The Peace Of God

Philippians 4:1-3 Now we get to the real-life circumstances that caused Paul to write this letter to the congregation in Philippi. Up to this point Paul has given instruction on unity, and positive interactions among the members of the congregation. He covers these themes in great detail because there is friction between two women in Philippi, Euodia and Syntyche.

It is rare for Paul to call out persons in letters written to entire Churches. We should conclude that these women were well known leaders in Philippi, perhaps wealthy patrons providing the Church a place to meet in their homes. Paul must have also had great confidence in their spiritual strength to withstand being called out like this without damaging their faith.

Paul has had much to say in the previous chapters about the positive example he himself sets, the positive example of Timothy, and the self sacrifice of Epiphroditus. The most important of these is the example of Christ who came in the flesh. The question before these women is; how can they persist in quarreling in the presence of Christ who sacrificed His own rights, privileges and status, for them?

Paul appeals to a man named Clement to help these women resolve their dispute, the identity of the "true yokefellow" who is to work along with Clement is unknown.

The specifics of the dispute are not explicitly spelled out. In previous chapters Paul does brought out spiritual issues such as selfish ambition and the emptiness of seeking personal glory but that could apply to a lot of situations.  Whatever the nature of the dispute Paul still considers them both as co-workers in the Church whose names are written in the book of life.

Prayer and Positive Thinking

Paul now offers a succinct and rousing appeal to take the previously outlined principles of Christ like conduct and act upon them Philippians 4:4-7.

Rejoice - this call to live in a mindset of joy has been one of Paul's great themes for this letter. Rejoice because God is with you "Lord is near". This should be read with a sense of God's presence, walking with you and beside you in your life [not a reference to end-time events concerning the return of Christ]. Psalm 145:18-19; 119:151; 34:17-18. Rejoice always - exert the effort to make this a mental habit not a once in a while fix.

Gentleness - the Greek word here is epiekes which is about willingness to meet people halfway, seeking peace through establishing common ground. Here are some places the word is used NT:

• 1 Timothy 3:3 where it is presented as the opposite of violent quarreling… we don’t settle matters by brute force [in word or deed]
• Titus 3:2 where it is presented as the  opposite of slanderous talk about others… consider the other person’s position and POV rather than trash them with words
• James 3:17 where it is presented as a) a spiritual attribute / heavenly wisdom b) shows a desire to find peaceful solutions and openness to persuasion
• 1 Peter 2:18 where it implies equity and fairness

This is perhaps directed again at Euodia and Syntyche as a remedy for their own quarreling. Seeking compromise, tolerance, and openness to alternative points of view are Christian virtues but must never be applied as our attitude towards sinful behavior. That is a great error prevailing in our modern era. All the spiritual gifts and virtues must be built upon a firm foundation of the law and prophets.

Prayer - should be our go-to response when faced with cares, worries, even threatening situations. Paul also adds sub-categories of prayer;

1. Petition - making our needs known to God and seeking His assistance… requires faith and confidence in His power over all things… and wisdom to know when [and when not] to use that power. 
2. Thanksgiving - closely related to our attitude of joy… seeing trials, tests, and all of life through the lens of God great purpose. With this attitude we can offer Him thanks for more than just stuff that makes us happy.

Think on These

Philippians 4:8-9 Paul provides a list of virtues to meditate upon [these are not exhortations to admire the aesthetic beauty of material things [sunsets, flowers, puppies]. The list appeals to ethical concerns [foundational values that drive and motivate our behavior]. Think on these [logizo] means to study, ponder, consider carefully, ruminate, sift and decide.

This list of virtues resembles lists provided by the philosophers of Greece and Rome. In some cases Paul has used the same words but infused them with a new sense of meaning and application.

Nobleness was a virtue highly esteemed by Romans. For them it meant living up to the civic responsibilities expected of them due to their rank in society. A truly noble man was to look out for the interests of those beneath him… benevolent, but lofty and proud.

However, Paul takes this same word and  re-purposes it toward citizenship and civic duty within the Kingdom of God. The emphasis on status is transformed through humility. The acts of nobility are found in biblical righteousness and new spiritual attitudes like love, joy, or humility rather than military service, political order, and patronage.

Truth - very important to Greeks. However, they understood truth to be that which could be explained through the reason and rationality of the human mind. The biblical perspective is that compared to God the human mind is limited. Therefore, not all truth can be worked out through the rational processes of the human mind and we rely upon revelation for access to many of our basic truth assumptions.

