SERIES: Philippians: Cheerful Sounds from a Jail Cell
Parting Graces
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: All of us have heard the phrase “parting shots.” It’s used to describe last-minute comments, usually nasty ones, when one is ending a phone conversation or leaving a meeting or closing a letter. Parting shots are effective principally because the other person doesn’t have the chance to respond; all he can do is to stew about what was said.
Well, the Apostle Paul offers some last-minute comments to the Philippian church in our text today, but the term “parting shots” just doesn’t fit. So I have used the term “parting graces” instead. In a sense, however, parting graces serve the same purpose as parting shots in that being the last thing spoken, the recipient is more likely to stew, or meditate, about these things. I hope that’s the case for us here this morning.
There are three topics in these final verses he wants us to meditate upon: the grace of contentment, the grace of giving, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. All are graces that are indispensable to the mature, joyful Christian experience. Watch for them as we read:
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. 22 All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The grace of contentment (10-13)
The word for “content” here is one of the great words of Greek ethics, as were several of the words we noted last Sunday in verses 9 & 10. The Stoics used this word to refer to a state of mind in which a man was absolutely and entirely independent of all things and of all people, a state in which a man had taught himself to need nothing and to need no one.
The Stoics reached this by working to eliminate all desire and all feelings. Epictetus wrote,
“Begin with a cup or a household utensil; if it breaks, say, ‘I don’t care.’ Go on to a horse or pet dog; if anything happens to it, say, ‘I don’t care.’ Go on to yourself, and if you are hurt or injured in any way, say, ‘I don’t care.’ If you go on long enough, and if you try hard enough, you will come to a stage when you can watch your nearest and dearest suffer and die, and say, ‘I don’t care.'”[i]
The Stoic claimed that this was possible as one, by an act of the will, came to believe that everything that happened in life was the direct will of God, kind of a predestination gone to seed. One writer summarized it this way, “The Stoic made of the heart a desert, and called it a peace.”[ii]
Paul used the same word, “contentment,” as the Stoics used, but he meant something very different by it. The Stoic said, “I will learn contentment by a deliberate act of my own will.” Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” For the Stoic, contentment was a human achievement; for Paul it was a divine gift. The Stoic was self-sufficient; Paul was God-sufficient.
I believe Biblical contentment is a vanishing grace. We have so many conveniences, luxuries and even extravagances, and new ones are coming out at an ever-increasing rate. The problem is not the conveniences; it would be silly to do away with them as the Amish have done; it really doesn’t produce godliness. The problem is getting used to the conveniences and beginning to think of them as necessities. We need to be reminded again and again that “life consists not in the abundance of the things one possesses.” We need to “travel light,” as Eugene Peterson puts it.
Please note that the issue that causes Paul to bring up the subject of contentment is the generosity of the Philippian church toward him. We’re going to discuss this at length in a few moments, but right now let me just observe that he received a kind gift from the believers there and is writing to thank them. Look at verse 10: “I 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. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Paul thanks them for their generosity, but lest they think that his welfare and peace of mind were dependent upon those gifts, he moves quickly to the subject of contentment. The first thing he indicates is that …
Contentment is learned, not inherited. (11) “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” We all know people who demonstrate an unusual degree of contentment in their lives, and we are tempted to think that it must be a personality trait, something they were born with, like blue eyes, or a strong will, or athletic ability. Some are born with contentment and some, like me, are not. But we are fooling ourselves if we think that way. Contentment is learned behavior, not inherited.
Well, if it’s learned, then the obvious question is, “how can I learn it?” The first thing I would suggest is to make a conscious effort to simplify our lives and get back to the basics. Many of us have had the experience of a vacation in a cabin in the mountains of Colorado or Vermont where there was a wood stove, no phone, no TV, and lots of time for reading. And when the week or two was over we felt more rested and more in tune with God and with our families than we had been in recent memory. Those experiences should teach us something, namely that it is not the material conveniences of modern life that satisfy; it’s the intangible blessings of peace and quiet, nature, fresh air, and meditation. We need to make more time for experiences like that.
Secondly, we need to consciously avoid influences that eat away at our contentment. I spoke last Sunday of the negative influence of TV, constantly bombarding us with advertisements for things ranging from the harmful to the useless. TV is not the only culprit, for our whole society is bent on influencing us to buy things we don’t need. We need to develop a habit of never buying anything just as a result of advertising. I personally have a policy of never buying anything over the phone. Instead, we should decide ahead of time what we need, then study the ads for the best place to get it.
