Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

• Philippians 4:1-23

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Philippians 4:1-3 ‘The Book of Life’: “The apostle dearly loved the believers in the church at Philippi. Twice in Philippians 4:1 he calls them his ‘beloved.’ Because of their special place in his heart, he says that they are his ‘joy and crown.’ Paul generally felt this way about all his converts (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). That they were his ‘crown’ (Greek, stephanos) means they were a victory wreath to be worn on the head, as done by winners in the Greek games (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). At the judgment seat of Christ, the bema, believers will receive various crowns for their service to the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:10). For Paul, these saints represented his joy of victory because they were proof that his work in Philippi had not been in vain (Philippians 2:16).
“In 4:2 Paul has to put out a ‘brush fire’ between two women, Euodia and Syntyche, who apparently were not relating together in Christian harmony ‘in the Lord.’ They may have been among the women Paul met outside of the city on a Sabbath day when he first began his work in Philippi (Acts 16:13). Paul urged these women to live in harmony and to think the same things when it comes to living out the Christian walk (Philippians 2:2; 3:16).
“Paul then asks that these women be helped because they are worthy. They aided Paul in his struggles for the gospel, along with someone by the name of Clement (4:3). Paul wants the same recognition extended to ‘the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are written in the book of life’ (verse 3). What is meant by the book of life? And can a believer’s name be stricken from the book of life? The Bible teaches elsewhere that this will not be the case.”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

Philippians 4:2 ‘I implore’: “The Gr. term means ‘to urge,’ or ‘to appeal.’ Euodia … Syntyche. These two women were prominent church members (v. 3), who may have been among the women meeting for prayer when Paul first preached the gospel in Philippi (Acts 16:13). Apparently, they were leading two opposing factions in the church, most likely over a personal conflict. the same mind. Another possible translation is ‘harmony’. … Spiritual stability depends on the mutual love, harmony, and peace between believers. Apparently the disunity in the Philippian church was about to destroy the integrity of its testimony.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Philippians 4:4 ‘something to be full of’: “Protests in Washington, DC. Political uprisings abroad. Kidnappings, drug wars, turf battles, drive-bys, unemployment, the countless social issues of the day.
“Wow. It’s discouraging just writing that list-and I’ve only scratched the surface. And yet we worship a God who tells us that we are to rejoice! Not just occasionally, but always living ‘full of joy.’
“That’s easier said than done. There are days when life makes rejoicing nearly impossible. Jesus cried with those who were mourning and suffered with those who were suffering.
“Yet the apostle Paul, who underwent trials and tribulations at every turn, wrote that we should rejoice in the Lord.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 29 November)

Philippians 4:4 ‘Joice and Rejoice’: “In the first place, this is a very delightful thing. What a gracious God we serve, who makes delight to be a duty and who commands us to rejoice. Should we not at once be obedient to such a command as this? We should be cheerful-more than that, that we should be thankful, and that we should rejoice. This word, ‘rejoice,’ is not only joy once, but it is joy over again, rejoice! We are to joy, and then we are to re-joy. We are to chew the cud of delight-we are to roll the dainty morsel under our tongue till we get the very essence out of it.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Philippians 4:4 ‘the King is in residence’: “Without exception, people who consistently laugh do so in spite of, seldom because of anything. They pursue fun rather than wait for it to knock on their door in the middle of the day. Such infectiously joyful believers have no trouble convincing people around them that Christianity is real and that Christ can transform a life. Joy is the flag that flies above the castle of their hearts, announcing that the King is in residence.”

• Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

Philippians 4:5-7, 19 ‘The Promises of God’s Peace and Provision’: “The Apostle Paul urges the Philippian Christians to demonstrate their ‘forbearing spirit’ (Greek, epieikas) or sweet and reason­ able attitude ‘to all men’ (Philippians 4:5). The reason is that “the Lord is near.” The Greek word for ‘near,’ eggus, refers to a closeness, either in time or space. It can refer to the imminence of the Lord’s return for the saints (James 5:7-8). This would make sense in that Paul had just discussed the blessed hope that believers will one day receive new bodies (Philippians 3:20-21). Christians are to look up and ahead in anticipation of the Lord’s soon return. However, it is also true that the Greek word eggus could be referring to the closeness of the Lord in that Christ is omnipresent, and that He abides with each believer. The Lord never leaves His own, and He is aware of everything a believer does and thinks.”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

Philippians 4:5 ‘gentleness’: “This refers to contentment with and generosity toward others. It can also refer to mercy or leniency toward the faults and failures of others. It can even refer to patience in someone who submits to injustice or mistreatment without retaliating. Graciousness with humility encompasses all the above. at hand. Can refer to nearness in space or time. The context suggests nearness in space: the Lord encompasses all believers with His presence (Ps. 119:151).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Philippians 4:6-7 ‘a recipe for peace of mind’: ”In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul is a man with every reason to worry, a man in chains, a man facing a possible death sentence from Rome’s erratic ruler, Nero. Yet he writes …
“What a recipe for peace of mind and emotional serenity! Paul is not denying the seriousness of life and its cares. He simply doesn’t want us to be ruled by them. He wants us to present our anxieties to God and allow Him to give us His peace-a peace beyond our ability to understand. We don’t know where that peace comes from or how it works, but believer after believer can tell you it is real. “

