PHILIPPIANS 4:1-7

May 20, 2020

POWERFUL PRECEPTS: UNITY, JOY, THANKSGIVING, PEACE

Philippians 4:1 (NIV) Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firmG4739 in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

SUSAN: Those who have been discipled by Paul, his students who have received instruction from him, are his joy and crown. They are Paul’s reward, his personal measure of success, the fruit of his labor.

my joy and crown. As Paul’s “crown” the believers in Philippi are part of Paul’s prize (see 3:14; 1Th 2:19); such a crown was most often a victor’s wreath (see note on 1Co 9:24).

NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Copyright © 2016 by Zondervan.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 (NKJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

SUSIE:  We cannot take things to Heaven with us, but those we have introduced to Christ, those we have mentored in the Lord, will be with us there and cause us to rejoice in all the Lord has done. 

SUSAN: Those we have discipled are living trophies to the faithfulness of God that works in and through our lives. 

SUSIE: Paul urges the Philippians to stand firm on what he has already taught and the instructions in the verses that follow. 

G4739 στήκω stḗkō, stay’-ko; from the perfect tense of G2476; to be stationary, i.e. (figuratively) to persevere:—stand (fast).

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

SUSAN: The readers must be in a cooperative partnership with the Lord by His grace in order to “stand firm.” They must put on the armor of the Lord as Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Q – Are there people who will rejoice in Heaven because of you? Will you be rejoicing over those you had the privilege to influence by the power of the Lord? Do you stand firm on all God has promised and in all God has called you to do?

Philippians 4:2-3 (NIV) I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.  Yes, and I ask you, my true companion4805, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

SUSAN: The two women, Euodia and Syntyche, must have been pillars of the Philippian church because Paul says they contended by his side for the Gospel. They were definitely believers because he states that their names were in the book of life.

SUSIE: They were obviously in some type of ongoing disagreement. 

SUSAN: Paul wanted them to not necessarily be of the same opinion but in the very least to “agree to disagree” and move forward. They were to have the mind of Christ—humility, service, and unity.

SUSIE: Paul wanted them to have unity even if they did not completely see eye to eye. He urges his “true companion” or “yokefellow” (KJV) to help them in this. He says that they worked along with Clement (who is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible) and his other co-laborers. He says all their names are written in the book of life, so we know all of these people were believers.

G4805 σύζυγος sýzygos, sood’-zoo-gos; from G4801; co-yoked, i.e. (figuratively) as noun, a colleague; probably rather as a proper name; Syzygus, a Christian:—yokefellow.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

SUSAN: Believers are not in some sort of protective bubble, shielding us from problems and disagreements. We have human issues that must be worked out with humility, grace, love, and mercy under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are not to be people pleasers but peacemakers holding fast to God’s word.

Q – Are you at odds with a fellow believer? Read Matthew 5:23-24. Are we peacemakers like Paul urged his “true companion” to be? How much better to be a peacemaker than one who stirs up strife?!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 (New Life Version) Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again I say, be full of joy!

Philippians 4:4 (New Testament for Everyone) Celebrate joyfully in the Lord, all the time. I’ll say it again: celebrate!

SUSIE: Paul emphasizes rejoicing by repeating it. We can rejoice even when in dire circumstances because the source of our joy is the Lord and is not conditional upon what happens around us or even to us. 

SUSAN: That being said, joy is a choice of aligning ourselves with God’s will. By doing this, we can be certain that God has our backs. The Captain of heavenly hosts, our Chief Advocate and Defender, goes before us into battle and is our rear guard as well. We can rejoice because we are confident in His care.

Psalm 139:5 (VOICE) “You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me, and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder.”

SUSIE: My earthly daddy use to put his hand gently but firmly on my shoulder to steer me through crowds when shopped at the Roseville Flea Market. He did not want me to get lost in the crowd and was watching out for both of us. I knew he would never steer me wrong! Our Heavenly Father is on guard to protect us and gently guides as we trust in him.

Q – Are you rejoicing always? If not, who or what is stealing your joy? Are you robbing yourself of joy by resisting the gentle pressure of the Holy Spirit convicting you and directing you to God’s chosen path for you? Are you sure you are sharing Jesus’s yoke so that He is pulling you along?

Matthew 11:30 (AMPC)        For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

Philippians 4:5 (NIV) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:5 (AMP) Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near.

SUSAN: “Gentleness” seemed a little generic to me, so we sought help from the Amplified Version and some study Bibles:

4:5 gentleness. This refers to contentment with and generosity toward others. It can also refer to mercy or leniency toward the faults and failures of others. It can even refer to patience in someone who submits to injustice or mistreatment without retaliating. Graciousness with humility encompasses all the above.

NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition Copyright © 1997, 2006, 2019 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

4:5 reasonableness. The Greek word denotes the generous spirit that rises above offenses, or a forbearing spirit, of which Jesus provides the supreme example (2 Cor. 10:1). Such a person does not insist on his rights (2:1–4). Only such persons learn the secret of joy.

Reformation Study Bible Generously provided by Ligonier Ministries.

4:5 — Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Every believer is indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit with His supernatural power and wisdom. We can be gentle, confident, and forbearing in every situation because we know the Lord is close to us—that He loves us, defends us, provides for us, and redeems us.

NASB Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes

SUSAN: We should be characterized by a gentle nature. This is the nature of our Good Shepherd with whom we are to be “like-minded.” We are to be inextricably linked with Christ. 

