Again I will say, rejoice! II. BibliographyConstable, Thomas. “Rejoice in the Lord always. True and legitimate joy is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Is it not better that we should have gladness that will last as long as we do, that we can hold in our dying hands, like a flower clasped in some cold palm laid in the coffin, that we shall find again when we have crossed the bar, that will grow and brighten and broaden for evermore? Through Christ we have grace to do what is good, and through him we must expect the reward; and as we have all things by him, let us do all things for him, and to his glory. To counteract this attitude Paul prescribed rejoicing in the Lord. He must have felt that there was a great need for this attitude in Philippi. A large portion of his gladness came from the spread of Christ’s kingdom. All Rights Reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Sitemap. We should look upon God, under all our weakness and fears, not as an enemy, but as a Father, disposed to pity us and help us. The exhortation of my text, with its urgent reiteration, picks up again a dropped thread which the Apostle had first introduced in the commencement of the previous chapter. These are works of God, pertaining to God, and to him only are they to be ascribed, and to no other, neither men, words, nor deeds. ‘Christ is preached,’ says he, with a flash of triumph, ‘and I therein do rejoice; yea, and will rejoice.’ And, most beautiful of all, no small portion of his gladness came from the prospect of martyrdom. Philippians 4:4. χαίρετε expresses the predominant mood of the Epistle, a mood wonderfully characteristic of Paul’s closing years.— πάλιν. By its foundation in fellowship with the Lord, the believer’s joy towers above all external circumstances, and may always abide, even in the most distressing conditions. BibliographyJamieson, Robert, D.D. All should endeavor to cultivate the fine art of good cheer” (pp. His doctrine and life agreed together. Joy in God is of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. If you would take this epistle at your leisure, and run over it in order to note the various occasions of joy which the Apostle expresses for himself, and commends to his brethren, you would see how beautifully they reveal to us the power of communion with Jesus Christ, to find honey in the rock, good in everything, and a reason for thankful gladness in all events. It is a special grace to have an equal temper of mind always. "Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable". Let their eyes be fixed firmly on the LORD. 1897-1910. Rejoice—The keynote of the epistle is again struck, and repeated with emphasis. κύριος, as usual, designates Christ, while ἐν points to Him as the element or sphere of this joy. ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway’; and then he seems to hear one of his Philippian readers saying: ‘Why! For, if we in the Lord sorrow, we may, then, simultaneously, in the Lord rejoice. Believers are to get and to keep a good name; a name for good things with God and good men. “He doubles it to take away the scruple of those that might say, what, shall we rejoice in afflictions?” (G. Herbert).— ἐρῶ. 1685. He tells them to not worry, and that God's peace will be with them. . My gladness is largely a matter of temperament, and I cannot rule my moods. We are accustomed to speak of rejoicing in a thing or a person, which, or who, is thereby represented as being the occasion or the object of our gladness. "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers". It is important, surely, for ourselves, for it can be no small matter that we should be able to have travelling with us all through the desert that mystical rock which follows with its streams of water, and ever provides for us the joys that we need. Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture. Could they but judge truly their condition and prospects, and contrast them with their past state of gloom and unhappiness-could they but realize the nobleness and power of the truth they had embraced, and the riches and certainty of the hopes they were cherishing-could they estimate the saving change effected in their souls, and picture too that glorification which was to pass over their bodies- then, as they traced all blessing to Christ and to union with Him, they would rejoice in the Lord, not in themselves as recipients, but in Him as Source, not only in the gifts conferred, but in Him especially as the gracious benefactor. You would probably listen with more attention to one less remote from you in years, and may be disposed to discount my advices as quite natural for an old man to give, and quite unnatural for a young man to take. . It is this close union which the Apostle here indicates as being the foundation and the source of all that gladness which he desires to see spreading its light over the Christian life. "Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible ". John Eadie's Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. The day of judgment will soon arrive, with full redemption to believers, and destruction to ungodly men. On the other hand he knew that they were facing these precisely because of the value that they put on knowing the Lord. From which doubling and redoubling of this exhortation, I observe both how needful and withall how hard a matter it is to perswade this constant rejoycing in the Lord, to rejoyce in the Lord alwayes. Go to. The first exhortation is a call to ‘rejoice in the Lord’. III. All of this tells us, that if we are unhappy, then it is our own choosing. "Commentary on Philippians 4:4". If you want to ‘adorn the doctrine of Christ’ you will do it a great deal more by a bright face, that speaks of a calm heart, calm because filled with Christ, than by many more ambitious efforts. However, he was advocating focusing on the blessings we have in Christ and being grateful for these regardless of how sad we may feel at any particular time. He is glad because he hears of their well-being, and receives a little contribution from them for his daily necessities. And, says Paul, in the great words of my text, such a union, reciprocal and close, is the secret of all blessedness. 