Southern Christian
James A. Turner
Please read all the references. They will help to
give a better understanding.
Philippians
I think the epistle to the Philippians shows that
Paul was already in that open door, but did not recognize it. And if you ask why I think that, he says to
the Philippians, I would have you know that my bonds have turned
out unto the furtherance of the gospel. I believe he
was doing the same thing in teaching those soldiers that were guarding him when
he wrote verse three here. And if that
be the case, if Paul was standing in an open door and did not recognize that it
was open, then what about us today? He
was an inspired apostle, but he evidently had not recognized he was in that
open door until some time later. But remember
those soldiers that guarded him may have been a part of the bodyguard for the
emperor, and Paul was evidently teaching them, and it bore fruit as stated in
the Philippian letter.
So let us turn now to
Philippians and begin with that letter.
Remember first that the church at Philippi was
the first church that was established in European territory. We read about the establishment of the church
in Acts sixteen. The two cases of conversion that are recorded while Paul was
there was Lydia
and her household, and the Philippian jailer and his household. There may have been others, but those are the
only two that are recorded. It looks
like Lydia's
household was a business household, (Acts 16:13-15)
and the jailer's household was his family household (Acts 16:25-34). Notice that the epistle is addressed “to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are
at Philippi with the bishops and the deacons”. So the church at Philippi
was a fully organized church, with bishops and deacons. Any time a church today is fully organized,
as God wants it to be, it has its own bishops and its own deacons, like the
church at Philippi did.
And as usual, Paul thanks God for them, "Always and every supplication of mine on behalf of you, and
all making my supplication with joy for your fellowship in the furtherance of
the gospel from the first day, even until now."
There was no church that was as
determined to keep supporting the apostle Paul, as was the church at Philippi. And here he states that it was from the first
day until now. Well, what happened on
that first day? After Lydia
and her household were converted, she said, “If
you have judged me to be faithful of the Lord, come into my house and abide.” She insisted, and Paul, Silas, Timothy, and
Luke then stayed in her house, at least as long as Paul and Silas were there,
and it is very probable that Luke continued to stay there until the time of
carrying the contribution to Jerusalem. So that was support for the furtherance of
the gospel, in that she gave them a place to stay, and probably their food and
other needs. It also indicates that her household was just a business
household. If she had had a husband, and
children, would she not have said come into our house and abide, but she said
come into my house and abide. Remember also that Lydia
was “a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira.”
So the Philippian church was a wonderful church.
Verse
six, “Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in
you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." In verse seven through eleven he
speaks of his love for them, and how he was praying that they would be “sincere and void of offence unto the day
of Christ.” In verse twelve he says,
"I would have you know brethren, that the things which happened unto me
have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel." I guess Paul had wondered many times
why he had to go to Rome as a
prisoner. And we read in Acts 28:1-15,
that after the shipwreck on the Island of Melita, and after three more months
when they were on the way to Rome the brethren met him at The Three Travers,
and we read that “he thanked God and
took encourage.” Doesn't that
imply that he was lacking in courage, not understanding why he was going to Rome
as a prisoner? But it encouraged him for
some of the brethren to come that far to meet him, and now recognizes that his
bonds “had fallen out unto the progress of the gospel
so that my bonds became manifest in
Christ throughout the whole Praetorian Guard, and to all the rest." Remember that Paul lived in his own hired
house, but he was guarded by soldiers (Acts 28:16). Well, if they served, say eight hours a day
that would be three per day. And
evidently Paul made it his aim to teach every one that guarded him, and it bore
wonderful fruit.
Verse fourteen, "And most of the brethren in the Lord,
being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of
God without fear." Evidently
Paul did the brethren at Rome more
good going there as a prisoner, and yet showing such boldness, he stirred them
to more boldness. He probably did them more good than he would have done if he
had gone there as a free man. Then
beginning with verse fifteen, he tells how that there were two ways that the
gospel was being preached. But in either
case, he was thankful that the gospel was being preached. Verse fifteen, "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some
also of good will:
The one doeth it of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the
gospel; but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to
raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense, or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and
will rejoice." Verse
eighteen, is conclusive proof that both parties were preaching the gospel
correctly, but one was not preaching it with the right spirit. One group was preaching it with the right
spirit, and another group was not preaching it with the right spirit. But it would have had to have been the true
gospel, or Paul would not have stated here in verse eighteen that he rejoiced
that the gospel was being preached.
