#9. A Partnership in Giving and Receiving (Philippians
4:10-23)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Audio Version (30:59)
http://www.jesuswalk.com/philippians/9_partnership.htm
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Philippians 4:10-2310
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have
renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but
you had no opportunity to show it.
11I am not saying
this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances.
12I 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.
13I
can do everything through him who gives me strength.
14
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
15Moreover, 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;
16for even when I was in
Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.
17Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking
for what may be credited to your account.
18I have
received full payment and even more; 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.
19And my God will meet all your needs according
to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
20
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
21
Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who
are with me send greetings.
22All the saints send you
greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.
23
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit. Amen.
Paul has taught the Philippian believers how to pray. He has imparted the urgency
of his own heart to know Christ in all his fullness. He has
instructed them about humility and Christ's example, about
sanctification, and about Christian character. Now he concludes
with a few personal notes that reveal even more promises for our
Christian lives.
The Philippians' Concern for Paul (4:10)
He begins with rejoicing, a characteristic theme of this
letter.
"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed
your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you
had no opportunity to show it." (4:10)
This is not just rejoicing, but great rejoicing in the
Philippians' concern for him. They have sent money to him again
and again. He wants to tell them how much their concern means
to him, but without sounding needy or greedy -- and without
offending them. He is walking a fine line.
Poverty and Wealth (4:11-12)
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned
to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I 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." (4:11-12)
In Paul's current situation he is in need of help from others, since
he can't work and must pay for rent and food for his private
dwelling (Acts 28:30-31). "Need" (NIV, NRSV) and "want" (KJV) in
verse 11 is the Greek noun husterēsis,
"the condition of lacking that which is essential, "need, lack,
poverty"1 (see the related verb
hustereō in 4:12c).
But he talks about need and plenty as exterior conditions,
none of which affect his inner life. He uses three pairs of
words to describe this. (I have changed the order slightly to
make them correspond to each
other in the chart below.)
| 12a |
have plenty (perisseuō)2 |
in need (tapeinoō)3 |
| 12b |
well fed (chortazō)4 |
hungry (peinaō)5 |
| 12c |
in plenty (perisseuō)2 |
in want (hustereō)6 |
Some preachers teach that poverty is a curse and that a faith-filled
Christian's inheritance here on earth is prosperity. I doubt that
Paul would have subscribed to such a teaching. For him it would
have run counter to a Christian's need to be at Jesus' disposal,
rather than seeking the luxuries of life. "Endure hardship with us," he
told Timothy, "like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy
2:3). If luxuries come, "Praise the Lord!" If poverty is our lot,
"Praise the Lord anyway." Paul has seen both in his lifetime. His
apostolic mission has required intense hardship. To the Corinthian
church he recounted:
"Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes
minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received
a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day
I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from
rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger
from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness,
danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil
and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and
thirsty, often without food, cold and naked." (2 Corinthians
11:24-27)
On the other hand, at times he had been entertained by wealthy
Christians who insisted that he accept their hospitality (Acts
16:14-15). He had seen the extremes of poverty and abundance.
Christian Contentment (4:11-13)
"11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I
have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12I 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. 13I can
do everything through him who gives me strength." (4:11-13)
Though I am sure he preferred ease rather than stress, none of
these outward conditions moved him because his life was centered
elsewhere. To the Colossian church he had written:
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts
on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For
you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
(Colossians 3:1-3)
Though Paul had his eyes set on an other-worldly goal, he very
much lived in this world -- trusting Christ at each step of the
journey, in each crisis and in each victory.
"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation," he says. "Content" is the Greek adjective
autarkēs, "content,
self-sufficient, satisfied." The term was used in ancient Greek
Stoic and Cynic ethics as the essence of all virtues. The Stoics
taught that "man should be sufficient unto himself for all
things, and able, by the power of his own will, to resist the
force of circumstances."8 Seneca observed, "The happy
man is content with his present lot, no matter what it is, and is
reconciled to his circumstances."9
But Paul is no Stoic. Instead of claiming self-suffiency, he
claims God-sufficiency. It isn't sure that he used the word in
its Stoic sense at all, but rather in a more general sense that was
widely used in everyday life, "sufficient quantity."10
His sufficiency is in Christ alone.
Apparently his realization that Christ's strength was
sufficient came as a sudden realization. The verb translated
"learned the secret" uses Greek tenses that indicate the
realization had
happened suddenly at a particular point in time in the past.11
At one point Paul is struggling with his circumstances. Then it
dawns on him that Christ is sufficient to any circumstance in
which he might find himself!
