Philippians 4:10-23

Read through Philippians 4:10-23. As you read, jot down any questions you have or any details that stand out.

A Closer Look:
Observation #1: Here we see that the Philippians supported Paul financially and gave him supplies. What can we learn from them?

• Remember that the Philippians were generally poor people. And yet they collected money and supplies to send to Paul.
• The Philippians gave to Paul more than once. They had sent him a gift when he was in Thessalonica, too.
• After a letter full of “you need to ___” statements, Paul takes a moment to affirm what they are already doing well, and encourages them to continue serving in this way.

Observation #2: Paul mentions a “sweet-smelling sacrifice.” What’s he talking about?

• In the Old Testament, people used to offer animal sacrifices to God, and the smell of that offering was pleasing to God.
• Paul calls the gifts of the Philippians a “sweet-smelling sacrifice” to let them know that their gifts were pleasing to God. They were behaving in a way that glorified Him.
• Even though we don’t offer animal sacrifices today, we can still offer our actions as an act of worship to God.

Observation #3: At the end of this letter, Paul refers to the Christians who work in Caesar’s palace. What does that tell us?

• Paul has been able to connect with and encourage the Christians at Rome, especially those who work in the palace – those who might be risking their lives to work for Caesar.
• It’s possible (pretty likely) that Paul had influenced some of the people in the palace to believe in Christ and decide to follow Him. Perhaps Paul told them about the Philippians when he received their gifts, and those stories encouraged the new believers.
• Even though the believers in Rome were separated from the believers in Philippi, they were still united together through their decision to follow Christ, just like we are united to believers in other countries.

Read through Philippians 4:10-23 again.

Questions:

1. Paul had learned to be content in every situation. What was his secret?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. What kinds of situations had Paul been in? Do you think it was always easy for him to be content?
3. What kind of “sacrifices” have you offered to God recently? Are they pleasing to Him
4. What can we learn about God from this passage?

Challenge: Read through the book of Acts to find out what it was like to be an early follower of Christ – some of the struggles they faced, how their faith influenced their decisions, what they talked about, etc.