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Letter to the Philippians: Part 3
00:30:16
Dr. Tim Gray and Dr. James Prothro, Scripture scholars at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, dive into a powerful New Testament text: the Letter to the Philippians.
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome to form. Now, My name is Dr. Ben Akers and I'm the executive director of Formed. Joining me today is a colleague and a friend, Dr. Jim Prothero, our newest hire here at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. And what we've been doing, this is the third of three sessions. We've been following the readings that the church gives to us on the Sundays. So we've been following the Sunday second reading. The second reading has been coming from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. And the letter to the Philippians is an incredible book, as all the letters of St. Paul are. I named actually one of my sons, Paul, because I just had such a great devotion to this apostle, this great apostle of the church. And in the letter to the Philippians, Paul is writing a letter to a group of Christians and they're living in a Roman colony. The Philippians are special to his heart because this is the first church that he founded in Europe. You can read about this in Acts 16. There's great stories about what happens when he founds the church. Here he's coded Co writing this with Timothy, another kind of famous partner in the Gospel. And that's one of the themes that I think you've been noticing if you've been reading along in Philippians with the church is partnership, koinonia working together for the good of loving God and loving one another. This is one of the themes that comes out in Philippians along with the theme of encouragement of Paul's writing a letter to his friends and he's encouraging them to grow in the Christian life, encouraging them to put on the mind of Christ. This is one of the themes that you discussed earlier in your study with Dr. Gray. And we're going to be closing out our study on Philippians. Of course, we can't go through the whole book as much as we'd like to. And maybe if you put in the comments that you want a whole built out study on Philippians, I encourage you to do that. We do have a Lectio series on Philippians that's taught by Dr. Gray. It's on form, so just put in Philippians or Lectio and it'll pop up. But what we're going to be discussing today is chapter four of Philippians and Paul's bringing it all home. He's bringing the themes home that he's introduced earlier in the letter. And so Dr. Prothero, give us the context. Where are we when we get to the readings this last Sunday that we just heard?
- [02:10]
B
Sure. So we're now in Philippians 4, and particularly we're starting in verse 10 all the way to the end of the day today. Excuse me, I can't speak. Are you sure you want me on TV?
- [02:22]
A
Yeah, there's some water there.
- [02:27]
B
But St. Paul here is kind of coming back around to reflect with the Philippians on something that is in many ways kind of the occasion for the letter. Like the thing that he writes the letter for the reason that he writes the letter. And it's kind of odd that it's pressed all the way to the end. So we saw in chapter two that Paul's in prison, but the Philippians have said sent him a gift. Epaphroditus is this guy from Philippi, and he's come to Paul when he's in prison there and brought him a gift of funds, things to support his mission, because Paul's still able to carry out some of his mission while he's in prison through the people that are with him and around him and things like that that he has contact with. So they've sent him a gift. And he's mentioned that Epaphroditus got sick. He's used Epaphroditus in chapter two as a great model of somebody who serves selflessly and is willing to suffer for the good of the church and in service to Paul and the mission. So he's a great example of that partnership that Koinonia in the Gospel that the Philippians have with Paul. But one of the things that is odd about it, I think for us as we read, is that it feels kind of strangely tacked on at the end. And a lot of times when we think about a letter, we think, okay, at the very beginning you should say why you're writing the letter and. And then kind of move on.
- [03:50]
A
Yeah, don't bury the lead. Right. That's one of the first things you learn about writing and journalism is don't bury the lead. Put it right there in the top so that people know what you're going to talk about.
- [03:58]
B
Yeah, that's right. And so Paul is going to acknowledge their gift and kind of thank them for it. But he's put it at the very end, and in many ways, all the things that he said so far about partnership, but then also about God's wonderful and mysterious grace and the way that he works and God's provision, those are going to come up in this section of the letter as well. So we'll be able, as we read verses 10 through 20 at the very end of the letter, to actually Refer back to stuff in the very first paragraph and the second paragraph of Philippians that will tie it all together and help us understand what Paul's up to here in putting his kind of thanks at the very end.
