Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 05 May 2013
by Captain Michael Ramsay
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice
Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice
A good question to ask here –of course- would be what does Paul mean when he says to rejoice always? In the ancient Roman world “joy is rarely mentioned, except as an illusion. This is true for the philosopher and the elites. It is much more so for the vast populace that had no opportunity for philosophical or scientific reflection.”[1] For the vast majority of the people in the world of the Roman Empire the old adage would apply that ‘life’s hard and then you die’ and on top of that people didn’t live very long to begin with then and there. And some of the pagan religions of that region stated that in some circumstances that your suffering in this life didn’t even end with your life; it continued on after death.
Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice
There is not a lot of joy, as we would represent it today on commercials for early retirement, travel, entertainment, etc. in the ancient Roman world. Remember that even the Roman Emperor, the most powerful man in his world; he didn’t have any indoor plumbing; he didn’t have any central heating; he didn’t have any air conditioning. Neither he nor the other rich and powerful people of this time and place flossed or even brushed their teeth – toothpaste was not even conceived of - and no one ever took a shower. People didn’t live that long and there wasn’t much joy, as we would portray joy today in our contemporary advertising.[2]
Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice
Even if there were a lot of things that we would consider joyful, it certainly would not be in and around the situation in which Paul found himself. Remember that Paul was in a 1st Century Roman prison when he wrote this letter. As such, Professor Gregory Bloomquist writes:
Joy was, however, something that Paul appears to have thought that he could offer to those willing to accept his message. What makes his assertion so implausible is that his was a message written from a context of extraordinary suffering. We may not realize this today. First of all, most of us have no experience of prison. But, even if we did, imprisonment would have been profoundly different from almost any North American experience of prison today [except maybe Guantanamo Bay]. Prison in antiquity was not a ‘holding cell,’ but a place to impose greater suffering on the wrongdoer than the wrongdoing itself had caused. We would be shocked by the length of imprisonment for crimes that today would be considered matters either for fines or for a short jail sentence. And we would be shocked by the conditions of the prisons—overcrowding, hunger, chains, filth, inadequate clothing, illness and death, all of which could be worse in some regions or during times of social unrest, while improvement was episodic but never permanent. Moreover, we would be shocked that torture was common and consistently used to extract confessions and information, and prison was an opportunity to enable torturers to hurt those accused of hurting others and to do so with increasing savagery and ferocity. But knowing this, we would not be shocked that the logical end for prisoners was death, not release, and a death that would almost certainly be followed by yet more prison in the underworld of the life to come. The afterlife was simply a kind of eternal prison in which gods and their agents tortured men and women.[3]
Philippians 4:4, Paul writes: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.
So why does Paul write ‘rejoice in the Lord always’; what does Paul mean by ‘rejoice in the Lord always?’ It is important enough that he says it twice: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice’, he writes. Elsewhere, in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes, ‘rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Paul is writing this letter to his friends in Philippi who aren’t in jail and who could in all likelihood wind up in jail or dead for their faith and instead of telling them to pray for him so that his suffering will be eased, instead of complaining to them about his treatment, instead of complaining about his condition and instead of asking for relief, instead of warning all of his friends to head for the hills so that they don’t suffer the same way as he is in this Roman imprisonment, Paul says that he has all this joy in his imprisonment and he wishes the same for them.
Can you imagine? Picture this with me. Someone you know has just been sent to prison – to a real bad prison. Maybe Guantanamo Bay, itself where there is water-boarding and other 21st century versions of torture going on and they write you a postcard, maybe there is a picture of it on the front, and you flip it over and it says, “wish you were here.” Maybe you wouldn’t feel quite the same.
Philippians 4:4:Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.
Paul in this letter is writing to people who have about as good of a life as people in his day and age do; Paul is in as bad a situation as probably a Roman citizen would find themselves. And Paul is encouraging them – earlier in this letter – to be bold for the gospel when he and they both know full-well that if they are they run the risk of winding up in the same condition as Paul. And here Paul, who is suffering much more than they in Philippi would appear to be, Paul writes, “rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.”
Now Paul is writing this letter and there are a couple of church ladies who have had some row about something. It was bad enough that someone has even told Paul about it while he is in prison. Paul writes, Philippians 4:2,3: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Revelation 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19; cf. Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:23). These are women whose names have been written in the book of life and they are fighting, arguing, talking about each other behind each other’s back, gossiping, or just being nasty about each other. They are not building each other up and as a result someone has brought this to the attention of Paul who is in jail and Paul himself has written back from his experience. He says that they should ‘be of the same mind as the Lord’ and each other.[4] They should both focus on the things God focuses on – the proclamation of the Gospel, instead of their petty differences and they should, Philippians 4:4, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.
What about us? Do we have this joy of the Lord that Paul has? Do we have the joy of the lord that those whose names are written in the book of life have? Do we have the joy of the Lord that Christians are to have? You and I do we? If we wound up in a prison tomorrow would our first concern be how will we tell people about Jesus and would we rejoice in our new opportunities to do so?
How much more in our lives today? As we find ourselves in jobs we’ve held for a long time or a short time, do we rejoice -instead of complaining- do we rejoice in the Lord and the opportunities that He provides us in that job to share the gospel?