Thirdly, we need to feed on the promises of God which indicate that He is our sufficiency, not anything or anyone else. We’ll look at one of those great promises in just a moment.
Contentment is internal, not external. (11-12) Paul expands in verses 11-12: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I 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.” It’s obvious from this personal testimony that true contentment is irrelevant to what is going on externally in a person’s life. It has everything to do with what is happening inside the person.
I can’t recall the movie star who said it, but I heard one of them something like this: “I’ve been poor, and I’ve been rich; and, believe me, rich is better.” I think Paul would put that differently: “I’ve been poor, and I’ve been rich; and I’ve learned that either one can be good.”
Frankly, I don’t think there are many Americans today who can say that, not even many Christians. Some of us have never been poor, never been hungry, never lacked anything significant. Others of us have been poor, have been hungry, and have lacked a lot, but that was a long time ago and we have forgotten what it is like. But there’s a good way to determine whether you would be content if God took away much of what you enjoy in terms of riches, and that’s to simply ask, “Are you satisfied with what you have now?” Those who are perfectly satisfied with their present status are generally people who would be content whatever their circumstance.
But, you say, “that’s not a fair question, because some people have so much money now that it’s coming out their ears! I’m not going to be content until I have as much as they have.” Remember, contentment is irrelevant to possessions—for the rich as well as the poor. You may be worth several thousand dollars or several million, but if your thoughts are constantly on how to get more, you have not learned the fact that contentment is internal, not external. If you are constantly thinking about improvements that simply must be made on your home, or lusting for a new car, or making a killing on some investment, or begging your parents for designer clothes, or desperately seeking a promotion at work or a higher paying job, then you have failed to come to grips with the fact that contentment is internal, not external.
You know, there are two tests God periodically allows most of His children to go through—the test of adversity and the test of prosperity. Frankly, I think most of us do better with the test of adversity—somehow, we suck it up and get through the crises with resources we didn’t know were available. But the test of prosperity is more difficult. Many of us fail that test because we begin to think that prosperity is an end in itself and assume that it can do things for us that it was never designed to do.
I want you to turn over to 1 Tim. 6. Beginning in verse three Paul speaks of false teachers in the church, some of whom teach (end of verse 5) that “godliness is a means to financial gain.” Frankly, the church at large is full of such people today—we call them health-wealth advocates. They teach that if you are godlym you’ll be rich. Listen to what the Bible has to say about that beginning in verse 6: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Paul makes it clear later in the chapter that there’s nothing wrong with being rich, but it’s very dangerous to want to get rich, to have that as one’s goal in life.
There’s a third fact about contentment that is offered in our text:
Contentment is based upon God’s strength, not our own. (13) “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” The KJV is more familiar to us as it reads “through Christ who strengthens me,” but virtually all modern translators agree that the name of Christ was inserted by an overzealous scribe who wanted to be sure that his readers understood who was offering the strength. That scribe was undoubtedly correct in his interpretation, but scribes are not supposed to interpret, only translate.
Many of us have memorized Phil. 4:13, and I have heard it quoted countless times in many different contexts. It is quoted by a high school student just before a final exam, by an athlete before a great game, by a person facing the imminent death of a loved one, by a graduate student writing a dissertation, by a housewife facing unexpected house guests, by a businessman involved in a major deal. And I think those may be legitimate applications of the text, but we must not forget the context in which Paul wrote these words.
Paul is speaking of contentment in any and all circumstances, and he is telling us that true contentment is based upon God’s strength, not our own. A lack of personal resources, a shortage of food, even abject poverty is no hindrance to accomplishing what God wants to do through us. This verse is not really carte blanche to accomplish anything and everything we put our mind to. The subject here is not reaching for the stars, but rather contentment with whatever God has provided. I think it means clearly that we can do everything God wants us to do with the resources He has made available.
No one can use the excuse, “I’d be doing more for the cause of Christ if I were a millionaire, but since I’m only worth $100,000 I can’t afford to do anything.” Or, “I’d be more hospitable if I had a beautiful home.” Or, “I’d reach out to people more if I felt better about myself.” Friends, I have been a pastor for over 20 years, and I have yet to see a new home or new furniture turn an inhospitable person in an hospitable one.
