Editor’s Note: This article is available at the author’s website: www.jerrywierwille.com Reciting 4:13 under these premises is not biblically accurate and is a wrong dividing of the scripture. Jerry lives and serves as an associate researcher and pastor at Spirit & Truth Fellowship near Bloomington, IN. It’s meaning out of the biblical context and into the context of my life. However, Paul immediately clarifies that he really was not in a state of need requiring a gift from them because he has learned how to be content with whatever he has (4:11). He has earned a Masters of Theological Studies (MTS) at United Theological Seminary with a focus in New Testament Studies and Pauline Literature, and he is currently in the final term of a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) program at the same institution. What can be properly said and applied from 4:13 is that Paul’s message relates to Christians going through a series of trials in their life that stem from their faith in Christ and that Christ will give the believer strength to endure the circumstances no matter what they may be and no matter how long they may last. But, it was not an “I always win” mindset, it was not a “life will be easy, and things will go my way” ego parade, and it was not an “I am going to get everything I believe for” delusion. Philippians 4:13 is one of the most popular verses in the Bible but also one of the most misused and misinterpreted. Whenever a verse is dislocated from its context, it is almost guaranteed to be wrongly interpreted and misapplied. Roman imprisonment was a tough ordeal and Paul had spent a significant amount of time in custody by the time he wrote this letter (at least 3 years). Want to dunk a basketball but you’re only 5’5″ tall? As a result, many people have experienced disappointment, for example, Stephen Curry, whose example you will find at the end of this article. Throughout history (and especially in recent times) this verse has not been well understood and has been easy prey for misinterpretation and misuse (as has been done by countless well-meaning Christians). He speaks up about how he is glad the Philippians have revived their concern for him and have now found an opportunity to show it (4:10). They use it to show others they can fulfill any desire they please through Christ and by faith. The interpretive problem with such an assertion is its complete disregard for the surrounding context of the passage and it perverts the meaning of Paul’s statement into something entirely different than what he intended. However, even in all the predicaments that Paul finds himself, he confesses that whether he prospers or is impoverished, hungry or well-fed, he knows he can be content in whatever conditions are given him because of the strength he receives in Christ. Apr 13, 2017 - Explore Emily McPherson's board "Phillipians 4 13" on Pinterest. He saw Christ as being great and because of the strength he received from Christ, he was not assuaged from his mission by whatever he encountered. [i] G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians (PNTC; ed. Your email address will not be published. Whether it was being weak, being in chains, being humiliated, or being famished, Paul looked to Christ in all things and he saw the “one who gives him strength” that he might become like him. . We are thankful for his permission to print it here. Sadly, and unknowingly, the result is also loss of biblical authority and power. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. After telling his audience that he’s experienced both poverty and affluence, the Apostle Paul writes these well-known words: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”. Philippians 4:13 in all English translations Bible Gateway Recommends NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Personal Size, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the … This is a great example of how to apply the basic principles of Biblical research to a specific section of Biblical text. “Any use of this verse to support a claim or goal of a triumphant, victorious Christian life without weaknesses or limitations conflicts with the immediate context and the wider teaching of Paul.”[i] Take for example, the notion that a believer should be able to climb Mt. He was meeting his circumstances with Christ-confidence and knew that he would have the strength to make it through no matter what may come his way. These trials that Paul were going through were because he had been imprisoned on account of his faith and testimony of Christ (1:13). It has been wrongly applied to various life situations for those who deem it consoling, encouraging, or affirming of triumph during whatever obstacle, trial, or difficulty they are encountering. He was not just passively accepting his lot in life and rolling with the punches. Paul entertained no false conceptions about his circumstances. Jerry also writes and blogs online on www.jerrywierwille.com. Paul’s reference is clearly pointing to Christ and the use of the preposition en is reminiscent of Paul’s common designation of being “in