His contentment did not come through will power or the power of positive thinking. We know very well that there are some people in whose company it is easy to do the wrong thing and there are some in whose company it is easy to resist the wrong thing. He is the author of Preaching: A Biblical Theology and a commentary on Philippians in the ESV Expository Commentary. "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. but so it was that thus the gospel, the glad tidings of His grace, should reach the highest quarters. The Apostle Paul wrote from prison, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Joel Ryan Contributing Writer Lydia was obviously a leading figure in Philippi ( Acts 16:14). No! "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." As the letter draws to an end Paul generously expresses his gratitude for the gift which the Philippians had sent to him. The Lord is near. The one therefore, I say, is the passive side of the Christian; the other is his activity. In the preceding verses, he talks about having experienced various situations in life, ranging from abundance to need, and has learned contentment in all circumstances. For what believer would deny that, however close the conformity, there is always that dignity and perfection which is proper to Christ, and exclusively His? (iii) He is the God of patience, of comfort, and of consolation ( Romans 15:5; 2 Corinthians 1:3). The world is a confusing place right now. What they did seems a much more proper thing, in my judgment, for a woman. In all circumstances, Christ, our unchanging Friend, can uphold us. Such is the thought that the apostle had before his soul of that which became the Christian. In classical thought it described every kind of excellence. what than the testimony for God? It is his state and experience every day, as to which his hope was that in nothing he should be ashamed; "but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ. This chapter then looks for the working of the gracious feelings of Christ Himself in the Christian individually, showing us, first, the fulness of them all in Christ in contrast with the first Adam. God is not a genie in a bottle waiting to help believers achieve their goals. Isn't that a glorious promise? All here below was plunged under the sentence of death through Adam's sin; and God's word could but seal it till redemption. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. All who believe shall surely shine in His glory; and the universal creation, which, belonging to Him as His inheritance, He will share with His own, shall be reconciled and delivered in due time. I can do all things - From the experience which Paul had in these various circumstances of life, he comes here to the general conclusion that he could do all things. He could bear any trial, perform any duty, subdue any evil propensity of his nature, and meet all the temptations incident to any condition of prosperity or adversity. Hes saying that no matter what your circumstances are, you can learn to be content. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.". THE SECRET OF TRUE CONTENT ( Php_4:10-13 ). Prayer itself is very broad term that describes communion with God. Be careful [or anxious] for nothing [don't worry about anything]; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God ( Philippians 4:6 ). What does Philippians 4:13 mean? We need his strength to teach us to be content in every condition. There was another way which would best prove it to his heart; it was not something future secured to Paul in his need, which would be the way of nature, not of love or faith. He breaks it completely, becomes conqueror for ever, wins the title for God's grace to deliver righteously every creature, save only those who, far from receiving Christ, dare to reject Him because of that very nature which He took on Him, and that infinite work on the cross which had caused Him suffering to the utmost in working all out for the glory of God. In these verses we have the thankful grateful acknowledgment which the apostle makes of the kindness of the Philippians in sending him a present for his support, now that he was a prisoner at Rome. But the practical ways and spirit of the Philippians were the living evidence not only of life, but, so to speak, of vigorous health in Christ. So Paul says that the Christian will live in such a way that he will neither conceitedly desire nor foolishly despise the praise of men. 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. But so it is; and thus the food of faith becomes the poison of unbelief. Because He is God, and He is smarter than you are, because He is omniscient, He knows all things. And if God ever . It literally means fair-speaking, but it was specially connected with the holy silence at the beginning of a sacrifice in the presence of the gods. But there are the things, or if you will, the persons under the earth which can never be delivered. Philippians 4:13 is a Bible verse written by the Apostle Paul to encourage the church of Philippi during their suffering. Philippians 4:13 Inspirational Image Translation Details for Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. How could He do that? It was due to His humiliation and obedience; and so it is here treated. He was in a unique position in regard to the Philippians; from no other Church had he ever accepted any gift or help. He had only one gift to send to them--his blessing. Hey, that is the most important thing. But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where these things cannot happen, for where your treasure is there will your heart be also. It was this that so cheered the apostle's heart in his loneliness often, in his desertion sometimes, when the sight of a brother would have given fresh courage to his heart. Paul is reflecting on his own life journey and the challenges he has faced. It was the exact reverse in good of what the Galatians were in evil, for they had been cordial and bright when the apostle was with them; but directly his back was turned, their hearts were alienated. If he desired for them that they should be without one stumble till the day of Christ, it was the purpose to which grace had girded up his own loins. It was more acceptable to God as it was the fruit of their grace than it was to Paul as it was the supply of his want. I never wait for God to respond or to answer. What seemed to some the death of the gospel was in point of fact distinctly for the furtherance of it. And having shared with the women, the following week they told their friends, and a big crowd of people gathered to hear Paul share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, they are just retired; they don't do anything but go out to the village once a month to take pictures of kids getting candy. The Lord is at hand ( Philippians 4:5 ). 