Philippians 4:10-13

Thanks for Their Gifts

10I 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.



Dig Deeper

Philippians 4:13 has become one of those transcendent Bible verses in our culture. In fact, you can see it all over the place. It would be no problem to go online right now and find a T-shirt that has the verse emblazoned on the back. I have seen it three places in particular over the past few years that are special favorites of mine. Former Heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfied, used to wear a black robe as he would come down for bouts that had "Philippians 4:13" imprinted on his hood. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ron Waterman has made somewhat of a cottage industry of the verse. It is all over his website, his warm-ups, and he even sells Ron Waterman T-shirts with the verse on it. Finally, WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels has gone to wearing that verse on his warm-up T-shirts that he wears before ripping it off quite stylishly preceding a match. Yes, the verse truly has become transcendent. So transcendent, in fact, that our culture has done what it usually does to verses that become transcendent, they have ripped it clean away from any actual context of what Paul was saying.

Paul is not offering a timeless slogan for those who want to go beat up other men in competition, nor is this a life verse for those who want to take some great business risk or do well on a test for which they haven’t really studied. No, this section and this verse don’t offer any such platitudes. Paul is in the midst of thanking the Philippians for their generous gift but he has to walk a fine line between gratitude and making it seem as though he relies inappropriately on material gifts and wealth. He has just finished, in the previous passage, encouraging them to rejoice whatever difficult circumstances or persecution they may face. Paul lets them know that he is not calling them to do something that he knows nothing of. He has learned to rejoice in just such situations. The most important thing that he learned, however, and the inspiration for the now-famous verse 13 is the true source of the strength to meet the temptations, trials, and persecutions.

Paul is genuinely grateful for the generous support that the Philippians have sent to him via Epaphroditus. We can assume that it was a fairly substantial amount or it would have unnecessary to send a special messenger with the money. His comments that they at last, have renewed their concerns for him, should not be taken as a jab implying that they shouldn’t have taken so long. Paul is not trying to criticize them at all, because he is confident that they wanted to support him, but this is the first opportunity they have had to send it to him. The gratitude that he felt when Epaphroditus arrived probably made him realize just how long it had been since he had heard from them. Without methods of modern communication, Paul would have had no idea if the saints in Philippi still stood behind him in every way or if the difficult circumstances he found himself in or if the persecution that they had faced had caused them to drift towards other spiritual leaders and wane in their support for Paul.

Paul is incredibly grateful for this support both emotionally and financially. The word he uses that is translated "renewed" literally means "sprouted up" or "flowered." Thus, his point is that the gift was like a spring flower bursting out on a cold and otherwise barren spring day. Yet, Paul faces a difficult task here. He wants to show genuine appreciation for their support, but he also wants to ensure that they don’t think that his work is dependent on or motivated by that support. So, he walks the tightrope between allowing them to serve and greatly appreciating it, while clearly expressing that he would carry on whether or not he was comfortable, and that their gift in no way influences the love that he already has for them.

If we look carefully at what Paul is saying, we realize that he is not saying what many might think at first glance. Paul is not telling them, "hey, I know what it’s like to be happy and have everything I need, and I know what it’s like to be miserable and have nothing." Rather, his point is that he has faced the tribulations and temptations of being in need, but he has also faced the special temptations and traps of having more than enough. Both situations offer opportunities to rely on self and get bogged down in sin and temptation.

Paul, however, has learned the key. It is to be content in every situation. The term "content" (autarkes) was commonly used by the philosophers of Paul’s time. When they used this term and concept they referred to the idea of being self-sufficient. In fact, they considered this to be the most valuable attribute and characteristic of a wise individual. Their point was that you found the necessary resources within yourself so that you could flick off whatever dire circumstances might come your way, and could keep a smile on your face the whole time. It might have seemed to the Philippians that this is precisely what Paul was saying, if it wasn’t for verse 13, which is central to his whole idea.

Paul’s point in verse 13 is not that whatever you would like to engage in, go ahead because God will see you through it. His point is specifically about standing up to trials, persecution, and various temptations that have come as a result of his ministry. Through every situation, he has learned to be content, but not the kind of self-sufficiency that the Stoic philosophers valued so highly. This strength of character did not, and Paul wanted to be very clear on this, come from him or his own strength. It doesn’t even come from them or their support. He appreciated their gift and generosity but that did not increase his ability to cope with the difficulties at hand. That’s not what gave him the strength to stand up to every situation. The strength and power came from God alone. So here we see another example of a very human Paul dealing with difficult situations in a very authentic manner. He doesn’t offer up and platitudes or easy do-it-yourself type solutions. Nor does he simply say, "It’s all in God’s hands." Paul’s principle comes from someone who has wrestled with difficult situations and learned that he could make it through and be content, but that it would come from his life in Christ which gave him access to the very strength and power of God.



Devotional Thought

How do you get through difficult situations that have come about as part of your life in Christ? Do you truly turn to God for strength and contentment or do you seek out other things?