Source Coverage: Philippians 4:6-7
When we come to these verses, we are being taught how a believer is to think in times of pressure, uncertainty, and emotional strain. God is showing us the pathway to steadiness. He is teaching us the kind of poise He desires for His people to have.
That poise is not the result of pretending. It is not the fruit of denial. It is not a Christian version of emotional suppression where we push everything down and act like nothing hurts. God never asks us to live dishonestly. He does not command us to ignore the cries of a burdened heart. He does not tell us to act as though life never troubles us.
Instead, He tells us what to do with those burdens. He tells us to bring them to Him.
These verses are not teaching that a Christian never feels concern. They are teaching that when concerns arise, those concerns are not meant to rule the mind. They are to be redirected Godward. The answer to anxiety is not emptying the mind, but engaging the mind in prayer. The answer is not pretending there is no burden, but carrying that burden to the Lord.
Paul gives us one of the clearest instructions in all the Bible concerning worry, prayer, and peace. If we are going to have stability in our thoughts, then we must learn to think with prayer.
Philippians 4:6
This verse begins with a strong command: “Be careful for nothing.” In our modern use of the word careful, we often think of being cautious, but that is not the meaning here. The word carries the idea of being anxious, troubled, pulled apart inwardly, weighed down with care.
It is the idea of a mind that is distracted by worry. A person full of care is a person being inwardly dragged in different directions by fear, uncertainty, and mental strain. The word itself almost explains its own meaning-being “full of care.”
And notice the extent of the command: “for nothing.” Not even one thing. There is no exception clause given. God does not say, “Do not worry about small things, but the large things are understandable.” He says, “Be careful for nothing.” That means there is no burden too small to bring to Him and no trial so large that anxiety becomes the proper response.
This is a searching command, because if we are honest, worry comes very naturally to us. For many people, worry is almost a default setting of the mind. We replay conversations, anticipate disasters, imagine losses, question outcomes, and mentally rehearse problems that have not even happened. Anxiety loves repetition. It plays the same faulty script over and over again.
And this is why worry is so harmful to faith. It takes the mind captive. It shifts our attention from the character of God to the instability of circumstances. It causes us to live as though everything depends on us. In that sense, anxiety often reveals a subtle form of pride. It assumes that we must manage outcomes, hold life together, and somehow carry what only God can carry.
Life is bigger than we are. The burdens we face are often beyond our wisdom, beyond our power, and beyond our control. And sometimes God allows us to feel that very clearly so that we will stop leaning on ourselves and begin leaning more fully on Him.
That is why Paul does not merely say what not to do; he tells us what to do instead: “but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
The cure for anxiety is not self-talk alone. It is not distraction. It is not merely trying harder to calm down. It is taking what burdens the soul and consciously bringing it before God.
Notice how complete this is: “in every thing.” If nothing is to be ruled by anxiety, then everything is to be ruled by prayer. Every burden. Every fear. Every pressure. Every uncertainty. Every heartbreak. Every decision. Every need.
Paul then uses three words that help us understand the fullness of prayer.
1. Prayer
The word prayer is the more general word. It speaks of approaching God, addressing God, communing with God. It reminds us that prayer is not first about getting things from God; it is about going to God. It is the act of bringing ourselves into His presence. It is the language of dependence.
Before prayer is about answers, it is about access. Before it is about solutions, it is about relationship. The believer has the privilege of coming to God directly.
2. Supplication
Then Paul adds supplication. This carries the idea of earnest pleading, entreating, urgent asking. This is prayer with a burden in it. This is not cold formality. This is the soul reaching out to God with urgency.
Supplication reminds us that it is not wrong to feel deeply. It is not wrong to cry out to God with intensity. It is not wrong to come before Him with repeated needs and earnest requests. There is room in prayer for tears, for groaning, for pleading, for persistence.
3. Requests
Then Paul says, “let your requests be made known unto God.” These are the actual petitions. These are the specific matters that weigh on your heart. This means God invites us to be definite in prayer. We do not have to stay vague. We can name the burden. We can tell the Lord exactly what troubles us.
Of course, God already knows. He knows what we need before we ask. But prayer is not informing God of something He did not know. Prayer is an act of trust, dependence, and surrender. It is the child of God taking what is heavy and placing it consciously into the Father’s hands.
And all of this is to be done “with thanksgiving.”
