Faithful Friends
Philippians 4v14-20
Having thanked the Philippian church for their gifts, and having explained that he has "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation"" (verse 12) Paul says:
Philippians 4v14-16
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
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;
for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in
need.
It was good, the Philippians did the right thing by sending gifts to Paul. More than that, it was a continuation of their consistent and generous support for Paul and his ministry. Philippi was the first European church that Paul had planted (Acts 16v11-40). As usual, he encountered opposition. He and Silas were flogged and imprisoned there. He then went to preach in Thessalonica. The Jews there rioted, and searched for Paul and Silas, intending to lynch them Acts 17v1-11). At that time, the new church in Philippi "sent him aid more than once". He then left the Roman province of Macedonia (northern Greece, including Philippi and Thessalonica) to travel south into Achaea (southern Greece, including Athens). At that time, Philippi was the only church that sent him aid.
Their friendship, their fellowship, their practical support (and, no doubt, their prayer support) endured from the time of their founding to the date of this letter (and probably beyond to the day of Paul's death). They were an example to us of loyalty and sacrifice. May we never abandon our friends.
Philippians 4v17
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your
account.
The Greek word epizeteo, translated "desire" here, means "urgently seeking". Of course, Paul found their gifts useful. He wasn't dishonouring the gifts or the people who sent them. He's saying here that he hadn't set his heart on receiving their gifts. His priority was their spiritual growth, their relationship with God, their godly character. He was glad to receive their gifts, but that gladness sprang mostly from the knowledge that in sending their gifts they had done the right thing, the noble thing, the godly thing, the loving thing, and that God would credit that generous action to their account.
Paul knew, as I hope we do, that God's blessing is on the generous. Whatever we give to God, and whatever we give in Jesus's name, God will more than repay.
Matthew 5v7
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
Luke 6v38
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you."
Proverbs 11v25
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Proverbs 19v17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what
they have done.
Because he's been writing in the language of giving, receiving and credit, Paul continues in the same vein by saying:
Philippians 4v18
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.
Paul now transitions from the sort of language that might apply to a commercial transaction into the language of worship. He describes the gifts sent to him by the Philippian church as a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice, using the ideas of Old Testament temple sacrifice to describe the very real sacrifice the Philippians had made by giving gifts to their imprisoned apostle. Just as offerings of incense were pleasing to God in the Jerusalem temple, so our sacrificial offerings of money and help to the work of the Gospel, and to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need, are also pleasing to God.
Philippians 4v19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in
Christ Jesus.
As always, Paul is not only concerned with his own needs, but also with the needs of his Christian friends. As always, he is confident of the love and power of God, at work for them as well as for himself.
God will meet all their needs, and all your needs, and all my needs. He will do this because He's God, filled with love for His people and infinitely powerful. Nothing is too difficult for God (Genesis 18v14, Jeremiah 32v27, Luke 1v27). God will meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus, which are without limit.
(This doesn't mean God will provide everything we want. It doesn't mean God will provide everything we think we need. God will provide everything we really need. And God alone knows what that is. His priorities are not our priorities).
Philippians 4v20
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Having given thanks for their gifts, and shown again his concern for his friends in the church at Philippi, and assured them of God's blessing and provision, he ends these thoughts in the most appropriate way, by giving glory to God our Father. His present imprisonment, his possibly imminent death, his awareness of the difficulties his friends are experiencing, all the strains and privations he had to live with, did not deter him for one second from offering worship to almighty God, our Saviour.