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Philippians 4
واصِل الاستكشاف
مرتبطة بالمقطع الكتابي أو بموضوعات مشتركة.
We've been working through the book of Philippians over the last few weeks, looking at Paul's letter written while in prison, probably in Rome around AD 60. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi to thank them for a gift and to encourage them in their faith. Philippians overflows with joy and thanksgiving despite Paul's circumstances.
Over the previous three weeks, we've explored Paul making the best of his chains for the gospel, his wholehearted commitment to knowing Jesus, and the call to take second place to others' interests just as Christ did. Today we're looking at the final passage—life together in the church.
In Philippians 4, Paul addresses two women by name: Euodia and Syntyche. These are unusual names to find so clearly in Scripture, and it's striking that Paul mentions them specifically. We don't know what they disagreed about, but it clearly bothered Paul enough to write about it in his letter.
Interestingly, this comes not long after reading in Acts 15 that Paul and Barnabas had a great dispute and went their separate ways—Paul taking Silas and Timothy to Philippi (where he received the Macedonian call), while Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark. Yet here Paul is keen to ensure reconciliation between Euodia and Syntyche.
These women had labored side by side with Paul and his fellow workers in the gospel. Their names are written in the book of life. Yet they have come to some sort of impasse in their relationship and need help. Paul asks a true companion to help these women resolve their disagreement.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Paul begins with rejoice—not once, but twice. He emphasizes it because joy and unity are inseparable.
He also calls them to be reasonable in their behavior. What does "reasonable" mean? In arguments that come up in families and churches, each person thinks they're being reasonable—it's the other person's definition of reasonable that's different. It's an interesting standard, isn't it? We would like Paul to say "be loving," "be amazingly kind," "be gentle," but no—reasonable is about as far as we're going to get.
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.
Anxiety frays away at our peace and our ability to function. Paul offers three things together as the antidote: prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. When we pray, make our requests known to God with gratitude, we receive the peace of God which surpasses all understanding—it guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Many of us have experienced this: we've been really anxious about something, we've prayed, and then we've actually had peace. It's an amazing gift from God.
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.
We are called to think about honorable things, just things, pure things, lovely things. Yet we live in a world that constantly pulls our thinking in other directions. When we're watching the news, we're often not thinking lovely or necessarily true thoughts. We are very much infected by the world's values and the way the world thinks about things.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to think rightly so that we ourselves can live in decency and integrity.
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.
We have a responsibility to grow in faith, to grow in personal holiness, and to be in unity with each other. People grow in faith in different ways—sometimes through choosing to trust in difficult circumstances, sometimes by seeing God work. We should also aim to be in unity with each other, talking to one another in love and sorting things out privately when difficulties arise.
In a church like ours, we don't tend to get into too much disunity—perhaps because we're British and don't actually say what we really think, which in some ways is to the good. But we are called to genuine unity and reconciliation.
Paul says: "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances." He knows what it is to be in need and what it is to have plenty.
I can do all things through him who gives me strength.
When Paul says "all things," he means all things that God has chosen for us to do—not just anything we want. For Paul, that included facing persecution, imprisonment, and eventually execution. His faith was probably much greater than ours because he actually saw Christ. Yet he also says that God will supply his needs through people, and through the various means God provides—gifts, jobs, community support.
The question for us is: Can we let go of our purse strings and give others what they need? Can we have the humility to accept what we need from God and from others?
One of the things worth reflecting on is: What is our unity of hope for the church? Where do we think we're going? Where do we hope the Lord is taking us? Do we have a shared vision?
Some expressed hopes include: that we are united in rebuilding what God is calling us to be as His people, stepping forward in faith; that the sense of community is broader than just the church; that we hear clearly what God is saying to us and are open to His Spirit; that God's presence and power fall in the church; that we are a bride prepared and ready before the world.
These are the kinds of hopes that bind us together—not merely avoiding disagreements, but moving forward together with a shared sense of God's calling.
Paul has learned through heavy circumstances—imprisonment, facing death—that God will supply all our needs, not necessarily all our wants. When you commit your life to Christ, you trust that He will supply what you truly need. This is the peace and the joy of Philippians: not the absence of difficulty, but the presence of God in the midst of it, and the assurance that He will provide.