That phrase is vital. Thanksgiving changes the tone of prayer. It reminds us that even while we are burdened, we are not abandoned. Even while we are asking, we are also remembering. Gratitude calls to mind the faithfulness of God in the past and strengthens confidence in His faithfulness in the present.
Thanksgiving directs the mind away from panic and back toward God’s goodness. It says, “Lord, this is hard, but You have been faithful. Lord, I do not understand this, but You have not failed me. Lord, I am burdened, but I am also grateful because You have carried me before, and You will carry me again.”
That is why gratitude is such a powerful companion to prayer. It anchors the soul in the character of God.
Pray without worry
“Be careful for nothing…”
God forbids anxious care. That is a strong statement, but it is also a merciful one. He forbids it not because He is indifferent to our feelings, but because He knows what anxiety does to the soul. Worry drains strength, clouds judgment, magnifies fears, and weakens faith.
It is important to understand that anxiety is not conquered by pretending it is not there. It is conquered by redirecting it. The burden that would have sat on the mind must be transferred to the Lord in prayer.
If a person believes that he must personally work through every situation in life by his own strength, then he will inevitably live in anxiety. But the Christian life is not built on self-sufficiency. It is built on dependence upon God.
Sometimes the Lord allows situations into our lives that are bigger than us precisely so we will remember that we were never meant to carry life alone.
Even godly people know what fear feels like. David certainly did. Yet David gave us this wonderful testimony in Psalm 56:3: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
Notice that David did not say, “I am never afraid.” He said, “What time I am afraid.” Fear may visit, but trust must answer the door. The presence of fear does not mean the absence of faith. The question is what we do when fear appears.
We may even relate to the humor of Charlie Brown, who said, “I worry about my worrying.” That is often how anxiety behaves-it multiplies itself. It feeds upon itself. One care becomes ten. One concern becomes a pattern of inward unrest.
But this verse tells us there is a better way. Pray instead of panic. Bring it to God instead of rehearsing it endlessly in the mind.
B. Pray with thanksgiving
“…with thanksgiving…”
Thanksgiving is not an extra detail in the verse. It is part of the remedy. Gratitude steadies the heart because it reminds us who God is.
A thankful believer is not someone who denies difficulty. A thankful believer is someone who sees difficulty through the lens of God’s faithfulness. Gratitude does not mean the burden is small. It means God is still good.
That is why thanksgiving strengthens faith. When you stop and thank God, you are forcing the mind to remember what is true. You are recalling His provision, His mercy, His patience, His answers to past prayers, His sustaining grace, His promises, and His presence.
As I already noted, thankfulness directs the mind to the goodness of God.
That is why 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Notice again, it does not say for every thing, but in every thing. There are painful things for which we do not rejoice in themselves. But in the middle of every circumstance, we can still thank God for His character, His promises, and His unchanging care.
This kind of thanksgiving keeps the heart from becoming bitter. It keeps us from interpreting life only through pain. It reminds us that even in seasons we do not understand, God has not stopped being good.
As Randy Alcorn said, “Gratitude never comes from avoiding difficulty, but from finding yourself sustained through it.” That is exactly right. Gratitude often grows best, not in easy seasons, but in hard ones where we discover again that God is enough.
Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Now Paul gives the result. When the believer brings everything to God in prayer, with earnest supplication and thankful dependence, God responds with peace.
Notice the verse does not immediately say that God changes the circumstances. He may. He often does. But the first promise here is not a changed situation. It is a guarded soul.
“And the peace of God…”
This is not merely peace with God, though that is gloriously true through salvation. This is the peace of God-the peace that comes from Him, the peace He gives, the peace that reflects His own calm sovereignty over all things.
It is a peace “which passeth all understanding.” That means it goes beyond human explanation. It is deeper than logic alone. It is not dependent on ideal circumstances. It does not always make sense to observers. It is the kind of peace that can rest in God while the storm is still raging.
The world knows a kind of peace that comes when problems go away. But the peace of God is different. It can exist even when the burden remains. It can settle the heart even before the answer arrives.
Then Paul says this peace “shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The word keep carries the idea of guarding, protecting, standing watch over. It is a military word. God’s peace stands guard over the inner life. It keeps the heart and the mind.
That is important because both need guarding. The heart speaks of our inner affections, emotions, and spiritual life. The mind speaks of our thoughts, reasonings, and mental processes. Anxiety attacks both. It troubles the heart and disturbs the mind. But the peace of God guards both.
