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"But I have all things, and abound: I am filled, having received from
Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice
acceptable, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall fulfil every need of yours
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (4: 18, 19 R.V.).
"I have all and abound." The papyri throw light on the special meaning of I have,
apecho. In every day use it meant `I have received', a technical expression for drawing
up a receipt. The R.S.V. renders it `I have received full payment, and more". The
Apostle uses this in an illustrative sense, and now he describes the gift as not only
pleasing to him, but pleasing to the Lord (verse 18). It was like an `odour of sweet smell'
using O.T. symbolism in connection with the sweet savour sacrifices which ascended to
the Lord as something specially fragrant. The Apostle used terms which he employed of
the supreme sacrifice of Christ in Eph. 5: 2. What an honour that any service for the
Lord can be bracketed with His! Paul's own service had been likened to the pouring out
of a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of the faith (2: 17). It looks as though all
real and effective service for the Lord will be touched by sacrifice. What costs us little is
not worth much in His sight. And is not our love for Him measured by how much we are
prepared to spend ourselves, just that and no more? David said `neither will I offer burnt
offerings to the Lord my God which doth cost me nothing' (II Sam. 24: 24). May we
ever be willing to give without stint to Him of ourselves and our possessions and then the
next verse in Philippians will be true in our experience:
"And my God shall fulfil every need of yours according to His riches in glory in
Christ Jesus" (4: 19 R.V.).
The A.V. `but' is misleading. Verse 19 is not disassociated from verse 18 as `but'
suggests. The thought is `you have been generous to me, and therefore God will be
generous to you'. Some take verse 19 out of its context and do not fulfil the condition of
verse 18 and then they wonder why the 19th verse does not work in their experience.
However, can mean Christians expect to know in reality the overwhelming generosity of
God? It was to a generous church this tremendous promise was made. Note the measure
of the Lord's giving. It is not OUT OF His wealth but ACCORDING (kata) to it. Who
can estimate the range and depth of this richness? (cp. Rom. 11: 33). If a millionaire
gives out of his riches, he could just give a penny and no more. If he gives according to
his wealth, he would have to give a very large sum indeed. God will be no man's debtor
and we are dealing with a heavenly Father Whose generosity is beyond our computation.
His riches are IN glory IN Christ Jesus Who is seated in the heavenly holiest of all above
everything that can be conceived. What immense wealth is here!
The final greetings are now given from `all the saints' specially "those of Caesar's
household". This does not mean the relatives of Caesar, but persons employed in the
domestic and administrative establishment of the Emperor. Most of them would be
slaves and freed men equivalent to civil servants, some of whom had come into contact
with Paul and thereby a knowledge a salvation. Such a `household' existed in every
Roman colony, but this does not militate against a Roman origin for this epistle, for such
an establishment existed at Rome and must have numbered hundreds of employees in the
capital.