Philippians 4:1-9 is the last in four straight weeks of readings from Paul's "joyful" epistle, and today's verses are no exception. They are appointed as the Second Reading for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Matthew, and they contain, among other exhortations, the command to rejoice always. As in most of this epistle, Paul is exhorting believers to respond in faith to the gifts of the Gospel. It will be the preacher's joy to do the same.
(The following questions have been designed as a way of getting at how the Word is functioning in the text. This is a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers since the way the Word functions is the way the sermon must function. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? Most of the time the Word here is functioning as a call to obedience. In other words, Paul is exhorting us to live in a certain way in response to the Gospel. There are also hints of the Gospel now and then: "The Lord is near," "The peace of God... will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." The first word in the text, "Therefore," also refers to the Gospel. This opening word refers to what has been said previously, specifically that "our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (3:20).
2. How is the Word not functioning in the text? The Law is not present in this text, that is to say, there is no call to repentance or highlighting of our need for a Savior. In the last verses of chapter 3, Paul refers to the "enemies of the cross of Christ" whom he grieves over, but in these verses the Law is absent.
3. With whom are you identifying in the text? We can easily identify with the Philippians here. We, too, are people who have received much in Christ and we are asked to live in joyful response to those gifts.
4. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Since this text is mostly a call to obedience, a law/gospel design is hard to find. Some ideas: Faltering/standing firm; despairing/rejoicing; fear/peace.
5. Exegetical work: The opening word, which can be translated "for this reason," is really important to set the context for this exhortation. Paul is not exhorting his listeners to continual rejoicing and focusing on the virtues and goodness of the cosmos, all the while oblivious to the evils of this world. Quite the contrary, he is fully aware of them; after all, he is in prison as he writes this! No, he understands the evils of the world all too well, but because he is convinced that God is in the heavens and someday God will bring all things under the gentle reign of Christ, he can rejoice. Fred Craddock, a contemporary commentator, puts it this way: "Because the day of Christ is near and because the peace of God stands guard, the church can rejoice. In the face of abuse and conflict the Philippians do not have to press their case. They are to stand firm, yes, but they can be forbearing not overbearing. In full confidence of their trust in God, they can devote time to prayer, praise and thanksgiving....For Paul and many other Christian thinkers, the doctrine that the one God created all things and all persons provided a way, not to close the eyes to evil, but to be open to the ways and works of God whenever and wherever they appear." (Interpretation series, Philippians, pp. 72-73).
6. Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic? It seems appropriate, in a text where we are exhorted to rejoice, that we be sure to follow Henry Mitchell's advice that celebration be evident in our preaching. Having said that, we celebrate in face of evil, not because evil is absent. Celebration is one way of saying that Life, not Death, shall prevail in Christ.
Blessings on your proclamation!
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