1.
Paul is referring
here to the fact that the Philippian church had evidently sent to him some sort
of a monetary gift recently.
4.2.
Paul ‘rejoiced
in the Lord’ not just because this gift from the Philippian church
ministered to his need, but more so because he knew that the church would be
blessed because of their giving. The Philippian
church ministered to his need and thus he knew that the church would be blessed
because of their giving. There is a
saying that states, ‘You can’t out give God!” When we give, God blesses us in the process.
4.3.
Paul knew that
the Philippian church had always been concerned about his needs, and wanting to
help him out financially, they just had been able to for a while, they ‘lacked
opportunity’ because of some unknown circumstance.
5.
VS 4:11-12 - “11
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along
with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both
of having abundance and suffering need.” – Paul tells the Philippians
that he has learned to be content in whatever circumstances he finds himself
in, whether in humble means or prosperity, eating a full meal or going hungry,
having abundance or suffering need, etc.
5.1.
Earlier in this
chapter, Paul described how to have the peace of God in your life through
taking all of your needs to the Lord in prayer and with thanksgiving, and in
guarding your mind and only thinking about those things that are worthy of our dwelling
upon. Now, he tells the Philippians that
he has learned to ‘be content in whatever circumstances’ he finds
himself in.
5.2.
Strong’s Greek
Dictionary has the following entry for this word that is translated here as ‘content’:
αὐτάρκης [autarkes /ow·tar·kace/] adj. From 846 and 714; TDNT 1:466; TDNTA 78; GK
895; AV translates as “content” once. 1 sufficient for one’s self, strong enough or processing enough to need
no aid or support. 2
independent of external circumstances. 3 contented with one’s lot, with one’s means, though the slenderest.
5.3.
Wycliff Bible
Commentary says the following about this word ‘content’ used by Paul
here:
Content. Better, self-sufficient. A favorite term of the
Stoics, who conceived of man as possessing the intrinsic ability to resist all
external pressures. 12. In any and all circumstances (no matter how
distressing any one might be or how comprehensive the sum of them all) Paul had
been initiated (a technical term in the mystery religions) into the
secret of facing both lack and abundance. 13. The profound difference between
Paul and the Stoics is that while they held themselves to be self-suffcient,
Paul’s sufficiency lay in Another—the One who infuse(d) strength in him
(AV, strengtheneth me).
5.4.
I happened to
come upon a web site this week (doesgodexist.org), and it had an article on
contentment in which I thought there was a very pithy quote about contentment:
We
live in a society that is basically very unhappy. The suicide rates continue to
climb in all sectors of our society, and discouragement is widespread. The
combination of war, natural disaster, economic problems, and medical conditions
ranging from cancer to chemical depression have all contributed to the
unhappiness we see all around us. This situation is something that has
connections to what our religious belief systems are all about. If you believe
that this life is all there is, then anything that is negative in this life is
a major problem. If you hold to the Christian viewpoint about life, then
whatever happens in this life is the worst thing you will ever have to
experience. There is always room for optimism and positivism because things
ultimately will improve…In Luke 3:14 when Roman soldiers asked Jesus how to
improve their lives in God's sight they were told to "be content with
your wages."…"Keep your life free from covetousness and be
satisfied with what you have for God himself has said I will never forsake you
or abandon you" (Hebrews 13:5).
5.5.
I find that many
times the people who have virtually everything that this world has to offer are
some of the most discontent people there are.
Paul admonished pastor Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:7-8 to be content with little: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we
cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these
we shall be content.”
5.6.
The author to the
book of Hebrews admonishes us to be content:
Hebrews 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the
love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” We as
God’s people must have the ability through the indwelling and empowering of the
Holy Spirit to be content, otherwise the Lord would not have admonished us to
be content.
5.7.
When Paul says
here that he has learned to be content in every circumstance he is speaking
by way of revelation from God inspired by the Holy Spirit, but he was
also speaking from his own experience.
It is amazing to consider Paul having contentment in all things when we
consider all that he has suffered: 2
Corinthians 11:24-27: “24 Five times I received
from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the
deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in
dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen,
dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness,
dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship,
through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in
cold and exposure.”
Considering his life, we have to conclude that contentment as a
Christian doesn’t have anything to do with our circumstances.
5.8.
