I Have Learned, Philippians, 4:10-14

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. How many people do you know that have learned that? Not real common, is it? That is a real focal point passage. Here's another one. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret. Secrets. He's telling secrets. You'll want to know this secret. Of being filled and going hungry.

And finally, I can do all things. How would you like to be able to do all things? So, we want to take a particular notice of those parts of the passage as we go through this here. Let's begin with, in verse 10, he says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly. Now, what does he say?

I rejoiced, and we pointed out before, and certainly want to point out again, this is part of this family, the charis family of words, that Paul has woven by the Holy Spirit's inspiration throughout the book of Philippians. This charis family of words, charis means grace, okay? And so here is this family of words that is woven by God's inspiration throughout the entire text. Every chapter has it, at least a little bit, chapter 3 having it the least, but this last chapter we're in here has it sewn well throughout it, and we're not done looking at that word, or that family of words. Grace-given is the idea. Grace. entirely by God's giving.

And one of the things we pointed out about that word here, grace, it was a word used in the culture of the time. The Greek culture of the time had the concept of grace, but their idea is something you do undeserved, but for a friend or a relative. What's radically different in the way Paul uses it, in contrast to the culture, is that God's grace is not just for friends and relatives, It's for those, while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. So Paul extends the use, as the whole New Testament does, he extends the use of the word grace beyond the cultural understanding of it. Isn't that neat? That's amazing. He stretches it in order to get the concept across, and he weaves it throughout this entire book. more so than any other book written in terms of the times it's used for the length of the material. Paul has already said that he rejoiced in the Lord. Here in chapter 3, finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

In this case, he's telling them, right? Or earlier in this very chapter, we're looking at, rejoice in the Lord always, again, I will say rejoice. Paul has already made that statement. You rejoiced, right? but he doesn't tell the Philippian believers, rejoice in the Lord, in the manner of, do what I say, not what I do. He rejoices in the Lord, and he makes that clear to them. He himself sets himself as a prime example. This is what it looks like. I rejoice in the Lord, he tells them.

So that's what we see in Philippians 1.18. He's already started off in the first chapter of the book, saying, in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.

So then he turns around and says, what? You rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, you rejoice. He doesn't tell them something without himself exampling it in his own life and heart. Not only that, he does it while in prison, chained to a Praetorian guard 24-7. Amazing. And finally, in chapter 2 there, verse 17, the passage starts off, but he says, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. That rejoicing isn't something that he simply bottles up. It is a rejoicing that he shares with them and communicates with them.

This is part of this charis family of words. God-given grace. Then he says, here in the last part of verse 10, he speaks of your concern for me and you were concerned before. Let's take a look at that. That's part of this phreno family of words. Now this is interesting. Previously, We've seen this word fresnel, and every time it's been used before, it has to do with their mindedness about their position in Christ, and how that impacts their position. Now he uses it uniquely to describe their mindedness, their concern for him.

There's something, I know a number of you may be really sentimental about this, and kind of emotionally sensitive, but I need to tell you something. This is kind of a momentous thing. This is the last time you're going to see Froeneo in this book. Okay? Alright, so hold yourself together, we'll get through it, okay? Alright.

The key point here in Philippians 4.10, Froeneo is used twice to express the Philippian believers' care for Paul, their mindedness, as we've seen the meaning of that word about Paul. And yes, that's the last time. We'll say goodbye to it here. Now, the believers at Philippi had clearly, and we see this woven throughout the book, taken it upon their hearts to care and concern for Paul in support of his ministry.

He starts out at the very beginning of the book. It's very clear that they're participating with him in the gospel. He starts off, I thank my God in every remembrance of you. And what does he talk about? He talks about your participation in the gospel from the first day, remember that first day was when Lydia became a believer along the Genghis River, there right next to Philippi, that first day until now. Now being years later, when Paul is chained to a Roman Praetorian guard 24-7, waiting for the Caesar's verdict. Then in verse 6, I'm confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. The good work being their participation there and their work there in Philippi.

And then in verse 7 finally, he talks about it being both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. And you imagine supporting him in ministry included helping him out while he was in prison. That was a part of his ministry, about that. How many of you would like to volunteer for that ministry? Would you like to be in prison in order to be in ministry? Oh boy.

Look also here in Philippians 4, and we'll see this shortly. It says, You yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone. For even in Thessalonica, and you see there's a nearby city, you send a gift more than once for my needs.

They were amazing, and so he is clearly laying out. These people have participated with him in various circumstances, both while he was ministering in the various places that he went, even to the point of him being in prison now. They're continuing to minister to him, even though he's now in the prison situation.