- [04:36]
A
Thanks for bringing that up and mentioning that. Because sometimes when we read the letters of St. Paul, we think, what is going on? It's not letters that we're used to, as you just mentioned, but. But to keep in mind that we're reading someone else's mail, that they. Paul has a particular message with particular issues that he wants to address. And sometimes it's the work of scholars. It's oftentimes the work of the scholars to determine what is going on in the church community that leads Paul to address the Philippians. And so is this the context for this is. It's a thank you letter. It's like a mission support letter, sort of.
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B
It's not the kind of thank you letter that you would expect your bishop to send back after you dealt with, donate a wing to this.
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A
Thank you for supporting the Catholic appeal. Yes, right.
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B
Yeah, exactly. So why don't we jump into it and we can maybe kind of walk through.
- [05:28]
A
So would you like me to start in verse 10? Yes, chapter four. So we're in Philippians, chapter four, verse 10, if you'd like to follow along. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length, you have revived your concern for me. You're indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Any comment on that, or should I keep going?
- [05:47]
B
Why don't we do it in chunks? Could you do 10 through 13 and then we'll kind of walk through it?
- [05:52]
A
Okay. Verse 11. Now that I complain of, not that I complain of want. For I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. In any and all circumstances. I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. So That's Philippians, chapter four, verses 10 to 13.
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B
Yeah. So does it sound like the normal beginning to a thank you letter that you're supposed to write to Grandma?
- [06:26]
A
No, it doesn't at all. I mean, one of the words that jumps out on me jumps out at me in verse 10, which connects to what you, Dr. Gray, discussed previously was, is the word rejoice. That's always struck me when I remember reading Philippians and then studying it in chapter four, verse four, where he says, rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say it rejoice. It's almost as if we don't believe him, or he doesn't expect them to rejoice. He's just so excited to repeat this. Like, no, this is what you need to do is rejoice. But then he's describing a situation that doesn't sound like it would be a position to rejoice in. I've gone hungry. I know hunger. I also know abundance, but I also know hunger. I know whipping. I know scourging. I know shipwreck. Kind of the list that he does in another letter of all the things that happened to him. But I think he would still say, give us that encouragement to rejoice.
- [07:15]
B
Yeah, that's right. The language of joy or rejoicing comes up. I forget the exact number. I should have looked it up if I had thought about this. I think it's close to 20 times in this letter. It's not a long letter, maybe 17, but just over and over again. And it has a lot to do with what Paul wants the Philippians to get, because he. On the one hand, we're reading somebody else's mail. On the other hand, it's apostolic mail. Right. Like a bishop sending a letter to a very particular group. And yet, kind of being. He's never just going to say, like, hi, I made it. I'm good. Feed the dog. Right. He's going to write in a way that kind of continues to lead them into the mystery of Christ and encourage them in their own faith. He's in jail, and this is a church that has supported him a lot. It's the first church that he founded in Europe, as you say. But they have. He's going to say in a few verses here, in verse 16, when he was in Macedonia the first time, right after he left Philippi, they sent him aid twice.
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A
So they're very generous.
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B
Yeah. Like, three months after they met him, you know, they've been very generous. They've been very supportive of him. And then there's been a time where they couldn't find a way to get him anything. He's in jail. He says, I want you to know now that what's happened for me has happened for the sake of the gospel's progress. You might not think that. Right back in chapter one, you might think like, oh, he's in jail. Should we maybe start supporting a different mission team? Should we see if. Is Timothy gonna take over? Right. Like, if Dr. Gray ended up, you know, like, in prison for whatever reason. Right. People would send you their money, right? Sure.
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A
Yeah, yeah. So if our Timothy goes to jail, we're gonna find Epaphroditus to like, you know, to invest in. Right?
