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By: Scott Grant
Today we will consider three problems that we must face on a regular basis: conflict with others, anxiety and cultural influences. How do we resolve conflicts? How do we deal with anxiety? How do we live in a culture that isn’t favorably disposed to the gospel? The Apostle Paul has answers to all three questions in Philippians 4:1-9.
Verse 1 looks back to the whole of Philippians 3 and offers a summarizing application. Then Paul closes his letter, as his custom, with practical application and personal matters. Verses 2 through 9 begin this “practical” section and feature a treasure trove of wisdom.
Philippians 4:1-9:
[1] Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! [2] I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. [3] Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
In verse 1 Paul uses wording that looks back to Philippians 3 in exhorting his readers to “stand firm in the Lord.” The word translated “stand firm” was used of soldiers who stood their ground in battle. Paul also used the word in Philippians 1:27, when he urged his readers to “stand firm in one spirit.” There, he appealed to unity. Here, the appeal to unity is embedded in the exhortation to stand firm by adopting the pattern modeled by Paul in Philippians 3 – that of knowing Jesus and waiting for his return while practicing self-giving love. Such a pattern, if adopted by individuals, strengthens the community of which they are a part. Paul also bases his appeal on his strong feelings for them. Paul envisions the Philippians as being his victor’s “crown” at the end of the “games,” when Christ returns (Philippians 2:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:19). This appeal comes to the Philippians from one who knows them, loves them and wants the best for them. Such an appeal is more likely to be welcomed coming from such a one.
In verse 2, Paul applies his exhortations concerning advancing the gospel, unity and self-giving love to the relationship between two women in Philippi: Euodia and Syntyche. Paul says nothing about the nature of their disagreement, because it would have been apparent to those concerned. His exhortation to these two women is that they, literally, “think the same in the Lord.” Paul employed similar wording in Philippians 2:2, 5 in the context of advocating unity based on humility for the sake of advancing the gospel. The way forward for Euodia and Syntyche is to raise their eyes from whatever agendas are causing their personal conflict to the agenda of the gospel. They should “think” like Christ (Philippians 2:5) and like Paul (Philippians 3:15). All agendas must be subordinated to the agenda of advancing the gospel.
Just as we don’t know the nature of the disagreement between Euodia and Syntyche, neither do we know the identity of the “yokefellow,” although it would have been apparent to the Philippians. Paul encourages this person, Clement and even the entire believing community in Philippi to help these women resolve their conflict. Paul doesn’t say how they should help them, but no doubt such aid would include helping them understand the importance of the gospel. The conflict is by no means unresolveable, for the two women have contended at Paul’s side for the advance of the gospel. The word translated “contended” was a word used for gladiators who suffer. These women have found the gospel worthy enough to fight and suffer for. Perhaps all they need is a reminder.
To say that someone’s name was written in the “book of life” was to say that he or she was a member of God’s covenant people (Exodus 32:32, Psalm 69:28).
Here’s an approach to conflict resolution that we seldom, if ever, think of. It is to “think the gospel.” It is to understand the importance of the gospel – the good news that Jesus is Lord – and to subordinate our agenda to it. It is to ask, in the middle of your conflict with someone else, “How can I respond in a way that best serves the interests of the gospel?” If we sincerely asked that question, we’d get along a little better, and followers of Jesus – and therefore the gospel – would have a better reputation.
In the gospel, we have something that’s bigger and more important than our conflicts. To think the gospel is to be lifted by the gospel above the conflict and to see it in a different, more objective light. To resolve conflicts in such a way presupposes that those involved assign significance to the gospel. To begin with, then, we need to be a community that fosters belief in the importance of the gospel. From Paul’s perspective, conflict resolution is a community proposition. He not on exhorts the two people to think the gospel, he exhorts others to help them think the gospel. We are a community that helps each other think the gospel. That prevents some conflicts from happening in the first place and then provides an environment for placing conflicts in their proper light.
Again in this letter, Paul exhorts the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord. To rejoice in the Lord involves understanding the Lordship of Christ – his benevolent and powerful reign. This time, he tells them twice in one verse and he tells them to rejoice always, even in the face of persecution and relational difficulties. Paul seemingly goes over the top with this rejoicing stuff, but he does so for the benefit of his readers. In this context, rejoicing in the Lord sets the stage for the next series of commands.
If we learn to rejoice in the Lord, to direct our minds to the awesome truth that Jesus Christ is on the throne of creation and is bringing everything under the power and goodness of his lordship, then we’re in position to respond to whatever the Lord wants of us. Rejoicing always, regardless of circumstances, is counter-intuitive. That’s why we need to hear the command as often and Paul issues it.
Here, what the Lord wants of the Philippians is that their “gentleness be evident to all,” even and particularly those in opposition to the gospel, those who would otherwise give them every reason not to rejoice. The word “gentleness” here means something along the lines of “gentle forbearance.” This is the way Paul wants them to deal with those who are persecuting them. It’s the way of Christ: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). A response of gentle forbearance tends to surprise those who oppose us and give credence to the gospel. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”(Proverbs 15:1).
