Sermon on Philippians 4:10-20

INTRODUCTION

It is obvious that Paul’s letter is written to a congregation that he deeply loved and that was struggling with internal strife. Maybe you’ve known congregations like that. Much of the letter is a call to unity, and particularly, a unity that is formed around the true gospel. Paul urges them to remove the roadblocks to unity, which are selfish ambition and conceit, and to pave that road to unity with humility of mind, the humility that considers others better than ourselves and is concerned not only for our own needs but the needs of others. And Paul gives them fantastic examples of this mindset, primarily in Jesus himself, but also in Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus.

What is not clearly explained in the letter is what the Philippians are fighting about. And certainly, we don’t need to know what their conflict was in order to benefit from Paul’s teaching and exhortation. But I think we have some clues in the letter to tell us, in a general way at least, what they were fighting about. And the biggest clue is our passage today, stuck right at the very end of the letter. So I’d like you to become an investigator with me as we explore these clues. Because I think what we’ll find is that understanding the conflict will help give us context and greater understanding of this field guide to finding unity among ourselves in a divided world.

INVESTIGATING THE CONFLICT AT PHILIPPI

Let’s start with Paul’s concluding remarks to the letter in chapter 4, beginning in verse 10:

^4:10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it…¹⁴ Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ 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; ¹⁶ for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need…¹⁸ 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.

Now we know why Epaphroditus was in Rome, visiting Paul while he was being held over for trial. Epaphroditus had brought Paul a monetary gift from the church. This pattern of giving was something Paul bragged on the Philippians about to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 8:

¹ And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

When Paul says, “Macedonian churches,” that includes Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. And he mentions a “severe trial” that occurred in Macedonia that resulted in “extreme poverty” for them. The severe trial could be one or a combination of two things:

It had suffered severely by being the seat of the successive civil wars between Caesar and Pompey, between the Triumvirs and Brutus and Cassius, and, lastly, between Augustus and Antonius. Besides, the country had never recovered from the long series of miseries which had succeeded and accompanied its conquest by the Romans; and between those times and the civil contest between Pompey and Caesar, it had been again exposed to all the evils of war. (T. Arnold in the Biblical Illustrator)

The second factor or “severe trial” could have been the persecution of believers that had begun when Paul was there and that Paul indicates in the letter was still there in Philippi:

^{Philippians 1:29} For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, ³⁰ since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

The Philippians did not have a lot of do-re-mi, not a lot of cash on hand. They weren’t rolling in dough, they were so poor they couldn’t jump over a nickel to save a dime. What other euphemisms could we use for being poor? That was the Philippians. Yet, when Paul had asked all the churches he had founded to give to the needs of believers in Jerusalem, the Philippians responded enthusiastically. And now, they had sent money to Paul through Epaphroditus.

But I think we have some hints that not everyone at Philippi was enthusiastic about sending this money to Paul. And the hint is found in Paul’s remarks in chapter 2 about Epaphroditus:

²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. ²⁶ For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, ³⁰ because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

Here is my question. Why would Paul need to urge the Philippians to honor Epaphroditus, to welcome him home (he is the one who has brought this letter from Paul back to Philippi)? Isn’t the fact that they trusted him to bring the money to Paul proof that they already honored him? It would be, unless not everyone was happy with sending money to Paul, in which case they might even be angry with Epaphroditus for going. This suggests that the conflict in Philippi, led by two opposing women, Euodia and Syntyche, was over whether to help Paul out during his being bound over for trial in Rome. It wouldn’t be that the one faction didn’t want to help Paul, but most likely felt their own financial needs necessitated using their church funds for helping the poor among them.

The other side, no doubt, was saying the need of Paul was more urgent since the preaching of the gospel was in danger of being squashed, as is evidenced by Paul’s remarks in chapter 1:

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

The key word here is “actually.” Paul had heard from Epaphroditus that the Philippians feared Paul’s imprisonment awaiting trial was potentially the end of the gospel’s advance. Paul corrected that by showing his house arrest awaiting trial was in fact advancing the gospel, and he gives evidence of that in the fact that the Roman soldiers guarding him had now heard the gospel, and believers in Rome had been motivated by Paul’s jail time to preach Christ.

Can you imagine the arguments back home in Philippi? “Listen, we need to send Paul money to take care of him, to help pay for the house he is renting, to help him prepare for his trial, or the gospel preaching will come to a horrible end.” “No, don’t you see that Paul wouldn’t want us to send him money knowing how much we are struggling here, to stay fed and have roofs over our heads?” Each has kind of a good argument and each argument is fueled by worry, though the worry of the one group seems more selfish than that of the other.

Paul has already defused the idea that the gospel is in danger of dying with Paul and his circumstances. He has made it clear that the greatest danger to the gospel is the in-fighting of the Philippians, not his court appearance. Selfishness must be met with humility, the kind of humility that pays attention to the needs of others, not just one’s own. He has warned that arguing with each other will dim the light of the gospel to those outside the church. And he has asserted that worry cannot be what controls us, but rather our worries can be taken to God in prayer.