And notice where this peace is found: “through Christ Jesus.” This is not a self-generated peace. It is not positive thinking disconnected from truth. It is peace that is rooted in union with Christ. It is peace that flows from knowing Him, trusting Him, and resting in Him.
Christ is the channel of this peace. Because we belong to Him, because we are accepted in Him, because He reigns, because He intercedes, because He has conquered sin and death, we are able to know peace even in a troubled world.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We who dwell in England in times of peace know little of its value. War is one of the most awful scourges of the world. It is the destroyer of every holy thing. Peace, the angel of heaven. The apostle here speaks of a wondrous peace.
I. INTERNAL PEACE, THE PEACE WHICH GOD CAUSES.
There is no civil war in the renewed soul. The soul is at war with the enemies in its walls, but not with itself.
1. Peace of mind or intellect. The soul finds rest in the doc and precepts of the word.
2. Peace of the affections. There is a holy content and satisfaction.
3. Peace of the emotions. Fear and dread are banished.
4. Peace of conscience. By obedience to its dictates and giving its demands.
II. EXTERNAL PEACE, OR PEACE WITH OTHERS.
1. With all men we are at peace. Jesus gives us love even to our enemies. Humility, calmness, and holiness secure this.
2. Peace with God. So necessary since God is so mighty and we so weak. It is a peace:
a. Profound and Perfect. There are not the slightest bickerings. No truce nor superficial peace, like the peace of France with its president, or parties bound to keep the peace, but a peace arising from moral conformity, sympathy, and love.
b. Unbroken Peace. Justice breaks it not. Holiness cannot. Truth cannot. Yea, these are all engaged to defend it. God will not and we cannot, for the covenant is in Jesus. And afflictions cannot.
c. Eternal peace. Justification and Sanctification are eternal. The covenant making and keeping God is eternal.
d. Heavenly peace. As the babe and its mother, the lamb and the shepherd, the peace of man with his maker on earth is as great as that in heaven.
III. THE TRIUNE GOD, ITS AUTHOR.
1. God the Father. The planner, the giver of the son.
2. God the Son. The procurer, the covenant fulfiller and sustainer.
3. God the Spirit. The executor in our soul.
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Study
When we come to these verses, we are being taught how a believer is to think in times of pressure, uncertainty, and emotional strain. God is showing us the pathway to steadiness. He is teaching us the kind of poise He desires for His people to have.
That poise is not the result of pretending. It is not the fruit of denial. It is not a Christian version of emotional suppression where we push everything down and act like nothing hurts. God never asks us to live dishonestly. He does not command us to ignore the cries of a burdened heart. He does not tell us to act as though life never troubles us.
Instead, He tells us what to do with those burdens. He tells us to bring them to Him.
These verses are not teaching that a Christian never feels concern. They are teaching that when concerns arise, those concerns are not meant to rule the mind. They are to be redirected Godward. The answer to anxiety is not emptying the mind, but engaging the mind in prayer. The answer is not pretending there is no burden, but carrying that burden to the Lord.
Paul gives us one of the clearest instructions in all the Bible concerning worry, prayer, and peace. If we are going to have stability in our thoughts, then we must learn to think with prayer.
Philippians 4:6
This verse begins with a strong command: “Be careful for nothing.” In our modern use of the word careful, we often think of being cautious, but that is not the meaning here. The word carries the idea of being anxious, troubled, pulled apart inwardly, weighed down with care.
It is the idea of a mind that is distracted by worry. A person full of care is a person being inwardly dragged in different directions by fear, uncertainty, and mental strain. The word itself almost explains its own meaning-being “full of care.”
And notice the extent of the command: “for nothing.” Not even one thing. There is no exception clause given. God does not say, “Do not worry about small things, but the large things are understandable.” He says, “Be careful for nothing.” That means there is no burden too small to bring to Him and no trial so large that anxiety becomes the proper response.
This is a searching command, because if we are honest, worry comes very naturally to us. For many people, worry is almost a default setting of the mind. We replay conversations, anticipate disasters, imagine losses, question outcomes, and mentally rehearse problems that have not even happened. Anxiety loves repetition. It plays the same faulty script over and over again.
And this is why worry is so harmful to faith. It takes the mind captive. It shifts our attention from the character of God to the instability of circumstances. It causes us to live as though everything depends on us. In that sense, anxiety often reveals a subtle form of pride. It assumes that we must manage outcomes, hold life together, and somehow carry what only God can carry.