Paul then says, “The Lord is near,” in reference to the return of Christ. We can rejoice in the Lord because his return is near, when he will set everything right. That liberates us, then, to practice gentle forbearance to all so that all may know the Lord and so that the Lord can take care of whatever justice needs to be meted out at the proper time in the proper way.
Verses 4 and 5 set the stage for another challenging command in verse 6. If we rejoice in the Lord, demonstrate gentle forbearance and recognize that the Lord is near, we’ll be in better shape to receive the command regarding anxiety. The “thing” that the Philippians would be most anxious about is the opposition they were facing for their faith in Christ.
Anxiety concerns the future, which we are uncertain about. Particularly, we worry about the opposition to our plans, hopes and dreams. We’re concerned that something or someone – or maybe even God himself – will rise up to prevent us from realizing career, relationship or ministry hopes. Simply, we don’t know if we’re going to get what we want, so we’re anxious.
Here’s a typical scenario of what takes place in our minds as we feel anxious about the future: “What will happen when I talk with this person. How will she respond? What if I tell her the truth? How should I word it? What will she think of me? What will her friends think of me? What will her friends’ friends think of me?” The questions come fast and furious, and our anxiety spirals out of control, and it controls us.
On the other hand, Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Paul is not supposing that one could ever not be anxious about anything. He’s giving us a way of dealing with anxiety – a way of channeling it, if you will. The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything. It is to “present your requests to God” by means of prayer.
Most followers of Jesus feel something is lacking in their prayer life. We’re better at worrying than praying. A concern appears in our brain and we spend a half-hour worrying about it without giving one thought to praying about it. Why pray when you can worry? Paul would have us call a time out in our minds when we become aware of anxiety and present our requests to God and also to set aside time to work through the issue in prayer.
Whereas we, literally, make our requests “known” to God, we make our gentleness, literally, “known” to people. Prayer, then, helps us be gentle, non-combative people.
We are to pray with thanksgiving. When we give thanks in everything, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, we are seeking to draw water from a well that doesn’t seem to be within us. Yet if faith in Christ resides within us, this well resides within us as well. No matter how bad things get, you can always find something to be thankful for. Once you find one thing, you’ll find another and another. If you start giving thanks, whether you feel thankful or not, you’ll find the well. When you give thanks, you’re acknowledging God as the giver of good gifts. You decide to look at life, no matter how difficult it is right now, for what it is – a gift from God. You look back to the gifts God has given and you look forward to the good gifts he will give, though you know not what they will be other than the new heavens and the new earth. Thankfulness must be chosen. You must decide to give thanks in difficult circumstances. Sometimes the well will bubble up, but more often you must begin by drawing from it. Giving thanks is a discipline. Many circumstances present us with the option of being thankful or resentful. You choose gratitude instead of resentment. Cultivating a lifestyle of thankfulness lessens anxiety.
I’ve shared with you before that sometimes I have difficulty sleeping. Sometimes it’s because I’m anxious about something. At such times I’ll often start giving thanks in rhythm with my breathing. When I inhale, I say, “Thank you, Lord.” When I exhale, I give thanks for something in particular. Often it’s just one or two words. “Thank you, Lord / For Christ.” “Thank you, Lord / For life.” “Thank you, Lord / For Karen.”
The result of dealing with anxiety through prayer and thanksgiving is that we experience the “peace of God” – the peace that God himself enjoys and shares with us. God’s peace is his wellness, his wholeness. This peace “transcends understanding” in that it goes beyond the usual anxiety-based ways of dealing with life. Those who know God can enjoy a peace that they themselves cannot arrive at with their own efforts apart from prayer and thankfulness. This peace guards our hearts and minds like a detachment of soldiers guarding a city. When we’re anxious, what do our thoughts and feelings want to do? Break free. Take off. Out of here like a mob on the loose. Well-trained guards are posted at events such as soccer matches and rock concerts where emotions run high. And great destruction has occurred when guards have been unable to restrain mobs at such events. The peace of God keeps us from breaking free into thinking that tramples our inner lives and quite possibly a few other people along the way. Our hearts and minds are thus fortified against anxiety and inaccurate and potentially destructive ways of understanding reality.
God gives us his peace in connection with prayer through the assurance that our all-wise, all-powerful and all-loving Father knows exactly what to do with our requests. We don’t experience peace because God knows about our concerns (though he does know about them); we experience peace when we know that he knows about them. Notice that the peace of God is not connected with how God answers the prayer but is connected with the prayer itself. We receive the peace of God in the knowledge that he has heard our prayers and knows what to do with them. The peace of God comes when we know that God, without pulling back the curtains, assures us that something beautiful is waiting behind them.
You don’t necessarily pray and instantaneously experience peace, although God may grant it in this manner. This is more process oriented, more lifestyle oriented, more relationship oriented. The verbs here express continuous action, not one-time action. The peace of God comes through relating to him time and time again, day in and day out, year in and year out.
Have you ever noticed what often happens when your mind wanders off into the future, envisioning potential conversations, wondering how you might word things in order to get the response you want? Your heart starts pumping and your glands kick into gear, and you’re anxious. This passage gives us a way to channel our anxiety.
