Philippians 4:1 - Meaning and Application

The apostle begins this chapter with several Christian duties. First, he urges believers to stand firm in their Christian faith, as in Philippians 4:1. This follows from the end of the previous chapter. Since our citizenship is in heaven, and we wait for the Savior to come from there and take us home, we should stand fast.

The hope of eternal life should make us steady and consistent in our Christian walk. Paul speaks to the Philippians with great warmth: “my brothers, dearly loved and longed for, my joy and crown.” He says this again, “my dearly loved.” He shows them his affection so that his exhortation will carry more weight. Though he was a great apostle, he still regarded them as brothers. In Christ, all believers are brothers and sisters. There are differences in gifts, grace, and growth, but since we are renewed by the same Spirit and shaped after the same image, we belong to one family.

Because they were his brothers, he loved them dearly. Warm love should always mark the relationship between Christians and ministers. He also longed for them. He wanted to see them, hear from them, and know that they were well. He had already said, “I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8). He also rejoiced in them. They were his joy, since nothing gave him greater pleasure than hearing of their spiritual health and growth. He had also spoken of this kind of joy in another letter, where he said he rejoiced greatly to find believers walking in the truth (2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:4). More than that, he gloried in them. They were his crown as well as his joy. No proud person was ever more pleased with honors than Paul was with the signs of their sincere faith and obedience. All of this prepares the way for his main command.

His command is this: “Stand fast in the Lord.” Since they are in Christ, they must remain firm in him, steady in their walk with him, and faithful to the end. To stand fast in the Lord means to stand in his strength and by his grace, not relying on ourselves or claiming any strength of our own. We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might (Ephesians 6:10). In other words, stand as you have stood so far, stand to the end, and stand as those whose faithfulness matters deeply to me.

Next, he urges them to live in agreement and help one another, as in Philippians 4:2-3. He says, “I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord.” He directs this to specific people. Sometimes the general commands of the gospel need to be applied to particular people and situations. Euodia and Syntyche seem to have been at odds, either with each other or with the church. The problem may have been civil, perhaps even a legal dispute, or it may have been about religion, with different views and opinions. Paul asks them to be of the same mind in the Lord, to keep peace, live in love, and not oppose one another or the rest of the church.

He then asks for mutual help, and he directs this appeal to a particular person: “true yoke-fellow.” We do not know for sure who this was. Some think it was Epaphroditus, who may have been one of the pastors of the Philippian church. Others think it was a very godly woman, perhaps Paul’s wife, because he asks this person to help the women who labored with him. Whoever this yoke-fellow was, he or she must also have been a faithful partner with Paul’s friends.

There were women who labored with Paul in the gospel. This does not mean public preaching, which Paul does not allow for women (1 Timothy 2:12). It likely means they helped by receiving ministers, visiting the sick, teaching the ignorant, and correcting those who were mistaken. In this way, women can be very useful to ministers in gospel work. Paul says, “Help them,” meaning join with them, strengthen them, and encourage them in their difficulties. Those who help others should also receive help when they need it. He also mentions Clement and his other fellow workers. Paul cared for all his fellow laborers, and since he had benefited from their help, he knew how good it would be for them to receive help too. He says their names are in the book of life. That may mean they were chosen by God from eternity, or that they were enrolled among those who have the right to eternal life. The image comes from the custom of listing citizens or free people in a city’s records. Scripture also speaks of names written in heaven (Luke 10:20), not being blotted out of the book of life (Revelation 3:5), and those written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27). There is a book of life, and there are names written in it, not just general descriptions or conditions. We cannot look into that book or know whose names are there. Still, in charity, we may conclude that those who labor faithfully in the gospel, and who are true to Christ and souls, have their names there.

