 |  |
"Take My yoke", not merely hear My words. Enter practically into fellowship, not
merely assent with mind and reason. In this manner had the apostle "learned" his lesson.
The word "therewith" which the A.V. gives in italic type is not necessary, and
scarcely true. The apostle does not say that he is content with his state; rather he is
content independently of it. The word rendered "content" is autarkes, and means,
"sufficient in one's self, self-adequate, needing no aid, hence contented" (Dr. Bullinger's
Lexicon). It might almost be rendered "independent". The idea is that the "state" in
which Paul found himself had no effect upon the source of his contentment, it was quite
"independent" of circumstances. When the Lord Jesus told His disciples to learn of Him,
He referred to the circumstances that had just occurred. Chorazin, Bethsaida and
Capernaum had not repented even though the works done in them were mighty enough to
have brought about the repentance of such notorious cities as Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom.
Outwardly the Lord's ministry looked like failure.
"AT THAT TIME Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast
revealed them unto babes. EVEN SO FATHER: for it seemed good in Thy sight"
(Matt. 11: 20-27).
It was this spirit that the apostles had to learn, that they might find rest, true rest. Not
to be glad because their ministry prospered (see Luke 10: 17-20), not to be sad because
their ministry was rejected, but just holily independent of either condition, finding all
their joy in the will of the Lord.
The apostle had received his learning in the school of experience.
"I know both to be humbled, and I know to abound. In everything and in all things I
have been initiated both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
privation."
Not only could he say "I have learned", and "I know", but "I have been initiated".
This blessed independence of all externals is indeed a sacred mystery, and known
experimentally only to initiates. Those initiated into the mysteries were "the perfect",
and this passage glances at the third chapter with its fellowship in suffering and glory.
Another connection, and one of the greatest importance, is near to hand. Paul had
written in a verse previous to his mention of being content,
"Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard, and seen in me, do;
and the God of Peace shall be with you."
Does not this seem to show that the apostle's contentment was but another word for a
conscious enjoyment of the presence of the God of Peace? Yet again, he counseled the
Philippians to be "anxious for nothing" and "praiseful and prayerful for everything", the
result being "the peace of God which passes all understanding shall garrison your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus".