Philippians 4:14-23: Joyful Generosity
Paul began his letter giving thanks to God for the Philippians (see chapter 1:3). He does the same thing as he brings his letter to a close.
Paul speaks with great admiration and thankfulness for the generosity of the Philippian church. Acts 16 tells us about Paul’s time in Philippi, and you can read on to see where he went next. As he travelled through the wider region, he says here in verse 15 that only the Philippians supported him financially. Wherever he was, the Philippians sent him practical help.
But not only were they generous to Paul, they were sacrificially generous – in verse 18 Paul says that he has received even more than he needed from them. He describes their generosity as a sacrifice pleasing to God. Paul, one of Jesus’ greatest ever servants, was funded by the tiny but generous church of Philippi.
The Bible is very clear that generous giving is both commanded and rewarded by God (see Proverbs 11:17, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15). Generous giving shows a heart marked by appreciation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – who generously gave his very life for us on the cross. This is one way that you might be able to serve God in a wonderful way. You may not be called to be a preacher or missionary, but you can partner with those who are by giving generously to their work.
As Paul closes his letter (verses 21-23), he gives us a fascinating glimpse of his situation: he says that “those of Caesar’s household” send their greetings to the Philippians. God’s Word was being preached to and believed by soldiers and Romans and even those who spent time with Caesar himself! What an encouragement for the Philippians: “every saint” in Philippi was contributing to the work of Jesus in the capital city of the world. Jesus the generous and gracious Saviour was building his church – and he still is today.
He deserves all that we can give him in return.
Questions
- Why does Paul describe the Philippians as his “partners” (verse 15)?
- What excuses do we make for not giving generously to the work of the church?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for the generosity of Christ, who gave himself for us.
- Pray for opportunities to give generously to Christians near or far, practically or financially.
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.