Philippians 4:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He also does this so that those who receive benefactions may hasten to receive them not without fear, lest they fall under condemnation. For it is said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

What then does he show by the words, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord”? He says: I rejoiced not with the joy found in the world and in the present life.

I rejoiced “in the Lord,” not because I was relieved, but because you advanced. In this my relief consists.

For this reason he also said “greatly.” His joy was not fleshly. He rejoiced not over his own rest, but over their progress.

See how, after reproaching them a little for the time past, he immediately covers it. He teaches them to continue always and without ceasing in beneficence.

“That you have now revived again,” he says. By the expression “now again,” he indicates a long time.

“You have revived,” anedalethe, “you have flourished.” He speaks as of trees that put forth shoots, then withered, and then put forth shoots again.

By this he shows that before, after flourishing, they had withered. Then, after withering, they again put forth shoots.

Therefore the word “revived” contains both reproach and praise. It is no small thing for what had withered to flourish again.

By this he shows that everything happened to them through negligence. “Your care for me; you did care before.”

Here he explains that earlier they were accustomed to distinguish themselves by generosity in such matters. Therefore he added, “your care for me; you did care before.”

And so that you would not think their former great zeal had withered in other respects, but only in this one matter of beneficence, see how he guards the point.

He says, “that you have now revived again in your care for me.” It is as though he said: I say “now again” only with regard to this matter, because in other respects you are not like this.

Perhaps someone will ask here: how can the one who says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), now not see that he is nullifying his boast?

He also says, “These hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me” (Acts 20:34). Again he wrote to the Corinthians, “It would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void” (1 Cor 9:15).

How, then, does he now not see that he is nullifying his boast? How? By receiving what was sent.

If the boast consisted in receiving nothing, how does he now receive? What should be said?

There, he rightly did not receive because of the false apostles. “That wherein they boast,” he says, “they may be found even as we” (2 Cor 11:12).

The Apostle did not say that they are disinterested, but that they “boast,” showing by this that they took, only secretly. That is why he said, “wherein they boast.”

And he himself did receive, though not there. Therefore he also said, “This boast shall not be taken from me” (2 Cor 11:10).

He did not simply say, “shall not be taken,” but what? “In the regions of Achaia.” Again, he says, “I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you” (2 Cor 11:8).

From this it is clear that he received. Besides, if Paul received anywhere, he received rightly, since he had so important a work.

But how can those who do nothing take? You say, “I pray.” That is not yet work. One can both pray and work.

You say, “I fast.” This too is not work. See how this blessed man, in many places, both preaches and works.

“But you lacked opportunity,” he says. What does “you lacked opportunity” mean? This depended, he says, not on your negligence, but on necessity.

You did not have resources at hand. You yourselves were not wealthy. This is what the words mean: “you lacked opportunity.”

The phrase is taken from common usage. Most people speak this way when the necessities of life come to them not abundantly, but scantily.

Thus there is both a certain reproach and praise here, for it is no small thing for one who has withered to bloom. Lest anyone think they had withered in other matters too, he added, “your care for me.” That is, only in one thing, care for my necessities. But one must ask how the one who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), and again in the Epistle to the Corinthians, “It would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void” (1 Cor 9:15), now appears to receive help. There he quite reasonably did not receive, namely because of the false apostles. They made a show of not receiving, “so that in the thing in which they boast,” he says, “they may be found even as we” (2 Cor 11:12). For he did not simply say, “This boasting shall not be taken from me,” but “in the regions of Achaia” (2 Cor 11:10). For he says, “I robbed other churches” (2 Cor 11:8). Thus there he did not receive by sound reasoning. Here, however, those who give are beloved and longed for. He would have grieved them if he had not received. Besides, receiving can also be better for the sake of those who give, because they receive greater benefit than those who receive. As for the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” it by no means forbids receiving. It is a simple comparison showing what is better. Because gold is better, will anyone forbid possessing silver? Moreover, the Apostle says this about labor and giving from labor, and indeed this must be done. But if there is no time for labor, as when one is in bonds or in sickness, what should be done? Should one not receive? I think one should. “You were also concerned before.” That is, you carried care for me in your heart and were anxious for me. For it is in your character to care for me. “But you lacked opportunity.” It did not depend on your negligence, he says, but on necessity. That is, you did not have resources in hand, and you yourselves were not rich. This is drawn from common usage, for we usually say: circumstances became tight, bad times have now come.

He also speaks this way so that those receiving benefactions may not hasten to receive without fear, lest they fall under condemnation. For it is said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).” Concerning the Apostle’s words, “I can do all things,” St. Gregory the Theologian observes that, although the Apostle was weak in body, he remained unconquered in spirit. St. Basil the Great explains that the Apostle says this not to display himself, but to overthrow the senseless arrogance and self-exaltation of some. To this Bishop Theophan adds: “Where the power of God is, weaknesses disappear. The grace of God made it so that the Apostle, even without eating, did not hunger, and, possessing nothing, was as one rich.”

He also does this so that those receiving benefactions may not hasten to receive without fear, lest they fall under condemnation. For it is said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35). What, then, does he show by the words, ‘I rejoiced greatly in the Lord’? I rejoiced, he says, not in what the world and the present life rejoice over, but in the Lord. I did not rejoice because I found relief, but because you made progress, for in this my relief consists. Therefore he said ‘greatly,’ for he did not rejoice over his own ease, but over their progress.” The words, “that now at last you remembered to care for me,” in our Slavonic translation sound like a reproach. But in the original this is not apparent. “You remembered” there is ανευαλετε, which means “you blossomed again,” “you again gave a shoot, an offshoot.” The holy Apostle presents the virtue or beneficence of the Philippians as a tree. After winter, in springtime, under the favorable breath of the sun and warmed air, it again puts on leaves and gives offshoots and new shoots. The Philippians helped him. Then circumstances hindered them from doing so. As soon as the possibility opened, they again sent him assistance. The Apostle says to them: I am very glad that after winter, after unfavorable circumstances, you again gave a shoot of care for me. “Since you also were concerned.” Lest it seem to them that he reproaches them for having been forgotten, the Apostle removes this, saying: I do not speak in that sense. I know that, although you could not help me, you did think of me, εφρονειτε. You were also thinking of me, not simply thinking, but considering how to help. Yet ηκαιρεισθε, you lacked opportunity. In our translation this is rendered as being held back by bad weather. Lack of opportunity can also be understood as indicating a shortage of means. They had nothing with which to share. Thus St. Chrysostom says: “What does ηκαιρεισυε mean? This did not depend, he says, on your negligence, but on necessity. You did not have resources in hand, and you yourselves were not rich. This is what it means: you lacked opportunity, you were held back by unfavorable times. This is taken from common usage, for most people speak this way when life’s necessities flow to them not abundantly, but scantily.” Yet here it is more direct to see an indication that the time was inconvenient. Thus Blessed Theodoret says: “You long wished to take care of serving me, but you did not have a suitable time.”