But notice, too, that this verse speaks of a divine-human cooperation. Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content …. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” He does not say, “God can do anything by strengthening me.” Rather he says, “I can do anything through him who strengthens me.” We must act, but we must not act independently. We must minister, but not in our own power.
Contentment is a grace, a rare one for sure but one that God wants us to exhibit. Closely connected with it is a second grace which Paul now addresses.
The grace of giving (10-20)
As we have already noted, Paul was talking about the financial giving of the Philippian Christians before he addressed contentment, and now we see that he goes back to it in verse 14. I see six important principles of giving addressed here, not in a critical way, as though the Philippians were failing and needed to get their act together, but rather in a context of encouragement to continue their faithfulness.
Biblical giving is founded on godly concern plus opportunity. (10) “I 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.” The generosity of the Philippian Church to Paul went back a long way. In Acts 16 and 17 we read how Paul preached the gospel in Philippi, and then moved on to Thessalonica and Berea. The Philippians regularly sent gifts to him as he proceeded on his church-planting trip, and they continued to do so for several years until they lost track of him.
Travel was difficult in those days and communications were poor, so it was not unusual for this to happen. But when they got the news that he was in prison in Rome, they sent Epaphroditus with a gift and thus renewed their concern. Paul excuses the intervening period by observing that they had “no opportunity” to show their concern. Better to have concern but lack the opportunity than to have opportunity and lack the concern! But actually, both are needed.
Let me comment first on the term “concern.” It refers to “godly concern,” concern that is generated by the Lord rather than by emotional appeals. Every one of us receives many solicitations for support of organizations, individuals, and causes, and every one of them can make a convincing case regarding their needs. What we need is discernment regarding what God wants us to be concerned about. Such discernment may demand asking some hard questions, like “What is your doctrinal statement? What kind of financial accountability do you have? Who is on your Board and how are your board members selected?”
Recently I talked with a man who was seeking support from our church for a local ministry that is doing some very good things for the Lord. But when I asked to whom he was accountable, he basically responded, “to the Lord.” Well, that sounds very spiritual, but it’s subject to a great deal of abuse. His board consisted of himself, his wife, and two close friends, which means that basically anything he wanted he got. Because of this lack of appropriate accountability, I declined to present him to our Elders or Missions Committee as a legitimate cause for support. I believe in generous giving, but that doesn’t mean careless giving. Each dollar you have can only be given once, so handle with care.
Not only do we need concern, however; we also need opportunity. God has not asked us to do the impossible. There are some needs that God has put on my heart, but he hasn’t given me the resources to meet, at least not in full. For those needs I can pray and perhaps, if my circumstances change, give something.
Biblical giving is rare. (15) Look at verse 15: “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the Gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only.” Paul is particularly thankful for the Philippian church’s support, because it was the only support that he received. Generous giving will always be out of the ordinary. Most Christians will go through life hording their resources rather than experiencing the joy that comes only through generosity.
The issue is not one of deliberate greed or cheapness. I’m sure these other churches did not purposefully ignore Paul’s needs. It’s just that their attention was drawn to things more immediate. Why should they give to Paul when they needed a new building or a new staff member? A true spirit of generosity resulting in biblical giving is rare.
Biblical giving is regular. (16) “For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.” They didn’t just send one gift and wash their hands of the responsibility. I find that the Bible doesn’t support crisis giving as a normal stewardship procedure. Certainly, there are times when a crisis arrives, and we need to respond in faith to such situations, perhaps digging deeper than we ever thought possible. But we are not to limit our giving to crises, as many do, giving to the one who pulls the hardest at our heart strings.
Instead, the normal procedure is offered by Paul in 1 Cor. 16:2: “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up. so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” You don’t have to give it all on the first day of every week, but that is when it should be set aside. I think there is some value in having a nest egg set aside, not just for retirement, but for giving purposes. Biblical giving is regular.
Biblical giving is an investment that pays rich spiritual dividends. (15,17) Did you notice the phrase, “giving and receiving” in verse 15? When the Philippians did what they could to meet Paul’s financial needs, it was not just a matter of giving; it was also a matter of receiving. They gave financially and they received spiritually.