One of the things that we have to make clear as we look through Scripture Paul's practice was not to go about demanding or even requesting support from the people that he ministered to. He makes it clear that he could have. This is only one passage that does that. But what we've underscored here, that nevertheless we did not use this rite, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

And one of the things we can see several passages, Acts 18.3 is the starting point of that, several passages that indicate Paul would make tents and sell those on the side as something he could do portably, something he could do in various places, and supply his ministry needs through that. Basically working part-time on the side with that little portable business so that he could continue on. Some little insight into that, where Paul talks about rightly dividing the truth when he writes to Timothy. That's a tentmaker's term. for cutting up the pieces for the pattern and putting them together.

Okay, now, so what's Paul saying here in 4.10? What's he saying? He says, But I rejoice in the Lord greatly now that at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Does it sound like the people have just sort of forgotten him? No. He's trying to make a point here. He'd been in, in fact, let's go through the pictures. He'd been in prison in Philippi initially, and they were well aware of that. He'd been for two years at Caesarea Philippi, and that's described in Acts 23-25.

That's, by the way, that's the home of... It's the home of one of the deacons, Philip. It is also the place where the Gentiles first became believers, if you read in Acts 10. So this is a place Scripture keeps going back to now, Here in this situation, Paul has been imprisoned there as a Roman military garrison along the coast. And then finally, this Mamertine prison is, from evidence that we have, probably Paul's last home.

And that hole that you see on the top, right in here, is where they would just drop him in. That was your entry into the jail. They'd just drop you onto the hard floor and wait until it was time to execute you. Cut the head off or whatever they were going to do. Now, so here's Paul. He's going through these series of prison experiences and writing to them about it. Paul is not really implying that the church had forgotten him, but if we remember, Paul would work to try to supply his own needs, but there would be circumstances, and this was one of them, where he couldn't do that.

It's real tough to make tents when you've got one hand chained to a Praetorian guard. And the Praetorian guard doesn't really care whether you make tents or not. He doesn't care if you can make tents. And if he's ornery and wants to be, he can prevent you from doing just about anything. Because you've got one hand chained to this guy.

So Paul wasn't here trying to say, you guys forgot about me. He was saying, you, for quite a while, have been willing and able to help me. But there have been times when I've been able to support myself. But now that I've been in prison for a while, I haven't. And so I'm very thankful, he's telling them. I'm very thankful. that you came in and helped at a time when I couldn't. I greatly appreciate it," he says. Okay.

Something to look at here, because the Philippian believers were contributing to Paul's ministry, is what's the biblical teaching on giving? And you know, as well as I, we don't talk a lot about money around here. Matter of fact, we don't talk about it unless we have to, okay?

And this is an instance where we can do that. Paul is thankful to the Lord about the support gifts. from these believers here in Philippi. But what we see here, and this is consistent with what we see in the rest of Scripture, what we see here is not the picture that unfortunately a lot of churches have given. We don't see anything in the New Testament, in this place where we're reading here in Philippians, is consistent with that. We don't see any browbeating of people.

You've got to give. Bring the whole tide into the storehouse. Those kinds of things. There's no arm twisting, no guilt trips, no pledges, no faith promises, no funding campaigns, no thermometers on the wall. And you don't see that in the New Testament. You just don't see it. What do you see? Here's a case in point. Instead you see what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. Each one must do His giving, just as He has purposed in His heart, not grudgingly, not, okay, I'm giving it, but I'd really rather not. Not under compulsion. Okay, okay, I'll give.

For God loves a cheerful giver. What is this talking about? Giving is simply, from a biblical standpoint, rooted in one's relationship with the Lord. It's, what does God think about it? And it is rooted in our relationship with the Lord, not in external rules, not in trying to make the thermometer pop out the top, not in arm-twisting and brow-beating. It's rooted in one's personal relationship with the Lord and what one, between the Lord and himself, has determined to give. So that teaching is very consistent with what Paul's doing here. He's thankful for the gift that they've given, and he wants certainly to express that. He greatly appreciates their participation, but there's no arm-twisting. There's no nasty letter saying, you didn't send the right amount. You didn't send enough. None of that. You don't see it here. Verse 11 then says, Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Let's look at a couple of words or phrases that show up there. One is I have learned, and the other is this word content. This, I have learned, is Manfano. It means to learn as a disciple. Learn as a disciple. The Lord has taught Paul in this area.