Note here that
Paul does not say that he has always been content in his life, but rather that
he has ‘learned’ to be content in the Lord. As Christians it takes trials and time and
God’s working in and through us to enable us to be ‘content’ in
Christ. You have to learn to let all of
your cares turn into prayers, with a thankful heart to God, and you also have
to learn to dwell only upon those things that are worthy of your thoughts: ‘whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if
there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise.’ It is this learning
to be content which allows us to have “the peace of God that surpasses
comprehension,” and in the process dissatisfaction, depression, and
frustration will in time flee from our lives.
5.9.
The Bible
Knowledge Commentary says the following about Paul’s having learned ‘the
secret’ of being content in every situation (‘being filled and going hungry,
both of having abundance and suffering need’):
The
words I have learned the secret translate memyēmai (from
myeō), which occurs only here in the New Testament. In the mystery
religions it was a technical term meaning “to initiate (into the mysteries).”
Paul used it here to suggest a kind of “initiation” (by his experiences) into
being content when either well fed or hungry, and either in plenty or
in want.
5.10.
Do you, oh
Christian, find contentment in your circumstances or in spite of your
circumstances?
6.
VS 4:13 - “13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Paul tells the Philippians
that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him
6.1.
Paul never prayed
for service that matched his strength and ability, instead he trusted God to
provide the strength he needed for the ministry and calling God had for him,
and so should we do as well. God can do
great things in our lives if we will just trust Him to do it.
6.2.
Not only was Paul
content in whatever circumstance he found himself in, he also knew by person
experience that he could endure and persevere as a faithful witness for Christ
in all that he faced through ‘Him who strengthens me’.
6.3.
It would be a
good idea to ask the question of what the ‘all things’ that Paul
mentions refers to? I think that he must
be referring to God giving the believer the strength to do whatever God’s will
is for him to do at any moment. The ‘all
things’ can’t refer to getting the strength to do things that we might do
when we are in rebellion against God.
6.4.
When I first
realized what this verse was telling us as Christ’s disciples I was going to
Bible college and realizing that I was over my head with my commitments. When I was facing what looked like impossible
deadlines and assignments, and already fatigued greatly, I began to believe
that God’s word could be trusted. I
trusted God to give me the ability to complete assignments, prepare for tests,
and sometimes even stay up for a day or two at a time as I studied for
finals. God always provided what I
needed to do well on those assignments and tests.
6.5.
How do you look
at the difficulties you are facing in your life today? Are you trusting God to give you the strength
to do those things that you know that He wants for you to do?
7.
VS 4:14-17 - “14
Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. 15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the
first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me
in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift
more than once for my needs. 17
Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases
to your account.”
– Paul tells the Philippians that they have done well in sharing with him in
his afflictions, and that they are special in that he had not allowed any
church to share with him in the matter of giving and receiving but the
Philippians alone, and then he re-emphasizes that he is not seeking a gift from
them but only seeking the profit to their eternal account with God
7.1.
These verses tell
us just how special this Philippians church was to the apostle Paul. He says here that after he had left them that
they were the only church he had allowed to support him financially: ‘no church shared with me in the matter of
giving and receiving but you alone.’
7.2.
Wycliff Bible
Commentary states the following: “When
I departed probably refers to a gift given at the time of
departure (cf. Acts 17:14) rather than subsequently (in which case see II Cor
11:9).” The Bible Knowledge
Commentary sets the time for this as well:
“In the very beginning of their Christian experience (Acts 16) when
Paul left
7.3.
Paul tells them
again that he didn’t really ever seek gifts from the Philippians (he was not advertizing
any need to them), but rather the ‘profit which increases to your account.’ Paul was excited for the Philippians that
they would one day be rewarded for the gifts which they had given to Paul.
8.
VS 4:18 - “18
But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply
supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant
aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” – Paul tells the Philippians
that his needs are amply supplied since he had received the gift from them that
Epaphroditus had sent to him, a gift that was a fragrant aroma, an acceptable
sacrifice, one that is well-pleasing to God
8.1.
Paul wanted the
church in
8.2.
Paul wanted the
Philippians to know that he greatly appreciated greatly their gift, and thus he
refers to their gift as ‘an acceptable sacrifice’ one that was ‘well-pleasing
to God’.
8.3.
Paul draws from
the imagery of the Old Testament concerning the gifts he had received from the
Philippians, painting them as being like the sweet smelling aroma of incense
that was always burned along with the sacrifices:
8.3.1. Genesis 8:21: “21
The Lord smelled the soothing
aroma; and the Lord said to
Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent
of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every
living thing, as I have done.”
