Philippians 4:12

4:10-19 It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds, imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have not got, and fickle disrelish of present things, make men discontented even under favourable circumstances. Let us pray for patient submission and hope when we are abased; for humility and a heavenly mind when exalted. It is a special grace to have an equal temper of mind always. And in a low state not to lose our comfort in God, nor distrust his providence, nor take any wrong course for our own supply. In a prosperous condition not to be proud, or secure, or worldly. This is a harder lesson than the other; for the temptations of fulness and prosperity are more than those of affliction and want. The apostle had no design to urge them to give more, but to encourage such kindness as will meet a glorious reward hereafter. 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.

I know both how to be {l} abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am {m} instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (l) He uses a general word, and yet he speaks but of one type of cross, which is poverty, for poverty commonly brings all types of discomforts with it. (m) This is a metaphor taken from holy things or sacrifices, for our life is like a sacrifice.

Php 4:12 . Ταπεινοῦσθαι , to be abased ) in dress and food.— περισσεύειν , to abound ) even in relieving others. The order of the words is presently inverted, so that the transition from few to many, and from many to few, may be marked.— ἐν παντὶ , in everything [Engl. Ver. everywhere ]) A Symperasma,[56] as all things , Php 4:13 .— ἐν πᾶσι , in the case of all ) in respect of all men [Engl. Ver. In all things ].— μεμύημαι ) I am trained (initiated) in a secret discipline unknown to the world.— καὶ χορτάζεσθαι , both to be full ) construed with I am initiated .— χορτάζεσθαι καὶ πεινᾷν , to be full and to be hungry ) for one day.— περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι , to abound and to suffer need ) for a longer time. The repeated mention of the abounding is consonant with the condition of Paul, who then abounded in consequence of the liberality of the Philippians. Abasement had preceded, and need would perhaps follow. He who can relieve others has ample means and high position (amplitudinem), to which abasement is opposed. [56] See App. It is the comprehending in a brief summary what has been previously stated.

Verse 12. - I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound . St. Paul had experience both of sorrow and of joy, both of distress and of comfort; he knew how to bear himself in both, because his chiefest joy was "in the Lord." This abiding joy raised him above the vicissitudes of this mortal state, and gave him an αὐτάρεκια , a Christian independence, which enabled him to act becomingly both in adversity and in prosperity. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed ; literally, as R.V., in everything and in all things ; as we say, "in each and all," in every condition separately and in all collectively. The R.V. translates more accurately, "have I learned the secret." The Greek μεμύημαι means properly, "I have been' initiated." It is a word adapted from the old Greek mysteries; comp. B.C.ngel, "Disciplina arcana imbutus sum, ignota mundo." St. Paul represents the advanced Christian life as a mystery, the secrets of which are taught by God. the Holy Ghost to the soul that longs to prove in its own personal experience "what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." St. Paul frequently uses the word μυστήριον , mystery, for the truths once hidden but now brought to light by the gospel. Both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

The word rendered "to be full" ( χορτάζεσθαι ) is strictly used of animals, and means "to be foddered;" in the New Testament and later Greek it is used also of men, without any depreciatory significance, as in Matthew 5:6 , " They shall be filled ( χορτασθήσονται )." Philippians 4:12

(12) Every where and in all things. —The original has no such distinction of the two words. It is, in all and everything; in life as a whole, and in all its separate incidents. I am instructed.—The word again is a peculiar and almost technical word. It is, I have been instructed; I have learnt the secret—a phrase properly applied to men admitted into such mysteries as the Eleusinian, enshrining a secret unknown except to the initiated; secondarily, as the context would seem to suggest, to those who entered the inner circle of an exclusive philosophy, learning there what the common herd could neither understand nor care for. A Stoic might well have used these words. There is even a touch of the Stoical contempt in the word “to be full,” which properly applies to cattle, though frequently used of men in the New Testament. Perhaps, like all ascetics, they mostly knew how “to suffer need,” better than how “to abound.” But a Marcus Aurelius might have boldly claimed the knowledge of both.