Christ” (Gk. Facing Struggles With Confidence. The failure to grasp the context and properly understand 4:13 accordingly misleads people in their faith by pointing them toward false realities and untrue biblical conclusions. However, he makes a deliberate effort to clarify that his ministry and well-being is not dependent upon them but solely on Christ (4:10-14). The letter to the Philippians is a letter of thanks and encouragement to the church in Philippi because the Philippian believers had given financial support and other aid to Paul while he was in prison when no other church did (4:15). Paul did not see himself as being great or even capable of doing great things. Paul’s ultimate point in this passage is that the strength and power of Christ provides more ability and sufficiency to withstand hardship and misfortune than any benefaction his friends and acquaintances could possible supply. What he did deliberate on was that he would not succumb to them and let them rule his heart because he was being strengthened by a Christ that knows his heartaches, knows his weaknesses, and knows his sufferings. Reducing Transitional Stress In Marriage. He points to the one who empowers him — that is, to Christ! So then what exactly is Paul referring to in verses 10-12 that culminates in his resolute statement in verse 13? Rather, Paul was aggressively proclaiming his reliance on and trust in Christ in order to enable him to pursue Christ and preach Christ. Many Christians have used Philippians 4:13 as an inspirational and motivational maxim as though it is affirming they are supposed to be able to accomplish anything, attain anything, and do anything with the help of Christ. It is in this context and during this time of fluctuating experiences in prison that Paul declares the “secret” he has learned is that he can do “all things, through him who strengthens him” (4:13). Paul declares he is able to bear the challenges and burdens of imprisonment because of “him who strengthens me” (Gk. Abstract — Philippians 4:13 is one of the most misinterpreted and misused verses in the NT. The result is immediate relevance to my life, along with as many different meanings as there are different life situations. Paul lays claim to no ability of his own. Compare Different Versions of this Verse. Thus, we see that in Paul’s argument the phrase, “I can do all things” refers to his confidence to endure all the circumstances (mostly, if not all, undesirable) that he found himself experiencing while in prison. en tō endunamounti me – lit. All rights reserved worldwide. However, according to the context en could be seen as denoting agency (“through”), instrumentality (“by”), or association (“with”). Paul was facing a trial of managing and coping with often harsh and grim surroundings and treatment while being detained in prison. Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the latter years of his life while in prison, most likely in the capital of Rome in the late 50’s or early 60’s AD (1:7, 13-14, 17). Paul is writing while awaiting trial in prison and during his imprisonment he had experienced a wide variety of conditions, circumstances, and challenges that range from being well-fed and comfortable to being hungry and in distress. Believe In Me. en Christō). When properly interpreted, the passage is Paul’s testimony that speaks of the confidence and faith he had in Christ, who gave him strength to endure untold affliction and tribulation while in prison. In all likelihood, Paul has a semblance of each of these meanings in mind as he is professing that he is made stronger through the accomplished work of Christ, by coming to know Christ, and in his ongoing relationship with Christ. Therefore, it is both a misinterpretation and misapplication to use Philippians 4:13 as a pretext for claiming that a believer is able to achieve whatever they set their mind to as though they have some sort of divine assistance for succeeding in whatever they are engaged in. He had times when he was in need and times when he had plenty. From these versions many Christians claim God’s power for any possible challenge before us. Philippians 4:13 is one of the most well-known New Testament verses, but it’s also notoriously misused. Copyright © Study Driven Faith. Abstract — Philippians 4:13 is one of the most misinterpreted and misused verses in the NT. Thus, in the letter Paul expresses his gratitude for their gifts and for the help he was receiving from one of their own members, Epaphroditus, who had come to minister unto him for a period of time while he was in prison (2:25- 30). Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to Philippians 4:13. To recap, Paul is glad and thankful for the gift from the believers at Philippi but he will not allow the provision of their gift to supplant the place of Christ. By examining the immediate context of 4:13, we find that Paul is acknowledging and thanking the Philippian church for the gracious gift that they have given him to support ministry work. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

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