Life is bigger than we are. The burdens we face are often beyond our wisdom, beyond our power, and beyond our control. And sometimes God allows us to feel that very clearly so that we will stop leaning on ourselves and begin leaning more fully on Him.
That is why Paul does not merely say what not to do; he tells us what to do instead: “but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
The cure for anxiety is not self-talk alone. It is not distraction. It is not merely trying harder to calm down. It is taking what burdens the soul and consciously bringing it before God.
Notice how complete this is: “in every thing.” If nothing is to be ruled by anxiety, then everything is to be ruled by prayer. Every burden. Every fear. Every pressure. Every uncertainty. Every heartbreak. Every decision. Every need.
Paul then uses three words that help us understand the fullness of prayer.
1. Prayer
The word prayer is the more general word. It speaks of approaching God, addressing God, communing with God. It reminds us that prayer is not first about getting things from God; it is about going to God. It is the act of bringing ourselves into His presence. It is the language of dependence.
Before prayer is about answers, it is about access. Before it is about solutions, it is about relationship. The believer has the privilege of coming to God directly.
2. Supplication
Then Paul adds supplication. This carries the idea of earnest pleading, entreating, urgent asking. This is prayer with a burden in it. This is not cold formality. This is the soul reaching out to God with urgency.
Supplication reminds us that it is not wrong to feel deeply. It is not wrong to cry out to God with intensity. It is not wrong to come before Him with repeated needs and earnest requests. There is room in prayer for tears, for groaning, for pleading, for persistence.
3. Requests
Then Paul says, “let your requests be made known unto God.” These are the actual petitions. These are the specific matters that weigh on your heart. This means God invites us to be definite in prayer. We do not have to stay vague. We can name the burden. We can tell the Lord exactly what troubles us.
Of course, God already knows. He knows what we need before we ask. But prayer is not informing God of something He did not know. Prayer is an act of trust, dependence, and surrender. It is the child of God taking what is heavy and placing it consciously into the Father’s hands.
And all of this is to be done “with thanksgiving.”
That phrase is vital. Thanksgiving changes the tone of prayer. It reminds us that even while we are burdened, we are not abandoned. Even while we are asking, we are also remembering. Gratitude calls to mind the faithfulness of God in the past and strengthens confidence in His faithfulness in the present.
Thanksgiving directs the mind away from panic and back toward God’s goodness. It says, “Lord, this is hard, but You have been faithful. Lord, I do not understand this, but You have not failed me. Lord, I am burdened, but I am also grateful because You have carried me before, and You will carry me again.”
That is why gratitude is such a powerful companion to prayer. It anchors the soul in the character of God.
Pray without worry
“Be careful for nothing…”
God forbids anxious care. That is a strong statement, but it is also a merciful one. He forbids it not because He is indifferent to our feelings, but because He knows what anxiety does to the soul. Worry drains strength, clouds judgment, magnifies fears, and weakens faith.
It is important to understand that anxiety is not conquered by pretending it is not there. It is conquered by redirecting it. The burden that would have sat on the mind must be transferred to the Lord in prayer.
If a person believes that he must personally work through every situation in life by his own strength, then he will inevitably live in anxiety. But the Christian life is not built on self-sufficiency. It is built on dependence upon God.
Sometimes the Lord allows situations into our lives that are bigger than us precisely so we will remember that we were never meant to carry life alone.
Even godly people know what fear feels like. David certainly did. Yet David gave us this wonderful testimony in Psalm 56:3: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
Notice that David did not say, “I am never afraid.” He said, “What time I am afraid.” Fear may visit, but trust must answer the door. The presence of fear does not mean the absence of faith. The question is what we do when fear appears.
We may even relate to the humor of Charlie Brown, who said, “I worry about my worrying.” That is often how anxiety behaves-it multiplies itself. It feeds upon itself. One care becomes ten. One concern becomes a pattern of inward unrest.
But this verse tells us there is a better way. Pray instead of panic. Bring it to God instead of rehearsing it endlessly in the mind.
B. Pray with thanksgiving
“…with thanksgiving…”
Thanksgiving is not an extra detail in the verse. It is part of the remedy. Gratitude steadies the heart because it reminds us who God is.
A thankful believer is not someone who denies difficulty. A thankful believer is someone who sees difficulty through the lens of God’s faithfulness. Gratitude does not mean the burden is small. It means God is still good.