Php 4:12 . οἶδα κ . τ . λ . καί must be read with all good authorities. The one καί must be correlative to the other, unless he intended to continue the sentence without the second οἶδα (see an excellent note on καί in N.T. in Ell[56]. ad loc. He defines somewhat too minutely). Examples of the infinitive after οἶδα are to be found in classical Greek.— ταπειν . The best comment on this is 2 Corinthians 11:7 , ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε . There it means, “keeping myself low” (in respect of the needs of daily life). Moule aptly quotes Diod., i., 36 (speaking of the Nile), καθʼ ἡμέραν … ταπεινοῦται = “runs low”.— ἐν παντ . κ . ἐν π . A vague, general phrase = “in all circumstances of life”. It has no immediate connexion with μεμύημαι ( Cf. a similar expression τῷ παντί in Xen., Hell. , 7, 5, 12, and τοῖς or πᾶσιν in Thucyd., Soph., etc.).— μεμύημαι . The verb was originally used of one initiated into the Mysteries. It came (like our own “initiated”) to lose its technical sense. But the word probably implies a difficult process to be gone through. Cf. Psalm 25:14 : “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Vaughan), and Wis 8:4 , μύστις γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπιστήμης . In later ecclesiastical usage ὁ μεμυημένος = a baptised Christian (an instructive hint as to the growth of dogma). See Anrich, Das Antike Mysterienwesen , p. 158. μεμύ . goes closely with the infinitives following. Cf.

Alciphron, 2, 4 ad fin. , κυβερνᾶν μυηθήσομαι .— χορτάζεσθαι is a strong word, used originally of the feeding of animals, which gradually became colourless in the colloquial language (see Sources of N.T. Greek , p. 82).— πεινᾶν should be written without iota subscript . It is contracted here with α as usually in later Greek. See Phrynichus (ed. Lobeck), 61, 204. So always in LXX.— ὑστερεῖσθαι has the rare meaning “to be in want” (absol.), or rather (in middle), “to feel want”. Cf. 2 Corinthians 11:9 , and esp[57]. Sir 11:11 , ἔστιν κοπῶν καὶ πονῶν καὶ σπεύδων , καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑστερεῖται . [56] Ellicott. [57] especially.

He explains the equality of his mind he had through grace attained to, in a free submission to God, either in the absence or affluence of external good things. I know both how to be abased; in a mean and ignominious state, he had spiritual skill to exercise suitable graces without murmuring, or repining when trampled on, 1 Corinthians 4:11 2 Corinthians 11:27 ; having entirely resigned his will to the will of God. And I know how to abound; in a higher state, had in much esteem, and well accommodated. Every where and in all things I am instructed; yea, in all circumstances religiously initiated and taught, fortified against temptations on all hands. Both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need; when faring well, and having a large revenue, to be temperate, 1 Corinthians 9:25 , humble, and communicative, 1 Timothy 6:18 . When hungry and poor, not to be distressed, but confident our heavenly Father will provide enough in his season, Matthew 6:32 7:11 2 Corinthians 4:8 , giving an elixir at present that will turn all into gold.

12 . to be abased ] “To be low ,” in resources and comforts. The word is used in classical Greek of a river running low. to abound ] as now, in the plenty the Philippians had provided. This experience, as well as the opposite, called for the skill of grace. every where and in all things ] Lit., in everything and in all things ; in the details and total of experience. I am instructed ] I have been initiated ; “ I have learned the secret ” (R.V.). The Greek verb is akin to the words, mystês, mystêrion , and means to initiate a candidate into the hidden tenets and worship of the “Mysteries”; systems of religion in the Hellenic world derived perhaps from prehistoric times, and jealously guarded by their votaries. Admission to their arcana , as into Freemasonry now, was sought even by the most cultured; with the special hope, apparently, of a peculiar immunity from evil in this life and the next. See Smith’s Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiquities . It is evident that St Paul’s adoption of such a word for the discovery of the “open secrets” of the Gospel is beautifully suggestive. Lightfoot remarks that we have the same sort of adoption in his frequent use (and our Lord’s, Matthew 13:11 ; Mark 4:11 ; Luke 8:10 ; and see Revelation 1:20 ; Revelation 10:7 ; Revelation 17:5 ; Revelation 17:7 ) of the word “ mystery ” for a revealed secret of doctrine or prophecy. to be full ] R.V., to be filled . The Greek verb is the same as e.g. Matthew 5:6 ; Matthew 14:20 . St Paul uses it only here