And, again, we need to learn a
lesson from that. If the gospel is
preached according to God's truth, men should hear it and obey it, whether it
is preached in the right spirit or not.
You remember the case of Jonah going to Nineveh,
and preaching that short sermon, “Yet
forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” That unwilling foreign evangelist was all the
time hoping that God would destroy Nineveh. We have some in the church today who think
that unless the preacher presents everything in a very positive and a very
pleasing and encouraging way, that they have no obligation to pay any attention
to what he is saying. But if he is
preaching the truth, please be assured that all of us need to heed and obey
whether it is with the right spirit or not.
"For I know that this
shall turn out to my salvation through your supplication and supply of the
spirit of Jesus Christ. According to my
earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame." Even though they wanted to add to his
affliction, Paul was going to continue to be bold and preach the word of God
without fear, even though he is a prisoner. "But
that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my
body, whether by life, or by death." That is another statement that shows that in
Romans 7:14 following, Paul was not talking
about himself as a Christian. He
magnified Christ in his body. That was
his intent, whether by life or whether he received the death penalty.
Verse twenty-one, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain." That does not sound
like he was carnal, holy inclined to all evil.
"But if to live in the
flesh, if this shall bring fruit from my work:
Then what I shall choose I know not.
For I am in a straight betwixt the two, having the desire to depart, and
be with Christ; for it is very far better:
Yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake." For a child of God to die, Paul says is very
far better. When a child of God dies,
his spirit goes on to be with the Lord.
So Paul really wanted to depart and be with Christ, but at the same
time, he recognized that he was needed for the Philippians and for other
brethren, and he wanted to be of service in the flesh, as long as the Lord
wanted him to. And so verse twenty-four,
"Yet to abide in the flesh is
more needful for your sake. And having
this confidence, I know that I shall abide yes and abide with you all for your
progress and joy in the faith; that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in
me through my presence with you again." So we notice from verse twenty-six that Paul
was expecting to be released from this first Roman imprisonment. And remember he had told Philemon to prepare
a lodging for him, and so Paul expected to be released from this first Roman
imprisonment. In Acts 28:30-31 Luke speaks of
that imprisonment being over, and I Timothy and Titus show very definitely that
he was released.
Verse twenty-seven, "Only let your manner of life be worthy of
the gospel of Christ:
That whether I come to see you, or be absent, I may hear of your faith,
that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the
gospel." Any time all of the
members of the church are faithful that is what happens. They stand fast in one spirit with one soul
striving for the faith of the gospel.
"And in nothing
afrightened by the adversary." It
is thought, by those who have studied the history of the day, that the
Christian religion was being counted an illegal religion by this time. And so you can see if that were the case why
the adversaries would frighten them.
What would happen today in America
if our government declared we are not to meet to worship anymore? I am afraid some would say, well, the
government has decided it, and we will live by what is legal. "And
in nothing afrightened by the adversaries:
Which is for them an evident token of perdition, but for your salvation." If you continue to be bold for the Lord and
stand against those things that are wrong, the adversaries, those who are
afflicting you, it is a token of their perdition, eternal destruction in
a devil's hell, but for your salvation and that from God. "Because
to you it hath been granted in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer in his behalf."
Keep in mind II Timothy 3:12, “All they that will live godly in Jesus
Christ shall suffer persecution.” And
so these Philippian brethren were suffering.
And so Paul reminds them that they should appreciate the fact that they
can suffer for Christ, “because to
you it has been granted in behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also
to suffer in his behalf, having the same conflict which you saw in me (Acts
16:15-26) and
now hear to be in me.”