4. "Commentary on Philippians 4:4". I have not time, at this stage of my sermon, to do more than just glance at these. It is not a call just to sing a few hymns, but one that calls on them to face the hardships of the future with confident joy (compare Acts 13:52). To stand fast in the Lord, is to stand fast in his strength, and by his grace. Philippians THINK ON THESE THINGS Php 4:8. Others are continually inclined to take dark views of life; their humor is seldom cheerful. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jec/philippians-4.html. Exhortations to the whole Church, Philippians 4:4-9. 1874-1909. BibliographyMacLaren, Alexander. BibliographySchaff, Philip. And they who thus dwell in Christ have the purest joy, the joy of self-forgetfulness. ], "The truly godly person both longs for God"s presence, where one pours out his or her heart to God in joy, prayer, and thanksgiving, and lives in God"s presence by "doing" the righteousness of God. They were to be glad because Timothy came with a message from the Apostle. The apostle ends with praises to God. "Instead of being sad about the evils to which you are exposed, may you always be joyful in your life in the Lord. Paul was in prison, facing an uncertain verdict, separated from dear friends, helpless to stop false teachers in other places (3:2). Is it rash to say, in fine, that the churches of Christ are strangers by far too much to this repeated charge of the apostle-that the current ideas of Christ are too historic in their character, and want the freshness of a personal reality-that He is thought of more as a Being in remoteness and glory, far above and beyond the stars, than as a personal and sympathizing Saviour-that salvation is regarded more as a process a man thankfully submits to, than a continuous and happy union with Jesus- and that therefore, though Christians may run and are not weary, and may walk and are not faint, they seldom mount up with wings as eagles, and then, if they do, is not their flight brief and exhaustive? Add Galatians 5:3, where I testify makes an Epitasis to λέγω, I say, Philippians 4:2; and παντί, to every man, has an Epitasis to unto you, Philippians 4:2; and ὀφειλέτης, he is a debtor, to shall profit you nothing, Philippians 4:2 : here the word, always, forms such an Epitasis with rejoice ye, repeated. BibliographyPoole, Matthew, "Commentary on Philippians 4:4". ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice.’. The apostle is for an example. ‘In Him’ we have the inheritance; in Him we obtain redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins; in Him we are ‘blessed with all spiritual blessings.’ And the deepest description of the essential characteristic of a Christian life is, to Paul, that it is a life in Christ. Joy is the predominant feature of the letter. And if that be so, then the pillar which was cloud in the sunshine brightens into fire as night falls on the desert. To count your blessings, to be grateful and always realize how much God has done for you, and despite adverse circumstances, to always remember what a glorious future awaits you and how fortunate you are to be a Christian--this can never be stressed enough. Even foure several times in that one Psalme. 1974. This gladness is important because, without it, there will be little good work done, and little progress made. Bibliography"Commentary on Philippians 4:4". . I. How often likewise doth our Saviour exhort His disciples unto humilitie and meekness? We believe, I suppose, in the superhuman character and nature of Jesus Christ. As I have said, the urgency of the command indicates both its importance and its difficulty. So that by the usuall course of the Scripture it appeareth, that our Apostle doubling and redoubling this his exhortation, thereby sheweth both how needfull, and withall how hard a matter it is to perswade this constant rejoycing in the Lord, to rejoyce in the Lord alwayes: so needfull, that it must be perswaded again and again, and withall so hard to be perswaded, that it cannot be too much urged and beaten upon. Alway (Isaiah 61:10) - even amidst the afflictions now distressing you (Philippians 1:28-30). Even Jesus wept ( John 11:35). χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε- “Rejoice in the Lord always; again will I say, rejoice.” The apostle reverts to what he had started with in the 1st verse of the third chapter. ‘If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all; and do ye joy and rejoice with me.’, Now, put all these things together and they just come to this, that a heart in union with Jesus Christ can find streams in the desert, joys blossoming as the rose, in places that to the un-Christlike eye are wilderness and solitary, and out of common things it can bring the purest gladness and draw a tribute and revenue of blessedness even from the prospect of God-sent sorrows. "Commentary on Philippians 4:4". The reiteration in the text becomes the more impressive if we remember that it is a repetition of a former injunction. Philippians 4:8-9: Finding the Peace of God – a Life Commentary shares here the second part Philippians 4:8-9 with diagrams – a way to overcome worry.