Paul uses an interesting Greek verb to describe this
revelation. "Learned the secret" (NIV, NRSV) and "am instructed"
(KJV) is the verb mueō,
a technical term of the mystery religions, "initiate (into the
mysteries)." Then generally, "to teach fully, instruct; to
accustom one to a thing; to give one an intimate acquaintance
with a thing."12
I Can Do All Things through Christ (4:13)
When Paul learned this we don't know, but it has become a way
of life for him, a way of life that he passes on to his readers:
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (4:13)
The Greek text used as the basis of the King James Version
includes the phrase "through Christ" instead of "through him,"
but the earlier Greek manuscripts didn't include "through
Christ."13 Of course, the meaning is the same
whichever text is used.
Paul sees Christ as the source of his strength. "Can do" is
the verb ischuō, "be
strong, prevail," which means here "to have requisite personal
resources to accomplish something, have power, be competent, be
able."14 "Strengthens" (NRSV) is the verb
endunamoō, "cause to
be able to function or do something, strengthen," from dunamoō,
"strengthen," and dunamis, "power, might, strength."15
Quoted out of context, some have held that this verse teaches
that Paul can do anything he wants to. But in context, it means
that Paul can rely on Christ's strength to face any circumstance
that comes to him in the course of his life and ministry. An old
gospel hymn draws on these dual themes of contentment and
a reliance on Jesus' strength:
"I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee."16
Paul's statement has power. Many times we feel weak and
inadequate, but now we can have both hope and courage. This verse
teaches that nothing you face is too great for Christ who will
strengthen you for the occasion.
Profit Accruing to an Investment in Ministry (4:14-16)
Paul worked through the awkwardness of both thanking the
Philippian church for their financial help -- and saying that he
isn't fishing for more -- at the same time insisting that Christ is his sufficiency. Now he
continues with thankfulness, recounting their record of giving:
"14Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
15Moreover, 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; 16for even
when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again
when I was in need. 17Not that I am looking for a
gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your
account. 18I have received full payment and even
more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from
Epaphroditus the gifts you sent." (4:14-18)
It seems sad that the Philippian church was the only regular
contributor in those early days of Paul's ministry. Later on it may have been
different, but in the early days, the Philippians were God's
financial lifeline for Paul. Sometimes we think that missionaries
have many churches supporting them. Many times it is only a few.
Your church can make a difference in getting the gospel out!
"The matter of giving and receiving" is an interesting phrase.
Both verses 15 and 17 contain words that were commonly used in commercial
transactions:
- "Share"
is the verb
koinōneō, "to share, have a share," here "give or
contribute a share."17 The Philippians' financial
investment made them shareholders or partners in the missionary
enterprise in which Paul was engaged. The RSV translates this
"entered into partnership."
- "Account"
(Goodspeed, Williams), "matter" (NIV, NRSV,
NASB) and "concerning" (KJV) is the Greek noun logos.
The prepositional phrase eis logon is a commercial
technical term meaning "in settlement of an account." With
"giving and receiving" it may mean "in settlement of a mutual
account."18
- "Giving"
is Greek dosis, "giving, debit."19
- "Receiving"
is Greek
lēmpsis, "receiving, credit."20
- "Credited"
(NIV), "abound" (KJV), and "accumulates"
(NRSV) is the verb pleonazō,
"become great, grow, increase."21
- "Profit"
(NRSV) or "fruit" (KJV) is the noun karpos,
"fruit," which here has the sense of "advantage, gain, profit,"22
which is resulting from the investment.
- "Account,"
Greek logos, is the same word we saw
in verse 16.
It is quite clear that Paul thought of the Philippians'
financial contributions (and sending Epaphroditus to assist) in
terms of a business partnership -- Paul supplied the labor while
the Philippians supplied the financial backing. The "profit" or
"fruit" that resulted in men, women, and children won to Christ
and serving as disciples in new churches -- that was credited to
their heavenly account just as much as it was to Paul's account.
They would both share in the reward. The idea here is that as the
enterprise matures, the
investor will receive more than he has invested. Both the ideas of reciprocity and multiplication are
present.
I know that televangelists have shamelessly manipulated
supporters with this partnership analogy, usually by appealing to
their greed.
