The last chapter, Philippians 4, is founded on both. The Apostle takes up, no doubt, the sweet affections of Philippians 2, but then they are strengthened by the energy that Christ seen in glory imparts, as in Philippians 3. Hence he thus opens, “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown.” One cannot overlook the amazing strength with which he speaks even of his affections. “My joy and crown,” “my dearly beloved.” Not that there were not difficulties; there were many. “I beseech Euodia” (we may just notice the true form in passing; Euodias sounds like a man’s name, whereas here it is really a woman). “I beseech Euodia, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Yea [not and], I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labor with me.” According to the true meaning it is not others, but those very sisters that he commends to Epaphroditus in desire for their blessing, “which labor with me in the gospel [or seeing that they shared the conflict of the gospel with me].” “Labored” gives a wrong sense. Many hence have wrongly gathered that they were preachers. There is really no reason to suppose that they preached at all. What they did seems a much more proper thing, in my judgment, for a woman. They shared the conflict of the gospel; they partook of the reproach that covered those who preached it. This is lost in the idea of laboring in it. We must think rather of the conflict of the gospel: there was often for all concerned disgrace, and pain, and scorn.
Let nobody suppose me to insinuate that a woman is not in place when exercising, according to the Scripture, any gift God has given her. Women may have gifts as well as men. We are not to suppose that, because we are men, we monopolize all the gifts of Christ. Let us see to it that we walk according to the place which God has given us. At the same time, God’s Word is to me plain as to the manner in which the gifts are to be exercised. And is there not evidently a path of unobtrusiveness (for the veil or sign of power on the woman’s head is no vain figure) which most befits a woman? I believe that a woman shines most where she does not appear. Hers is a more delicate place than that which becomes the man, and one which a man attempting it would awkwardly fill. But while a man is quite unfit to do a woman’s work, can it be doubted that a woman brings no honor to herself, or to the Lord, by attempting to do a man’s task? The Lord has laid down their places respectively with distinctness. It is ignorance and absurdity to answer such scriptures by the text that in Christ there is neither male nor female. We do not speak of standing in Christ now, but of their allotted services. In this we hear of difference; and Scripture does not obliterate but contrariwise asserts it, and treats the practical denial of it as a scandal brought in by Corinthian headiness. No doubt the new creation is essentially neither male nor female; it is not a race perpetuated in a fleshly way; but all things are of God and in Christ. Notwithstanding, it has been already explained that the man has a relative place as the image and glory of God, being set in a remarkable position between God and the woman in matters of outward decorum.
Returning, however, to the women Euodia and Syntyche, they had devoted themselves to an exceedingly happy and prized service. They joined with those who preached the truth and partook of their obloquy. They helped them, and in that sense “labored” if you will. At any rate they endured the conflicts of the gospel in its earlier days at Philippi. Why should women expose themselves? Why go in the way of crowds of soldiers or civil officers? Why should such as they face the unmannerly officials that took advantage of the imperial government to treat with injury those identified with the gospel? Love does not calculate these costs and dangers, but goes calmly forward, come what will, trouble, scorn, or death. No wonder the Apostle was grieved to think of differences among such women as these. “Help them” (says he) “with Clement also, and with my other fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Finally, he calls them again to rejoice, and now with more emphasis than ever. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” In sorrow? Yes. In affliction, in prison, everywhere. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” He did not make a mistake. He did not forget, but meant what he said. “Again I say, Rejoice.” Let your moderation go along with it, because along with this joy there might be a certain enthusiastic spirit that would hinder calm judgment. But this is not the character of Christian Joy. “Let your moderation be known unto all men”; that is, the meekness and gentleness which bends to the blow, instead of resisting it in the spirit that ever asserts its rights and fights for them. Have rather that spirit which counts nothing as a right to be claimed, but all one has as gifts of grace to be freely used in this world, because one has Christ in view. “Let your moderation be known unto all men,” strengthened by this consolatory truth,—“The Lord is at hand.”
And this nearness of Christ I take simply to be the blessed hope here made a practical power. It is not the Lord at hand to succor one now and here from time to time. No one denies this, which is, or ought to be, no new thing for a Christian. He means the Lord, really, personally, at hand; as he had said in the end of the last chapter, that this was what we look for. “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence we wait for the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour”—for this is the true meaning of it. And this puts the doctrine, as far as there is doctrine in the epistle, in a very clear light. There is no looking at Him as Saviour on the cross merely; but when He comes for us, there will be in the final sense (as ever in our epistle) “salvation.” Thus he anticipates the removal of the last trace of the first Adam; he looks for our being brought fully, even as to the body, into the likeness of the Second Man, the last Adam. This is salvation in truth. Hence he says, “We look for the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.” It does not matter how unlike they may be, or how opposed; it does not matter what vessels of shame and misery they may have been now; “He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.”
Then, as to our practical everyday expectation, “The Lord is at hand.” And, accordingly, why should one be a prey to care, if this be really so? “Be anxious [or be careful] for nothing; but in everything”—this is the resource—“in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.” Better not make them known to men; it is a dangerous snare. By all means let them be made known unto God. There is something which ought to be made known unto men, namely, the not fighting for your rights. “Let your moderation be made known unto men.” “Let your requests be made known unto God.” It is not that you have failed, perhaps, or broken down in some particular. Certainly this is painful and humbling. But it is better for you to lose your character, than for Christ through you to lose His; for you are responsible to display the character of Christ. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” “Let your requests,” whatever they may be, “be made known unto God”; and not only so, but “with thanksgiving.” You may be perfectly sure of an answer when you make known your requests: therefore let it be with thanksgiving. And what is the result? “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,”—feeling, judgment, everything, guarded and governed by this precious peace of God. The peace which God has in everything He will communicate to keep you in everything; and not only so, but the heart, being free from care, will enter into what pleases Him. And therefore, “Whatsoever 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.” Instead of occupying oneself with all one hears that would cast down, now that we have committed all that is miserable to God, we can go on delighting in the goodness of God, as well as in its fruits. In God there is ample supply. All we want is, that the eye of faith be a little open; but it is only Christ before the eye that keeps it open.
Then he turns to what had drawn out the epistle. “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.” So tender, so delicate is his sense, that he would not spare what was needful if there had been any want of thought, but at the same time he hastens to make whatever apology love could suggest. “Not,” says he, “That I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am”—this is the great design of the epistle; it was not truth that was made known simply, but experience that was grown into—“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Him who strengtheneth me.” At the same time he intimates his value for their love, and takes care that his was independence founded on dependence, an independence of circumstances which finds its strength in simple and absolute dependence upon God.
So the Apostle lets them know that he owned their hearty love; “Not,” he says, “Because I desire a gift.” For no personal end did he mention their grace; “but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” It was not that he wanted more. We know well that as men have sarcastically said, gratitude is a kind of fishing for fresh favors. There was the very reverse in Paul’s case. As he tells them, fruit that might abound to their account was all that his heart really yearned after. Their gift to him was “an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.” What a God is ours, so to treat that which, connected with the world, Christ Himself calls “unrighteous mammon!” His goodness can even take this up and thus make it fragrant even to Himself. “But my God shall supply all your need.” How rich and full he was of the goodness of the God he had proved so long and could recommend so well! And there is not now merely His riches of grace, but he looks forward into the glory where he was going, and can say, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Thus with salutations of love he closes this most characteristic and cheering even of Paul’s epistles.