And I think one of the things we want to point out, this is an active verb. Remember, we have active, middle, and passive. Let's go over that. The active is, you're doing it. Middle is, the action is coming back. You're doing it, but the action is coming back on you. Passive is the action is done elsewhere, and you're the recipient.

This is an active learning. It's in the active voice. I have learned actively. And very interestingly, we pointed out just a little bit ago that the Greek words in the prior passage, in verse 9, here he has four verbs. Learned, received, heard, and seen. Those are all in the active voice. Actively learning.

The point being, we don't come here and just sit in the pew and say, OK, I did my church time. It's a learning in which we are actively involved. That is God's intent. And Paul continues on with that message here as he's talking to them. The learning is not something where you just sit there and passively soak it up. It's an active learning, an active receiving, an active involvement. Seeing actively what's going on. All in the act of voice. As we pointed out last week, being spiritually equipped is not a spectator sport. Not a spectator sport. The next one is content. We put the little accent there, not because you'll find it in your Bible, but because we want to differentiate between that and content.

So we get the emphasis on the right syllable. So the Greek word there is autarkes, autos, archaeo. It means self-suffice. Very important distinction we've got to make here. This is a word Paul borrowed. Remember, the word grace is one that they used in the culture. This is another one. This is one used by pagan Stoic philosophers.

The idea is that a person should be completely sufficient in themselves. He uses that word, but he clarifies it. It's very important that we see the difference. Paul makes a radical distinction between what the Stoic philosophers taught, be sufficient in yourself, When we look at verse 13, we'll see that. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It's not me, myself. It's not the flesh cranking out the sufficiency. So here we have the Stoic philosophers. By the way, Aristotle also made comments along this line. You should be sufficient in yourself. And Paul comes along and said, the sufficiency is entirely of the Lord's strength. He's not saying, in the humanistic sense, be self-sufficient.

He's borrowing the term and then giving the insight from the biblical standpoint. Let's look at verse 12. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. If you were to take those, you see negative or difficult circumstances, and we put those on one side. Humble means, going hungry, suffering need. See that? So those are the things that he puts as, these are deficiencies in my circumstances. So he lines those up. The other side of that, what he does is prosperity, being fulfilled, having abundance. Most people pick the one on the right, right? Most folks will pick those. You give them a choice, they'll pick this one.

But he says, I've learned both of them. Now, let's take a further look here. There are some key words that Paul is using. We want to take a look at them. He uses twice, I know. The second used there in the English here as the also inserted just for English. But the Greek is the same in each case.

I know. And then, I have learned the secret. This I know is oida. It means I know by perception. I perceive. This Greek word is a perfect active indicative. Let's take a look at what that means. We'll take it apart piece by piece. Perfect means it's a completed past action with ongoing results into the future. It implies permanence.

He says, I know, I've really learned this. I do really know this, is what he's telling them. And he's put it that way twice. The active means Paul actively knows these things. He is active. in the perception and understanding. It goes along with actively learning, doesn't it? And finally, indicative.

It's a statement of fact. It's a statement of fact. This is real. I'm telling you it is true. It's a statement of fact. The next one I have learned. This is a special word. We'll see why in a minute here. A lot of the translations will have a sort of, I am instructed, or something of that sort. And here's why.

This verb was used in the pagan mystery religions in the culture of Rome and Egypt, and the Greek culture, to describe their teaching of secret knowledge. The closest comparison that we would have is some of our secret societies. Someone would be taught, and so the initiate would use this term. This is the only place this is used in the New Testament. Paul uses it here. It was the revealing of those mysteries to the initiate.

This word here is a perfect passive indicative. What is that saying? He, just like saying, I know, he says, I've also been completely taught. The Lord has completely taught me these things. It's passive. The Lord's done the teaching, in this case, and it's indicative. It is, in fact, a statement of fact. Why did he use this?

Downtown Philippi, hard for us to think of those ancient cities that happened downtown, but that's the way it was. There's a picture we've looked at, and there's a picture taken of central Philippi from up on the mountain, right above it. The photographer's up on the mountain as he takes the picture. The pagan temples were right here, and the people who would go into those pagan temples would be taught the things that they were taught, and the Greek word we just looked at. was the word that would describe how those people were taught as they went into these pagan temples.

So what's Paul doing is he's adopting that and saying, no, the Lord has taught me these secrets, these truths. That's why some of our translations will have, you know, I've learned the secret. There's a strong difference, however, in the way Paul uses it. In these, the people learned secrets and they weren't supposed to tell anybody else. They were supposed to keep it a secret. That was the pagan way of doing things.