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B
Yeah, exactly right. But he, at every point, has encouraged joy for them. For these people who are concerned for him, they were concerned for Epaphrodit.
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A
Sick.
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B
And so now he's modeling that, just as he modeled it earlier. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that you have been able to send something to me. Thank you. Then verse 11, he says, not that I'm saying I needed it. What are you doing now, Paul? What's the deal? He says, I've learned the secret. This is really interesting. In verse 12, when he says, I've learned the secret, the Greek word that he uses says, I've learned the mystery. I've been brought into the mystery of how to abound and how to have nothing. What's the mystery? Jesus, knowing him, having that mindset of Christ where Christ is at the center of your values, of what's good, of what you see is a good thing or a bad thing in your life, and Christ is at the center of that. Paul knows that he can gain everything or lose everything that's temporal, that's worldly in Christ. And all of it can be good if it's for Christ, and all of it is good if it's for Christ. And so he's just not that concerned.
- [10:33]
A
About it so clearly that he's continuing the thought that he began the fourth chapter as the fourth chapter, when he says to have no anxiety. Because my life is full of anxieties and difficulties, and I borrow trouble often. And I try to teach my children, don't borrow trouble. Today's worry is enough for today. And this is part of that secret, is that how do we live in an age where there's anxiety, there's difficulty, there's troubles because that's each of our lives. That's the description of each of our lives. And Paul says, don't worry about it. Have peace. Don't have anxiety. I've learned the secret. And the secret, the mystery is to be conformed to Christ. The times change, difficulties change from day to day, from hour to hour to minute to minute, locally and nationally and around the world, these changes that come. But the secret is to be in Christ, who never changes. And that's how we can weather these storms that come in our life.
- [11:33]
B
No, that's absolutely right. And the hope that we have in Christ also calls us back to the ultimate reality that because he rose from the dead, every bit of suffering can take on new meaning because it's not in vain. And every little act of good that goes unrequited, every loss is seen by one who will raise you from the dead. As he says in chapter three, we have a citizenship in heaven. That's where our reward is. That's where our truest, fullest identity is. And when the Lord comes, he will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. He will be our Lord, our Savior, and he will raise us up. And so anything that we lose here, a meal, 10 meals, a whole bunch of cash, or whatever else it is, don't compare to the heavenly treasury that we will get to enjoy when he brings about the new creation. And Paul holds that hope in front of him very, very strongly. And I think that's really important to help understand also verse 13, because verse 13, Paul says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Now, have you ever heard that used poorly?
- [12:57]
A
I have. This is one of these famous verses that you see on bumper stickers that people get tattoos about. I could all things in him who strengthens. And I haven't seen it at like a strongman competition where someone maybe had this shirt or something like lifting weights. But yeah. What is Paul doing here? What does he mean by this?
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B
Well, I think we can start off probably easier with, what does he not mean?
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A
What is he not doing?
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B
Right. Yeah. And then kind of work our way back into the core of it all. My kids have a cd, a scripture rock cd, and I love it because there are all of these like three minute kind of kid songs, really, just repeating one Bible verse in the song over and over again. And so my kids have Learned like John 3:16 by heart and all kinds of other verses, Proverbs 3, stuff like that. But when they do this one, they're singing, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me over and over again. And in the background, people are like, I could throw a touchdown into the Super Bowl. I can jump off a building and not fall and not fail. You know, I can, you know, and it's like, well, hold on. The power of Christ. The first thing to say is, the power of Christ is real and absolute. And if he wants you to, you could fall off a building and still live. Christ wants Paul not to die when he gets bit by a poisonous serpent on the island, when they're shipwrecked at the end of the Book of Acts. These aren't things that can happen. So we don't. We don't want to overreact to bad interpretations of this verse by, like, limiting the power of God. On the other hand, we need to read it in its context. Right in here. What is Paul saying he can do through the One who strengthens him? Well, he can do fine. Also, he has the strength to stay in jail. Because, remember, back in the first chapter, if you look back in Philippians chapter one, he says, I'm here, and I want Christ to be magnified in my body no matter what happens. But I might die. I'm sure that I won't, but I might die. But Christ is my life no matter what. So I'm in him whether I live, whether I die. I have Him. I'm with him, with the Lord, he says. And so that's really, really helpful. I know of one particular place that I visited, and it was a church that doesn't have much rooting in the theological tradition, in any theological tradition. It's kind of a prosperity gospel. Right. If you have enough faith, then you'll be a millionaire. Right. And that's just how it will work.
