To the Corinthian church, Paul wrote, "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27, NLT). This was Paul's way of declaring the unity of the church, along with the need to work together to accomplish Christ's aims in our world. The church in Philippi, or the church in the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley region, is no different. We are comprised of many different members that make up one whole body, and when those individual members do their individual part, the work of the entire body of Christ becomes more effective. They say many hands make light labor, and in the church, many functioning members make effective labor.

It is fascinating that this team-oriented approach was the one Jesus first endorsed and then conveyed to his people after his departure. From the very beginning, Jesus worked within a team. There was no one like him, of course, he was the paramount member of that team, and he still is, but that didn't stop him from recruiting the twelve and other larger groups beyond them to work alongside him. Then, when he ascended back to the Father and commissioned his church to go into all the world for disciple-making, he continued to encourage a team approach by pouring out the Holy Spirit and his variety of gifts to all his people. And what we find in the New Testament church are apostles relying on one another and the larger church, new leaders emerging, and lots of believers participating in Christ's work—they were a body with various parts and functions, a family with various roles, and an army with a mission to accomplish. Whenever you find, in the New Testament or in our modern time, a church functioning well, it is because that congregation has partnered together, each member doing its part.

Paul was familiar with this partnership, especially when it came to his connection with the Philippian church. Some churches were hesitant to throw their weight and support behind Paul, but not the Philippians. Paul's letter to them began with his warm remembrance of "their partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (1:5). For ten years, they had gotten behind Paul's apostolic work of preaching the gospel to the world.

I believe the partnership the Philippian church had with Paul provides us a good recipe for partnering together as a church today. In our passage, I find three specific ingredients that led them to be fruitful and productive in their partnership together, a partnership that led them to continue on as an advancing gospel community. First, the beautiful attribute of contentment was found within them, beginning with Paul, their leader. Second, a wonderful generosity had become their practice. And third, they had a healthy relationship, and Paul fought to preserve the health of their relationship. These three attributes—contentment, generosity, and relational health—are important for gospel effectiveness and human flourishing, so we will spend our time today considering each one.

1. Contentment (4:10-13)

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)

Perhaps one of the most shocking elements of this entire passage, or even the whole letter, is the radical contentment Paul expressed. He knew that, for a time, they could not support him, so he was appreciative that they had revived their concern for him and sent aid through Epaphroditus (4:10). But before he recounted much about their generosity, Paul was sure to expound on his utter contentment with or without their financial gift.

How does Paul describe his contented state? He tells them that he is not a man in need (4:11). This is an astounding statement, coming from a man in prison. Paul said he was able to see himself as without need because he had learned in whatever situation he found himself in to be content (4:11). His contentment meant that he could handle being brought low, he could handle hunger and need (4:12). It also meant he could abound, face plenty, and experience abundance without compromising in any way (4:12). As an aside, we should have a realistic view of what it looked like for Paul to abound. There he is, imprisoned in Rome, feeling he's in a time of abundance all because a church from a thousand miles away sent him a small financial gift. But he was still in prison, still in a hard situation, still dependent upon the generosity of others—"abundance" indeed. The point, however, is that Paul knew how to be humbled and he knew how to prosper. Going low did not throw him into despair, and abundance did not make him self-reliant. In every situation, he found satisfaction in his Lord.

The dictionary calls contentment a state of peaceful happiness. The thesaurus tells us contentment's synonyms are words like satisfied, gratified, fulfilled, cheerful, glad, unworried, and tranquil. In Paul's day, some from the philosophical world thought of contentment as extreme self-sufficiency where a man needs nothing and no one while enduring all the circumstances of his life by the power of his own will. Paul, however, rejected such an interpretation by making it clear that his contentment was empowered by Christ who strengthened him (4:13). He could do all things—be poor or rich, low or high, hungry or face plenty—by the power of Christ who gave him the moment-by-moment strength he required for the task at hand. We should not imagine Paul is saying he is omnipotent and can do anything, but that he gets Christ's strength for all the seasons, good and bad, of his life. He is not saying he can do anything at all by Christ's power, but that he can endure any situation, good or bad, high or low, by Christ's power, and only because of Christ's power. He felt that Jesus could infuse his mortal soul with the strength required to be content in any situation.