He then urges holy joy in God: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). All our joy must end in God, and our thoughts of God should be pleasant thoughts. We should delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). When troubling thoughts press in on us, his comforts can refresh our souls (Psalm 94:19), and thinking about him is sweet (Psalm 104:34). It is both our duty and our privilege to rejoice in God, and to do so always, in every condition. Even when we suffer for him, or when he disciplines us, we must not think less of him or of his ways because of hardship. There is enough in God to give us joy in the worst situation on earth. Paul had already said this before, and here he says it again because joy in God is so important to the Christian life. Christians need to be called back to it again and again. If godly people do not live with a continual feast of joy, the fault is their own.

Finally, he exhorts believers to gentleness and a kindly spirit toward others: “Let your moderation be known to all men” (Philippians 4:5). In things that are not essential, do not go to extremes. Avoid harshness and quarrelsome zeal. Judge one another with charity. The word used here means a gracious and reasonable spirit toward other people. This moderation is explained further in Romans 14.

Some people understand this as patient endurance under suffering, or as calm use of worldly goods. That fits well with the next verse. The reason is simple: the Lord is near. Thinking about our Master’s coming and our final account should keep us from hurting our fellow servants, help us bear present trouble, and keep our hearts steady toward earthly things. He will judge our enemies and reward our patience.

Here Paul gives a warning against troubling, anxious care, in Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing.” The Greek means the same as in Matthew 6:25, “Take no thought for your life.” It means to avoid worried, divided thoughts about the needs and troubles of life. It is both our duty and our good as Christians to live without that kind of care. There is a wise care that is part of duty, a sensible forethought and proper concern. But there is also a care full of mistrust, and that is our sin and foolishness. We must not let care make us distrust God or leave us unfit for his service.

As the best cure for anxious care, Paul recommends constant prayer: “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” We must not only keep regular times for prayer, but also pray in every special need. In every trouble that weighs on our hearts, we should ease our minds by prayer. When our affairs are confused or hard, we should ask God for direction and support. We must also join thanksgiving with our prayers and requests. We should not only ask for more mercy, but also thank God for the mercy already given. Grateful recognition of what we have shows a right spirit, and it moves us to ask for further blessings.

Prayer is the offering up of our desires to God, or making them known to him. This does not mean God needs to be told what we lack or want, because he knows better than we can say. But he wants to hear it from us. He would have us show our concern, our dependence on him, and our value for his mercy. The result is the peace of God in the heart, as Philippians 4:7 says. That peace is the comfort of knowing we are made right with God, that we belong to his favor, and that we have hope of heaven and of enjoying God forever. It is a great blessing, greater than we can fully value or clearly express. It has not entered into the human heart (1 Corinthians 2:9). This peace will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It will keep us from sinning under trouble and from being crushed by it. It will keep us calm and settled, without emotional unrest, and with inward joy. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3).

We are also urged to get and keep a good name, a name for goodness with both God and people. Whatever is true and honorable in Philippians 4:8 means honesty in our words and promises, and proper behavior that fits our place and condition in life. Whatever is just and pure means what agrees with justice and right dealing toward others, without any impurity or mixture of sin. Whatever is lovely and of good report means what is attractive, pleasing, and likely to make others speak well of us as well as think well of us. If there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, he means any truly good quality that deserves commendation.

The apostle wants Christians to learn any good thing they can, even from their pagan neighbors. “If there be any virtue, think on these things,” he says. Copy what is truly excellent in them, and do not let them surpass you in any form of goodness. We should not be ashamed to learn anything good from people who do not share our advantages. Virtue brings praise, and it will be praised. We should walk in every way of virtue and stay in it. Then, whether people praise us or not, God will approve us (Romans 2:29).

Paul sets himself before them as an example in these things: “The things which you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me, do” (Philippians 4:9). His teaching and his life matched. What they saw in him was the same as what they heard from him. He could point to both his doctrine and his conduct as patterns for them to follow. It gives strong weight to our words when we can appeal to our own example. This is the way to have the God of peace with us, to keep close to our duty toward him. The Lord is with us while we are with him.