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A
Jesus wants you to have a yacht.
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B
And I visited a place to take a tour and kind of pose some questions to some of the people there. And this was one of the verses that they had real big, this 1 in Jeremiah 29:11, where God says, I know the plans I have for you.
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A
Future and a hope.
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B
Yeah, exactly. For good, not for evil. And they said, see, there it is. Right. If you just have enough faith. Right. God will do. Right. God will make you sort of not suffer. And I was like, well, number one, what about Jesus? Because he suffered plenty and he had perfect fit. But number two, Jeremiah 29:11 is what God is saying when he's sending them to exile. Their city is going to be burned to the ground and their temples destroyed. Yeah. Every sign of God's love for them is going to be gone. And in Philippians 4:13, he's not saying, you know what, I don't have to go work out. I can just walk into the powerlifting competition and bench 500 and it'll be fine. He's not saying that. He's saying, yeah, I can stay in jail even if you don't send me a gift. I'll be fine because of Jesus. Oh.
- [16:54]
A
So there's complete conformity in his mind and his heart to Jesus. So when he says, have this mind among yourselves, which I have, which I do, I'm trying, is what Paul says. And I have it that this is why he's completely content, because he's living in the very center of the Father's will for him. And of course he'd rather not be in jail because it'd make him more mobile to go and to preach the gospel and share the gospel. But that's what the Lord's will is for him in the here and now. And he knows that Christ has already won the victory, so he's not anxious about it. And that's so refreshing to know that when death, which is the number one tool that the Romans had over everybody living in the empire, I have power over your life. I can kill you. That will be the end of your story. Well, Jesus enters into that and transforms it from the inside so that the very thing that kills him, he's the author of they put to death the author of life, as Peter says, He transforms that into the doorway to eternal life where death is no longer a dead end, but a doorway. And so this is why Paul takes us back to the resurrection. He's like this answers any question that you might have because the victory's already won. It's just my conforming myself to Christ on the cross.
- [18:15]
B
Oh, exactly. I was just thinking about what you said when you said because he's with Christ, that of course he'd prefer not to be in jail. But whatever the Lord's will is for him and for the sake of the Gospel and his own salvation, then that's what he wants. And he says almost that exact same thing about whether or not he'll actually die. Back in chapter one, he says, I'm hard pressed between the two. He says, my desire on the one hand is to depart and be with Christ because that's far better. So if they're going to kill me, then, well, I'll just be with Jesus. I won't have to worry about all the temptations and pains. But then chapter one, verse 24, he says, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account and convinced of this, then that's what I'm hoping for, and I'm hoping you pray for as well, that I'll be delivered from jail. He's able to sort of sit and look at the both of them, see the good in both, if it's God's will, right, and for the sake of the gospel. But no matter what happens, that Christ will be magnified in his body, whether he's alive or whether he is martyred for it. And that's rough because that's death, but he knows it because Jesus has gone through that and out the other side. So he can follow him.
- [19:29]
A
Right. Jesus didn't die so that we don't have to, but he died so that we could conform ourselves to his death and then be. Conform ourselves to his resurrection. That's a hard truth, right to this complete resignation to God's will in good times and in bad. But to know that if the Lord wants suffering in our life, that's for our good, and if we've been blessed with material prosperity in our life, that's for our good, for our own salvation, but for the salvation of others as well.