How about us in our lives today? As we find ourselves in care homes, retirement villas, or hospitals for the long haul, do we rejoice -instead of complaining- do we rejoice in the Lord and the opportunities that He provides in that place to share the gospel?
How much more in our lives today? As we find ourselves in relationships and in families that we’ve known for a long time or a short time, do we rejoice -instead of complaining- do we rejoice in the Lord and the opportunities that he provides us with our family to share the gospel?
How much more in our lives today? As we find ourselves in congregations that we’ve been apart of for a long time or a short time, do we rejoice -instead of complaining- do we rejoice in the Lord and the opportunities that He provides through that church to share the gospel or do we whine about the person sitting next to us?[5] Do we rejoice in the Lord and share the gospel or do we complain about how so and so leaves the kitchen? Do we rejoice in the Lord and share the gospel or do we gossip about others behind their backs? Do we rejoice in the Lord and share the gospel or do we complain about the music or the preaching? Do we rejoice in the Lord and share the gospel or do we tear down our fellow congregation members with negative words? Do we rejoice in the Lord and share in the work of the gospel or do we refuse to work with others who we see as antagonistic, inferior, or infuriating? Do we, like Paul tells us from prison 1 ocean and 2 millennia ago, do we rejoice in the Lord always in the opportunity to share the gospel with others or do we work against Christ and against the gospel by not being of like mind with Him and with each other. This is very important. This is so important that Paul says it twice. Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.
This week the Stanley Cup play-offs began. It is the first time in about 40 years that all of the original six teams have been in the play-offs and it is the first time in a long time that the majority of the Canadian teams (though none from the prairies here) are in the play-offs. Athletes, on their teams, have one goal: to win the cup. Christians, through our churches are supposed to have one goal: to win the world for Christ, to point everyone to the salvation that God has already provided for the world.
Can you imagine that if when the members of your favourite hockey team got together that instead of practicing, planning for the game, conditioning, and building each other up through pep talks, the coach started talking to the goalie about what a nag the centre’s wife is?
Can you imagine that if instead of practicing, planning for the game, conditioning, and building each other up through pep talks, the defence started complaining about how inappropriately dressed Number 8 was all the time?
Can you imagine that if instead of practicing, planning for the game, conditioning, and building each other up through pep talks, the manager gossips with the left wing about how messy the right wing’s car is?
Can you imagine that instead of practicing, planning for the game, conditioning, and building each other up through pep talks, the goalie is worried about what player number 9 may have said to player number 12 about player number 13?
Can you imagine that if instead of practicing, planning for the game, conditioning, and building each other up through pep talks, one of the players was so self-focused that he was always whining and always complaining and always sharing about all of his perceived problems and how miserable his life is? Can you imagine if he was always complaining about himself or someone else or some real or some perceived problem in his life? Can you imagine if he refused to rejoice always in his sport?
What would happen to that hockey team and their goal of winning the Stanley Cup, if instead of being of one mind in rejoicing in the opportunity provided to play, they instead gossiped, tore each other down, cried about their own state of affairs and complained about those who were on their own team? What would happen if they weren’t of the same mind? What would happen? Would they achieve their goal of winning the cup? Would they achieve their goal? No.
What will happen to the Church, what will happen to this congregation and our God-given goal of salvation and winning the world for Christ, if instead of being of one mind in rejoicing in the opportunity provided us to serve, we instead gossip, tear each other down, cry about our own state of affairs and complain about those who are on our own team? What will happen if we aren’t of the same mind? What will happen? Will we achieve our goal of salvation and winning the world for Christ? Will we achieve our goal?
Friends, as Paul exhorts us from one ocean and two millennia ago, as we are bold for the gospel, as we remain of one mind, no matter what our circumstances – and I know that there are some very real, trying circumstances represented here today - no matter what our circumstances, I encourage us to, Philippians 4:4-7:[6]
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything [cf. Matthew 6:25-34], but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Even and especially when things are at their most challenging, Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let us pray.
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[1] L. Gregory Bloomquist, ‘Subverted by Joy: Suffering and Joy in Paul's Letter to the Philippians’. Interpretation 61 (2007): 274. cf. also A. A. Long, Stoic Studies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), ch. 8, "Stoic eudaimonism." For Stoics, human life was never an achieved happiness but alwavs remains a battle between cleaving to the flesh and cleaving to the divine logos; see William O. Stephens, review of A. A. Long, Stoic Studies, n.p. Online: http://ccat.sas. upenn.edu/bmcr/1997/97.ll.20.html.
[2] Cf. Morna D. Hooker, The Letter to the Philippians, NIB XI, 548.
[3]L. Gregory Bloomquist, ‘Subverted by Joy: Suffering and Joy in Paul's Letter to the Philippians’. Interpretation 61 (2007): 274.
[4] Cf. Homer A. Kent, Jr., The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Philippians/Exposition of Philippians/V. Second Series of Exhortations (4:1-9)/B. Exhortation to Maintain Various Christian Virtues (4:4-9), Book Version: 4.0.2
[5] Martin, Ralph P.: Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1987 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 11), S. 172. The attitude of gentleness should not JUST be represented in our relationships in the Church but it should ALSO be represented in our relationship in the Church.
[6] Fred B. Craddock, Philippians, Interpretation Series, 1985,72. Not being anxious, not worrying is very different from not caring.
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