Then in verse 17 Paul continues, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” I think that what he is saying is that giving does more for the giver than for the receiver. True Biblical giving is not an expense; it is an investment. In fact, one commentator paraphrased verse 17 this way: “What the Philippians gave as their gift was like an investment which would repay rich dividends in the service of the kingdom, as accumulating interest … stands to the credit … of the depositor.”[iii]
Unfortunately, much generous giving is hindered by the deep conviction in some believers’ minds that their security is really dependent on having things or money. So, they invest their money for future security. And that’s not all wrong, but it’s hard to argue with Dr. James Boice who says, “One of the best things that could happen to many believers would be for them to be led to give away, all at one time, a substantial part of their savings.…” It would be … “spiritually invigorating.”[iv] That’s an opinion, but it’s not without some merit; nor is it without some Scriptural basis.
Biblical giving is pleasing to God. (18) Speaking of the gifts they had sent through Epaphroditus, Paul describes them in this fashion: “They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” I have a pastor friend who takes an approach to giving that is even more low-key than ours. They do not even take up an offering at his church, but rather have a box in the back of the church, which people can use to deposit their gifts. I understand his point—giving is not to be ostentatious, but rather an act of faith. But I also think verse 18 here indicates that offerings are an act of worship, and as such, they surely have a legitimate place in a worship service. “They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”
Biblical giving will never result in poverty. (19-20) One of the greatest promises in all the Bible appears in verse 19: “But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This verse has been quoted thousands of times by believers down through the centuries, reminding themselves that every need we have will be met by our heavenly Father. And I think that’s true, but we must not ignore what Paul was really trying to communicate in this verse. Have you noticed the context in which this promise is found? It is clearly a context of generous Biblical giving, and its real intent is to say that if you give sacrificially, even to the point of placing yourself at risk, you have this promise from God Himself that He will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
I don’t think it’s appropriate for someone who consistently consumes everything he makes on his own pleasure to quote this verse when he faces a sudden downturn of fortune. Nor has God promised to supply all our greeds; He has promised to meet all the needs of the generous giver.
By the way, don’t overlook the resources which make such a promise possible: the measure of the supply of God for our need is this: “according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” The supply is absolutely inexhaustible. So great is this truth that Paul breaks out into a benediction, even before he is actually finished with his letter: “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” It’s as though he can’t stop himself from praising God for the promise that we can never give ourselves poor. You can spend yourself poor, invest yourself poor, or idle yourself poor, but you cannot give yourself poor. God won’t let it happen.
We have looked at two parting graces Paul aims at his friends in Philippi. There is a third.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (21-23)
“Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” We have understood nothing about the Book of Philippians if we have not understood that all that we are and have is due to the grace of God in Christ. It is all a gift; we deserve nothing good from His hand. First, Paul indicates regarding His grace that …
It is needed for salvation. (21-22) I find four groups mentioned by Paul in verses 21 and 22, all of whom have received the grace of Jesus Christ for salvation. First, there are the “saints,”obviously the believers in Philippi to whom Paul is writing. Secondly are the “brothers” who are with him in Rome as he is writing the letter. Paul is in prison, you know, but apparently there are some believers in Rome with whom he has contact and who join him in greeting their fellow-believers in Philippi.
Another group of “saints” are apparently Christians in Rome who are not necessarily closely associated with Paul. And finally, there are “those who belong to Caesar’s household.” These are apparently members of the Imperial Service who had come to know Christ through the ministry of Paul while he was in prison. You see, the Gospel can penetrate any barriers. It can reach to the dregs of society and to the upper crust.
Perhaps you have recognized a significant need in your life in regard to contentment. Friend, you cannot deal with that until you have experienced the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. But not only is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ necessary for salvation; it is also needed for living.
It is needed for living. (23) The book closes with these words: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” This is a prayer. It is a prayer written for the Christians. We are saved by grace, but we also grow in grace. We desperately need the grace of God on a daily basis if we are going to have the joy that has dominated Paul’s thoughts in this profound but personal letter.
Conclusion: If cheerful sounds can emanate from a jail cell, as they did when the Paul penned this encouraging letter, similar sounds should surely radiate from those of us who have experienced so many good things from the hand of a gracious Father. Let us encourage one another with these truths.
DATE: September 11, 1988
Tags:
Contentment
Giving
Stewardship
[i] Epictetus, cited by William Barclay, The Letter to the Philippians, 104.
[ii] R. T. Glover, quoted by Barclay, 104.
[iii] R. P. Martin, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 181.
[iv] James Montgomery Boice, Philippians, 290.