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Philippians 4
1Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and , stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord.
3Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”
5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
9Do the things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
10But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.
11Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.
12I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.
13I can do all things through who strengthens me.
14However you did well that you shared in my affliction.
15You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only.
16For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need.
17Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.
18But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing to God.
19My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Jesus.
20Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
21Greet every saint in Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
22All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
23The of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.
Slow reading
Read Philippians 4 three times
Guided passes through short verse groups: read it whole, watch the words, then pray it back. Phrases to stop on along the way, with deeper explanation held back until you have read the verses yourself.
Full chapter study
Philippians 4: Contentment Learned in Chains
The chapter walked slowly with stopping points along the way, then verse by verse, word by word, through to Christ. Your place is kept as you read.
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What this chapter is saying
What is Philippians 4 about?
Read verses 6 and 7 together. The command and the promise are one sentence, and the promise is peace rather than an answer.
6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
- Written by
- Paul, writing from imprisonment, Philippians 1:12-14
- Written to
- the church at Philippi, who had sent him a gift
- Why
- thanks for their gift, with final instructions to a church he loved
The chapter begins with two named women who were not agreeing, verses 2 and 3, so the peace it goes on to describe is set beside a real disagreement rather than in a calm room.
Verse 6 replaces anxiety with something to do: prayer, petition, thanksgiving. The thanksgiving is not decoration. It is what keeps the request from becoming a list of complaints.
Verse 7 says the peace will guard your hearts and your thoughts. Guard is a military word, a garrison at the gate. Paul does not say the peace is understood; he says it surpasses understanding.
Verse 8 then gives the mind something to hold, and verses 11 to 13 explain that contentment was learned, not natural. I can do all things in verse 13 is about being content whether full or hungry, which the two verses before it make plain.
What the chapter does not tell us
The chapter does not say the thing you are anxious about will be resolved, and it does not tell us whether Euodia and Syntyche were reconciled. It tells us where to take the anxiety.
Questions this passage answers
How should I pray?
When the disciples asked this, Jesus answered with a pattern rather than a technique. Pray to your Father, in private, without performance and without needing many words, because he already knows what you need. The prayer he gave begins with God's name, kingdom and will, then asks for bread, forgiveness and protection. Scripture adds that we may bring everything, that the Spirit helps our weakness, and that we can ask with confidence when we ask according to God's will.
Does God provide for my needs?
Scripture says yes, and it is careful about the word need. God promises to supply what his people need, often daily rather than in advance, and he does not promise surplus, comfort or the removal of hard seasons. Paul, who wrote that God will supply every need, also wrote that he had learned to be hungry.
What does the Bible say about contentment?
Scripture presents contentment as something learned rather than felt, grounded in a promise rather than in circumstances. Paul says he learned it in plenty and in hunger, Hebrews grounds it in God's word that he will never forsake us, and 1 Timothy calls godliness with contentment great gain while naming food and clothing as enough.
What does the Bible say about worry?
Jesus forbids worry about food, drink and clothing, and he argues rather than scolds: your Father knows what you need, he feeds the birds, worry adds nothing to your life. Scripture then gives the worrier something to do, prayer with thanksgiving and casting the burden on God, and it limits the horizon to one day at a time.