The Christian's Joy and Crown
The Christian’s Joy and Crown:
A Study of Philippians 4
Philippians 4:1:
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed
for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my
dearly beloved.
The first word in Philippians 4 indicates that something
has gone before. “Therefore” is a conjunction, and
in order to understand what “therefore” concludes, we
must turn back two verses.
Philippians 3:20, 21:
For our conversation [politeuma, citizenship] is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself.
As Christians, our citizenship is in heaven and we
can look forward to Christ’s return when our bodies will
be like His resurrected body and when Christ will subdue
all things—therefore, because of this knowledge, we,
“dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so
stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” Men and
women should want to stand fast in the Lord because of
what Christ has done for them and because He is coming
back.
According to the first verse of Philippians 4, who are
the joy and crown of the Apostle Paul? The ones to
whom he taught the Word of God. To those saved
under his ministry Paul said, “You are my joy and
crown; you stand fast.” Twice he refers to those whom
he has taught as “dearly beloved.” Clearly, Paul has a
strong attachment to these people.
In I Thessalonians Paul again points out that his
brothers in Christ—those who had become brothers
because of his ministry—were his joy and crown.
I Thessalonians 2:19, 20:
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ at his coming?
For ye are our glory and joy.
With the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, those
whom Paul had taught, those who were his hope, joy
and crown, will appear before the Father, “. . .even ye
in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.”
The words “stand fast” used in Philippians 4:1 in the
phrase “so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved”
are the same usage as in Philippians 1:27: “. . .that ye
stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together
for the faith [family faith]* of the gospel.”
“Stand fast” literally means “to remain strong.” When
we stand together, we are strong. If I am strong in the
Lord and you are strong in the Lord, together we move
ahead. The ministry of the Apostle Paul as recorded in
Acts 19 is an example of people who were strong in the
Lord and, thus, they bore fruit. Acts 19 says that Paul
took those strong in the faith and discussed the Word of
God at the school of Tyrannus. Two years later all Asia
Minor had heard of the Lord Jesus.
It was simply miraculous how the Word of God was
spread throughout the country. Yet, notice that II Timothy
1:15 records that all Asia forsook Paul. Paul’s “joy
and crown” apparently did not “stand fast” very long and
thus their spiritual muscles became flaccid. The “joy and
crown” became so weak that even before Paul died the
greatness of the revelation which God had given to him
had already been lost. And, for the most part, this knowledge
is still lost today; very few people know about the
mystery of “Christ in you the hope of glory.”**
The Word says that all Asia heard the Word of the
Lord Jesus; yet later, all Asia had left Paul. This reminds
one of the Lord Jesus Christ who had the multitudes
following Him because of signs, miracles and wonders.
However, when the time approached for Him to be crucified,
all fled and the rabble cried, “Crucify him! Crucify
him!”
Only when we as believers stand fast in the Lord will
we be witnesses to the greatness of The Word.
Philippians 4:2:
I beseech [implore] Euodias, and beseech Syntyche,
that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
Paul said, “I implore you two to be of the same mind
in the Lord.” These two men disagreed, they were of
different minds; therefore, they could not be strong in
the Lord. If we are strong in the Lord we cannot have
two opinions regarding truth. There can be two
opinions regarding facts, but not regarding truth. The
moment we begin having an opinion about truth, we are
already wrong. Truth is truth; it is “thus saith the Lord.”
What we think does not make any difference. The reason
we have opinions is that we do not “rightly divide”*** The
Word. If the Word of God is rightly divided, we have the
true Word; when it is wrongly divided, we have error.
When we wrongly divide The Word we are working for
Satan. Whenever The Word is rightly divided, it again
means, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Paul implored Euodias and Syntyche saying, “If you
want to stand fast in the Lord, you must be of the same
mind.” One cannot be pulling one way and another the
other way, and expect to be strong in the Lord. Philippians
2:2 corroborates the truth that strength comes with
being of one accord: “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind.” Paul’s joy was fulfilled when they walked
in the same mind. To have the same mind is to be of one
accord, to have unity of purpose.
Philippians 4:3:
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those
women which laboured with me in the gospel, with
Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers,
whose names are in the book of life.
