Understanding Philippians 4: Rejoicing and Moderation

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3rd week into the world-wide quarantine for the Corona Virus-19

Philippians 4.6-end
April 5th 2020
So, we left off last week with Paul writing to the believers at Philippi and saying:

Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

And we talked all about the idea of all names being written in the book of life and how they were removed rather than being added.

The Book of Life and Free Will

I am of the personal opinion – could be wrong on this, but of the personal opinion based on what I see in scripture, that all the names that were written in the Book of Life were written from the foundation of the world but pertained to them/then in and of that age or those whom God had chosen to do what was necessary to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. And that while this was the case there were those who could, of their own freewill and choice, have their names erased for whatever cause.

However, today, because I think the Great White Throne judgment has occurred for them/then, and that all have been reconciled to the Father by the victorious work of His Son, some still, of their own freewill and choice, will be allowed to remove themselves from this victory which is tantamount to inhabiting an eternal place outside of the Heavenly New Jerusalem at death.

For whatever its worth.

Philippians 4 continues:

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 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.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 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.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 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.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

Rejoice and Live Moderately

Alright, back to verse 4 where Paul says:

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

If we sit back and examine what God has done for us in and through the life and death and resurrection of His Son the only real response a Christian really has is to rejoice – when we think about it.

So in the midst of their great trials in that time the Apostle Paul reminds them of this. And he adds:

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

The word translated to moderation (epi-kase) speaks to a restraint of the passions and a freedom of all excesses. The word literally means “mildness, kindness, and gentleness – and that makes sense when we extend it out to lifestyle and demeanor.

I can’t help but think of my younger days lifeguarding on the beach and the group of guys I worked with. Moderation is the opposite description that would be given to them generally as they were wild, uncontrollable in some cases, and the antithesis of gentleness and mildness.

So after Paul tells them to govern their appetites he supplies the reason, saying:

“The Lord is at hand.”

The Greek term translated to “at hand,” however is ENGOOS, and it…

The Concept of "At Hand" in Scripture

Essentially, the phrase means approaching – “the Lord is approaching.” So, the simplest interpretation of this phrase is that Paul is speaking of the Lord being coming toward them. However, the term "near by" is not the same as the phrase “with you” (which he promised would be the case when two or three were gathered together.) And so, I tend to see this passage as meaning that he was near in terms of his return. He was NOT there, but he was near, his time to return was near or approaching summarized by the English, at hand. This is the common use of the turn of phrase – to say the event was nearby or arriving, but not there yet.

Scriptural Examples of "At Hand"

When Jesus was setting up his last supper he said to his disciples in charge of getting the room in Matthew 26:18:

“Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.”

Of course, the Passover was NOT there but it was near, at hand and approaching. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said to his drowsy disciples:

“Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” It was approaching.

Jesus said relative to them understanding the signs of the times and the fig leaves on a tree in Luke 21:30:

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Speaking of the end of that age and the Lord's coming, Paul wrote in Romans:

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

This is similar advice “to be moderate in all things, the Lord is at hand.” And then speaking directly to the coming of the Lord, the believer at Thessalonica were being taught that the day was already there upon them, and Paul reassured them saying in 2nd Thessalonians 2:2:

“be ye not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”

Apostolic Teachings on the Imminence of the Lord's Return

Meaning, it was not nearby yet. Peter wrote in 1st Peter 4:7:

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

Which again is similar advice to what Paul says here, but instead of be moderate in all things, Peter says be sober and watch unto prayer – which in the end is almost the same exact advice.

Of course, the book of Revelation is all about the pressing coming of the Revelation of Christ to the people of that age, and so we read in the very first chapter at verse 3:

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

And the Revelation closes in Revelation 22:10 where Jesus says to John:

“Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

The writer of Hebrews, using a derivative word for “at hand” wrote in Hebrews 10:25:

“Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Same with James who wrote in James 5:8:

“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

Because Paul often spoke of the Lord’s return to the Saints in that day, interpreting the line “to live in moderation for the Lord is at hand” relative to his return to them is scripturally viable. That was the Apostles' call on his life, to prepare the believers for His return to save them from the approaching and violent end of the age. And it was the call on the other apostles like Peter and John. So, to me, the interpretation of verse 5 is plain – he is telling them the Lord’s return is at hand, be moderate in their living.