Purity - when applied to moral actions [rather than aesthetics] indicates right motives such as concern for the welfare of others, transparency rather than duplicity [which is really an application of the 9th commandment], personal integrity, and honesty.

Lovely - here is the one that gets bible readers thinking about aesthetics rather than morality [IE, contemplating the beauty of creation]. The use of this word is unique to Paul. Its a compound word: Pro - moving toward or in favor of and Philia - natural affection friendliness, fondness. Perhaps another proscription directed towards Euodia and Syntyche.

There may be elements of pagan teaching about virtue that have some merit. This is a reasonable expectation in a world that, through human will, is a mixture of both good and evil. But Paul asks that they [and we] consider what they have learned from him… which he has received from God… put that into practice, and thereby level up their walk with God Isaiah 26:3, Amos 3:3.

Acknowledgment Of Their Assistance

Philippians 4:10-13 over the years the Philippian congregation had sent financial assistance to Paul while he was starting up churches in other areas in Macedonia. After spending time establishing the Church in Philippi [Acts 16], Paul went on to Thessalonica [Acts 17:1-9]. Paul then went to Berea, Athens, and Corinth.

The connection to Thessalonica is plainly stated in verse 16… yet why did Paul still work? 

Even though he had every right to expect and receive payment for preaching and teaching Paul worked. He did this to set an example in places like Thessalonica where there were problems with people being idle and living off the dole… 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9.  

He did it in places like Corinth to prove that he was not just another teacher seeking wealthy patronage… teaching what he taught for money and a small sliver of local fame. He spends a great deal of ink contrasting himself to others who were doing just that. But, Paul was also subsidized presumably so he didn’t have to work full-time 2 Corinthians 11:8.

[see 1 Corinthians 9:1-17 for explanation of his right to receive payment read verses 11-15].

When the people of Philippi learned of Paul's arrest and confinement in Rome they wanted to help. Note: prisoners were responsible for their own upkeep and therefore relied on family and friends to feed them [which is why visiting people in prison was so important, otherwise they would starve].

Paul's real source of joy is not the receipt of aid but the spiritual maturity of the giver. Again, true joy comes not from material circumstances but from seeing the end goal of God's great purpose in all things. This is a guiding principle for confronting trials.

"I Can Do All Things"

Verse 13 is an oft quoted inspirational verse used by people who wish to give God  credit for their accomplishments. This is based on the traditional translation "can do". This phrase could just as easily be translated "I can face all things" or "I can endure all things" which really suits the context of Paul's arrest and imprisonment better.  

In similar fashion, through the understanding provided by God's spirit within us, we are able to remain confident, focused, and possessing the needed inner strength during trials [like his imprisonment]. We accomplish this through training our minds into having a different outlook... In this way we can achieve a joy which sees trial and tribulation as necessary steps moving us forward in god's process of spiritual creation James 1:2.

Philippians 4:14-19 Paul expresses thanks for the financial support they sent. But, really he is saying he does not require any further aid. What they have sent through Epiphroditus is more than enough vs 18. He wants to handle this carefully so they do not feel rejected or cut out of the ongoing work of spreading the gospel..

Giving & Receiving

This is a somewhat technical phrase we should assume is carefully chosen to achieve the desired effect. Within the Roman social setting it characterized the financial aspect of interpersonal relations. People in this society tended to reckon their relationships as an ongoing balance of credits and debits [I do this for you, then you do this for me, then I do this for you... etc. etc.].

Biblical persepectives on what motivates giving are very different, but that’s a different sermon…

Specifically, Paul wants them to see and understand their donations and financial support as payments to God… and as partnership with Him in the preaching of the gospel. In other words, "don't let this be all about your personal relationship with me, Paul" [compare to 2 Samuel 23:13-17].

To press home this perspective Paul speaks as if he were a priest who acts in an intermediary role of bringing the offerings of the common man before God. In this sense he is probably thinking of the freewill offerings of Leviticus 2:1-3:17 [see also Philippians 2:17].

This section of Philippians helps us to put our tithes and offerings into a meaningful perspective:

1. Meaningful sacrifice 2) partnership with God in the work He is doing to transform human beings into His own likeness... and eternal life.

Tithes and offerings are a very real fulfillment of Romans 12:1-2. Scripture continually exhorts us to think of material goods as transitory in the eternal scheme [here today and gone tomorrow]. However, scripture is also adamant that the manner in whi ch we use our material goods is a tangible indicator of our spiritual priorities. The bible is not against money... the scriptures are for good stewardship!

Final Greetings

The letter then ends with final greetings from Paul and all those who are gathered around him during his imprisonment in Rome. Philippians 4:20-23