Chapter Two
"If there is therefore any consolation in Christ, (just
as surely as there is) if any
consolation of love, if any
fellowship of the spirit, any tender mercies and compassions make full my joy,
that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, and of
one mind." Brethren are not
going to be of one accord and one mind, unless they are motivated by one
love. Just as surely there is not proper
love, there will be some discord and division in the church. "Doing
nothing through faction or through vainglory; but in lowliness of mind each
counting other better than himself." Verse three parallels the verse that we read
in Romans the twelfth chapter where he says, “in
honor preferring one another.” If
a brother is not putting forth much effort to live the Christian life, and
another brother is putting forth all the effort he can put forth to live the
Christian life, he is not to count that man who is not putting forth any effort
in that sense better than himself, but, it is that spirit of being ready to
give the other brother first place. "Not looking each of you to his own
things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus:
Who, existed in the form of God, counting not to being on in equality
with God; a thing to be grasped."
In the eighth chapter of II Corinthians we read that Christ became poor,
-- he left the riches and the glories of the heaven and became poor, that “we through his poverty may become rich.” And so that is what he is talking about here
that he existed in the form of God. He
existed eternally, but he took upon himself the form of man.
Verse 7, "But emptied himself (of the riches and glories of heaven) taking the form of a servant, being made in
the likeness of man: and being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself becoming obedient even unto death, yea the death of the cross." In Luke 22 we read about Christ's agony before
his betrayal, that his sweat became as it were “great
drops of blood”. One of the
reasons why I am so impressed with that statement is because of a statement I
heard my late brother-in-law Doris Brooks make.
He was in World War II and in the tank division. And he said they received the command that
all the other tanks had been knocked out, and move up to the front line. Well, he knew the great danger of it, and he
said sweat broke out on him in just big welts.
He was in agony, and Jesus was in agony before the cross. He was man, and he had to suffer on that
cross just like any other man would have to suffer, and he did. Verse nine, "Wherefore
also God, highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every
name:
That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things on the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the father." We are reminded of this same kind of
instruction in the twelfth chapter of Romans.
So it is a matter of when a man is going to bow his knees, whether he is
going to do it in this life, or whether he is going to do it in the Day of
Judgment. Of course, it may be that the
righteous and the unrighteous will all bow then, but, very definitely, these
passages teach that every knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to
confess.
Verse twelve, "So then my beloved, even as ye have
always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling." What does he mean by that statement, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling?
I received from one student the conclusion that works do not have
anything to do with our salvation. Well,
we are not going to earn our salvation, but works are involved in our
salvation. Remember James says, “As a body without the spirit is dead, even
so faith without works is dead.” Saving faith has always been active. And so here, again, Paul says to the
Philippians, “work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God who worketh in
you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." What if a man refuses to do the will of God
and to work as he has instructed? Will
he be saved at the end of the way? Just
a little common, ordinary thinking ought to tell us that God expects us to work
according to his instruction. Paul tells
Titus to tell the brethren at Crete for them “to be ready unto every good work,”
and that applies to us, and if we are not ready to follow that command, we are
in great danger.
Verse fourteen, “Do all things without murmurings and
questionings.” What does he mean
by all things? All the things that the
Lord has commanded. It does not mean
that we are to go out and do all the things that people may want us to do, but
do all that the Lord is has instructed us to do, and do it with a good
spirit. Do it without murmurings and
questionings, whether we can understand the why or not, we are to go ahead and
do it. We are to have enough faith and
confidence in the Lord that he knows what is best for us and go ahead and do
it. And, again, some want to reject
baptism, because they cannot see how it would have anything to do with their
salvation. Well, God may have
deliberately chosen water baptism because it looks foolish to some. Remember in I Corinthians chapter one where
he says, “that it pleased God
through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” It may
be that God has deliberately chosen some things that just on the basis of human
reasoning would look foolish.
Verse fifteen, "That ye may become blameless and
harmless, children of God, without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse generation." Our
generation is no different from the generation of those Philippian brethren.
They were in a crooked and perverse generation, and we are in a crooked and
perverse generation. And so we are to
live such lives as to be without blemish.
