Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Last week we looked into Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi – the one non-controversial, non-argumentative letter among the seven we are studying this year. Today we’re going to wrap up a couple of loose ends and discuss the letter’s two most compelling themes.
The first is just how personal this letter feels. Paul isn’t writing to a community, a group – instead he is talking with individuals whom he knows and loves. He mentions more people by name here -- and with more human detail -- than in any other letter that I can think of.
Right from the start, the salutation indicates this letter is from both Paul and Timothy – Paul’s dearly loved “son” in the faith. Paul says that he hopes to send Timothy to Philippi so that he can bring direct word back to Paul as to how the Philippians are doing. But Paul himself needs Timothy so much right now that he decides to keep Timothy with him and send Epaphroditus – a fellow disciple - instead. Epaphroditus has himself been seriously ill and near to death but is mostly recovered now. Paul chooses to send him so that he can have word of the Philippians, but also that they may welcome Epaphroditus warmly and love him back into full health before returning him to Paul’s service.
Near the end of the letter Paul raises up two women – Euodia and Syntyche – and urges them to “be of the same mind” as they continue their work for the Lord. We don’t know what they may have been in “two minds” about, that they need pray, but clearly Paul assumes the Philippians know them and know what the issue has been. He then asks the Philippians to pray for them both, as well as Clement, another disciple, as they all continue the good work.
This letter reads less like an organizational letter than a family chat. Everybody knows everybody. People can be asked to take care of other people in full confidence that this will happen. There is simply a “cozy” feel to this letter.
Paul is with people he loves and he is writing to people he loves – and he is content.
Which is odd, because, as we mentioned last week, Paul is in prison. Moreover, there is a distinct feeling in this letter that Paul, for all his hopeful optimism, is pretty well aware that he will most likely not get out of this one alive.
And he is still content.
In fact, he is imbued with a complete feeling of joy.
In his discussion of this topic, Marcus Borg includes a handy collection of “joy” quotes from Philippians, so that I didn’t even have to hunt for them myself. (Thank you, sir.)
The first is just how personal this letter feels. Paul isn’t writing to a community, a group – instead he is talking with individuals whom he knows and loves. He mentions more people by name here -- and with more human detail -- than in any other letter that I can think of.
Right from the start, the salutation indicates this letter is from both Paul and Timothy – Paul’s dearly loved “son” in the faith. Paul says that he hopes to send Timothy to Philippi so that he can bring direct word back to Paul as to how the Philippians are doing. But Paul himself needs Timothy so much right now that he decides to keep Timothy with him and send Epaphroditus – a fellow disciple - instead. Epaphroditus has himself been seriously ill and near to death but is mostly recovered now. Paul chooses to send him so that he can have word of the Philippians, but also that they may welcome Epaphroditus warmly and love him back into full health before returning him to Paul’s service.
Near the end of the letter Paul raises up two women – Euodia and Syntyche – and urges them to “be of the same mind” as they continue their work for the Lord. We don’t know what they may have been in “two minds” about, that they need pray, but clearly Paul assumes the Philippians know them and know what the issue has been. He then asks the Philippians to pray for them both, as well as Clement, another disciple, as they all continue the good work.
This letter reads less like an organizational letter than a family chat. Everybody knows everybody. People can be asked to take care of other people in full confidence that this will happen. There is simply a “cozy” feel to this letter.
Paul is with people he loves and he is writing to people he loves – and he is content.
Which is odd, because, as we mentioned last week, Paul is in prison. Moreover, there is a distinct feeling in this letter that Paul, for all his hopeful optimism, is pretty well aware that he will most likely not get out of this one alive.
And he is still content.
In fact, he is imbued with a complete feeling of joy.
In his discussion of this topic, Marcus Borg includes a handy collection of “joy” quotes from Philippians, so that I didn’t even have to hunt for them myself. (Thank you, sir.)
1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers
1:18 Christ is proclaimed in every way ... and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice
2:2 ... make my joy complete: be of the same mind
2:17-18 I am glad and rejoice with all of you— and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me
2:28-29 I am eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy
3:1 Rejoice in the Lord
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice
4:10 Rejoice in the Lord greatly
That’s a lot of joy in what is a very short letter. And the feeling is, as we read this letter, that Paul is absolutely sincere in all this joy. This is not simply religious boilerplate – this is Paul’s truth.
As I said last week, it is not fatalism, or giving up, or trying to convince himself while convincing others -- it is just an absolute trust in God. Whatever it was that Paul experienced back there all those years ago on that road outside Damascus, was such a life changing event for him that he has never – at least as far as we can tell from his letters – wavered.
The Christ that he met there – in whatever form that happened – is someone that inspired him with such love, and such joy, that he never lost it. That joy is what drove Paul to fight the early Christian establishment for the right to bring that joy and peace to the Gentiles. All that has happened to him – all he has experienced and endured over the years has only strengthened his trust and love. Even when Paul is sounding grumpy and angry I suspect it is because he is so frustrated by his own limitations in getting the truth of that joy out there so that others can recognize it and accept it for themselves.
How much of this joy do we find in our similar journeys? Would you say that joy is the thing that moves you through the day – through the years? If not, what do you think is missing?
Next week we will begin Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians. Being a longer letter, this one will take us at least a couple of weeks. It is less chatty than Philippians – there will be anxiety – there is exhortation and encouragement – and, yes, there is joy as well.
Meanwhile -- Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice!
As I said last week, it is not fatalism, or giving up, or trying to convince himself while convincing others -- it is just an absolute trust in God. Whatever it was that Paul experienced back there all those years ago on that road outside Damascus, was such a life changing event for him that he has never – at least as far as we can tell from his letters – wavered.
The Christ that he met there – in whatever form that happened – is someone that inspired him with such love, and such joy, that he never lost it. That joy is what drove Paul to fight the early Christian establishment for the right to bring that joy and peace to the Gentiles. All that has happened to him – all he has experienced and endured over the years has only strengthened his trust and love. Even when Paul is sounding grumpy and angry I suspect it is because he is so frustrated by his own limitations in getting the truth of that joy out there so that others can recognize it and accept it for themselves.
How much of this joy do we find in our similar journeys? Would you say that joy is the thing that moves you through the day – through the years? If not, what do you think is missing?
Next week we will begin Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians. Being a longer letter, this one will take us at least a couple of weeks. It is less chatty than Philippians – there will be anxiety – there is exhortation and encouragement – and, yes, there is joy as well.
Meanwhile -- Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice!
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