In this final paragraph of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he gives some final greetings and encouragement to the church he loves dearly.

You can see his final thoughts to them in Philippians 4:21-23:

This is the final paragraph of Paul’s encouraging letter to the church in Philippi.

This greeting comes from four individuals or groups of people, and is given to two different groups of people.

In Paul’s final greeting, he lists those who extend the greeting, becoming more specific with each addition. First of all, and most obviously, Paul himself greets the believers in the Philippian church. Next, the brothers with him send greetings. Other than Timothy, we don’t know who this might have included. Third, all the saints send greetings. And finally, especially those of Caesar’s household. This shows Paul is continuing to be influential with the message of the gospel, even though he is imprisoned.

Next, this greeting is addressed to two different groups: the Philippian believers, who were the primary recipients of Paul’s letter, and also to all the saints. Paul’s greeting is very inclusive of the whole Christian community in Philippi, as he has been throughout the letter. Even though he has had to address a few individuals specifically, he makes sure the whole church in that city is encouraged.

Paul wraps up his letter to the Philippians with perhaps the most significant promise in the entire letter. And it is worth noting that this comes as the conclusion of this section on giving.

You can find this passage in Philippians 4:19-20:

In the previous verses, Paul has given considerable attention to the gifts that the Philippian believers had sent to him. In doing so, he has given us some significant teaching on giving, tithing, and being generous with our resources. In verses 17-18, Paul lists several areas in which God is seeking to pour out his blessings upon those who give faithfully. And in the verses before that, he praises the Philippian church for being so consistent and persistent in their giving.

Finally, here, he wraps up this instruction on giving with an incredible statement: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Though it seems simple, this short statement carries some significant truth about how God responds to our faithful giving.

God extends his personal care over you.

God has already made some decisions in heaven for us when he sees our hearts concerning giving. God has already decided some things that are going to affect you and me this week. Things that have to do with paying the bills. Things that have to do with caring for our families. Things that have to do with you and me being the kind of influence in the community that God wants us to be.

In the midst of Paul’s thankfulness for the financial support of the Philippians, he gives some incredible insight into God’s view of our giving.

Take a look at this passage in Philippians 4:17-18:

Paul gives us a glimpse into the mind of God with these verses. When we give financially to support the message of the gospel, God notices. Paul shares some incredible information with the Philippian believers, and with us as well.

In verse 17, Paul showed the Philippians how their gifts were being credited to their heavenly accounts. Paul knew that this was happening, and he knows that the gifts you give will also be credited to your account. It’s a blessing that cannot be stored here on earth. And he knows that you are building up for yourself a treasure that can only be stored in heaven.

In this brief passage, Paul gives us five significant truths about our giving.

Paul returns to the main theme of this section of his letter to the Philippians, their financial gifts in support of Paul’s ministry.

Take a look at this passage for yourself in Philippians 4:14-16:

In the previous verses, Paul has just explained how he has learned the secret to being content, no matter what the circumstances may be. As he returns to the theme of the Philippians’ gift to him, he lets his readers know that their gift is not necessary for his contentment. And yet it is still greatly appreciated.

Paul sees more than just a financial gift. He sees the Christlike behavior and attitude of the givers. Not only have the Philippians accepted the Lordship of Christ, they have bought into Paul’s vision of spreading the gospel around the world.

Paul makes it very clear in this passage that the Philippian church was the only one that supported him as he worked to spread the message of Christ. And they have done so more than just in this instance. More than once, when Paul was in Thessalonica, they sent financial gifts as well. And the did so earlier in Paul’s ministry, when he was leaving Macedonia.

The Philippian church has set themselves in the position of being a continual ministry partner with Paul’s missional efforts. Though they may not be able to go and preach, as Paul does, they can contribute by supporting him as much as they can.

In this passage, Paul explains how he has experienced the full range of having nothing to having plenty. He identifies a secret, and shares it with his readers.

You can see this passage for yourself in Philippians 4:12-13:

Paul gives more details about the circumstances he shared in the previous couple of verses. He has learned two things. First, he knows what it feels like to be in need or to have plenty. And second, the secret of being content, no matter what the circumstances.

A brief survey of Paul’s life, found in 2 Corinthians 11, shows that Paul has experienced the full range of having nothing and having plenty. It is clear that he knows what he is talking about here.

One thing is well worth noting here: Paul’s sense of inner peace is very apparent. He almost seems as if none of this matters to him. And, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t.

Paul has learned something that few ever learn. He calls it a secret, a mystery that he has gained the key to. He has learned to be content in every circumstance.

This is something that few ever learn, and fewer still master, such as Paul did. In our culture, we do not understand how to be content very well. We always want something more, something new, something different. And we still think we “need” more. This is a very real struggle. We have learned to be very materialistic and we are never satisfied with what we have. We think we need more.

As Paul moves into the final section of his letter to the Philippians, he brings up the topic of giving, and provides some excellent instruction for us to follow.

Read this passage for yourself in Philippians 4:10-11:

The Philippian believers had given Paul some much needed financial assistance, which was especially helpful during his time in the Roman prison. As Paul expresses his gratitude for this gift, he gives some beneficial principles concerning giving.

In these final paragraphs of the letter, Paul expresses two main thoughts. First, he appreciates their concern for him while he is in chains. Second, he is confident that God will give him the ability to be content, no matter what circumstances befall him.

Paul rejoices greatly, using again the word “rejoice,” for which this letter is so well known. This time, his joy stems from the fact that the Philippians have renewed their concern for him. The term “renewed” is used only here in the New Testament, and provides a gardening metaphor. This word describes a tree or a bush budding out in the spring, being renewed after a dormant period of winter. Such is the concern of the Philippians.

They had been concerned for Paul, but had no opportunity to show it until now. Just why they had no opportunity is not known. It could have been as simple as the fact that Paul was imprisoned hundreds of miles away, and they had no way of providing support, or even any encouragement. Perhaps they had nothing to give for a period of time, or no messenger to send it to Paul.

This passage is perhaps my favorite passage in all of Philippians. I memorized this very early in my spiritual life, and it has been a source of strength to me for years.

You can find this passage in Philippians 4:8-9:

Since this is such an encouraging passage to me, I have written about each of the characteristics that Paul mentions before, and examined them in greater depth. But today, they are worth looking at again as we examine this section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

It’s easy to get caught up in the list that Paul gives, and miss the final statement. Keeping our focus, as Paul encourages us to do, results in God’s peace. This isn’t the first time in chapter four that Paul brings up the topic of peace. He did so just a couple of verses earlier, in verses 6 and 7, as he was giving details about prayer.

Prayer causes the mind to focus. Paul’s words here are an encouragement to also focus the mind, giving us a parallel to the attitude of prayer already given. The key part of this is the continual nature of keeping our focus. Paul isn’t giving us these terms for us to attempt once in a while. No, this is a mindset to develop habitually, and to maintain at all times. It’s a lifestyle.

With that in mind, let’s look briefly at each descriptor in turn. I have included a link to my previous posts on each of these if you are interested in looking deeper at these terms.