4:1013) It was not that he was dissatisfied with his own state, for he had learned the gift of content. The heart of this teaching is that contentment does not depend upon our circumstances. When the state or kind of resurrection is meant to be expressed, the anarthrous form is requisite, as we see in verse 24 of this very chapter, and regularly so. There are the things which are, as the King James Version has it, honest. Maybe he was writing to the Philippian jailer who had been converted. It isnt just that Christ is strong enough to handle our trials, but that he will give us strength from his vast stores (Eph 1:19), so that we can continue to act as his ambassadors and image-bearers on the earth, awaiting his sure return. Yes, God can do anything. Here see what is the nature of true Christian sympathy; not only to be concerned for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. Christ is the One who strengthens us in the face of both difficulties and blessings, and Christ is the One who receives the glory. But one day, after years of struggle, I came to the truth of the statement of Christ and realized the truth of it, apart from Him I could do nothing. But the Philippians sent once and again; they often relieved and refreshed him in his necessities. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. You will experience such peace. Timothy was very dear to him, and was then with him; but he is going to part with the one that was so much the more valued by him in his solitariness and sorrow because of his circumstances at Rome. ", And now there is the most lovely picture of Christ again; for it is always Christ here, and this again practically. 18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. Thus the difference between reconciliation and subjection is manifest. Hence he desired that their conversation should be as became such zeal; "that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.". It is just barely possible that yokefellow is a proper name--Suzugos ( G4805) . Paul was not a member of the Stoic philosophic school. The message was 90% behavior improvement and how bad you are, with a pinch of who you are in Christ, It was like every sermon was being preached to the church of Corinth. But what greater gift can we give to any man than to remember him in our prayers? differently] minded, this also will God reveal to you." There was an ancient conjecture that Euodias and Syntyche were the Philippian jailor and his wife ( Acts 16:25-34): that they had become leading figures in the Church at Philippi, and that they had quarrelled. It is not at all a question of ecclesiastical order, in which naturally the chief guides would have front rank. Alter and Matthaei followed according to their plan the manuscripts before them; but the latter was too good a scholar not to feel the difference, though he appears to impute it to a corrector for the sake of elegance in his second edition. Acknowledgment (Phil. But the (trace of Christ wrought in them all; and that was the great joy and delight of the apostle's heart. Better not make them known to men; it is a dangerous snare. This is the object set before us inPhilippians 3:1-21; Philippians 3:1-21. Why go in the way of crowds of soldiers or civil officers? That peace that passeth human understanding, passes your own understanding. Certainly this is painful and humbling. It redounded so much the more to their honour that they were the only church who were thus just and generous. It is not meant that there are no difficulties, but that Christ makes the burden light and all happy to the praise of God's grace; whereas any other means or measure detracts from His glory and draws attention to self. I tried it all, but I always felt distant from God, and while I believed in Jesus I never felt secure. 28:20)). The things that happened to him he could therefore judge calmly and clearly. And I have sought to develop that listening side of prayer. It is important to understand this phrase rightly. The archangel is at best but a servant; the highest creature, far from having to stoop in order to become a servant, can never rise above that condition. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity ( Philippians 4:9-10 ). These are the things in which he personally instructed them. Your form could not be submitted. We have need of strength from Christ, to enable us to perform not only those duties which are purely Christian, but even those which are the fruit of moral virtue. And so, too, he could now read and interpret all things in that bright light around him. Because, says Paul, the Lord is at hand. Paul said, "That fruit might abound to your account." This disperses all clouds from the soul. So, if God ever is to know who is going to be saved, He has always known who is going to be saved, and having always known those that were going to be saved, He wrote their names in the Book of Life before the foundation of the earth. The problem was the church message. The contentment that allows us to praise God amid the pain, confusion, and humiliations is something we can learn. As a result, many people have experienced disappointment, for example, Stephen Curry, whose example you will find at the end of this article. Paul can walk through all of this and more because the source of his strength is from without. It was also what he carried up to the moment of writing to the Philippians as ardently as ever. Certainly, this cannot mean that Paul thought he could do anything through Christs power because the preceding verses (1112) clarify that he learned to be content in any and every circumstance. When Paul writes all things, he is specifically referring to all those situations or circumstances he facessome of them good and some of the extremely difficult. A quarrelling Church is no Church at all, for it is one from which Christ has been shut out. Caesar's household was the regular phrase for what we would call the Imperial Civil Service; it had members all over the world. Let us take a simple example which meets every teacher almost every day. Indeed that which had drawn out the epistle was the proof that the trying circumstances of the apostle had but called out their affections. J. There is one who can enable us to banish such thoughts from the mind, and restore the right balance to the affections of the soul. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Yet the truth as to this abides, not only at the starting-point, but all the way through. "That I may win Christ, and be found in him" where not a vestige of self remains, but all will be Christ, and nothing but Christ. "Paul . They shared the conflict of the gospel; they partook of the reproach that covered those who preached it. To understand the meaning of Philippians 4:13, we must first see the context of the passage, that is, the subject it is talking about. 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have the dignity of holiness on them, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are winsome, whatever things are fair-spoken, if there are any things which men count excellence, and if there are any things which bring men praise, think of the value of these things. Mike Cynar grew up in church and observed that countless people would go to church and then just stop. 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