That is why thanksgiving strengthens faith. When you stop and thank God, you are forcing the mind to remember what is true. You are recalling His provision, His mercy, His patience, His answers to past prayers, His sustaining grace, His promises, and His presence.
As I already noted, thankfulness directs the mind to the goodness of God.
That is why 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Notice again, it does not say for every thing, but in every thing. There are painful things for which we do not rejoice in themselves. But in the middle of every circumstance, we can still thank God for His character, His promises, and His unchanging care.
This kind of thanksgiving keeps the heart from becoming bitter. It keeps us from interpreting life only through pain. It reminds us that even in seasons we do not understand, God has not stopped being good.
As Randy Alcorn said, “Gratitude never comes from avoiding difficulty, but from finding yourself sustained through it.” That is exactly right. Gratitude often grows best, not in easy seasons, but in hard ones where we discover again that God is enough.
Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Now Paul gives the result. When the believer brings everything to God in prayer, with earnest supplication and thankful dependence, God responds with peace.
Notice the verse does not immediately say that God changes the circumstances. He may. He often does. But the first promise here is not a changed situation. It is a guarded soul.
“And the peace of God…”
This is not merely peace with God, though that is gloriously true through salvation. This is the peace of God-the peace that comes from Him, the peace He gives, the peace that reflects His own calm sovereignty over all things.
It is a peace “which passeth all understanding.” That means it goes beyond human explanation. It is deeper than logic alone. It is not dependent on ideal circumstances. It does not always make sense to observers. It is the kind of peace that can rest in God while the storm is still raging.
The world knows a kind of peace that comes when problems go away. But the peace of God is different. It can exist even when the burden remains. It can settle the heart even before the answer arrives.
Then Paul says this peace “shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The word keep carries the idea of guarding, protecting, standing watch over. It is a military word. God’s peace stands guard over the inner life. It keeps the heart and the mind.
That is important because both need guarding. The heart speaks of our inner affections, emotions, and spiritual life. The mind speaks of our thoughts, reasonings, and mental processes. Anxiety attacks both. It troubles the heart and disturbs the mind. But the peace of God guards both.
And notice where this peace is found: “through Christ Jesus.” This is not a self-generated peace. It is not positive thinking disconnected from truth. It is peace that is rooted in union with Christ. It is peace that flows from knowing Him, trusting Him, and resting in Him.
Christ is the channel of this peace. Because we belong to Him, because we are accepted in Him, because He reigns, because He intercedes, because He has conquered sin and death, we are able to know peace even in a troubled world.
And the peace of God - That harmonizing of all passions and appetites which is produced by the Holy Spirit, and arises from a sense of pardon and the favor of God;
Shall keep your hearts - Φρουρησει· Shall keep them as in a strong place or castle. Your hearts - the seat of all your affections and passions, and minds - your understanding, judgment, and conscience through Christ Jesus; by whom ye were brought into this state of favor, through whom ye are preserved in it, and in whom ye possess it; for Christ keeps that heart in peace in which he dwells and rules. This peace passeth all understanding; it is of a very different nature from all that can arise from human occurrences; it is a peace which Christ has purchased, and which God dispenses; it is felt by all the truly godly, but can be explained by none; it is communion with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We who dwell in England in times of peace know little of its value. War is one of the most awful scourges of the world. It is the destroyer of every holy thing. Peace, the angel of heaven. The apostle here speaks of a wondrous peace.
I. INTERNAL PEACE, THE PEACE WHICH GOD CAUSES.
There is no civil war in the renewed soul. The soul is at war with the enemies in its walls, but not with itself.
1. Peace of mind or intellect. The soul finds rest in the doc and precepts of the word.
2. Peace of the affections. There is a holy content and satisfaction.
3. Peace of the emotions. Fear and dread are banished.
4. Peace of conscience. By obedience to its dictates and giving its demands.
II. EXTERNAL PEACE, OR PEACE WITH OTHERS.
1. With all men we are at peace. Jesus gives us love even to our enemies. Humility, calmness, and holiness secure this.
2. Peace with God. So necessary since God is so mighty and we so weak. It is a peace:
a. Profound and Perfect. There are not the slightest bickerings. No truce nor superficial peace, like the peace of France with its president, or parties bound to keep the peace, but a peace arising from moral conformity, sympathy, and love.
b. Unbroken Peace. Justice breaks it not. Holiness cannot. Truth cannot. Yea, these are all engaged to defend it. God will not and we cannot, for the covenant is in Jesus. And afflictions cannot.
c. Eternal peace. Justification and Sanctification are eternal. The covenant making and keeping God is eternal.
d. Heavenly peace. As the babe and its mother, the lamb and the shepherd, the peace of man with his maker on earth is as great as that in heaven.