But what can we say about such contentment? It almost sounds alien to us—a key character trait in a supernaturally empowered and divinely called apostle. Key instruments in God's hands can attain such levels of maturity, but run-of-the-mill believers like us cannot expect to enjoy such contentment. To us, Paul's contentment sounds like a state of consciousness only the spiritual elite ever tap into while the rest of us mortals gaze up the holy mountains they have climbed. But I want to back up by saying that contentment is both extremely beautiful and entirely possible. This contentment does not belong to someone so spiritually minded they have no concept of reality. This contentment does not belong to a spiritual goof under a spiritual haze looking at you with an uncomfortable spiritual gaze. This is not the contentment of those who merely act as if life is all joy and no sorrow or go around saying they aren't worried about anything because God has told us not to worry. This is the contentment of a man who saw humanity clearer than anyone else in his generation. He saw the cataclysmic fallout caused by sin and human depravity. He sincerely felt his role was on the front lines of a war between the kingdoms of heaven and hell. Yet, despite his clear and true understanding of the realities of this life and the next, and despite the utter pain he endured for the sake of Christ, Paul found an ability to be satisfied in Christ no matter his circumstances.

Paul said he had learned this contentment (4:12). Again, this was not the attribute of a spiritual savant, but something Paul had been initiated into and had continued to grow in. Experience alone could not teach Paul the secret of contentment, but he learned it by facing every event of his life with Jesus. This contentment is also possible for us to learn. If it weren't, God would never ask us to enter into it, but Scripture tells us to be content with what we have because our Lord will never leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and that there is great gain in godliness intermixed with contentment (1 Tim. 6:6). As Paul said to the Corinthians, "Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him" (1 Cor. 7:17).

This secret of contentment is of such great value in our culture and time (4:12). No one says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" anymore (Ps. 23:1). We all want. All the time. Ever increasingly. We live in a prosperous society. Compared to developing nations, our social safety nets are strong, and we have resources like education and healthcare. Some of us have dealt with food or housing insecurity, but most of us have not. Still, higher costs of living, competitive job markets, and the ease of social comparison can make contentment hard to come by. Believers, however, can be marked by a supernatural contentment they receive through their connection to Christ.

And, while it is Christ who empowered Paul and empowers us to be content, we are called to work out this contentment with his strength and power, so here are some suggestions to help you cultivate contentment today.

• Build Friendships Across Socio-Economic Lines: Exposure to varied life circumstances can help recalibrate your sense of “normal,” revealing that joy and fulfillment are not tied to material wealth or possessions.
• Practice Gratitude Every Day: Make it a daily habit to reflect on and thank God for specific blessings in your life. Keeping a gratitude journal or praying with thanksgiving can reframe your mindset and combat discontentment.
• Simplify Your Lifestyle: Declutter your home, reduce unnecessary expenses, and focus on the essentials. This can reduce the mental and emotional weight of materialism and foster a sense of satisfaction.
• Limit Social Media Use: Reduce time spent on platforms that encourage comparison and dissatisfaction.
• Serve Others: Serving people in your church community or in underserved parts of our larger community can help remind you of the blessings in your own life and give you needed perspective.
• Cultivate Spiritual Practices That Ground You in Christ: Regularly pray, worship, and study Scripture to deepen your reliance on Christ. A life centered on Jesus shifts the source of your satisfaction from external circumstances to your relationship with him.

Before I move on from this study of Paul's contentment, I want to point out that this was such an important attribute for Paul, as the spiritual leader in his connection to the Philippians, to have. Because he felt this way, he was made better as their leader. Whether they gave or not, he had a job to do and was content to do it in Jesus' strength. Modern spiritual leaders should make the same commitment and carry the same attitude today.

2. Generosity

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:14-19)

So Paul was quick to tell the Philippians of his contentment in Christ, but this does not mean he was unappreciative of their generous support of his ministry. They were his partners, and the backdrop of this partnership, of course, was the Philippian church's financial backing of Paul's ministry work, which Paul brings to the forefront here at the close of his letter. It seems that, while Paul served as God's ambassador to places like Thessalonica, Corinth, and Rome, the church at Philippi repeatedly sent monetary aid Paul's way (4:14-16). Specifically, while he was imprisoned in Rome, they sent a man named Epaphroditus with a gift for Paul, which would help him immensely during his house arrest. It is this support Paul wants to acknowledge here. He wanted to directly recognize their gift (4:17-18). It was kind of them to share Paul's trouble, and he wanted them to know they were the only church to have helped him during long periods of his gospel work (4:14-15).

