Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Given the setting of the Philippians, I suspect...

The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. I wasn’t sure whether to include the powerful statement, “The Lord is near,” as the end of the last verse – the way it’s marked in...

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. “Gentleness” is one of those words I’m not completely sure what to do with. It’s not that I don’t have any idea what it means; it’s more that it feels like its meaning has been narrowed by our popular use of the word. We want to find a...

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. What does it mean to rejoice? Really. We say that word all the time…at least in church. And we’ve read it here in Paul’s letter numerous times already. But what does it mean, really? In brief, rejoicing is simply to take joy in...

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. We are at...

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. We’ve come to another “therefore.” Paul has drawn to the close of his warnings for his dear friends. More than that, he has reminded them that their citizenship...