III. THE TRIUNE GOD, ITS AUTHOR.
1. God the Father. The planner, the giver of the son.
2. God the Son. The procurer, the covenant fulfiller and sustainer.
3. God the Spirit. The executor in our soul.
And--The inseparable consequence of thus laying everything before God in "prayer with thanksgiving."
peace--the dispeller of "anxious care" (Phi 4:6).
of God--coming from God, and resting in God (Joh 14:27; Joh 16:33; Col 3:15).
passeth--surpasseth, or exceedeth, all man's notional powers of understanding its full blessedness (Co1 2:9-10; Eph 3:20; compare Pro 3:17).
shall keep--rather, "shall guard"; shall keep as a well-garrisoned stronghold (Isa 26:1, Isa 26:3). The same Greek verb is used in Pe1 1:5. There shall be peace secure within, whatever outward troubles may besiege.
hearts and minds--rather, "hearts (the seat of the thoughts) and thoughts" or purposes.
through--rather as Greek, "in Christ Jesus." It is in Christ that we are "kept" or "guarded" secure.
And the peace of God which passeth all understanding,.... Not that peace which God calls his people to among themselves in their effectual calling; and which he requires of them to cultivate and maintain; and which he encourages in them by the promise of his gracious presence among them; and which indeed he is the author of, and therefore is so called, Colossians 3:15; and which may be said to surpass or exceed all speculative knowledge, and understanding; for the one puffs up and profits nothing, but the other edifies; and much less that peace which God has in himself, who is all peace and love, and which passes all understanding, human and angelic; but either that peace which is made with God by the blood of Christ, and is published in the Gospel of peace, which passes and surprises all understanding of men and angels, that it should be; that the thoughts of God should be concerning it from everlasting; that a council of peace should be called and held between the eternal Three, and a covenant of peace entered into; that Christ should be appointed the peace maker, and the chastisement of it laid on him; that he should make it by the blood of his cross, and for men, while enemies to God and to himself: or else that peace of conscience, which arises from a view of peace made by Christ; of justification by his righteousness, and atonement by his sacrifice; and which may be called "the peace of Christ", as the Alexandrian copy reads; both because it is founded upon, and springs from him, and is what he is the donor of: and this is what passes the understanding of every natural man; he knows nothing of this peace, what this tranquillity of mind means; he intermeddles not with this joy; it is unaccountable to him how it should be, that such then should have peace, who have so much trouble, are so much reproached, afflicted, and persecuted, and yet have peace in Christ, while they have tribulation in the world; which
shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, or "in Christ Jesus": some read these words prayer wise, or as a wish, "let it", or "may it keep", so the Vulgate Latin; but they are rather a promise, encouraging the saints to the discharge of the above duties; as rejoicing always in the Lord, showing their moderation to all men, avoiding anxious care, and betaking themselves at all times, on all occasions, to prayer to God; in which way they may expect peace, and such as will be of that see vice to them, as here expressed; that is, be a means of their final perseverance; for the peace of God, in either sense, is a preservation of the saints: peace made with God secures them in Christ from all condemnation by the law, sin, Satan, the world, or their own hearts; and peace in their own souls, on so good a foundation as it is, keeps them through Christ as in a garrison, from being overset with the troubles of the world, or the temptations of Satan; and is a means of preserving them from being carried away with the errors and heresies of the wicked, having a witness to truth within themselves; and from every evil way and work, from profaneness and immorality; the grace of God teaching them, and the love of Christ constraining them, which is shed abroad in their hearts, to live and act otherwise.
The apostle begins the chapter with exhortations to divers Christian duties.