Think of a hydroelectric project. It gathers the water and constructively channels it for the production of energy. That’s what we do through prayer. We gather our anxiety and constructively channel it to God through prayer. The product is the peace of God.
This is a better way to live than the way most of us live. If we were to write verse 6 with the way we live our lives, it might come out this way: “Do not be prayerful about anything, but in everything, by worry and fret, with resentment, forget about God.” Better to pray. Better to give thanks. Give this other way a try, and see what happens. See if, at some point down the line, you don’t experience something of what you might call the peace of God.
The cover story in Time magazine this week is on anxiety. The subhead on the cover features these words: “Now more than ever we are worrying ourselves sick.” The story cites Sept. 11 as a factor. The story goes on to say, “But we live in a particularly anxious age. The initial shock of Sept. 11 has worn off, and the fear has lifted, but millions of Americans continue to share a kind of generalized mass anxiety. A recent Time/CNN poll found that eight months after the event, nearly two-thirds of Americans think about the terror attacks at least several times a week. And it doesn’t take much for the old fears to come rushing back.” The following ways to relieve anxiety were offered: behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, antidepressants, minor tranquilizers, exercise, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, massage, aromatherapy, guided imagery, acupuncture and lifestyle changes.1 Neither prayer nor thankfulness made the list. You have to read the scriptures for the good stuff.
The list of virtues in verse 8 comes mostly from the Greco-Roman world in which the Philippians lived. The list is qualified by the final two virtues, which give it a moral content. These things the Philippians are to “think about” – or take into account. The list is further qualified by another list – the things they have learned from Paul. These things they are not only to take into account but also to put into practice.
What approach can we take to the culture in which we live? In short, a balanced approach. One approach would have us reject everything from the culture in which we live. The opposite approach, sometimes without even knowing it, absorbs things from the culture. In these verses, Paul encourages us to evaluate culture in a discriminating way, to neither discard nor adopt everything our culture espouses but to hold it up to the light of what we have learned from the scriptures.
We can therefore look out on our culture and see that in at least some ways, it presents and values some things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are magnificent works that uphold the dignity of humanity. I was struck when walking through Washington, D.C., by the inscriptions on the buildings that spoke of noble themes such as justice and freedom. “Innocent until proven guilty” is an admirable motto. We can take in art, literature, music and movies and find in them the themes that the scriptures featured long ago. Many love songs could be turned into songs about one’s love for God by changing only a few words. I went to see “Les Miserables” for the fourth time last week and, once again, I was emotionally drained by the end of it. It’s a powerful show because it mines biblical themes.
There are vestiges of God in every culture, even ours, where truth is relative and immorality is treated as a virtue. Gordon Fee, commenting on verses 8 and 9, writes this: “The most common response to such a culture is not discrimination, but rejection. This text suggests a better way, that one approach the marketplace, the arts, the media, the university, looking for what is ‘true’ and ‘uplifting’ and ‘admirable’; but that one do so with a discriminating eye and heart, for which the Crucified One serves as a template. Indeed, if one does not ‘consider carefully,’ then discriminate on the basis of the gospel, what is rejected very often are the mere trappings, the more visible expressions of the ‘world,’ while its anti-gospel values (relativism, materialism, hedonism, nationalism, individualism, to name but a few) are absorbed into the believer through cultural osmosis. This text reminds us that the head counts for something, after all; but it must be a sanctified head, ready to ‘practice’ the gospel it knows through what has ‘been learned and received.’”2
God is calling to us, not only through the scriptures but through the culture in which we live. Yet not all of it is from God, of course. We let in only what is from God, and the scriptures serve as our sifter. Looking out on our culture, evaluating it in light of scripture and allowing the good things to touch our hearts can actually motivate us to put the things of the scriptures into practice. When the Israelites left Egypt and its pagan culture, they took with them gold and silver, with which they built the tabernacle (Exodus 12:35-36). There was something good there that could be used to build something great for God.
I keep a picture of Humphrey Bogart hanging on the wall of my study. The picture is from the movie “Casablanca,” and he’s wearing his trench coat at the airport. Anyone who has seen that movie remembers that great scene in which he gives up that which he really wants, Ingrid Bergman, for the sake of a greater cause – the fight for freedom.
If we think and act this way, the God of peace will be with us. Earlier we saw that if we pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God will be with us. Now we see that if we think and act this way, the God of peace will with us; God himself, not just his peace, will be with us to relate with us and empower us to think and to act.
In Philippians 4:1-9 we find approaches we wouldn’t think of for dealing with the problems of life. Yet here they are, from the mind of God through the pen of Paul to the place where we wonder how we should live. When we find ourselves in conflict, we think the gospel. When we’re anxious, we pray and give thanks. When we live in a culture that values relativism and immorality, we sift through it for what is good.
SCG / 6-9-02
1 Christine Gorman, Jeffrey Kluger and Sora Song, “The Science of Anxiety.” Time magazine, June 10, 2002. P. 46.
2 Gordon Fee, “Paul’s Letter to the Philippians,” “The New International Commentary on the New Testament,” © 1995 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. P. 421.
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