We live in a time where we are constantly hit up for financial support—everyone's trying to get in our pockets. I have tried hard to lead a ministry that does not make money the constant topic or goal. That said, because I want every believer to enter into deeper levels of maturity, I want to see every person in this church attend services weekly and engage in a life group. After that, my prayer is that they will become spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy enough to serve in some way in the church and financially support the work here. I believe this combination of worship, community, service, and generosity puts us in a great space for spiritual growth to occur.

When it comes to a church partnering together, generosity is a huge part of that partnership, and Paul saw it in four different ways we should see it today.

First, Paul thought of their financial support as a gospel partnership (4:15). He said they had, from the beginning of the gospel, been the only church to have partnered with him in the work (4:15). To Paul, their financial generosity was being used to advance the gospel throughout the world. This means that they were taking their earthly resources and using them in the most important ways they could. Using money for food and shelter is important, but man does not live by bread alone. At the core of each human is a soul in need of the gospel of grace, and as the Philippians invested in Paul's work, it meant people who had never heard of Jesus and people who were already believers would be strengthened as he proclaimed the gospel.

Second, Paul was not consumed with acquiring their financial support, but the fruit that was going to come from their financial support (4:17). He said, "Not that I seek the gift, but the fruit that increases to your credit" (4:17). Jesus said, "Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home" (Luke 16:9, NLT). He meant that there are ways we can convert our hard-earned cash into eternal life for others. It's like the ultimate money-laundering scheme. Take, for example, our youth ministry here at Calvary. Our Tuesday night youth group is filled with kids from Calvary and the larger community. Most of you receive no direct benefit from having youth leaders able to devote their time and energy to making disciples, leading, and loving these teenagers. But your generosity helps touch lives, earthly money making a heavenly impact. Fruit.

Third, Paul thought of their financial support as worship. He said he had received their gifts, which he called "a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God" (4:18). All these phrases are lifted from the worship practices of the Old Testament. Noah offered sacrifices that produced a pleasing aroma to God (Gen. 8:21). Aaron and his sons served as priests to offer burnt offerings with their pleasing fragrance to God (Ex. 29:18). The sacrificial system of the Old Testament depicted those sacrifices that were pleasing to God, but he is also portrayed as wanting those sacrifices to be accompanied by a broken and contrite spirit (Ps. 51:17). All this to say, Paul thought of the Philippians generosity as mere worship. This is one reason we pray over and dedicate each week's tithes and offerings to God at the conclusion of our musical worship each week. We think of giving as worship.

Fourth, Paul thought of their financial support as a way for them to look to God's provision for their lives. As a result of their generosity, Paul said, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (4:19). Paul did not say this to every believer, but he said it to these believers who had partnered together with him. He would never repay them, nor was he meant to—he had a job to do—but God would provide for their every need. Every material and spiritual thing they required, God was ready to grant. God was going to reciprocate with them—they had met Paul's needs, and now God would meet theirs. And financial investment in gospel work ultimately recognizes that our provision comes from the Lord. He has thousands of ways to provide for our needs, and he is looking for those who will prioritize his kingdom.

With these perspectives in mind, here are some ways to practice this brand of generosity:

• Develop a Gospel Partnership Mindset: See your church, along with ministries and missionaries you financially support, as gospel outposts that are preaching, living out, and broadcasting the truth of Jesus through everything they say and do. This will help you keep your giving in perspective.
• Reflect On and Celebrate Fruit: You will rarely be able to draw a direct line between your generosity and the fruit, but God can. You have no way of knowing, for instance, if it's your tithe dollars paying for the kilowatts keeping the lights on at tomorrow night's Regeneration recovery meeting, but I think God does. Try to reflect on the various ways your giving can help bear fruit for the kingdom.
• Shift from Obligation to Worship: Reframe your giving as an act of worship. Before giving, pray over your gift, asking God to use it for his glory.
• Trust in God’s Provision: Make generosity an expression of your faith in God’s ability to provide. Practice giving sacrificially, knowing that God promises to meet your needs. Then, stop and consider how God has provided for you in unexpected ways after stepping out in faith.