I. To stedfastness in our Christian profession, Phi 4:1. It is inferred from the close of the foregoing chapter: Therefore stand fast, etc. Seeing our conversation is in heaven, and we look for the Saviour to come thence and fetch us thither, therefore let us stand fast. Note, The believing hope and prospect of eternal life should engage us to be steady, even, and constant, in our Christian course. Observe here,
1. The compellations are very endearing: My brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown; and again, My dearly beloved. Thus he expresses the pleasure he took in them, the kindness he had for them, to convey his exhortations to them with so much the greater advantage. He looked upon them as his brethren, though he was a great apostle. All we are brethren. There is difference of gifts, graces, and attainments, yet, being renewed by the same Spirit, after the same image, we are brethren; as the children of the same parents, though of different ages, statures, and complexions. Being brethren, (1.) He loved them, and loved them dearly: Dearly beloved; and again, My dearly beloved. Warm affections become ministers and Christians towards one another. Brotherly love must always go along with brotherly relation. (2.) He loved them and longed for them, longed to see them and hear from them, longed for their welfare and was earnestly desirous of it. I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ, Phi 1:8. (3.) He loved them and rejoiced in them. They were his joy; he had no greater joy than to hear of their spiritual health and prosperity. I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, Jo2 1:4; Jo3 1:4. (4.) he loved them and gloried in them. They were his crown as well as his joy. Never was proud ambitious man more pleased with the ensigns of honour than Paul was with the evidences of the sincerity of their faith and obedience. All this is to prepare his way to greater regard.
2. The exhortation itself: So stand fast in the Lord. Being in Christ, they must stand fast in him, be even and steady in their walk with him, and close and constant unto the end. Or, To stand fast in the Lord is to stand fast in his strength and by his grace; not trusting in ourselves, and disclaiming any sufficiency of our own. We must be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph 6:10. "So stand fast, so as you have done hitherto, stand fast unto the end, so as you are by beloved, and my joy and crown; so stand fast as those in whose welfare and perseverance I am so nearly interested and concerned."
II. He exhorts them to unanimity and mutual assistance (Phi 4:2, Phi 4:3): I beseech Euodias and Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. This is directed to some particular persons. Sometimes there is need of applying the general precepts of the gospel to particular persons and cases. Euodias and Syntyche, it seems, were at variance, either one with the other or with the church; either upon a civil account (it may be they were engaged in a law-suit) or upon a religious account - it may be they were of different opinions and sentiments. "Pray," says he, "desire them from me to be of the same mind in the Lord, to keep the peace and live in love, to be of the same mind one with another, not thwarting and contradicting, and to be of the same mind with the rest of the church, not acting in opposition to them." Then he exhorts to mutual assistance (Phi 4:3), and this exhortation he directs to particular persons: I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow. Who this person was whom he calls true yoke-fellow is uncertain. Some think Epaphroditus, who is supposed to have been one of the pastors of the church of the Philippians. Others think it was some eminently good woman, perhaps Paul's wife, because he exhorts his yoke-fellow to help the women who laboured with him. Whoever was the yoke-fellow with the apostle must be a yoke-fellow too with his friends. It seems, there were women who laboured with Paul in the gospel; not in the public ministry (for the apostle expressly forbids that, Ti1 2:12, I suffer not a woman to teach), but by entertaining the ministers, visiting the sick, instructing the ignorant, convincing the erroneous. Thus women may be helpful to ministers in the work of the gospel. Now, says the apostle, do thou help them. Those who help others should be helped themselves when there is occasion. "Help them, that is, join with them, strengthen their hands, encourage them in their difficulties." - With Clement also, and other my fellow-labourers. Paul had a kindness for all his fellow-labourers; and, as he had found the benefit of their assistance, he concluded how comfortable it would be to them to have the assistance of others. Of his fellow-labourers he says, Whose names are in the book of life; either they were chosen of God from all eternity, or registered and enrolled in the corporation and society to which the privilege of eternal life belongs, alluding to the custom among the Jews and Gentiles of registering the inhabitants or the freemen of the city. So we read of their names being written in heaven (Luk 10:20), not blotting his name out of the book of life (Rev 3:5), and of those who are written in the Lamb's book of life, Rev 21:27. Observe, There is a book of life; there are names in that book and not characters and conditions only. We cannot search into that book, or know whose names are written there; but we may, in a judgment of charity, conclude that those who labour in the gospel, and are faithful to the interest of Christ and souls, have their names in the book of life.