And with this interpretation and meaning in mind, Paul adds in verse 6:

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let

Encouragement to Relinquish Anxiety

Your requests be made known unto God. Where the King James writes “be careful for nothing,” the meaning is don’t be anxious over anything or for anything. “Do not worry about the things of the present life.” The word used here –merimnate does not suggest that believers then were to exercise no care or control over the worldly matters around them nor to give up providing for their families but the meaning better means to have confidence in God and to be free in the mind from anxiety because of this reliance upon him.

Paul adds: “But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. It’s a great template for believers today – Go to God with every care and need and with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Him. This was how the apostles encouraged the believers in that day to live and I must say more than any other time in my 58 years of life here on earth there has never been a time where this advice is more applicable than today.

The Peace of God

So back to Paul as he promises (verse 7)
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And the peace of God – the peace which God gives – which Paul says, passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Isaiah 26:3 says: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind stays on thee.” You want to have peace, a peace that is not of this world, a peace that is from God himself, which when it is present is beyond understanding? Look to Christ Jesus and trust. Relax in His care and wisdom. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will direct your paths.

What a word for our present day and age – these unheard of days of world-wide quarantine. His peace within the human heart defies description or understanding, and it does not necessarily make sense when experienced. I mean how could it? When everything is falling apart all around us and yet we are full of otherworldly peace? But this is a reality for every believer.

Thinking on the Positive

And at this point Paul enters into the “whatsoever/if there be any” passages – six whatsoevers and two “if there be’s” (verse 8)
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 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.

This is the opposite advice we read in 1st Thessalonians 5:22 where Paul says: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Instead, Paul says if there is anything WHATSOEVER that is TRUE/HONEST/JUST/PURE/LOVELY or of GOOD REPORT . . . if there is any VIRTUE or PRAISE believers there were to think on those things.

The Greek word translated whatsoever means “all things” and lets run through these words in the Greek really quickly: TRUE: (alay-thace) True and truth HONEST: (semnos) honorable JUST: (Dikayos) Right, Innocent PURE: (hagnos) clean LOVELY: (prosfeelace) friendly toward GOOD REPORT: (eufeemos) good reputation VIRTUE: (aretay) manly, of valor PRAISE: (epaheenos) commendable “think on” (lodgidzomahee) take inventory of; number them.

In other words, look to the good, the blessings, the benevolence of God in your lives. Don’t focus and take inventory of the negative and lacking. Whatsoever things fit these categories in your life or in life around you think about them, catalogue them in your minds.

And then Paul returns to a theme he has hit on before with these believers – and he says unabashedly:
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. In chapter 3 Paul also commended them to follow him. Here he does it again, telling them that if they do the things that they have learned from him (and received and heard and seen him do) that if they do them, the peace mentioned above that comes from God through Christ would abide upon them.

At this point (verse 10) Paul uses the space to speak of what he has done, and how he has done it, and what he has learned as a result, in times both trying and abundant. And so he now adds the following (in fact lets read to…

Contentment in All Circumstances

10 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. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 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. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. 15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 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. {I have all: or, I have received all} 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Greetings and Blessings

21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. 22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. <<To [the Philippians written from Rome, by Epaphroditus.]

Rejoicing in the Lord

Alright, back to verse 10 (and I think we will be able to wrap the epistle to the Philippians up today – so at verse 10 Paul writes):

Philippians 4:10 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.