That does not mean that we are going to be without sin. I John 1:8-9
surely answers that and also 2:1-2, but when
we learn that we have sinned, we are to repent and pray to God for the
forgiveness of our sins, and “he is
just and righteous to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” “And if any man sins, we have an advocate
with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and is he is the propitiation for
our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world,
(I John 2:1-2). So we have an attorney to plead our case, and
that attorney is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Verse sixteen, “Holding forth the word of life that I may
have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, neither
labored in vain." Verse
sixteen shows that there will be identity in heaven. If those Philippian brethren were faithful,
he would have whereof to glory in the day of Christ. He would know that he did not run in vain and
labor in vain when he preached to those Philippians "Yea,
and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith (condemned to death) I joy and rejoice with you all." I am glad to die in behalf of the Gentile
people for which I was made an apostle.
"and in the same manner,
do you rejoice and rejoice with me." He would be talking about rejoicing, because
he died in faithfulness, and there is a sense in which we can rejoice when we
know that a brother has died that is a faithful servant of God, and that he has
gone on to a place that is very far better.
I do not think that place is heaven, but at least there is that sense in
which the spirit goes on to be with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:
5-6).
Verse nineteen, "But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your
state. For I have no man like-minded, who will care truly for your sake. For they all seek their own, not the things
of Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof
of him, that as a child serveth a father, so he serveth with me in the
furtherance of the gospel.” That
surely shows that Timothy was a great servant of God for Paul to commend him
like that, that when he went to the Philippians, he would truly care for their
sake. He would not be just looking out
for himself, but he would be truly caring for their sake, while others would at
least in part be concerned about themselves.
Verse twenty-three, "Him
therefore I hope to send forth with, so soon as I shall see how it will go with
me." Verse twenty-three is
very strong evidence that Paul wrote Philippians later than he did Ephesians,
Colossians, and Philemon. He is
expecting to know very soon whether or not he will be released, and if he is
released, he will send Timothy immediately to them.
Verse twenty-four, "But I trust in the Lord that I
myself also shall come shortly."
If he is released from prison, he plans to go and visit the church at Philippi. And, of course, if he visited the church at Philippi,
we would expect him to visit all the churches in Macedonia
and Achaia. I Timothy and Titus show
very definitely that he was released and that he was very busy revisiting the
churches and doing evangelistic work during the time between the first and
second imprisonment at Rome. Verse twenty-five, "But I counted it necessary to send to you
Epaphroditus." They had sent
Epaphroditus to carry things for Paul and to minister to him, and while he was
there he had become sick and almost died, and they had heard about it and were
very concerned, about him and so he was sending Epaphroditus back to them. Verse twenty-nine, "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all
joy, and hold such an honor. Because for
the work of Christ he came nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply
that which is lacking in your service toward me."
Chapter three
"Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To
write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is
safe." Think of Paul being
in prison and telling brethren to rejoice in the Lord, and he says it is not
irksome for me to do it, but it is surely good for you. "Beware
of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision." What kind of dogs is he talking about in verse
two? He is not talking about four-legged
devourers, but two-legged dogs, two-legged devourers. And who were they? Those false Judaizing teachers, he was
referring to them in three different ways.
As dogs, they were willful false teachers trying to devour the saints of
God. They did not deserve any better
terminology. It was correct
terminology! They were evil workers,
teaching contrary to the way of God. And
beware of the concision, and that shows who he is talking about. Beware of the mutilators, those who were
trying to bind circumcision on the Gentile people. "For
we are the circumcision, who worshiped by the spirit of God, and glory in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." So Christian people constitute the true
Israel of God. Verse three is a parallel
to Romans 2:28-29, that Christian people make
up the new Israel of God. And look how
you could take verse three out of the context and come with a doctrine that
Christian people do not have any confidence in the flesh, and that they cannot
control the flesh, therefore they do not have any confidence in the flesh. Well, it is not talking about that at all,
but it is talking about the fact that he was no longer expecting to be saved on
the basis of being a Jew, according to the flesh. He goes ahead to say that if
any man could have confidence in the flesh, he could.