III. He exhorts to holy joy and delight in God: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice, Phi 4:4. All our joy must terminate in God; and our thoughts of God must be delightful thoughts. Delight thyself in the Lord (Psa 37:4), in the multitude of our thoughts within us (grievous and afflicting thoughts) his comforts delight our souls (Psa 94:19), and our meditation of him is sweet, Psa 104:34. Observe, It is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions; even when we suffer for him, or are afflicted by him. We must not think the worse of him or of his ways for the hardships we meet with in his service. There is enough in God to furnish us with matter of joy in the worst circumstance on earth. He had said it before (Phi 3:1): Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Here he says it again, Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say Rejoice. Joy in God is a duty of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. If good men have not a continual feast, it is their own fault.
IV. We are here exhorted to candour and gentleness, and good temper towards our brethren: "Let your moderation be known to all men, Phi 4:5. In things indifferent do not run into extremes; avoid bigotry and animosity; judge charitably concerning one another." The word to epieikes signifies a good disposition towards other men; and this moderation is explained, Rom. 14. Some understand it of the patient bearing of afflictions, or the sober enjoyment of worldly good; and so it well agrees with the following verse. The reason is, the Lord is at hand. The consideration of our Master's approach, and our final account, should keep us from smiting our fellow-servants, support us under present sufferings, and moderate our affections to outward good. "He will take vengeance on your enemies, and reward your patience."
V. Here is a caution against disquieting perplexing care (Phi 4:6): Be careful for nothing - mēden merimnate: the same expression with that Mat 6:25, Take no thought for your life; that is, avoid anxious care and distracting thought in the wants and difficulties of life. Observe, It is the duty and interest of Christians to live without care. There is a care of diligence which is our duty, and consists in a wise forecast and due concern; but there is a care of diffidence and distrust which is our sin and folly, and which only perplexes and distracts the mind. "Be careful for nothing, so as by your care to distrust God, and unfit yourselves for his service."
VI. As a sovereign antidote against perplexing care he recommends to us constant prayer: In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Observe, 1. We must not only keep up stated times for prayer, but we must pray upon every particular emergency: In every thing by prayer. When any thing burdens our spirits, we must ease our minds by prayer; when our affairs are perplexed or distressed, we must seek direction and support. 2. We must join thanksgiving with our prayers and supplications. We must not only seek supplies of good, but own receipts of mercy. Grateful acknowledgments of what we have argue a right disposition of mind, and are prevailing motives for further blessings. 3. Prayer is the offering up of our desires to God, or making them known to him: Let your requests be made known to God. Not that God needs to be told either our wants or desires; for he knows them better than we can tell him: but he will know them from us, and have us show our regards and concern, express our value of the mercy and sense of our dependence on him. 4. The effect of this will be the peace of God keeping our hearts, Phi 4:7. The peace of God, that is, the comfortable sense of our reconciliation to God and interest in his favour, and the hope of the heavenly blessedness, and enjoyment of God hereafter, which passeth all understanding, is a great good than can be sufficiently valued or duly expressed. It has not entered into the heart of ham, Co1 2:9. This peace will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus; it will keep us from sinning under our troubles, and from sinking under them; keep us calm and sedate, without discomposure of passion, and with inward satisfaction. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, Isa 26:3.
VII. We are exhorted to get and keep a good name, a name for good things with God and good men: Whatsoever things are true and honest (Phi 4:8), a regard to truth in our words and engagements, and to decency and becomingness in our behaviour, suitable to our circumstances and condition of life. Whatsoever things are just and pure, - agreeable to the rules of justice and righteousness in all our dealings with men, and without the impurity or mixture of sin. Whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, that is, amiable; that will render us beloved, and make us well spoken of, as well as well thought of, by others. If there is any virtue, if there is any praise - any thing really virtuous of any kind and worthy of commendation. Observe, 1. The apostle would have the Christians learn any thing which was good of their heathen neighbours: "If there be any virtue, think of these things - imitate them in what is truly excellent among them, and let not them outdo you in any instance of goodness." We should not be ashamed to learn any good thing of bad men, or those who have not our advantages. 2. Virtue has its praise, and will have. We should walk in all the ways of virtue, and abide therein; and then, whether our praise be of men or no, it will be of God, Rom 2:29.
In these things he proposes himself to them for an example (Phi 4:9): Those things which you have learned, and received, and heard and seen in me, do. Observe, Paul's doctrine and life were of a piece. What they saw in him was the same thing with what they heard from him. He could propose himself as well as his doctrine to their imitation. It gives a great force to what we say to others when we can appeal to what they have seen in us. And this is the way to have the God of peace with us - to keep close to our duty to him. The Lord is with us while we are with him.
Charles Spurgeon's Notes
4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).
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