The Fruit of Compassion

Devotion: Philippians 4:15-17

The Apostle Paul was grateful for the assistance he received from the Philippians. Thankfulness, indeed, is one of the themes of his letter to the Philippians. Yet, the Apostle does not want the Philippians to think that he is only writing to them because he has received their financial support. As the letter begins to draw to a close, the Apostle wrote:

"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. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit." -Philippians 4:15-17 ESV

The Apostle takes time to remind the Philippians about his own story. The Apostle had, in a sense, prided himself on being self-supporting in his ministry efforts. He worked with his hands in the tent-making trade (see 1 Corinthinas 4:12 and Acts 18:3), which meant, more broadly, that he worked with leather and canvas. While in Corinth, to avoid being beholden to moneyed interests, the Apostle had refused support from the congregation there (see 1 Corinthians 9), but later stated that he had "robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve [the church in Corinth]" (see 2 Corinthians 11:7-11). It seems the congregation that Apostle had, 'robbed,' was the Philippians congregation as they financially supported him during his evangelistic efforts in Corinth and later in Thessalonica (see 1 Thessalonians 2:5), even though he mentioned some earlier trouble in Philippi to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:2, referring to the events of Acts 16:16-40).
The Apostle, assured that the Lord will provide and give endurance for any circumstance, is grateful for the support of the Philippians in the past and in the present. Yet, what he is most thankful for is not the gift, but the fruit of his ministry that is being demonstrated by the Philippians' generosity toward him. In essence, Paul is heartened because the Philippians, motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have shown him compassion.
It is at this point that the Scripture intersects our lives. Where are you being moved by the compassion born of the Gospel to help others? If the answer is, "Nowhere and with no one," perhaps it is time to prayerfully examine your heart and let the Spirit once more apply the saving work of Christ to turn you out to the needs of others. Keep in mind that it is Christ Jesus who looks upon you with compassion as your Lord and Savior. If we are disciples of Christ how can we but long to be like him?

News for You:

Camp Chelan registration is open for all students completing 6th-12th grade in June to join us for a week of fun, fellowship and maybe something deeper. Check out more: http://cpcomak.org/Camp-Chelan-2017

Thanks for Sharing

Devotion: Philippians 4:10-14
One of the purposes of Paul's letter to the Philippians is to thank them for their financial support while he is in prison. The context of Paul's imprisonment must not be lost when seeking to understand this passage, especially in understanding Philippians 4:13-a verse frequently taken out of context and, therefore, completely misunderstood.

"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. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." -Philippians 4:10-14 ESV

The Apostle's points are basically these:

1. The Apostle rejoices (as he instructed the Philippians to do in 4:4) in the Lord, specifically because they have given him financial support. His financial need has provided an opportunity for the Philippians' need to express their concern for him. This is win-win, in other words.
2. Next, the Apostle wants to assure the Philippians that with or without their support, he would still have rejoiced in the Lord because it is the Lord's strength, and not his own, that would see him through regardless.
3. Finally, the Apostle thanks the Philippians for sharing in his trouble none-the-less.

There are a few common misinterpretations of this passage that should be cleared up. First the Apostle is not ungrateful for the the Philippians' financial support. He is not rebuffing their gesture nor is he being snide in 4:14 when he thanks them for sharing. Paul is genuinely thankful, but not merely for the financial contribution. The Philippians, in giving of their own resource, have incurred loss on his behalf. That loss, however minor it may have been, represented self-inflicted trouble. Much like tithing at the local level means that the tither has less financial resources for other things, so the Philippians' support of the Apostle meant less for themselves. This principle is true of supporting missionaries to this day. Since this is trouble/suffering for the Philippians, the Apostle recognizes their gift not merely as a sign of support, but rather as making the Philippians co-sufferers with him in his chains.
Second, the often misunderstood Philippians 4:13 needs to be addressed. The Apostle wrote, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." The Apostle is NOT saying that he is capable of doing anything he would like and that God will give him the resources need to accomplish it. Such a thought would be so foreign to the man blinded on the road to Damascus as to be unrecognizable in his theology and, perhaps more importantly, life. The Apostle, you may recall, was frequently thwarted in his own plans (see Acts 16:6-10 or his lackluster success in Athens in Acts 17:32-34 or his failed desire to go preach the Gospel in Spain in Romans 15:22-24). The Apostle is not claiming to be able to do anything he wants and God, like some kind of cosmic butler, will support his every desire. No, the immediate context states that so long as Paul has the Lord, he has everything that he needs. This allows him to find contentment in any number of circumstances and not fail to the particular temptations of that estate (pride in plenty, despair in lack).
So what do we take from this all? First, like the Apostle we can enter into and partner with the suffering and ministry of other Christians through our direct support-especially financial support. Second, God is not our cosmic butler, but so long as we trust in him and find our heart's desire in his presence, we will always be supplied with the strength to endure any situation. Finally, we should be thankful when others come alongside us in support thank them for sharing with us.

News for You:

Camp Chelan registration is open for all students completing 6th-12th grade in June to join us for a week of fun, fellowship and maybe something deeper. Check out more: http://cpcomak.org/Camp-Chelan-2017