In verse four Paul told them to rejoice. Here he admits that he too had “rejoiced in the Lord greatly.” And he ties the favor which he had received and the gratitude he had for the Philippians to this rejoicing in the Lord. Then he adds that “now at the last your care of me has flourished again!” meaning, after so long a time (because of our distance from each other and my imprisonment) your care for me has once again appeared (or has revived,) “wherein ye were also careful (meaning wherein this care you were desirous), but (he adds) you lacked opportunity (because of distance and few to carry their assistance between Philippi and Rome).

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Not that I am complaining about any lack in my life, Paul adds. Certainly, there were things that Paul could have used from the believers in Philippi to keep his spirits buoyed but it was not to these wants that he speaks to, and now explains for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. We note that Paul says that he had "learned" that whatever state he is in he is content. Which is something most of us, if we have been in a relationship with the Lord long enough, also learn. “That whatever state we find ourselves in, to be content.”

Lessons of Abundance and Need

And Paul explains in further detail what he means by this in verse 12, adding: 12 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. Remember, this was his lot as a chosen apostle of the Lord. In all probability Paul was not patient with such things as a committed Pharisee but he says that he has learned “that whatever state he is in” to be content with whatever state he is in. I can relate to this in Paul – not to the extremes that he has learned but in some ways. The learning to be at peace with your status whatever it may be. It comes with sacrifice of self for the cause of Christ – of which I have experienced in some same ways which are not easy on the flesh, but in

Inner Peace through Contentment

The end are very instructive in the realms of patience and in trusting on the Lord. And so having learned how to be content, he adds that he “knows 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.” Do you know what he is describing for himself? Peace. Inner peace and stability through thick and thin, good and bad, hunger and abundance. He says that he has been instructed – meaning that he was “tutored” on how to be content when full and how to be content when hungry, how to abound and how to suffer need.

What underlies all of this is the fact that God allowed Paul to undergo such things. Isn’t that wild? That the living God will, because he loves and cares for us, allow us to undergo famine and feast, health and sickness, prosperity and pandemic – and in and through all of this the believer is left to ask themselves, left to decide – do I TRUST the God I claim to trust. When a person goes through the desert thirsty and then through the rainforest hydrated, they learn to adapt to both. And God ALLOWS for both – frightening as this can be.

Learning from Adversity

Many of us are in this position right at this very minute. The economy has shut down, we may be out of work, shut in, even sick and struggling with how to make ends meet. Look to Him and be content. He will see you through. If you really think about it, he always does. But we are not really talking about survival skills here – we are talking about the inner woman or man that has the inner strength to be content no matter the surrounding situation.

In the next verse Paul gives the source of his contentment, whether he finds himself in feast or famine and says the famous line:

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

This Paul learned. This we all learn, as Christians, as we submit to what God has in store for us in faith, and learn to rely on Christ who strengthens us, and not the pining for external comforts to satiate ourselves. We begin in faith. We rejoice in the knowledge of our salvation. And then in God’s time he allows us to have our faith challenged – with some times or hardship, spiritual and physical famine, trials. These things temper us as we decide amidst them if we will trust in him or trust in the arm of the flesh or the former things in our lives to bring us through. In and through Paul’s relentless trials he has learned that he can do all things through Christ which strengthens him.

Support from Community

At verse 14 Paul adds:

14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

Notwithstanding, even in the face of my contentment no matter what my circumstance, you (Philippians) have done well. (In that) “you did communicate – you took part in my affliction, you sympathized with me, and assisted me in bearing it all by supplying me with some of my needs. And he adds:

15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

In other words, “At the time when I first preached the gospel to you, when I departed from Macedonia because of the persecution of the local Jews, no church communicated with me.” Meaning, “no church stepped up and helped me in my sufferings and necessities by sending any relief my way.” Paul does not tell us why this was the case, only that this was the case, but he adds here, “but you only.” (verse 16)

16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

According to Acts 17 Paul remained in Thessalonica long enough to establish a flourishing church but there was so much opposition and persecution there the local saints failed to help him but the Philippian saints stepped in and helped him there too. And Paul adds:

17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Not because I desired to receive any such gift or material blessing from you, but I desired fruit that would abound to your account.” The word "fruit"

Paul's Encouragement and Gratitude

Paul says that he did not desire their giving to him for the sake of his wants being fulfilled but on account of the fact that by their goodness toward him “fruit” would be added to their account, which is a concept borrowed from commercial dealings where deposits are accredited to the accounts of those who make them. Verse 18 he adds:

18 But I have all, and abound: (meaning I have received everything from you – and he adds) I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.

