Philippians 4:1-9

In Philippians 4, Paul says that he longs to see the church. He shows how dear they are to him, calling them "beloved brethren" and "my joy and crown." *They brought joy to Paul by the encouraging reports that he was receiving about them. His joy would be multiplied, of course, because they would be with Jesus at His return. He urges them to stand firm in the Lord. Believers standing firm in their faith was a serious challenge in the face of persecution and a Roman society that was certainly hostile to Judeo-Christian values and beliefs. In the same way, believers all over the world face varying degrees of persecution and cultures that are hostile to Christian values today.

Apparently there was dissension in the Philippian church, because Paul urged Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony. The nature of the conflict between them is unknown, as the text does not reveal the issue. It is unfortunate that this is too often an issue in the church today, as well, both between denominations and between factions within the same local church. *Paul's approach indicates that the conflict was a clash between personalities rather than a doctrinal issue. Jesus emphasized the importance of unity in the church by praying for unity among his disciples in his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17:1-26). Paul also taught the importance of overlooking differences on disputable matters for the sake of unity (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). The church would do well to remember these lessons. It is common knowledge that one of the things that hurts our witness to unbelievers is the fact that we often can't get along with each other. Why would unbelievers want to commit themselves to a local church crippled by internal conflict?

In verse 3, Paul instructs them to help these women who have shared in his struggles for the cause of the gospel. Their salvation is not in question, since Paul counts them among workers who names are written in the book of life. They evidently worked with Paul, Clement, and other unnamed believers for the cause of spreading the gospel.  Nothing is known about Euodia, Syntyche, or Clement other than their mention in this passage.

Despite the difficult circumstances that the early church faced, Paul tells them to rejoice in verse 4. He says to let their gentle spirit to be known to all because the Lord is near. There has been speculation throughout history about when Jesus' return might be. Paul's opinion, at least in the early stages of his ministry, was that Jesus was going to return in Paul's lifetime. The fact that their names were written in the book of life is certainly cause for celebration, which could possibly be the reason that Paul tells the reader twice to rejoice. Their joy should not be dependent whether they are facing persecution or having conflicts with other believers. Those things are temporary compared to the eternal life we have in Christ. This is not meant to trivialize the difficulties that we face but to keep them in perspective compared to the fact our names are written in the book of life and our rewards will come with our salvation.

Despite their difficult circumstances, they should not be anxious or fearful about anything. They could be assured that God would supply their needs regardless of the situation. We have that same assurance today. Rather than being anxious about our circumstances, we should present whatever is on our mind to God. Just as children don't have any fear of bringing their needs to their parents, we shouldn't have any fear of talking to God about our needs. It is also important to remember that God delights to answer our prayers, just as parents delight in giving gifts to their children because they love them so much.

It is important to note that Paul says, "with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (emphasis mine) After God has answered our prayers, whether He says, "yes", "no" or "not yet," He does it out of love for us, knowing what is best for us. It may be difficult to thank God when He says no or not yet to our requests, but it is always in our best interest. He knows what is best for us so much better than we do, and that means trusting His wisdom, even if we don't fully understand it.

Paul assures them that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. They could still have incredible peace, in spite of difficult circumstances. This peace doesn't come from ourselves but is bestowed upon us by God. Paul states that this peace "surpasses all understanding." It is not necessary that we understand it in order to experience His peace. When we face life's most difficult circumstances, such as persecution, financial difficulties, a marriage falling apart, or the death of a loved one, we can still have peace despite our circumstances. All too often, taking the issue to God is our last resort when it should be our first response.

Verse 8 states that we should focus on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellent, or worthy of praise. The saying "you are what you think about" is most certainly true. Focusing on these things will also help us to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. It will also do wonders for our witness to unbelievers. Jesus said that unbelievers would know that we are His disciples by our love for each other.

Paul urges them to imitate they things that they had seen in him, just as he imitates Christ. The same applies to our role models today. As role models to others, we also carry the same responsibility. Verse 8 also goes a long well in helping us fulfill this responsibility. In the last sentence of the passage, Paul assures them that they are not along in this, but God will be with them. The same applies to us today as we fulfill that same charge.


*= Indicates that this was taken from the Expositor's Bible Commentary

[JT]