This is the only place in the Bible where the word
“yokefellow” is used. Women also worked with the
Apostle Paul in spreading the Gospel. Why, then, should
people say that women have no right to preach, teach or
share The Word?
When The Word says, “whose names are in the book
of life,” the book of life means a living, spiritual record
of events which belongs to God. This is not a literal
book, but rather a figure of speech. Our parents did not
need a paper book to write down our names in order to
know that we belonged to them; neither do we need a
book to keep a record of our children’s names and works.
Just living is the record. So also are we in the mind of
God. The Word says that He knew us from before the
foundation of the world. God knew who would believe
on His Son and would therefore be part of His family.
Verse 4:
Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice.
If we know what we have in Christ, then we should
rejoice in him.
Verse 5:
Let your moderation [forbearance or patience or selfcontrol]
be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
The word “known” is a very unique word. There are
five different Greek words for “to know”; it is the little
differences of meaning that illuminate the accuracy of
The Word. “Known” here is “to know by having learned
or experienced.”
“Let your moderation be known unto all men” does
not fit into The Word. Why should our moderation be
known to all men? It should be nobody else’s business.
No man should be judged in meat, in drink or in respect
of an holy day. No man is to be our judge. When these
words are accurately understood, the verse literally says,
“Learn by experience forbearance toward all men.”
“The Lord is at hand” means “the Lord is always at
hand.” This statement has nothing to do with the second
coming. It simply exhorts the believers by reminding us
that we have Christ in us. He is watching over us, so let
us be mindful of this. Verse 5 says, “Learn by experience
forbearance toward all men for Christ is in us.”
Verse 6:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
[special petitions] be made known [declared] unto
God.
Verse 6 begins with the clause, “Be careful for nothing.”
These words do not fit into The Word in the way
a modern reader understands them. The word “careful”
means “anxious.” The statement literally means, “Do not
be filled with anxiety regarding anything.” We should be
careful when it comes to the Word of God, but not worried
and anxious because Christ is in us.
The key to “prayer and supplication” is in being specific
regarding one’s need and want. “Specifically, let
your needs be declared unto God with thanksgiving,” that
your mind may be renewed in what you have in Him.
Verse 7:
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall [absolutely] keep your hearts and minds
[thoughts] through [in] Christ Jesus.
When we declare our requests with thanksgiving, the
peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep
our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. Isn’t this a wonderful
verse? There are two points made in this verse:
one is salvation and the other is fellowship. “The peace
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall [absolutely]
keep your hearts. . . .” The seat of your spiritual
life remains in God’s keeping because it is seed; this is
eternal life. Therefore, because this is true, we keep our
thoughts in Christ Jesus and we are of one mind walking
according to the .Word of God. Paul says, “Then you are
my joy; my crown.”
Verse 8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, what
soever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there
be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on
these things.
Think! What we mentally dwell on we are going to
manifest. We never rise beyond what we think, The Word
of God says that our thoughts are to be in Christ Jesus.
If our thoughts are in Christ Jesus, then we think that
which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.
It is just as easy to think good as it is to think evil except
that the influence of our society is so negative that
we must purposefully work to keep our thoughts positive.
We must willfully determine whether we are going to
think as The Word says or think as the world does.
Verse 9:
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received,
and heard, and seen in me, [you] do: and [if
you do] the God of peace shall be with you.
Verse 10:
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last
your care [thinking] of me hath flourished again;
wherein ye were also careful [mindful], but ye lacked
opportunity.
Verse 11:
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content.
Paul said he was not complaining about his needs for
he had learned that in whatever state he was, to be self-adequate,
not “content” as the KJV says. The text literally
reads: “I learned in whatsoever state I am, I am self-adequate.”
“Christ in you” makes you self–adequate. Are
you lacking anything according to the Word of God? The
Word says, “Ye are complete in him.”**** If we are
complete, we are complete; we cannot lack anything.
Therefore, in every situation we are more than conquerors,
we are self–sufficient because we are complete
in him.
Verse 12:
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to
abound: every where and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and
to suffer need.
When Paul had little he was still self-adequate. “I
am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to
abound and to suffer need.”