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Philippians 4:6-7 ‘cast your care’: “Oh, that God might teach us how to avoid the evil that is here forbidden, and to live with that holy carelessness which is the very beauty of the Christian life­ when all our care is cast on God, and we can joy and rejoice in his providential care of us.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Philippians 4:7 ‘Peace be with you’: “Our feelings of self-worth are shaped by the opinions and attitudes of others. Some of us were surrounded by people who affirmed our worth again and again as we were growing up. Others of us weren’t. But all of us have been affected at some point along the way by the thoughtless words and hurtful actions of others. Those words and actions color how we see ourselves. And no matter how much we have heard about God’s love for us, we sometimes struggle to believe that we can actually experience that kind of love.
“I know that’s harder for some people, especially for those whose parents didn’t give them a lot of support or show them the warmth of God’s love. That makes it even harder to overcome those feelings of worthlessness we all have at times. But those feelings can still be overcome. That struggle to know God’s love doesn’t have to be our story. His can be the only outside opinion that we truly rely on to shape our sense of worth.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 23 January)

Philippians 4:7 ‘The peace that is higher than all reason’: ” The peace of God is a peace that is higher than all reason the peace of God is the faithfulness of God in spite of our unfaithfulness. In the peace of God we are enclosed, protected, and loved. God does not, to be sure, take away our cares, our responsibility, our unrest completely, but behind all the bustle and care the divine rainbow of peace has risen. We know our life is borne and in unity with the eternal life of God. We know that the rift we have to feel painfully again and again is only an ever renewed indication that God has closed the rift, that he has drawn us into his life as we are, as people of the earth, as people with hearts and minds. In the language of the Bible, that means dealing with the passions and needs, with the impressions of the world. May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). May God control our passion; may he discipline our thoughts and our wills and lead us to the peace of Jesus Christ, who has spoken, who has given himself to us in the night on Golgotha: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid’ (John 14:27).”

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You, devotional compiled from several of his writings

Philippians 4:8 ‘Store the sweet’: “Change the thoughts, and you change the person. If today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions, what happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others?
“Paul says absolutely! It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in. It’s not enough to keep no list of wrongs. We have to cultivate a list of blessings: ‘Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.’ Thinking conveys the idea of pondering-studying and focusing, allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us.
“Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet. “

• Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving

Philippians 4:10 ‘at last … you lacked opportunity’: “About ten years had passed since the Philippians first gave a gift to Paul to help meet his needs when he was first in Thessalonica (vv. 15, 16). Paul was aware of their desire to continue to help, but he realized, within God’s providence, that they had not had the ‘opportunity’ (season) to help.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Philippians 4:11-12 ‘poverty and material blessing’: ”… there is the matter of poverty and material blessing. Paul has known both, and he wants to convey to the Philippian Christians-and to you and me-what a Christ-like attitude toward these conditions should be.“

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Philippians 4:11 ‘Thermometer or Thermostat?’: “Some people are thermometers. They merely register what is around them. If the situation is tight and pressurized, they register tension and irritability. If it’s stormy, they register worry and fear. If it’s calm, quiet, and comfortable, they register relaxation and peacefulness.
“Others, however, are thermostats. They regulate the atmosphere. They are the mature change-agents who never let the situation dictate to them.”

• Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

Philippians 4:13 ‘Energized by Failure’: ”I wish I had learned more about failure when I was young-how to handle it and even appreciate it. I just didn’t realize how often it would rear its ugly head. Twenty­ eight years of coaching with one Super Bowl and twenty-seven years not so super. I saw successful people and didn’t even consider the struggles that might have been part of their journey to get where they were. But I’ve since learned that failure-in sports and in every area of life-happens regularly. It’s part of everyone’s experience. And if we’re afraid of it, we won’t step out and try very much. We’ll never accomplish our dreams if we’re afraid of what might happen when we try.
“Don’t get discouraged when you fail. In fact, consider it a normal part of learning. I hope you fail less than I have, but you can count on failing sometimes. The most successful people I know are those who have handled failure the best. Though many people treat it as a dirty little secret and wear masks to cover it up, successful people have learned to be comfortable trying something that doesn’t work out. Success isn’t about never failing; it’s about persevering through mistakes and adversity. If you persist, even your failures can turn into a valuable part of your success story. “

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 22 February)

