Philippians4chapter 4

Philippians 4:1

my joy and crown: Therefore gathers chapter 3's citizenship and coming Lord into one command, so stand fast in the Lord. The affection is piled on without embarrassment, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, and the crown is stephanos, the victor's wreath: the church itself is the prize Paul expects to wear at the day of Christ. Dearly beloved closes the verse a second time, as if he cannot say it once.

Philippians 4:2-3

Two named women receive the letter's mind-appeal in person, be of the same mind in the Lord, and the naming measures both the rift's seriousness and their standing. Paul's account of them is honor: they laboured with me in the gospel, the athlete's word sunethlesan, they contended at my side, with Clement and the rest whose names are in the book of life. The register named here runs from Exodus 32:32 through Revelation, and the true yokefellow asked to help them is unnamed, the candidates many and the verse silent.

Philippians 4:4-5

The joy thread reaches its summit as a doubled command from a man awaiting a capital verdict, rejoice in the Lord alway, and the repetition is deliberate, again I say, Rejoice. Moderation is epieikes, the yielding reasonableness that does not press its rights, and it is to be known unto all men, a public temper. The ground of both is one short sentence, The Lord is at hand.

Philippians 4:6-7

Careful is merimnao, anxious care, and the command forbids anxiety about anything by opening a door for everything: in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the hinge the teachers press, requests made known with thanks before the answer comes. The result is not the granting of every request but a garrison, the peace of God shall keep, phroureo, stand sentry over, your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8-9

think on these things: Six whatsoevers and two ifs set the mind's diet, true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, praise, and think on is logizesthe, reckon, dwell on deliberately, the mind thread's last beat given its content. Verse 9 moves from thinking to doing, and Paul dares to set himself as the syllabus, learned, received, heard, and seen in me. The promise shifts with the verse: the peace of God at verse 7, the God of peace himself at verse 9.

Philippians 4:10-12

The thanks begin with a flower verb, their care of him flourished again like a tree leafing after winter, and Paul immediately guards their honor, ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Contentment is autarkes, the Stoics' word for self-sufficiency, taken over and refounded: I have learned it, in whatsoever state I am, and the learning ran through both syllabi, abased and abounding, full and hungry. The word instructed in verse 12 is the language of initiation, I have been let into the secret.

Philippians 4:13

The all things of this verse are the states just listed, abasement and abundance, hunger and fullness; the secret of verse 12 is named here, Christ continually infusing strength, the participle present tense. Read in its place the verse is contentment's engine, and the teachers apply it outward from there to every duty and suffering the Lord appoints. It is the strength of a branch in a vine, not a promise of unlimited performance.

Philippians 4:14-16

Having secured contentment, Paul turns to praise the gift without needing it: ye have well done. The history is exact and singular, in the beginning of the gospel no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only, and even in Thessalonica, the very next city on the road, they sent once and again. Philippi's partnership thread, struck at 1:5, is here given its ledger.

Philippians 4:17-18

Paul's eye is on their account, not his supply: fruit that may abound to your account is banking language, interest accruing to the giver. Then the register changes to the temple: the gift Epaphroditus carried is an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God, the language of the burnt offering laid over a money gift. What Rome would call support of a prisoner, heaven books as sacrifice.

Philippians 4:19-20

supply all your need: The promise answers the givers: they supplied Paul's need, and my God shall supply all your need, the measure being according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, wealth measured by the owner, not the request. The word is need, chreia, the same word as verse 16, sufficiency for what is lacking rather than a formula for abundance, the same shape as 2 Corinthians 9:8. The doxology follows as the only possible close, glory for ever and ever.

Philippians 4:21-23

The greetings carry a quiet trophy: chiefly they that are of Cesar's household, the familia Caesaris of slaves and freedmen who ran the empire's administration, believers now inside Nero's own establishment. The gospel Paul could not carry to the palace walked in with his chains, as 1:12-13 said it would. The letter of joy ends where every Pauline letter ends, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.