ADDRESSING THE CONFLICT AT PHILIPPI

And now, at the end of the letter, he directly addresses the issue of the gift that the church sent him. In many translations there is a heading for this section of the letter. In the New International Version it reads, “Thanks for Their Gifts,” in the Good News Translation, “Thanks for the Gift,” and in the New Living Translation, “Paul’s Thanks for Their Gifts.” But let’s look at what Paul actually says.

¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

¹⁴ Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ 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; ¹⁶ for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. ¹⁷ Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

You may notice that his conversation about the gift is in two parts. The first part basically says, “I don’t need your gift.” The second part says, “It was good for you to send it.” Does that sound like the thank-you you would like to get. If you got your family member a really special gift that cost you something at great sacrifice to you, and they said, “Well, I didn’t really need this, but glad you gave it to me,” how happy would you be with that response?

But that is not what Paul is trying to do here. He is not expressing thanks, at least, not directly. He is responding to the two factions led by Euodia and Syntyche who disagreed about how to use their money. Let’s say Euodia was leading the group that said, “We need to send money to Paul to help the cause of the gospel,” Paul is saying, “The gospel was never in danger, and neither was I; I’ve learned to be content in any situation, good or bad. I’m thrilled with your concern for me, but Christ gives me strength to face any situation.”

And to the group frozen by fear of not being able to provide for their own needs, led we’ll suppose by Syntyche, he says, “It was good for you to share in my troubles and in fact, God sees your gift as a sweet-smelling burnt offering to Him, and you can know that He will supply all your needs in Christ, just as he has for me.”

Here are the principles Paul is advocating:

ONE, we can learn contentment from Christ for any situation.

¹¹ I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

How is that possible? Well, as Paul shared right before this, and pastor so capably preached on last Sunday, we can appeal to God with all our concerns and find His peace, because we know He is sovereignly overseeing our lives and grants us requests for our needs. As Paul told the Philippians in chapter 1, he knew that no matter the outcome of his trial, whether he was vindicated and released, or was condemned to death for a crime he didn’t commit, he would glorify God either way, because for him to live was Christ and to die was gain. He wasn’t living this life on his own. God was with him in every circumstance. He was content in the strength Christ gave him.

TWO, any gift we give to one in need is a pleasing offering to God.

¹⁸ 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.

Anything we give in the name of Jesus is viewed as giving it to Jesus himself. “When you did it to the least of these, you did it to me” (Matthew 25).

³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them,  ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

THREE, when we give there is fruit that rebounds to us.

¹⁷ Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.

It is like Jesus said,

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Paul also told the Corinthians,

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

Paul isn’t saying what the name-it-and-claim-it people say, that God will bless you financially above and beyond what you give, but as he says here, you will have “all that you need.” And that leads to principle four.

FOUR, God will meet all our needs.

¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

And many times those needs will be met by God through one another. When my wife and I were in seminary, way back in 1975-1979, we were poor as church mice. I was working part time, and Mary Ann was picking up work she could do at home as she cared for our daughter Kara. Even though our church was helping us with tuition, daily necessities like food, clothing, rent, and car repairs, were often beyond our bank account to handle. But here and there someone like my brother, or a friend from high school, would send us some money. Occasionally groceries would show up on our doorstep. We found that God provided what we needed, and sometimes even a little extra to go out to eat or see a dollar matinee, and we learned to be content in every circumstance through the strength Christ gave.

And then, one of my favorite teachers and preachers, Haddon Robinson, gave a message in chapel about tithing. At first, like the Philippians, I thought, “Oh man, the gall of this guy, preaching on giving to poor seminary students.” But the power of the Scriptures came home to me and the conviction that I needed to be giving no matter what my income. It didn’t need to be ten percent, just something. God taught us that any gift we give is a pleasing offering to God and it will always rebound in spiritual fruit to us.

ADDRESSING CONFLICT AT OUR CHURCH

What about our conflict at Grace Hill? How does this apply to us? You may say, “What conflict.” You may not all be aware that we have had some people leave us because we didn’t commit after we sold our property by the Collierville Mall to finding a new property. Perhaps they were worried that meeting in a movie theater would not allow our church to grow numerically, or maybe even worship effectively. There might be others who would get bent out of shape if we didn’t stay renting the movie theater. Their concern might be that we would get too caught up in property ownership and debt. Each side would be motivated by fear, and, we might add, selfish ambitions and a conceited perspective that their ideas were the best. But really the worst thing for the success of our church would be conflict over this issue.

Paul might remind us that we should consider one another more important than ourselves, and that we should consider the views of all sides of the issue. He might remind us as we learned during the pandemic that the church is not a building, but the people. We weathered meeting virtually for a time. We can certainly handle meeting in a theater or other rented space. But if the opportunity is provided by God to get a permanent place that doesn’t saddle us with huge debt, we can be open to it.

Paul is teaching us that the progress of the gospel is our greatest joy, and love for each other is our greatest need. Conflict over anything but the gospel is always fueled by selfish ambition and conceitedness. We can always find a solution and unity around our desire to see the message of the gospel spread throughout our world, and not succumb to lesser priorities. We need not be motivated by fear, but trust in the loving and faithful provision of God for all our needs. Christ can strengthen us to be content in any situation he puts us in.

And may the God of peace be with us, and transcending all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.