Philippians 4:13 ‘desire and ability’: “In Philippians 4, Paul tells us that we are like that little pink [Energizer] bunny. With Christ living in us, energizing us and empowering us, we can keep going and going and going in service to Him, fulfilling His will, reaching out to people in His name.
I can think of few things more frustrating than to have a great desire without the ability to fulfill it. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us that God has not only given us the desire to live our lives in service to Him and others, but also supplies us with the strength and energy to fulfill that desire.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Philippians 4:13 ‘able to withstand persecution’: “Paul here meant that he could endure all trials. It matters not what suffering his persecutors might put upon him, he felt that he was quite able, through divine grace, to bear it. He daily expected that he might be led out to die, and the daily expectation of death is bitterer than death itself. He was ready to be offered up, and made a sacrifice for his Master’s cause. Every child of God, by faith, may say, ‘I am able to do all things.’ ”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Philippians 4:17 ‘The fruit’: “The Gr. word can be translated ‘profit.’ abounds to your account. The Philippians were in effect storing up for themselves treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20). The gifts they gave to Paul were accruing eternal dividends to their spiritual account (Prov. 11:24, 25; 19:17; Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Philippians 4:19 ‘Christ is our life’: ”What is Paul’s secret of contentment? He passes that secret on to the Philippian believers and to us. …
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, our strength, our energizer, will supply all our needs, enabling us to keep going and going and going.
“The letter to the Philippians embodies the life secrets of a man who ran the full course, who fought the good fight, who kept the faith, who kept going and going for God. This little power-packed letter contains Paul’s road map for a life lived with power, enthusiasm, and a sense of adventure. And the One who lived His life through Paul also lives through you and me.
“Christ is our life; Christ is our example; Christ is our confidence; and Christ is our energizer and strength.“

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Philippians 4:19 ‘clinging to their joy’: “In all my years of walking with the Lord, I have yet to meet one Christian who has ‘lived happily ever after.’ On the other hand, I have met a great many significant saints who have endured affliction, loss, disappointment, setbacks, failures, and incredible pain through the years. And I have seen many of those same men, women … cling to their joy, radiate hope, and sustain a winsome spirit … even through heartache … even through tears … even at death’s door.”

• Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

Philippians 4:22 ‘Caesar’s household’: “A significant number of people, not limited to Caesar’s family, which would include courtiers, princes, judges, cooks, food-tasters, musicians, custodians, builders, stablemen, soldiers, accountants. Within that large group, Paul had in mind those who, through the proclamation of the gospel by members of the church at Rome, had been saved prior to his coming. Newly added to their number were those led to Christ by Paul himself, including those soldiers who were chained to him while he was a prisoner (1:13).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

Paul exhorts the Philippians to stand fast.  Then he speaks of two women who are in disagreement. They had both been helpful in the ministry when Paul was there, and they need to be of the same mind.  Beyond that, we know nothing of the disagreement, but petty disagreements can split a church.  It matters very little who is right, unless it is foundational to the faith.  Most arguments are on peripheral things.

And Paul commands the church to rejoice.  Have joy and rejoice again.  They are encouraged to lift up prayers and petitions to the Lord in thanksgiving.  Then they can present their requests.  Too many of our prayers are a list of requests rather than giving thanks and rejoicing, praising God and glorifying God.

Paul exhorts the church to think upon good things.  He gives a long list.  If anything is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. Think upon these good qualities.  Maybe the two ladies may never agree on the triviality that has them at odds, but if they focused on the beautiful, the sweet smelling, or the craftsmanship that it took to make something, they might never have had the argument.  Smelling sweet smells and admiring flowers in bloom can put our mind in a receptive mood for even more blessings and shut off the negative thoughts.

Philippi is commended by Paul for having sent him gifts.  He needed nothing, but the gifts were well-received and Paul wanted it to be noted to their benefit and honor.  But as for Paul, he was content regardless of the circumstances because God strengthens him in good times and in the bad times.

I have seen Philippians 4:13 used as a blessing for a variety of projects, strengthening their muscles to win a game, build a barn, whatever, mostly guaranteeing success.  But God gives us strength to persevere in any circumstance, that strength is not to allow us earthly success.  There is no guarantee of success that is explicit with this verse.  In fact, as Tony Dungy says above, we learn more about ourselves when we fail.

Paul ends with a blessing of grace.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Philippians 3:12-4:1 Pressing on toward the goal 1. Comparing your spiritual life to a race, are you sitting it out due to lack of practice, an injury, or no warm-up? Are you at the starting blocks? Going full-tilt? Ready to give up? Why? What ‘hurdles’ seem especially high to jump?
“2. How do you see the opposition of verses 18-19 at work today? How would you ‘stand firm’ against them?
Philippians 4:2-9 Exhortations 1. On a scale of 1 (‘I’m going nuts!’) to 10 (‘I could lead a stress management seminar’), what is your anxiety level now? Why? What in this passage could help relieve it?
Philippians 4:10-23 Thanks for Their Gifts 1. What outside force is most likely to upset your contentment? Since God does not always change negative outside forces, what can he change in you so that contentment is possible? How can you and your group help the process (see 4:4-8)?
“2. How can Paul’s attitude towards giving and receiving enable you to be a better giver? A better receiver?
“3. Take turns having one person sit silently while the others share something they are thankful to have received from that person during these study sessions.
“4. What one thing from this book do you especially want to apply in your life? In your church?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Philippians 4:1 is included in the last set of questions for Philippians 3. The rest of Philippians 4 is divided into two sets of questions as shown.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.