- [19:58]
B
Amen.
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A
That's great. So this is challenging, but it's the secret. The secret sauce of the Christian life. That's a loose translation here of the secret and the word mystery there, but of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. And we all have times in our life where we have abundance, where we have want. And it feels maybe that we're getting buffeted by the storms, and maybe it just feels like we can't take one more blow. What else could happen? Take great confidence that the Lord has the plans for you, the future and hope, as Jeremiah 20:11. But even if you're being, you know, the temple is destroyed, you're being sent into exile, it looks as if you know you're being counted out, if you will, by the storms of life. The Lord has a plan for you. And you can say with Paul, this mystery, the secret, I can do all things in him who strengthens. So then we go on. Do you want to go on to verse 14?
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B
Yeah.
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A
Do you have more things to. Oh, no, there's a lot more here.
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B
Well, I mean, we could talk about that bit forever. I mean, that's the daily. That's the daily struggle, right?
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A
Yeah.
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B
But no, let's go on to 14 through 20, because you were saying a minute ago that it's hard, that the actual struggle, like the Christian life struggle that's in here is hard. You were saying earlier also, though, that there's this kind of distance when we read Paul and we have to think about how to understand it when we're kind of reading the parts that are more clearly other people's mail. But I think 14 through 20 are really great kind of exercise for this, because this is a part where you read and you go, well, that just looks sort of like an update. Okay. And then you move on and you close the book. But there's actually, you could get a lot of homilies out of 14 through 20, I think. Great. So, yeah, I'll read it.
- [21:49]
A
So we're in Philippians chapter 4, verses 14 through 20, and then we'll do some commentary yet. It was kind of you to share my trouble. And you, Philippians yourselves, know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving. Except you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent me help once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit which increases. To your credit, I have received full payment and more. I am filled having received from Epaphroditus. Sorry, I said that wrong. The gifts you sent. A fragrant offering, a sacrifice, acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. So what's going on here? What's Paul doing here? It does seem like an update. Something else going on?
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B
Well, there's plenty. So you've got the update. And one of the things we want to think about here is kind of like, why is Paul saying it all this way instead of another way? Why is Paul kind of acknowledging their gift and kind of thanking them for it, sort of. And encouraging them in it, but in this kind of big weird.
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A
That's just what Paul does. That's Bible world. This is Bible World. You have to try to understand this.
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B
Right?
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A
Yeah.
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B
But what's he leading them into? Right. What's he kind of. How's he reframing what's happened? Right. He is jailed so you could think about that as like, bummer, dude, but then he reframes it. I want you to know what's happened to me has come about for the progress of the Gospel, the preaching of the word. So here talking about, well, I don't need it, but it was kind of you to share my trouble. He's kind of distancing himself from how much he needs the gift, and yet he's at the same time acknowledging how great it was. But a lot of times, like when I write a thank you letter to Grandma at Christmas. Right, Right. And you get that pair of socks and you're like, thank you. And then you feel like you need.
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A
To describe how you will use that.
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B
What you will do with the socks, how happy you are, how snuggly they feel, and you feel like you're kind of blowing smoke a little bit sometimes. Right. Maybe you love the socks, but I.
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A
You gotta fill the card. There's a lot of space to fill.