8.4.
In the New
Testament, we see reference to the good deeds we do as being a sweet smelling
aroma:
8.4.1. Revelation 8:3:
“3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a
golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the
prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.”
8.4.2. Revelation 8:4:
“4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the
saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.”
8.4.3. Hebrews 13:16:
“16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such
sacrifices God is pleased.”
8.5.
Christ Himself
was offered up as a ‘fragrant aroma’ unto the Lord: Ephesians 5:2: “2 and walk in love, just as Christ also
loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a
fragrant aroma.”
9.
VS 4:19 - “19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in
Christ Jesus.” – Paul tells the Philippians that God will supply all
of their needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus
9.1.
Though not every
one of our wants will be provided us as Christians, there are a few places in
scripture where the Lord tells us, His people, that He will meet our
needs.
9.2.
Jesus made several
incredible promises to His disciples in Matthew 6:25-34: “For this reason I say to you, do not be
worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink;
nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothing? 26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they
do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add
a single hour to his life? 28
“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the
field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon
in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the
field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will
He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will
we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these
things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for
tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
9.2.1.1.We do not need to worry about any of our needs being
met.
9.2.1.2.If the Father looks after and provides for the birds
of the air, He will provide and look after us.
9.2.1.3.If the Lord can provide for the needs of the lilies of
the field so that they are so gloriously clothed, then He will also meet our
needs.
9.2.1.4.If God can so clothe the grass of the field, which is
alive one day and dead the next, then He will so clothe our own lives.
9.2.1.5.We do not need to worry about what we eat, drink,
clothes we wear, etc.
9.2.1.6.The Father knows all of our needs.
9.2.1.7.If we seek first His kingdom and righteousness, then
all these things that we need will be given to us.
9.2.1.8.We are not to worry about tomorrow, for each day has
enough trouble of its own.
9.3.
When Paul tells
us that God will provide for all of our needs ‘according to His riches in
glory in Christ Jesus’, we must realize how great and deep are His riches,
and that He gives everything to us ‘in Christ Jesus’.
9.4.
Most of us
Americans living at the beginning of the 21st century are filthy
rich compared to people living in most of the rest of the world. We are spoiled, and what we consider to be
our needs may be far beyond what Paul considered to be a true need. Paul said he was content to live with meager
means, but I imagine that what was meager to him would be dire to us today.
9.5.
Likewise, if the
average person in Paul’s day were to list his/her wants in life, I have to
believe that the number of things that they wanted would be at least a tenth of
the number of things that we Americans today might think of as being our wants.
10.
VS 4:20 - “20
Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Paul tells
the Philippians that it is to God that all glory is to go forever
10.1.
All that we do as
Christians should be done for the glory of God, and we must never take away
from God’s glory.
10.2.
Paul tells us
that ‘forever and ever’ that God will be glorified.
11.
VS 4:21-22 - “21
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of
Caesar’s household.” – Paul tells the Philippians to greet every saint in
Christ Jesus, and that the brethren with him and of Caesar’s household greeted
them
11.1.
Years ago when I
was candidating for a youth leader position in Las Vegas, the pastor of the
church told me that Las Vegas was mentioned in the Bible. He said that Paul told the Philippians to
greet those of Caesar’s Palace.
11.2.
The IVP Bible
Background Commentary states the following about Paul’s ministry to the guards
he was constantly chained to:
The
“household of Caesar” could refer to anyone in the Roman civil service directly
dependent on Caesar, including all his slaves and freedmen; it always indicated
great prestige. It most likely refers here to the Praetorian Guard (see comment
on 1:13); if Paul was in
12.
VS 4:23 - “23
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” – Paul
commends the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with the spirits of the
saints in
12.1.
Paul began his
writing of this letter talking about the grace of God, and he ends it doing the
same.
12.2.
I think it is
interesting that Paul saw the grace of God as extending right to the ‘spirit’
of the believer.
13.
CONCLUSIONS:
13.1.
Looking over what
we have learned from this book of Philippians, as the main theme in the book is
the joy of the Lord, I have to ask you yet again, are you rejoicing in Lord all
day long every day?
13.2.
Are you taking
all of your cares to prayer, with thanksgiving?
13.3.
Are you guarding
your thoughts to only those things that are worthy?
13.4.
Are you learning to
be content in every circumstance?
13.5.
Are you learning
that you can do all things through Christ?