And in their offering Paul appears to have been completely satiated by their offering to him, with him calling the offering (which was brought to him by Epaphroditus) “an order of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God.” This indirectly shows that to support Paul in His cause was to support the Living God.

And then as a return blessing and salutation upon them, Paul adds:

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Glory and Honor to God

Because of the context Paul seems to be saying "You have shown your regard for me as a friend of God, by sending to me in my distress, and I have confidence that, in return for all this, God will supply all your wants when you are in circumstances of necessity." And, of course, he says that this would all be done according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ. With Paul, as always, everything by and through Jesus Christ.

And he closes the official instructive part of this letter with

20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I want to reiterate that all the glory and honor for ever and ever, according to Paul, was unto “God and our Father.”

Scriptural References to Glory

These words are similar to how Paul ends his epistle to the Romans, saying there in Romans 16:27

To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

There is frequent reference to such glory and the Father all through the New Testament narrative.

Ephesians 1:17 reads “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

That Philippians 2:11 reads: “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

To me, Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, was sent to ultimately bring glory to the Father.

The way I understand this is when someone gives a great fantastic speech, one that inspires and instructs and enlightens, like the Gettysburg address or I have a dream, the glory is not given to the words themselves, though they are recited and read and repeated for decades to come by people who are inspired by them, but the glory goes to the one who formed, created and spoke the words themselves – in that case, Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

And so it is with God the Father being the recipient of the glory produced by His Son (the Word of God) made flesh. So, while the words are in fact, glorious, they are also, in fact, the words of the speaker, to whom the glory goes.

The Word and the Glory

That is why we read in John 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And that is also why we read Jesus say in John 17:

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

But it is also why we read and see that all glory goes to the Father and God of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Paul adds at verse 21

21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.

It is quite typical for Paul to close his epistles with affectionate salutations to various members of the churches to which he wrote. These salutations are generally specific, and often mention names of prominent members of the churches. We see this at the close of Romans; 1Corinthians; Colossians; and 2 Timothy). Here in Philippians, however, as in some others, the salutation is general. And he adds:

22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of

Caesar's Household in the Epistle to the Philippians

Caesar's household. Meaning all the Saints in Rome where this epistle was written. “Chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.” At that time Caesar was Nero, who was the reigning emperor in that day. Of course, the name Caesar was given to all the emperors after the time of Julius Caesar, (just like the name Pharaoh was the common name of the kings of Egypt or your honor is given to all judges).

Understanding the Role of Caesar's Household

And the phrase used–"chiefly they that are the household of Caesar"–could refer to the relatives of the emperor or it could refer to the believers who were working in the household or empire of Caesar – especially the jail in which Paul was held. And he adds the final line of this letter to the Philippians

23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The Significance of the Closing Line

I like this line because it shows that Christ Jesus was the bestower of grace upon his church and its apostles in that day, as all power was given him of His father. In the King James version there is an added subscription, which says: <<To [the Philippians written from Rome, by Epaphroditus.]>> This was added later and has zero authority but just for a point of interest, the subscription is translated in different ways depending on the language in which we read it. For instance:

The Greek is, "It was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus." And the Syriac, "The epistle to the Philippians was written from Rome, and sent by Epaphroditus." And the AEthiopic, "To the Philippians, by Timothy." And so it goes. Next week, the Letter to the Colossians!

Which leaves us with only seven short books remaining in our coverage of the New Testament – unless we redo the book of Romans last. We hope you will continue to tune in during this shut down time every Sunday or in our archives as we go verse by verse through the word of God. Let’s pray.