Financial Investment with a Spiritual Return
However, the concept of financial investment with a greater
return is clearly supported in Scripture. You can also see
glimpses of this idea of reciprocity (giving and receiving) and
increase in God's promise to tithers in Malachi:
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be
food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD
Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of
heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have
room enough for it." (Malachi 3:10)
Paul expresses the principle in an agricultural context of sowing
and reaping:
"6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. 7Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God
is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things
at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in
every good work.... 10Now he who supplies seed to
the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your
store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way
so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us
your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2
Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11)
Jesus himself taught this principle of giving and
receiving:
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you." (Luke 6:38)
"Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will
receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous
man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous
man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to
one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you
the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew
10:41-42)
The principle of receiving a reward also is involved in giving
to the poor:
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him for what he has done." (Proverbs 19:17)
"When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your
friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if
you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But
when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot
repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the
righteous." (Luke 14:12-14)
You've probably heard the cliche, "You can't outgive God!"
But, dear friends, if Scripture is true, and I believe that it
is, this is no cliche, but a spiritual truth. There are dividends
on the investment now in this life, as well as far into eternity.
Have you been afraid to really tithe (I mean give 10% of your
income) to your church for fear that you wouldn't have enough
money? Meditate on the insights of these passages and let faith
begin to raise your sights.
A Fragrant Offering (4:18)
Now Paul moves from the sphere of commercial vocabulary to
the sphere of sacrificial vocabulary. How does God look on our
offerings? As merely our due? No, not when offered for the right
motive of love...
"They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice,
pleasing to God." (4:18)
The barbecue smell of burnt offerings is perhaps the basis of
"fragrant offering," spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments
(Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18, 25, 41; Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2
Corinthians 2:15-16; Ephesians 5:2).
An "acceptable sacrifice" refers to it being a sacrifice that
God has prescribed and that is appropriate (2 Peter 2:5; Romans
12:1; 15:16; 1 Peter 2:5). The idea of a sacrifice that is
pleasing to God has an ancient history that goes back to the
tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 28:38; Leviticus 1:3; 7:18;
22:19-20; Proverbs 21:3; Jeremiah 6:20). "Pleasing to God" is another rich sacrificial theme. The
purpose of sacrifice is not selfish -- to remove our sin -- but
Godward, to please God and express our love to him (Hebrews
13:16).
What is the motivation for your financial gifts to God's
kingdom? Guilt? Obedience to a law? Earning points to offset your
bad deeds? Greed? Or it is love -- a heart's desire to please your
Father?
God Will Abundantly Meet Every Need (4:19-20)
After thanking the Philippian believers for their generous
financial gifts, Paul offers them a wonderful promise:
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious
riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever
and ever. Amen." (4:19-20)
This is one of my favorite promises in the Bible. It is not a
general promise, however, but one conditioned upon giving of your
own resources to God and his kingdom work. The promise has three
parts:
"And my God." Paul isn't being possessive here, but
confident. This is the God he knows and has served for the past
30 years. He know the character of his God and trusts him. God has
met Paul's needs, so he offers his assurance and pride in
his God by the phrase "and my God..."
"Will meet all your needs." "Meet" (NIV), "supply" (KJV),
"fully satisfy" (NRSV) is the Greek verb
plēroō, "to make full,
fill, fulfill,"23 "will fully supply."24
Some, such as Chrysostom and Luther, have seen this as a
wish-prayer or petition for the church: "May God fill your every
need...." But the future indicative verb here indicates here a
clear declaration or promise.25 What need (chreia,
"need, lack, want, difficulty"26) do you have? God has
promised to fully supply whatever (pas, "each, every,
any") need you have! Notice that the promise is to supply needs,
though God may not supply them the way you want. Watch, however,
to see just how God keeps his word to you regarding your needs.
"According to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
The first of these two
prepositional phrases speaks to the degree of fulfillment. The
preposition kata is a "marker of norm of similarity
or homogeneity, 'according to, in accordance with, in conformity
with.'"27 The fulfillment of the need will be to
the extent of and on the scale of God's "riches." The word ploutos refers
first to an "abundance of many earthly goods, wealth." Then it
can be extended to "a plentiful supply of something, a wealth, an
abundance."28 The noun riches is modified by the two
prepositional phrases: (1) "in glory" (KJV, NRSV) translated
"glorious riches" in the NIV; and (2) "in Christ Jesus."
The extent to which God will meet your needs is relative to
the scale of his bank account, not yours! You may be so far down
in resources -- financial, emotional, social, familial, spiritual
-- that you can't imagine any way that God could help you. But
his resources, his "glorious wealth" is the measure from which
God will meet your needs. Don't think small. Pray and expect that
God will "fully provide for" your needs. Most of the time our
hesitance to believe that God will fully meet our needs is based
more on our unbelief than our humility.