John 13:35 (NASB) This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

SUSIE: This type of person does not demand his/her rights but looks out for others nor does he/she hold others to a legalistic standard but extends grace.

SUSAN: When I felt I was not being heard, I was demanding, defiant, and obstinate and let my flesh get the best of me rather than deferring to the other person for the sake of peace. The Holy Spirit convicted me of those attitudes and set me back on the path to joy. A self-righteous attitude steals your joy. Being self-less maintains a joy-filled heart. 

SUSIE: The Lord is near due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and we are to live as though His return may be tomorrow or today. He is “near” because He is ever present, but He is also near because His return is imminent.

Psalm 145:18 (NASB) The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Matthew 28:20b (NASB) and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 24:36 (NASB) “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

Matthew 24:42 (NASB) “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

Q – How often do we demand our rights? Do we have a gentle spirit as expressed in this verse? Do we live as if Christ’s return could be at any moment? Do we live as if Jesus is in the room with us (He is)?

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peaceG1515 of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (VOICE) Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP) Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.  And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

SUSAN: Do not nervously pace or fret concerning ANYTHING. 

SUSIE: Paul purposely uses the all-inclusive “anything” and “every”. We can apply this truth to ALL situations. This is difficult for me to handle. I know I am not supposed to worry, but in the moment, it is sometimes hard to remember to pray rather than to fret. 

SUSAN: It takes intentional trust and reliance on my relationship with Jesus not to fret. 

SUSIE: Forsaking worry and turning to prayer is a deliberate act of worship and confidence in God (Godfidence!). The act of praying, stilling my heart before the Lord, actually helps to calm the nervousness within me. Notice Paul says to pray and beseech the Lord WITH THANKSGIVING. 

Psalm 46:10 (NASB) “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 (VOICE) “Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God. I am honored among all the nations. I am honored over all the earth.”

SUSAN: Thanksgiving along with our petition is evidence that we believe in faith that God supersedes what we see and feel with our senses and is ultimately in control. We can give thanks in every circumstance because we are “in Christ,” we are adopted into His forever family, and we can trust our loving Heavenly Father in every situation.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CJB) In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua.

Romans 8:15 (VOICE) You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy.

SUSIE: When we hand our cares and concerns to God, He will replace them with unfathomable peace. Instead of being out of our minds with worry . . .

SUSAN: . . . we will be delivered from focusing on fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) . . .

SUSIE: . . . and instead place our trust in the only One who can solve the problem. 

SUSAN: We will put our faith and our focus on the solution instead of the problem.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

Q – When you have an extreme problem, do you do everything you can to solve it on your own and pray as a last resort? Or do you pray first and then act once the Lord has calmed you?

SUSIE: When we turn our anxieties over to the Lord, thanking Him for the solutions to our problems, we are promised “peace which transcends all understanding.”

SUSAN: Let’s examine that word “peace” by looking it up in Strong’s.

G1515 εἰρήνη eirḗnē, i-ray’-nay; probably from a primary verb εἴρω eírō (to join); peace (literally or figuratively); by implication, prosperity:—one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

SUSAN: The Greek word for peace used here corresponds to the Hebrew word “shalom”.

H7965 שָׁלוֹם shâlôwm, shaw-lome’; or שָׁלֹם shâlôm; from H7999; safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace:—× do, familiar, × fare, favour, friend, × great, (good) health, (× perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, (× all is, be) well, × wholly.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

SUSAN: In both the Greek and Hebrew words for peace, there is the concept of wholeness or being “set at one.” When I was studying Hebrew, I learned that this wholeness can be described as “nothing missing, nothing broken.”

SUSIE: When we turn our worries over to the Lord through thankful prayer, He puts the shattered pieces of our fragmented thoughts back together, and we are whole and at one with Him, united with the Lord. The Holy Spirit within us calms us and enables us to have “grace under pressure,” “peace that passes all understanding.”

APPLY THIS TO YOUR LIVES:

  • People are the only investments we can deposit in Heaven. Work at taking some buddies with you to Heaven. Share Jesus with others, and as they receive Him, invest in their lives to help them grow. They will become your joy!
  • When was the last time you left your gift at the altar and sought out someone you needed to be reconciled with? Do you need to give or ask forgiveness? Settle matters sooner rather than later because tomorrow is not promised.
  • Rejoice – Count your blessings and see if they do not outweigh your complaints.
  • Try gentleness and acceptance rather than barking demands. The Lord does not expect us to be doormats, but in reality anything good we have is more than we deserve when we compare our paltry goodness with the righteousness of Jesus.
  • Stand firm in the Lord. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. Maybe even write these verses out and place somewhere you will see them every morning. Consciously pray through putting on God’s armor every day. Follow this link to see an example of how to do this:

https://susiesmusings-ksh.blogspot.com/search?q=PUTTING+ON+GOD%27S+ARMOR

  • Live in unity, harmony, with other believers. Apply Matthew 18:15-17 and Romans 12:18 in your relationships.
  • Rejoice! Look for moments of joy in each day. Take joy in your relationship with Jesus. Rejoice that no matter what circumstances come about, that relationship with Him remains. No one can snatch you out of God’s hand (John 10:27-29).
  • When a worry crosses your mind this week, turn it into a prayer and thank the Lord for the answer in advance.
  • Rest in the peace that God gives to His children. Trust in Him to make you completely whole.