What "I can do all things through Christ" really means.

Let me introduce you to one of the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, misquoted verses in ALL of the Bible. It’s Philippians 4:13. The Apostle writes, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard this verse used to justify every conceivable idea and endeavor known to man.

What is this verse really teaching? Is Paul teaching us that no matter what we put our minds and efforts to we CAN DO IT, we CAN achieve it?

Let’s see.

Philippians 4:13 is surrounded by a CONTEXT. Let me address this important concept for just a moment. In Bible college, one of the things that were drilled into our heads in exegesis class was this, “CONTEXT IS KING”. You cannot, you should not attempt to understand any verse of scripture apart from the context from which it derives. It is believed that the Professor and Bible Teacher D.A Carson is credited with saying, “"A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text." In the words of one writer, “without examining the context in which something (in this case, Scripture) was said, one can easily (or even intentionally) misappropriate or misuse or misapply or misrepresent a text to support a position that it, in fact, does not support”.

Folks this kind of Bible mishandling happens ALL the time by very well meaning folk. Let me give you another example. Folks often want to feel good about the size of their Tuesday night prayer meeting. Exactly 4 people showed up and one of them was a child. So, in order to help us feel better, we tell each other, “Where two or three are gathered in His name……” You know the rest. That verse found in Matthew 18:20, I hate to tell you has nothing to do with prayer meetings. In fact, this verse is not even talking about prayer, in other words, prayer is NOT the subject matter. This is why CONTEXT is king.

So, what is Paul teaching in Philippians 4:13?

The CONTEXT of verse 13 begins in verse 10 and runs through verse 20. Paul tells the Philippians that he's excited that their concern for him has reignited (vs 10). He goes on to say that he knows that they always cared, but the problem was that they lacked opportunity. In verse 11 he states that he’s not referring just to physical need and that through his neediness he has learned the awesome lesson of CONTENTMENT (vs. 12).

Bam!! This is what verse 13 is all about. When Paul states that, “he can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens him.” He’s talking about CONTENTMENT, NOT Ability or Opportunity. The "ALL THINGS" are found in verse 12, which are the varied circumstances of life. Paul states whether rich or poor, hungry or full, I know how to be CONTENT. Contentment can be defined as, "sufficient to self" (self-sufficient and competent) and so to be independent of external circumstances and independent of all people. One secular writer used autarkes in reference to a country that supplied itself and had no need of imports. True contentment comes only from our Lord, and enables believers to be satisfied and at ease in the midst of any problem. Autarkes therefore describes the man who needs nothing externally to be satisfied in life for all he needs is within. the believer who has Christ dwelling within”.

Let me say this, and I don’t mean to be offensive. The reasons why so many Christians are running around like chickens with cut off heads looking for the next thing, the next level, the next blessing, the next outpouring, the next, the next, the next, is because unlike Paul they have not learned this critical skill of CONTENTMENT. The reason why divorce is running rampant through the Christian community is because we have not learned the critical skill of CONTENTMENT. The reason why Christians are chasing experience after experience is because we have not learned the critical skill of CONTENTMENT.

So, what is Paul talking about in Philippians 4:13 when He says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”? He’s talking about CONTENTMENT.

The great Bible Teacher John Calvin wrote, “"Whatever my condition may be, I am satisfied with it. "Why? because saints know that they thus please God. Hence, they do not measure sufficiency by abundance, but by the will of God, which they judge of by what takes place, for they are persuaded that their affairs are regulated by his providence and good pleasure."

Amen!!

Todd