God. Real. Right.

KJV:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Comments:
be with you all: Although it does not change anything significantly, there is a difference of Greek texts about whether this verse says “be with your spirit” instead of this phrase in the KJV.

Grace…be with you: How this phrase is taken is very important. Sacerdotalists see this verse as confirmation that the apostles actually granted grace to their followers—in other words, that Paul is actually dispensing grace in this statement as a priest would dispense sanctification with a censer or forgiveness with a hand gesture or a touch. Clearly, however, Paul is actually simply doing in verse 23 what he said everyone else was or ought to be doing in verses 21-22. He is greeting (saying his farewells to) the church with the typical Christian greeting of the day: charis (grace), the perfect word to identify what it means to be in Christ.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Because you know Jesus Christ along with me, He is Lord to all of us. And because you know Him, we share His grace. And I pray that grace will grow in you. His grace has always been true, and it always will be.

KJV:
21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.
22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household.

Comments:
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus: Paul is being as inclusive as he is specific. Everyone in Christ Jesus is to be included in the greeting. But only those in Christ Jesus are holy, and to be included in the greeting.

brethren…all…they of Caesar’s household: Paul’s mention of the brethren is likely a reference to others who serve with Him in ministry—some carrying on the ministry while comforting him in his imprisonment. (See chapter 1:14 and 2:25.) Paul then mentions all the believers in Rome. Finally, he refers to those who would be of particular interest to anyone in the Roman Empire, those serving in Caesar’s household (probably the emperor Nero) who had become believers.

Expanded Paraphrase: Greet all those who are sanctified because they are in Christ Jesus. Our brothers, those who are with me here, greet you. All of those who are sanctified greet you—most notably, those who are sanctified and serve in Caesar’s own house.

Greek:
20 ?? ?? ??? ??? ????? ???? ? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ????

KJV:
Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Comments:
God and our Father: Paul first uses a generic reference to God then a personal one. There is, of course, a reason that glory is unto God for eternity simply because of the fact that He is God. But, as should be expected in this letter (consider chapter 2:5-11, for instance), Paul also makes the point that the one unto whom glory flows forever is now personally related and committed to us as our own Father.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Glory to God for ages of ages. But also, glory to our own Father toward ages of ages. May it be so forever.

Greek:
? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?????

KJV:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Comments:
God shall supply all your need: This statement rises out of the Philippians’ actions toward Paul, for which he gives thanks in verses 13 through 17. Particularly, in verse 17, he desires fruit that may abound to their account (rather than simply the material wealth that comes from their generosity toward him). God supplying all their need is that fruit in this case. The verse is not a generic offering of prosperity, but a specific statement that the Philippians’ generosity will not go unrewarded.

my God…your need…his riches: The Philippians had shared with Paul from their wealth on account of their mutual commitment to God. Paul cannot pay them back directly himself (an act which would miss the point of the ministry they had done to him). But something associated with him can: God. They gave from their material wealth to his spiritual need on account of the God they both serve. So Paul is offering back to them from his spiritual wealth (his relationship with God) to meet their spiritual (and other) needs on the basis of God’s wealth.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Your wealth supplied my material need because of your commitment to God. In turn, my God will supply your every need through His boundless resources. His wealth is praiseworthy. And He offers it to you the only way He offers all of His grace, through His Son Christ Jesus.

Greek:
????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ???? ??????????? ?? ???’ ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ?? ???

KJV:
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.

Comments:
abound: Paul used this word in verse 12 to say that he could be content in Christ whether lacking or abounding. Here, he is pointing out to the Philippians that he is not lacking, but abounding on account of what they provided for him through Epaphroditus.

well-pleasing to God: Paul changes language in the middle of this verse to draw attention to how the Philippians sent something to him, but by the same act offered a sacrifice to God. It is not the object, the gift, that pleases God, but the act, the giving.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Now I have everything I need. In fact, I have it in abundance. Now that I have received your gift from Epaphroditus, I am full. But what is most important is that in meeting my need, you offered a sweet, aromatic, pleasant sacrifice to God in a way He accepts.

Greek:
??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??? ????? ????

KJV:
Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Comments:
to your account: Paul exemplifies here the attitude he taught the Philippians in chapter 2:4. He is not simply looking at his own needs, but also on the needs of others. His need is real, and their giving meets it, as the next verse makes clear. But all the facts about himself do not change his determination to be altruistic rather than self-centered.

Expanded Paraphrase:
I am glad I received this gift from you not because I got what I wanted, but because your accounting will be better since you gave it, and because I want you to receive the benefit of having a giving attitude.

Greek:
??? ??? ?? ??????????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????????

KJV:
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

Comments:
once and again: Paul refused the Thessalonians money while he served them (1 Thessalonians 2:9), having his needs met not just by his tent-making, but by at least these two gifts of the Philippians as well.

necessity: Paul needed certain material things to accomplish his business—or ministry. The Philippians’ gifts made it possible for Paul to have those things and do his ministry.

Expanded Paraphrase:
Even when I was serving other people, particularly those in Thessaloniki, you sent to me what was needed for me to serve there.

Greek:
?????? ?? ??? ????? ??????????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ?????

KJV:
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

Comments:
in the beginning of the gospel: Apparently, Paul uses the phrase to refer generally to the time they were introduced to and received the gospel, and to the kingdom expanding from there in the form of his traveling and preaching.

communicated with me: The Philippians had consistently met Paul’s needs as he served in other places, including Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:8-12) and Thessaloníki (Thessalonica), as he mentions in the next verse. Not only were they serving him by doing so, but as Paul describes things to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:13, he was also doing the Philippians a service by giving them a means of participating in the ministry. But they had also joined with him in fellowship while he was in their city. For instance, after his imprisonment, it was Lydia’s household that took him in and consoled him. (Acts 16:40).

Expanded Paraphrase:
After all, you Philippians also know that from the time you first received the good news, you became the ones who joined in that message with me. I practically went out as your missionary. Even when I first left your area, Macedonia, and ended up in Thessaloníki, you were already sending gifts to meet my needs. No one else did that.

Greek:
???? ????? ????????? ???????????????? ??? ?? ??????

KJV:
Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

Comments:
Notwithstanding: The adversative conjunction here contrasts the completeness Paul has in Christ (as in v 13) with the need he experiences in the world—particularly in bonds—which in this case was satisfied by the activity of the Philippians. Being content means neither that a believer is without real needs in this world nor that acting to meet those needs for others in this world is somehow unimportant.

Expanded Paraphrase:
But the fact that I have learned to be satisfied in Christ in no way lessens the importance of what you did for me by ministering to my needs. You may not be in bonds with me, but you have become my friends in suffering.

Greek Text:
????? ????? ?? ?? ???????????? ?? ????????

KJV:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Comments:
can do: The word Paul uses here for “can do” is very broad, relating both to the power to be and to do. He uses it in Galatians 5:6 and 6:15 to say that neither keeping the law (circumcision) nor eluding it (uncircumcision) “can do” anything at all, but faith and being a new creature is what gives new “power”.

all things: The context makes Paul’s claim here specific. It might be contradictory for him to be full and to be hungry. But Christ enables him to do both. As a point in this chapter, Paul is able to be content even when imprisoned and wanting basic needs. Generally, it is important to remember that while God’s power is boundless, His will is specific. So passages like this one are always unbounded regarding God’s power, but specific regarding His intent.

through Christ who strengthens me: Some texts have the word “Christ”; others do not. Either way, the context make it obvious that Christ is the one doing the empowering.

Expanded Paraphrase:
I am able to be or do absolutely anything God intends for me precisely because of the One who empowers me to do it—Christ.