3. Healthy Relationships

20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Paul concluded, as he often did, with some greetings for the church and some blessings from God. His greetings here are unique because some from Caesar's household had come to faith and wanted to say hello to the church in Philippi (4:22). His blessing is special in that he spoke of the Father and Son, as he often did at the close of his letters (4:20, 23), but where is the Spirit, whom he also often mentions at the close of his letters? The fellowship of the Spirit is found in the relational dynamics of the church—greetings, blessings, saints, brothers (4:21-22).

I would like to conclude by pointing out a third facet of the way Paul and the Philippians partnered together—they had an exceedingly healthy relationship. For this point, please notice how it is only here, at the end of his letter, that Paul shows direct gratitude for their financial gift, and he is extremely cautious as he does. In Paul's first-century culture, the giving and receiving of gifts had deeply embedded social expectations and assumptions attached to them, often leading to a hierarchical system known as the patron-client relationship.[^1] The benefactor, typically someone of higher social standing and wealth, provided gifts or services to a benefactee, who was expected to reciprocate with gratitude, loyalty, and often public acknowledgment of the patron's generosity. Paul needed to avoid that system at all costs, not because he was too proud to be thankful, but because he needed to view himself as a debtor to Christ alone—that indebtedness would prove to be the best fuel for gospel work. And he needed them to find their motivation in Christ alone, not in public recognition or feelings of self-importance attached to doing generous things.

Paul could not see himself as in debt to the Philippians, and the Philippians should not see Paul as in debt to them. For these reasons, Paul seems to have gone out of his way to declare their gift-giving a simple sign of partnership in the gospel. This is why he notes their generosity and expresses some appreciation for it but does not directly thank them for it. He rejoiced over their gift (4:10). He said their gift ws kind (4:14). But all his gratitude seems pointed in God's direction. He does not owe them. They do not owe him. They are both pursuing the Lord and responding to his leading in their lives.

The Relational Triangle

What you have here is a relational triangle. At the top of the triangle is God, while the other two points are occupied by Paul and the Philippians. Both of them were to point themselves towards God. When the Philippians' support came to Paul, he viewed it as coming from God and directed his praise in that direction. He was not needy of the Philippians but in need of God. This lack of codependency made him so much better for the Philippians and a better ambassador of the gospel for our world.

What about you? Where do you find your ultimate fulfillment or source of praise? To whom do you feel indebted? Is your relationship with the church or others transactional when they should be more worshipful? Ultimately, we should find our fulfillment in Christ and praise his name. He is the one to whom we should give our lives, which will make us better for those around us, and help us to become a better gospel advancing community.

Conclusion

My hope for this study of Philippians is that the joy Paul had can become ours. I also hope we have all seen how his joy was connected to living out the purposes for which God had called him and created the church. When we live as an advancing gospel community, our churches become more joyful and uplifting. They will never be perfect—I expect a hundred out of a hundred committed believers to experience church hurt at some point—but at least they will be on mission. When a church resists the desire to turn completely inward on itself, when a group of believers insist on orienting their lives towards others rather than themselves, and when we persist to take up the mind of Christ and serve one another and our world, the gospel advances and we have joy, so let's continue on as an advancing gospel community.

Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. What does Paul mean when he describes the Philippians’ financial gift as a “fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18)?
2. How does Paul differentiate between seeking the Philippians’ gift and seeking the fruit that increases to their credit (Philippians 4:17)?
3. In what ways does Paul emphasize the partnership aspect of his relationship with the Philippians in the gospel mission (Philippians 4:15-16)?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

4. How does Paul’s attitude of contentment challenge your perspective on gratitude and generosity in your own life?
5. How does viewing generosity as an act of worship change your emotional approach to giving?
6. What feelings arise when you reflect on the idea that God will supply all your needs “according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions)

7. What steps can you take this week to partner more deeply with your local church or a missionary in their gospel work?
8. How can you incorporate thanksgiving into your financial giving to view it more as an act of worship?
9. Identify one way to express sacrificial generosity this month. What resources (time, money, skills) can you use to meet the needs of someone in your community?

[^1]: Fowl, Philippians, 190.