When the Sadducees and the
Pharisees went to the baptism of John, John said “you
generation of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bring forth
therefore works, meet for repentance, and say not unto yourselves that God --
that you're the seed of Abraham. For I
say unto you that God is able even of these stones to raise up seed unto
Abraham.” Those Pharisees and the
Sadducees back there were expecting salvation on the basis of them being Jews,
and that is what Paul is talking about here, that if any man could have
confidence in the flesh, he could. Verse
four, "Though I myself might
have confidence even in the flesh, if any other man thinketh to have confidence
in the flesh, I yet more:
Circumcised the eighth day of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin." Saul, the first king of Israel
came from the tribe of Benjamin. "A Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law,
a Pharisee.” The Pharisees were
very strict in trying to keep every detail of the law. "As
touching zeal persecuting the church (he sought to destroy the church) as touching the righteousness, which is of
the law found blameless."
When we read from I Timothy and Titus, about how an elder is to be
blameless, actually every child of God should be found blameless, but it does
not mean sinless perfection. When a man
takes those steps to receive forgiveness for his sins -- under the New
Testament law, when a man is born again, and then when he learns he has sinned,
he repents and asks God to forgive him, then he is forgiven. And when he is forgiven, he is blameless
before God. And surely Paul offered up
animal sacrifices for his sins, and in that sense he was blameless, not without
sin, but blameless in that he had made that temporary atonement for sin.
Verse seven, "Howbeit what things were gained to
me." He was a great leader
of the Jews, as long as he was going the way of the Pharisees back there, and
persecuting, and destroying the church
of God, and don’t you think that
they were ready to pay him well. "Howbeit what things were gained to me,
these have I counted lost for Christ.
Yea verily, I count all things to be lost for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: For whom I have suffered the loss of all
things." His pay scale
plummeted, don't you think, when he became a Christian? "And
do count them but refuge."
Some of the newer versions read garbage, and refuge would be
garbage. "That I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having the
righteousness of my own, even that which is of the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Why does he count it as but refuge or
garbage, something for the garbage dump?
"That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection
from the dead." Here Paul
puts himself with those who will be dead when Christ comes.
Verse twelve, "Not that I have already attained, or
already made perfect:
But I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which I also I
was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold:
But one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and
stretching forward to the things which are before." Now we know from the fact that Paul reasoned
that he was chiefest of sinners, and that he was the least of all the saints,
that he did not forget God's mercy and grace, but from the standpoint of not
letting things hinder him as far as the future is concerned, he is still
stretching forward to the things, which are before. "I
press on toward the goal and to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as
are perfect." The
footnote in my Bible says, full-grown.
Complete. Complete in
Christ. Full-grown in Christ. "Be
thus minded, and if anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God
reveal unto you. Only, where unto we
have attained, by the same rule, let us walk. Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them
that are so walk, even as ye have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and
now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ:
whose end is perdition,
(hell) whose God is the
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. He is talking about the Judaizing teachers
in particular, and he speaks of them whose end is perdition, whose God is the
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
And here, look what a wonderful promise to the
children of God. "For our citizenship is in heaven, whence
also we wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall fashion anew our humiliation
that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself." Verses twenty and twenty-one is a parallel to
I John 3:2, “Beloved,
now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be.
We know when he is manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him
even as he is.”
Chapter Four
"Wherefore, my brethren
beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the
Lord, my beloved. I exhort you Euodia,
and I exhort Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord." It looks like that these two good women
somehow had gotten at odds with each other, and Paul exhorts them to be of the
same mind, and be at peace again. "Yea
I beseech thee also, true yoke-fellow, help these women." Was it through Epaphroditus that he had
learned about them? At least he had
learned that they are at odds with one another, and he wanted them to be of the
same mind. And he wants his yoke-fellow
to help them get back on proper terms.
