Author Archives: Phillip

Sat 6^th June   –  Read Philippians 4:20-23

V20:  We could easily “skim over” these closing verses, but they continue to express before God Paul’s heartfelt commitment to, and love for these Philippian Christians. First, he is concerned to give God the glory which is His due, in everything and for ever. Are we concerned to give Him the glory, for all that He is and does – not least for the gift of His Son to be our Saviour.

V21 -22: He sends greetings to all the believers – “saints”, remember, in the NT are all true Christians, all Christ’s redeemed, set apart for Him and for His service, belonging not to the world, but to God. And those greetings are also from those with him – clearly, permitted to visit him and even minister to him in his current captivity – Timothy and Epaphroditus among them, but others too, from the church in Rome – and how wonderfully God  works, as Paul can testify that this includes believers “of Caesar’s household”, probably not his actual family, but members of the wider imperial circle, maybe some of the imperial guard who have the custody of Paul (Philippians 1:13 ).Here surely is the fruit of Paul’s witness even as a prisoner. God can use His people in any situation, if they bear a faithful testimony.

V23:  So, the closing benediction. He prays that Christ’s own grace may be their portion, their living experience in the whole of their being, spiritual as well as physical. May this be our portion too – truly by the grace of God

Fri 6th June  –  Read Philippians 4:17-19

V17: He declares that what matters to him most is not the gift as such (though he is grateful for it.) but how this practical Christian love reflects their healthy spiritual condition – it is indeed the fruit of God’s grace in them, and he rejoices at the evidence of this.

V18: He receives their gifts and love, through Epaphroditus, as acts of Christian service offered not just to him, but to the Lord ( compare 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ) So, likening these acts to OT sacrifices, he calls them ” a fragrant offering”, a “sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” – they show the sincere heart-response which made those OT sacrifices pleasing in God’s sight.

V19: And God, who is no man’s debtor, will supply all their needs, he declares – needs, notice, not anything they, or we, might desire, but what our heavenly Father knows to be our true needs, in His perfect wisdom. These He will supply from His unlimited abundance, beautifully expressed here as ” His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. One day every believer will experience that richness of glory in all its fullness.

Thurs 4th June. – Read Philippians 4:14-16

The remaining verses of the chapter, beginning with these we are looking at today, remind us that Paul’s letters are grounded in and arise from real historical events and situations, they are not ” mere” academic theology.

V14: He sees their love and their gifts as expressing their willingness to be identified with him, and “share” in this time of imprisonment. The word “kind” can seem very bland, but true kindness is a lovely thing, and one of the “fruits of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22)

V15-16: Paul looks back to the time of his early relationship with the Philippian church, when he left their province of Macedonia (in fact, through persecution – Acts ch 16-17 record this period.) They were the only church, he says, who showed him any support and gospel fellowship at that time, and he recalls it with gratitude and affection. And during his time in Thessalonica – another period when gospel work brought opposition and persecution – they continued to send help to him, in concern for his ongoing needs. This was true and caring gospel fellowship. May we know the same spirit.

Wed 3^rd June  –  Read Philippians 4:8-13

V8:  As he draws to a close, he exhorts them to hold on to the good things that are ours in Christ, and let these things fill our minds and hearts – above all, surely God’s Word and its application to us. So much else can fill our minds, especially in times of difficulty, but Paul calls us to let the good things, the pure things, fill us.

V9: He asks them to heed his teaching and follow His example. This is not arrogance, but in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 11:1. The examples to follow are those godly men and women who are most like Christ, and teach us to live out His Word ( “practice these things”) and so know the presence of ” the God of peace” with us.

V10: Paul’s joy is not for their gifts to him for their own sake, but for the evidence these give of their love and concern for him – which he knows was always there, but until now they had no way of expressing it. Do we show our love for those who minister to us, or for fellow believers in need, in real and practical ways?

V11: He does not say this out of a sense of need, rather he has learned in Christ the secret of contentment in any and every condition, for it rests not on what we have, but on the God we know. One of the old Puritans wrote a book with the challenging title ” The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” – do we know such ?

V12:  Paul is able to trust and rejoice in the Lord whether in a time of abundance or ( humanly ) one of need. He has known both, and with Christ in his heart can rest content in either. Can we say that?

V13: For the source of his contentment, his ability to accept all things without complaint, is His Saviour. His strength, his joy, his peace ( all bound together in these verses ) is in Christ alone.

Tues 2nd June – Read Philippians 4:5-7

V5: ” Reasonableness” here means gentleness. One version puts it ” Let your gentle spirit be known to all. ” Here is that meekness and care for others which should mark Christ’s people, as it did Jesus Himself. And the great motivation for this ( and all godly living ) is because ” the Lord is at hand”. Some take this to mean, He is near to us all the time, and knows us through and through, others see it as referring to His Coming again. In fact, both should motivate us to live for Him.

V6: Christians should not be anxious as others are, because they know the Lord and His keeping grace. (Compare John 14:1; Matthew 6:25ff.) We should instead bring ” every thing to God in prayer”, including praying for ourselves and others (“supplication”), making our
requests to God, in accordance with His will, and ALWAYS with thankfulness for all His mercies.

V7: Here is the wonderful promise of God’s peace in our hearts at all times. The word translated “keep” is literally “garrison” – a guard set over our hearts, to protect and keep safe. This is a peace the world can not know, in Christ our Saviour and beyond human understanding. (See also John 14:27; John 16:33) Do we know that peace at all times – at this time?

Mon 1st June – Read Philippians 4:1-4

V1: Paul expresses again his love for them, his longing to see them. What delight he has in these, his “spiritual children” (“my joy”) seeing them as the fruit of his ministry, by God’s grace (“my crown”) and he calls them to ” stand firm in the Lord “- not to be turned aside, either by difficulties and trials, or false teaching.

V2: Now he addresses the divisions in the church, which grieve and concern him, naming two women in particular, pleading with them to be one in the Lord and put away their division. Note how he addresses this issue with love and sensitivity (see also Galatians 6:1)

V3: He calls on an unnamed person – a “true companion” – perhaps a pastor/elder in the church, with whom Paul has worked closely in the past, to help these women deal with what has set them at odds. Once they had worked together in gospel service, along with Paul and the others referred to here, and Paul is sure they are in ” the book of life”, truly among the redeemed people of Christ. So, a church should be believers working together in the Lord, but ever on our guard, for Satan loves to cause divisions between us.

V4: Now he calls them all to “rejoice in the Lord” – the plea he began back in ch3 v1 – to do so “always” for whatever our circumstances and troubles, that joy of the Lord should remain in our hearts – he repeats the call to rejoice again! Do we know this joy, in and through our Saviour and Lord?

Sat 30^th May  –  Read Philippians 3:19-21

V19: In the strongest terms, he speaks of the lost condition of these false professors of faith. They are heading for a lost eternity, value only the things of this world, indulging their sensual appetites, and “glorying” ( boasting ) in things of which they should be ashamed.

V20: But as true believers, the Philippian Christians – and we today – do not belong to this world any longer ( see John 15:19.) They belong to God’s kingdom, are ( already ) citizens of heaven, where one day Christ will receive them/us to Himself. In the meantime they – and we still – wait for the coming of our Saviour and Lord.. Is this a real longing and anticipation for us?

V21: And when He comes, we will be transformed. No longer will we have these frail mortal bodies, ravaged by the fall as they are, but a glorious resurrection body, like His own (See 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 John 3:2.) What a mystery this is, but what a wonder of grace – all and only by the mighty power of God, the eternal Lordship of Christ. Do we truly look for, and long for, that day?