The meaning of “instructed” in the text is “to be initiated
into the secret,” the secret being how to be self-sufficient
or self-adequate whether we lack or whether
we have abundance—“feast or famine.” Paul had been
“initiated into the secret” of how to live.
Because some have never been initiated into the secret,
they stay in poverty. If they ever had an abundance, they
wouldn’t know what to do with it. We might paraphrase
Paul’s statement thus: “I have been initiated into the
secret. When it comes to having physical or material
needs, I move on; when I abound in material and physical
possessions, I move on also. In every situation, I am
self-adequate.”
Verse 13:
I can do all things through Christ which strengthened
me.
Paul was talking about how to live with an abundance,
and how to live on a shoestring; in either situation we
are self-adequate. Why are we self-adequate? Because
we have strength through Christ who strengthens us.
Many people use this Scripture in regard to giving up
chewing tobacco, smoking and other non-beneficial habits.
This verse does not relate at all to such things. It deals
specifically with having or not having a sufficiency in
material matters.
Verse 14:
Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate
with my affliction.
In other words, “Ye have well done, having had fellowship
with my affliction.” Most people believe that
“affliction” means “sickness.” The word “affliction” is
explained in the last word of verse 16, “necessity.” Paul
said, “Ye have well done, having had fellowship with
my necessity.” This verse is most easily understood if
we ourselves have been in the same situation. If we
have always had an abundance of material things, and
never suffered need, we have not experienced “the fellowship
of necessities.” Paul was saying that the believers
in Philippi understood because they themselves had at
one time suffered lack and at another time known abundance.
Verse 15:
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning
of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no
church communicated with me as concerning giving
and receiving, but ye only.
Verse 16:
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again
[twice] unto my necessity.
Verse 17:
Not because I desire [seek] a gift: but I desire fruit
that may abound to your account.
Paul was not seeking a gift from the Philippians because
he did not ask them for material things; but Paul
desired that fruit might abound to their account. Every
time these people communicated with the necessity of
the Apostle Paul, each time they gave to his material
needs, God set the good works to their account.
Verse 18:
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received
of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable,
wellpleasing to God.
All they did was to communicate with the necessity
of the Apostle Paul, and Paul taught that this was well
pleasing and acceptable to God, and was set to their
account. Their generous actions had nothing to do with
their salvation; good works were simply credits to their
walk and reward.
Verse 19:
But my God shall supply all your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
In context you will understand this verse. “God shall
supply all your need” literally refers to material things,
not to spiritual things. The Philippians had given of their
material things to the Apostle Paul, they ministered to
his necessity. Paul is saying, “Now that you have communicated
toward me, God will now supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Again
we see the law at work: give and receive. This law works
with reliability. God shall supply your material needs
“according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” By
His foreknowledge He knows our need before we ask.
Verse 20:
Now unto God and our Father be glory [our knowledge
of Him] for ever and ever. Amen.
Verse 21:
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which
are with me greet you.
This verse admonishes us to greet every believer in
Christ Jesus. The Word never says a believer is in Jesus.
That would not be accurate because the name Jesus is
always associated with His humility. Whenever people
wanted to humiliate Him, they called Him “Jesus.” Even
the devil spirits never called Him “Christ” in The Word;
they always said “Jesus.” The name “Christ” means
“anointed” or “anointing.” In John 1:41 is the same word,
“Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ [the promised,
anointed one].” According to Acts 2:36, “God
hath made that same. Jesus [the humiliated one]. . .
both Lord and Christ.” According to Acts 10:38, “God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost.” This
anointing made Jesus the Christ, the promised anointed
one (Messiah) to Israel. We are in Christ Jesus and not
in Jesus.
Verse 22:
All the saints salute you, chiefly [especially] they that
are of Caesar’s household.
It is interesting to note the Word of God at least touched
the high government circles in the early days. Here we
are told that the gospel had reached into Caesar’s household.
Verse 23:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
Every Christian is to “stand fast in the Lord” in their
day-by-day walk, for as we walk we have the joy and
peace found in the “one mind,” and we have the physical
and material blessings needed for the more abundant
life now. We do have “all sufficiency for all things,” and
as sons of God we are in every situation self-adequate.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with each of us.
Amen.