"Help these women for they labored with me in the
gospel, with Clement also." They had been
good workers. "And
the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Verse four, “Rejoice in the Lord
always: Again I say rejoice. Let your forbearance be made known unto all
men. The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto
God." I remember meeting with a
brother some years ago, I guess about twenty-five years ago, back there when
some brethren were really making so much to ado about the destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D.; and he had gone through the New Testament, and every
passage that had anything like this in it, he was applying it to the
destruction of Jerusalem, and this one on the basis that it says, “The
Lord is at hand.” And he called attention to the fact that when
the Lord sent forth the twelve apostles under the limited commission that they
were to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7),
and it was at
hand. If you give attention to the
context, I think the meaning is entirely different to that. “Let your forbearance
be made known unto all men.” Why? “The
Lord is at hand.” He is our high priest, and he is touched with
the feelings of -- Hebrews 4:15-16, "For
we have not a high priest which is not touched with the feelings of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and grace in time of need." Isn't that a parallel to this passage? “In nothing be anxious.” Cast your cares on the
Lord, for he is a merciful and faithful high priest, and he will plead our
case! "In
nothing be anxious but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God, and the peace of God
which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in
Christ Jesus." What a wonderful promise
that we need to claim! Please remember that nearly all of God’s promises are
conditional on our part. This passage says that if we will make our requests
known unto God, instead of being anxious and worried, that we will have “the
peace of God which passes all understanding!” Isn’t that the peace that we all want?
Well, here Paul
tells us how to claim it, put your cares upon the Lord, and you can have the
peace of God, which passes all understanding, and it will guard your hearts and
your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Verse eight, "Finally
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things."
Proverbs 4:23 reads, “Keep
thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” And Jesus says, “as
a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” And so we
need to be reminded here that we are to think on right things, that we are to
read concerning right things, that we are to watch on TV those programs that
have right things in them, rather than wrong things. We cannot read, and think, and look on things
to the contrary without them having a bad influence on us. And so we need to remember this passage, and
let us train our selves to think on those things that are good and right.
Verse nine, "The things which
ye both learned, and received, and heard, and saw in me. (follow my example)
These things do,
and the God of peace shall be with you.
Verse ten, “But I
rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your thought for
me; wherein ye did take thought, but ye lacked opportunity." Here he is talking about the fact that they
had sent to him by Epaphroditus things that he needed. But he is thankful that
they did, not because he is so concerned about those things, for he had learned
how to be content. "Not
that I speak in respect of want: For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am
therein to be content (4:11).”
In the following verses Paul
thanks the Philippian brethren for the financial help that they had sent him,
but not so much as for him, but that it would be, “fruit that increases to your account” Verse twelve, “I know how to be abased, and I know also
how to abound." To be abased
would be without things that he really needed, and to abound would be to have
more than was necessary for his needs; in either state he had learned to be
content (I Timothy 6: 6-7). "And
everything and all things I have learned the secret, both to be filled, (more than enough) and to be hungry. (less than his needs) Both
to abound and to be in want. I can do
all things in him that strengthened me." Even in great need he could still be “strong in the Lord, in the strength of his
might (Ephesians 6:10).” "Howbeit
ye did well, that ye had fellowship with my affliction. And ye yourselves know, ye Philippians, that
in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had
fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only,
for even in Thessalonica, ye sent once and again unto my need. Not that I seek for the gift." Now, this is why he sent Onesimus back to
Philemon, that Philemon might receive credit for sending him back. "Not
that I speak for the gift:
But I seek for the fruit that increases to your account." When they sent help to Paul at
Thessalonica that was work that was counted to their account. This parallels what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19‑20.
Verse eighteen, "But I have all
things, and abound: I am filled, having received from
Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odor of sweet smell, a sacrifice
acceptable, well‑pleasing to God." So
when they sent to the needs of Paul by Epaphroditus that was counted by God as
a sweet sacrifice acceptable and well‑pleasing to God. "And my God shall supply
every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And when we give liberally and cheerfully, we are
usually blessed for it (II Corinthians 9:8-10). Now unto our God and
Father is the glory forever and ever.
Amen. Salute every saint in
Christ Jesus. The brethren that are with
me salute you. All the saints salute
you, especially they that are of Caesar's household." Paul and his fellow workers had even
converted people in the emperor's household,
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit.”