Paul turns that on his head. He says, I've learned the secret! He tells everybody about what he's learned. And he says, I want you all to know. So, he has used the word that comes out of the pagan culture, but he's used it in a way that is exactly upside down from what the pagan culture had used it as. Let's look at this last one, because this is key. This is, I would say, the key verse in this passage here. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. So what does I can do all things mean? What does it mean? Let's ask this. Does it mean that Kirk can swim across the Pacific Ocean and be back by next Sunday? Does it mean that our kids in Sunday school are ready to lift 500 pounds.

Does this mean that Anne Marie can change all these diapers in 30 seconds? Bottom line is, does this verse make us into a Christian superman? The reason I ask the question is I have seen people use it this way. They'll quote this verse, and it's like, man, because I'm a Christian, I can do all kinds of stuff, okay? I'm going to do the 50-yard dash in two seconds, okay? There is a sense among some believers that this verse means that I'm going to be the Christian Superman, and somehow I'm going to accomplish things that nobody else can.

But if you look at this verse, and I think we've got to come back to it, here's the verse, There's the context. What is he talking about when he says, I can do all things? What kind of all things is not, can you lift 500 pounds and swim across the Pacific Ocean and change diapers in a single bound? Instead, what this is talking about is, I may go through periods where I'll have abundance, and I may go through periods where I don't have abundance, I can do all things. Variety of circumstances, and this passage is about circumstances. Whatever those circumstances are, it is the Lord's strength that will take me through it. We've got some more questions to ask, though, about this verse.

As you look at this thing, what does, I can do all things, does that mean I can survive them? Is that the point? I can survive having not very much and having a lot? You know, I don't think that's what he's talking about. Survival isn't the issue here.

Survival is not the issue because instead it's, I have learned in those circumstances to behold the Lord Jesus Christ. I have learned in those circumstances to depend upon Him. I have learned in those circumstances to recognize that God is going to use everything in my life, the prosperity and the lack of it, to conform me to the image of the Son. That's what He's talking about.

It's not to make me Superman. And unfortunately, there are Christians that kind of get led off in that way. Oh, if I'm a Christian, I'll of course be wealthy. If I'm a Christian, I'll never get sick. If I'm a Christian, nothing bad will ever happen to me because God will protect me and make everything nice. There are Christians who follow that path.

That's not what he's talking about. By the way, where is he when he's writing this? He's in a prison. He's been in prison for over two years. He is chained to a Roman Praetorian guard 24-7. They take shifts. If he's tired of it, that doesn't matter. The next Roman guard that comes on is fresh and can really give him a hard time, freshly rested. It's under those circumstances that he writes this.

He's not talking about, I can do all things, meaning I will never get into deep doo-doo, never get into deep trouble, Because I'm a Christian. Instead, what is it? In the midst of these things, I know what the Lord's doing. In the midst of these things, my relationship with Him. In the midst of these things, His strength through me is what will count. And what will take me through. So, real key that we look at that. We're not done with questions though. Okay? Does verse 13 mean that I have strength and the Lord adds to my strength? Ever heard something like that?

Lord, help me. God is my co-pilot. I'm the pilot, and in case something happens to me, then God takes over, right? And these are phrases and things that sneak and creep into Christian thinking. This is an important question to ask. Because a lot of Christians have been led to think this way. Lord, I can do about 75% of what this takes, but I'm a little short. Can you loan me some? Can you help me out here?

That's the perspective that a lot of people will have. And that's not his point here. The word strengthen. Endunoma'o is to inwardly give the ability. You need the ability? This is 100% of it. The Lord does not add to our strength. He doesn't say, okay, you're just a little bit shy and I'll pitch in the rest of it and you'll be covered. He says instead, He inwardly enables and empowers us. It's His life.

And that's why we make the point of Galatians 2.20, I can't help.

Why? I'm dead. It's no longer I who live. I'm out of here. Okay? I'm out of here. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. It's not, okay, me and you, Lord. No. I'm done. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live, see this thing here? The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. It's a 100% deal.

God's not here to help us, folks. And that shouldn't cause you despair. That should be an immense relief. We didn't come to get assisted. God came to replace entirely. Big difference. It's not Christ's strength added to our own, but His strength in life, period. Colossians 3, 1-4, Christ who is our life, not adds to our life, is, total, 100%. Let's look at this last verse here.