I've met people who are hesitant to pray that God would meet
their needs on the basis that it might trouble him and that he
shouldn't be troubled by something as small as your need. But
that is false doctrine. If God were to meet your need one hundred
times in excess of your need, it would not draw down his
resources or his wealth. Not one bit! You cannot deplete God's wealth
by answered prayer.
I encourage you to meditate on this verse -- in context. Give
to God and to others so that you meet the conditions of the
context -- the Philippians were generous givers. Then don't
hesitate to "let your requests be made known to God" (4:6, KJV).
And trust God to meet the need no matter how great.
Jesus taught much the same thing in the Sermon on the Mount to
disciples who were worrying about what they would eat and what
they would wear. Jesus acknowledged, "Your Father knows that you
need them." Then he gave this command: "But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given
(prostithēmi29)
to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
Final Greetings (4:21-22)
Now Paul's letter is drawing to a close.
"Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are
with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings,
especially those who belong to Caesar's household." (4:20-22)
Though mention of Caesar's household doesn't prove that Paul was in Rome
(it could refer to Caesar's servants in Caesarea, for example),
it is another way that Paul is pointing to the spiritual revival
taking place because of his imprisonment and contact with guards
and others in the service of Caesar. What sweet irony! Paul sends
warm Christian greetings from the servants of the church's arch
enemy, the Roman emperor.
Benediction (4:23)
Paul concludes with a benediction, similar to how he concludes
his other letters:
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
(4:23)
Paul begins and ends with grace. In some of his letters he
concludes with the prayer that grace will "be with you" (Romans
16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14). "Be with your
spirit" strengthens and individualizes this grace-benediction, to
denote that Christ's grace is "to rest and abide upon the spirit
of each one of his readers."30
Paul's final word to the Philippians is his response to this
benediction: "Amen!"-- "it is true."
Prayer
Father, thank you for the wonder of your gracious promises to us.
You don't owe us anything. You don't have to obligate yourself to
us by promises. But you do because of your amazing love for us in
Christ Jesus. I believe, help my unbelief. Help me to grow in
faith so that my faith in your promises may honor you with the
response of belief, rather than dishonor you with unbelief. In
Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Key Verses
"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 everything through him who gives
me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13)
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious
riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
References
Standard Abbreviations
http://www.jesuswalk.com/philippians/refs.htm
- BDAG 1044. The related verb is used in verse 12 -- hustereō.
- "Have plenty" (NIV, NRSV) and "abound" (KJV) is the verb
perisseuō, "to be in
abundance, abound, be rich" (BDAG 805).
- "Be in need" (NIV), "be abased" (KJV), and "to have little"
(NRSV) is the verb tapeinoō,
"to lower." Here it has the meaning "to be subject to strict
discipline, constrain, mortify," an austere regimen: "I know
how to do with little" (BDAG 990).
- "Well fed" (NIV, NRSV) and "be full" (KJV) is the verb
chortazō, to fill
with food, "feed, fill" (BDAG 1087).
- "Hungry" is the verb peinaō,
to feel the pangs of lack of food, "hunger, be hungry" (BDAG
792).
- The basic meaning is "to miss." In verse 12 it connotes "to
experience deficiency in something advantageous or desirable,
"lack, be lacking, go without, come short of" (BDAG 1043-1044).
- BDAG 152; O'Brien 520.
- Vincent 143.
- Seneca, De Vita Beata 6, cited by O'Brien 521.
- Gerhard Kittel, "arkeō,
ktl," TDNT 1:466-467.
- In 4:11 it uses the Aorist tense (single point in past
time). In 4:12 it is found in the perfect tense.
- BDAG 660; Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon.
- "Through Christ" is included in Greek manuscripts: Aleph2
D2 L P etc. It is lacking in א B D* I etc.
- BDAG 484.
- BDAG 333.
- Author unknown, traditional folk song.
- BDAG 552.
- BDAG 600-601.
- BDAG 259.
- BDAG 593.
- BDAG 824.
- BDAG 509-510.
- BDAG 827-829.
- O'Brien 545.
- O'Brien 545-546.
- BDAG 1088.
- BDAG 511-513, meaning 5. Fee (453-454) takes kata as
"in keeping with" ... "in accordance with this norm," not "out
of."
- BDAG 832.
- Prostithēmi, "to add to something that is
already present or exists, add, put to," then "to provide,
give, grant" (BDAG 885).
- G.F. Hawthorne, Philippians (Word Bible Commentary;
1983), p. 215, cited in O'Brien 555.
Disciple Lessons from Philippians
Copyright © 1985-2010 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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