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B
I don't always love the socks. Yeah, that's right. You gotta Fill the card. And it's a really kind thing to do. And yet all that that does is it tells you that the worth of their gift is in how much use you can put into it. Notice where Paul puts the worth of their gift is actually in their intention and in their partnership in the Gospel. And the fact that for him, and it should be for them too, they should see it the same way that their gift and its worth are that it's an offering to God. He says, it's not that. I'm not trying to tell you this because I'm looking for you to send another gift, right? Like, oh, yeah, you made me so happy. Why don't you send some more? That's not what I'm saying. Verse 17. It's not that I seek the gift. I seek the fruit that increases to your credit, to your account with the Lord. I've received full payment. More. I'm well supplied. Right? Again, he can receive the gift or he could not receive the gift. He's still enough in Christ. I've got the gifts you sent. But what does he call them in verse 18? A fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And God in return, will supply every need of yours. He just talked about how God supplies his every need. God will supply all of your needs to fill up your account according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So instead of saying that the worth of their gift is in how happy it made him feel, which is great, right? I mean, it's a nice thing, but he's reframing it to say the worth of your gift. Even if Epaphroditus had died on the way, right. And had never gotten to Paul, right. That gift is still a fragrant offering to God that God is pleased with. I think that's comforting to me. All of the times when I have one of those acts of charity that goes unappreciated, unrequited, or sort of falls down somewhere. Right? And I hope it's comforting to all of us. As we say, think about it.
- [26:16]
A
So St. Paul is saying that just the fact that you gave indicates to me that the Lord is active in your life, that your heart has been expanded to be generous to me. And you were generous. I'm grateful for your generosity, but that shows me that you're responding to God's graces. And this fragrant offering and sacrifice. And we just have a couple minutes. To me, that resonates or echoes with Old Testament language. Is that what's like offering in a temple?
- [26:41]
B
Sacrifice yeah, that's right. Especially of the burnt offering that they gave up every day to honor the Lord and propitiation for their sins. The burnt offering was the one where they gave the whole thing to God. And this one is amazing because it's just as fragrant and acceptable and pleasing to them. Even though it doesn't all have to be burned up, it can actually go to support Paul. And why is that? Romans 12:1 2. By the mercies of God, present your bodies, your whole selves, as living sacrifices. You don't have to be killed and your stuff doesn't have to get burned. But your acts of charity in Christ are offerings to God, just as honored because of him and what he's done, just as honored as all of the burnt offerings of old.
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A
That's beautiful because it requires a dying to self.
- [27:31]
B
Yeah.
- [27:32]
A
So even though we're not killed out on the altar like the Old Testament sacrifices, the cow, the goat, the bull, but we put ourselves on that altar as a living sacrifice, and it's the dying to self growing in charity, love of God, love of neighbor, that's the gift. So fragrant, offering a sacrifice, acceptable and pleasing to God. So he's clearly. They would have picked up these resonances, these echoes. Hearing this story, I want to just the minute that we have left, my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. What's Paul? What's kind of the parting shot of Paul giving the Philippians here?
- [28:15]
B
I mean, if you compare verse 19 to what he said above in verses 10 to 13, and then all of the stuff the whole letter through about having Christ at the center and how Christ is enough and you're enough in Him. I think he wants them and us as well as we join in the mission of the church and the spreading of the Gospel. He wants them and us to know that same kind of peace that he has. I know the secret because I know Christ, so I can abound and I can lack. You've given, you will receive, and you have enough because of Him. And he wants them to sit in the exact same spot that he's in. He doesn't want them to be in jail, but he wants them to sit there with that great confidence in the Lord Jesus, to know that everything that they are is redeemed, hidden, sanctified in everything that he is. He says in Colossians, our life is hidden with Christ in God, and to continue to live in Christ, to seek the things that are above, to meditate on anything that's good, consoling, just holy right to imitate the Lord Jesus in his giving of his self for others.
- [29:32]
A
That's beautiful. That's a beautiful challenge that Paul always delivers to us. And when we hear in the readings at Mass that there's a power, the Word of God never leaves the mouth of God and comes back empty handed. So if we're always open to hear God's word, our minds will be changed, our hearts will be changed, and we'll see what God wants us to do in our life. That if you want that peace that surpasses all understanding, Paul gives us the secret here in Philippians. If you'd like to learn more about Philippians, I encourage you to watch lectio Philippians with Dr. Tim Gray. Thank you for your support and may God bless you.