Verses Out of Context

Part 3-  Philippians 4:13         Don’t Make This Verse Worldly

One of the most quoted verses in America is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I’ve noticed that athletes really love to use this verse in hopes of winning the big game or overcoming an injury so that they can play the sport that they love again. I’ll admit that I used to be one of those people who misused this verse. I didn’t understand its true meaning. It is easy to get caught up in the feeling that this verse gives you and take it out of context. And don’t get me wrong, I do love this verse because it just exudes confidence in our Savior. However, it is severely taken out of context most of the time. It is used in a way as if to say that because I’m a “Christian”, Christ will strengthen me so I can be successful in sports, in school, in my career, in my finances or in anything I want to do in this world. But success in worldly things was not the apostle Paul’s focus in this verse, not even close. That way of thinking has a prosperity gospel type of vibe. If that is the case, that would mean that God is a respecter of persons and we know that he is not. (Romans 2:11) Let’s put this verse in context so that we can get a true understanding of it. 

Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison. (Philippians 1:7) Philippians 4:22 tells us where he was in prison with this statement, “All the saints salute you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household.” This tells us not only that he is in prison in Rome, but that there were some of Caesar’s household who had obeyed the gospel and become Christians. That makes me wonder…… was Paul responsible for their conversion while he was in prison? It’s a valid possibility that he was. It is amazing to me that Paul was trying to help the very people who had imprisoned him for two years. He wanted his captors to go to heaven someday. And do you remember, in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi and the Philippian jailor was going to kill himself when the earthquake loosened all the prisoners’ chains? But what did Paul do? He stopped the jailor from harming himself and preached the gospel to him and he and his family were baptized. (Acts 16:30ff) What an example of love for the lost! I have to ask myself, do I love the lost the way that Paul did? Or better yet, do I love them the way Jesus did? 

So….. in thinking about Paul and his amazing statement in Philippians 1:21 of “to live is Christ and to die is gain”, why would Philippians 4:13 have anything to do with a ballgame, a big test, a job interview, or any other worldly ambition? The theme of the entire letter of Philippians is about getting to heaven ourselves and then helping others get to heaven. So if our ultimate goal is to get to heaven and help others to get there, then Philippians 4:13 takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? The worldly things that we try to attach to that verse pale in comparison with heaven. In Philippians 3:14 Paul says, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.” And then he tells the Christians at Philippi to be “mature” and have this same mindset in verse 15. We see where Paul’s focus lies and where he wants his readers’ focus to lie. The focus is to be spiritual, not worldly.

On a side note, you would think by the way the world looks at Philippians 4:13, that it is the only verse that really matters in this chapter, maybe even in the entire Philippian letter, maybe even the entire Bible for some people. The t-shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, wall hangings, and many other decorations with this verse stamped on them have made a lot of people a lot of money. Am I saying that it is wrong to wear a shirt that has this verse? No, I’m not. Of course not. But we need to know what it means and we need to make sure that we aren’t just wearing a shirt with a Bible verse on it just to be trendy. If I wear a shirt like this and rarely open my Bible to study and never learn the truth of the gospel, what good does the verse on my shirt do me? Is my shirt or my tattoo or my mug with a Bible verse on it going to get me to heaven? This is the problem that I have with verses out of context. Just food for thought, friends. I’m not at all condemning anyone for having t-shirts, tattoos, mugs or anything else with God’s word on them, as long as they are understanding the context and studying the Bible to learn God’s entire message of salvation.

