Among the things I count most valuable from my history training is an understanding of the importance of context. It’s something that influences much of the way I think and interact with the world, because I’ve found that without it the chance of misunderstanding and miscommunication grows exponentially, whether interpersonally, scholastically, or cross-culturally. And when it comes to reading the Bible, context is no less important.
Yet so
often, we pluck a single verse as if it were a daisy while ignoring the field
of flowers in which it lives. We interpret a verse to mean a certain thing with
no understanding of what was said just before or just after it. You can imagine
the mess that could result from someone overhearing only a single sentence of a
20-minute conversation and formulating an entire opinion of the speaker and the
situation based on that one out-of-context statement. So why do we think we can
do the same with Scripture and avoid a similar misunderstanding? If we want to responsibly
interact with God’s Word, then we should care about reading it in context and interpreting
and applying it accordingly.
With that
in mind, today’s post marks the first in a new miniseries here on An Iris Awaits
in which we’ll look more closely at some of the Bible verses that are often
taken out of context and thus misinterpreted. And what better place to start than
perhaps the most commonly context-stripped verse of all—Philippians 4:13. One
of the first verses children memorize, it’s plastered all over athletic
posters, spoken in team huddles, whispered as a mantra, depended on as motivation
in the face of something requiring physical exertion, and on and on. You know
the one: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (ESV), or in
another translation: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).
When we
look at this verse by itself, it seems pretty straightforward. I mean, “all”
means “all,” right? Well, yes and no. I think we can agree that someone
committing fraud, murder, or any other number of sins would be off base quoting
this verse to themselves as encouragement to carry out their schemes. So if
Paul wasn’t making a blanket statement about God giving us strength to do
whatever we want, then what was he talking about? Any guesses as to how we find
out? If you said, “Look at the context!” then you’d be right! It's important to
remember that Paul didn’t make this statement in a vacuum. In fact, Philippians
4:13 is nestled right in the middle of a section in which Paul is making a
point about something very specific—receiving generosity and being content.
Coming at
the end of his letter to the Philippians, this section begins with Paul’s rejoicing
over the ways in which the Philippian believers, part of Paul’s family in Christ,
have provided for his physical needs. Let’s take a look:
“I
rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern
for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that
I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am
to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any
and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
"Yet it
was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that
in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into
partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in
Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the
gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full
payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the
gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to
God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in
glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians
4:10-20, ESV).
So after
referring to the recent way God used the Philippians to provide for him, Paul
looks further back and shares from personal experience how God had used all
kinds of situations to teach him how to be content “in any and every
circumstance.” Regardless of whether he was faced with scarcity or enjoying having
more than he needed, he had learned to be content. And it’s in this context
that he shares, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” In other
words, he was able to “be brought low” with graciousness just as he was able to
enjoy abundance with the same attitude because of the strength of Christ.
The New
International Version, a functional translation rather than a literal one[i],
translates the verse this way, which I think better expresses Paul’s original
intent: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (emphasis
added). When we look at the context of Philippians 4, we can see that when Paul
says “all,” he is talking about all kinds of circumstances, not all kinds of
tasks, all kinds of situations, not all kinds of endeavors. He was able to be
content “in whatever situation” because Christ gave him the strength to do so—and
I think we can all agree that being content in any and every circumstance
requires a strength beyond our own.
Now of
course, we know that God does give us strength to do any number of things, even
things that are insignificant in the scheme of eternity. Every breath we breathe,
every ability to move every muscle, every capacity for thought and reason,
every ounce of sustenance both physical and spiritual comes from Him. And when
we are lacking strength in any area, we are certainly right to come before His
throne of grace and ask Him to give us strength. Looking at Philippians 4:13 in
its context does not negate these things.
But while
it is true that any physical strength we have to run a race or lift a weight,
any mental strength we have to take an exam or learn a language, any emotional strength
we have to love others or put to death envy or anger is only ours because God
has given it to us, those things are not the point of Philippians 4:13. In this
verse, Paul is talking about a deep, inner strength by which he was able to live
in contentment regardless of his circumstances. And even though he was speaking
about his own personal experience, I think the principle that God’s strength is
sufficient to equip a person with contentment is applicable to us as well. Whatever
joyous or painful things come our way, regardless of whether we are hungry or
full, regardless of whether we are covered or unsheltered, we can be content in
any circumstance through Christ who gives us strength. Praise be to God for this
supernatural gift!
[i] Functional translations of
the Bible translate phrases of the original language into phrases that mean the
same thing in the new language, with the effect that the ideas communicated are
the same even though there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the words
from each language. Literal translations translate each individual word.
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