Nevertheless you have done well to share with me in my affliction. Think of what Paul's having to tell them here. He says, I've learned to live with, to abide in all kinds of circumstances. But he also is wanting to be respectful of their gift. Otherwise it would come across as, gee, it's nice that you guys gave this stuff to me, but I don't need it. So what is he doing here? He's saying, I've learned this lesson. Nonetheless, I appreciate what you've given, and it's a good thing that you did.

Let's take a look at one more thing before we leave this here. Think about this. He has learned in whatever circumstances, okay? In whatever circumstances, the Lord strengthens him. Do you need the strengthening of the Lord when you're in prosperity? Yes! Yes, most certainly.

He knows he doesn't make any distinction. It isn't, okay, I'm in prosperity, Lord, I don't need you. You know, if I need you, I'll give you a buzz. You know, I got a cell phone. And Lord, until then, I'm really just fine, and I really have no shortage here. I can handle it. You know, money in the bank, food in the fridge, I'm fine. And so I really don't need you.

But there may come a time, and so I'd like you to kind of hang out in the hall until it's time. That's not the perspective he's presenting here, is it? I need the strengthening of the Lord even if I'm in prosperity. Even if I'm in prosperity. He makes no distinction. The spiritual principles are the same. Whether we are in physical need or financial need or not. The principle is the same.

Let's take a look at this expanded and explained. And you have this on the back of your handout on side 2 there, page 2. But I rejoiced greatly with grace given joy in the person and work and position of the Lord. See, when he says, in the Lord, it's kind of a brief statement, but that's what he's talking about. The person of Jesus Christ. The work of Jesus Christ and the position that we have in Him. All those things. That now, having received your gift, because remember from the end of chapter 3, from Epaphroditus, he's the one that brought it.

At last, you have revived your mindedness, that's the word for Nao, about me. Indeed, you had that mindedness before, but because I was able to support myself by tent making until relatively recently here, you lacked opportunity. I was able to support myself so that the support was something that was supplemental. Now I really am unable to do that.

Verse 11, it is not that I speak from severe lack, is that interesting? It's not that I speak from severe lack, for I have actively learned, we bring in that point because that's what the Greek is saying, I've actively learned as a disciple to be self-sufficient entirely by Christ's sufficiency in whatever circumstances I happen to find myself. wherever God's placed me. And finally, in verses 12-13, I knew in the past, with ongoing results even now, how to get along with humble means, and I also knew how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have been taught by Christ completely, in the past, the revealed mystery of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Revealed mystery. Remember, this is unlike the pagan mystery religions, where they say, we've got a secret and don't you dare tell anybody. Paul says, I'll be glad to tell you. He lets everybody know. So this is no pagan mystery religion. I can do, is live, I can do living through all extremes of need and prosperity by means of him who provides in me the entire ability to do so. It is his entire ability that does it. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction by providing this gracious gift at this time."

As we look at this passage, this is a marvelous passage because it reveals so many things that, frankly, is at odds with our culture. Isn't this really at odds with our culture? Our culture is telling us, boy, you better get your circumstances in order. or you're just not going to make it. Our culture, frankly, gives us the message that, okay, if you need religion to kind of supplement yourself, that's fine.

Here, instead, the message is, I am entirely strengthened by the Lord's resources and not my own. And here, he's spelling out to the Philippians, their giving is a grace giving. It's not a, you're demanded, you'd better give, no arm-twisting, He says, I praise the Lord for what you have given by grace giving, not the faith pledge, not a faith promise, no badgering and beating, no thermometers on the wall, but instead, grace giving based on one's personal relationship with the Lord. Giving is a heart issue, not something that a calculator is going to tell you. Even the 10% key is not going to do it. Well, let's pray. Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your marvelous grace.

As we look at this passage, we see, Lord, that the giving is by grace. Lord, that the position that we have in You is entirely by grace. And Lord, even the capacity to not just make it, not survive through different circumstances, both prosperity and the lack, Those are not the points, but indeed, Lord, to walk with You in the midst of those, to recognize that in the midst of both of those, that You are conforming us to the image of Your Son, that both of those are good. You call them good because You are going to use them in our lives and because You love us. They are consistent with Your grace. Thank You, Lord, for that.

Lord, as we look at this passage, we're just in awe at how you have inspired your servant Paul here to write these marvelous words. I just pray that you would teach us this, Lord, as Paul said, he actively learned and he was taught Lord, we just pray that you would teach us that as well. Certainly, we will not get it from our culture. Only your revealed Word can teach us these truths. We thank you for that. Thank you for your willingness not to just supplement what we lack, Lord, but to provide all that we need in the midst of each circumstance. Thank you for that. In Jesus' name, Amen.