So what are the verses that set up Philippians 4:13? First, in Philippians 4:6-7, Paul encourages the Christians not to worry or be anxious about anything, and to continue in prayer with thanksgiving to God. He says that if they do this, then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ”. I find those verses to be some of my go-to verses when I am feeling worried, anxious or overwhelmed. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul tells the Christians at Philippi what they should focus their hearts and minds on, which is everything noble, just, pure, lovely and of a good report. Paul also tells them to continue to do the things that he taught them to do. This is another warning to be on the lookout for false teachers who would try to teach them something different from what Paul had taught them. Let’s not forget what Paul said twice in Galatians 1:8-9. He said that anyone, even an angel from heaven or Paul himself, who tries to teach another gospel other than the one they had preached to them, let him be accursed. Paul warned about false teachers often in his letters to the churches. So… in these two verses he is reminding them first to keep their thoughts pure and second, to keep to what he has told them to do. I remember in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6, Paul tells the Christians at Corinth to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and be ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” We have to take our thoughts captive and keep them pure. Our thoughts can take us away from God or lead us closer to God. This is why Paul, by the inspiration of God, tells us to keep our thoughts pure. Anything that we watch, read or listen to that puts impure, destructive or negative thoughts into our minds is not helping us keep our thoughts pure and lovely. Personally, I know that I need to take an inventory of what I see, hear and think about often. Even the nightly news can cause us to worry and be discouraged. Satan will use anything he can to pull us away from God.  He wants us to doubt God and His word. But, if we are in Christ and being faithful to Him, then we will have that peace that passes understanding. Because of this, we can capture any thought that shouldn’t be there and put it out of our minds. So…..does anything in Philippians 4 so far lead you to believe that our worldly desires are the focus? Let’s keep going!! 

In Philippians 4:10, Paul changes gears just a little and begins to show his appreciation for the Christians at Philippi. He thanks them for their care and concern for him. If you skip down to verse 15, you will find out that the church at Philippi was the only church who supported him financially after he left Macedonia. Verse 16 says that they sent him even more assistance when he was in Thessalonica. But Paul wants them to understand that no matter what situation that he is in, he has learned to be content with what he has. In Philippians 4:11 Paul says, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content..” I ask myself, can I say the same thing? Am I content? This is at the heart of what Philippians 4:13 is saying. Paul is not referring to winning a ballgame, passing a test, getting a specific job, making money, or any other worldly or material thing. He is saying that no matter what happens in his life, no matter how hard it gets, no matter what trials and tribulations he goes through, he is content in the moment. Why? Because he is in Christ. He is truly in Christ. Paul goes further with this idea of being content in Philippians 4:12 when he makes the statement, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” He has trained himself to be content in the moment no matter if times are good or bad. He wants the Christians at Philippi to know that he appreciates all that they have done for him, but he also wants them to understand what it means to be content. God inspired Paul to write these words in Philippians 4 because He wants us to understand that being a Christian is about being content with where we are in each moment. The time that we spend here on earth is fleeting. Our eternity is where our focus truly needs to be. Remember James 4:14, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Does thinking about your life in this way give you a different perspective on your life? It certainly does mine. I’ll be honest. I struggle with being content in each moment. I want so badly to be the type of person that Paul was, a person who could be content in the worst of circumstances. I can’t even be content when things are good sometimes. I am certainly a work in progress. But I am confident that God has begun a good work in me, and He will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) He has begun that good work in you too. As long as we are in Christ and being faithful, He will continue His good work in each of us if we allow Him to.

Let’s read and think about all that Paul went through.

 “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 24-28 ESV) 

Can you imagine being in Paul’s shoes? What an example God gave us in the apostle Paul! But even more so, what an example He gave us when He sent His Son to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Jesus was content not having anywhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20) The Son of God was literally homeless during the time of His ministry. The Son of God was content with being born to be a sacrifice for us so that we can be saved. He was content with being beaten, spit on, made fun of, mocked, and finally crucified for me and for you. 

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

So please…..the next time you see Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, on a shirt, a mug, a sign, etc., don’t connect it to something worldly that you want to accomplish. After all that the apostle Paul went through in order to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, why would he write that verse for us to use in a worldly way? He wouldn’t, because those things are not truly what is important. Dig into God’s word and study the true meaning of the verse, which is to be content in every situation, no matter the circumstance, because we are in Christ. I hope this has encouraged you in your Christian walk. It has helped me to write about this verse, because I know that I need to be content in each moment of my life simply because I belong to Christ. Thank you for reading! Love you all!

Are you in Christ? Below I have added God’s plan of salvation with scripture references.

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)