Lecture XXX · Christian Liberality and its Reward

THROUGHOUT the larger part of this closing passage of the Epistle, Paul continues his grateful acknowledgments of the thoughtful kindness of his friends at Philippi. This leads into a doxology to the gracious ‘God and Father’ from whom he and they alike received all their support, and all their stimulus to holy love. Then come some brief salutations, and the usual final benediction.

In examining the roth verse we had occasion to admire the beauty with which the spirit of the Christian gentleman revealed itself there in the apostle’s language,—an exquisite freedom from fawning or flattery on the one hand, and from everything like morose or boorish self-assertion on the other. Throughout the passage before us now, every attentive reader is struck

with the same delicate courtesy. You observe, at the very outset, the pleasing way in which, from the digression on contentment that has occupied from the 11th to the 13th verse,

he returns at the 14th to the main course of remark: ‘ Λῖοίwithstanding, though I have thus told you of the power which my gracious Lord has given me to cherish equability of spirit in any lot of life, do not allow yourselves for a moment to think that your gift is of little account to me, or other than a source of very great satisfaction. Ye have well done, in having become partakers (or, “in having entered into fellowship”) in my affliction,’ —for this last is the precise force of the words rendered in our version ‘that ye did communicate with my affliction? This ‘participation in the affliction’ was the element in the contribution of the Philippians which made it pleasant to Paul. They were known by him to have such sincere, earnest, loving sympathy—in the strictest sense of that word, ‘ feeling along with him’—that, in their prayers, and kind words, and kind deeds, they seemed to him to be actually putting their own shoulders under his burden of trouble, and thus easing him. No higher praise could be bestowed upon their gift, no loftier expression of gratitude employed, than such a testimony as this from Christ’s illustrious servant. Let us remember, brethren, that in every form of effort to do good—whether by giving, or teaching, or speaking words of comfort to sorrowing hearts, or in any other way—we shall be most successful, when the objects of our care feel that there is a real entering of thought and love into their circumstances, and, so far as it is possible, a ‘feeling with them’ of their difficulties and distresses. To our own souls, too, the benefit of such efforts will generally be proportioned to the degree in which there has been in our hearts such a sincere ‘fellowship’ in others’ sufferings.

The expression employed in the roth verse, ‘ Your care of me hath flourished again,’ implied a pleasant remembrance of similar kindnesses done to the apostle by the church of Philippi in former days. To these, in the 15th and 16th

verses, he makes more particular reference,—appealing to the knowledge which the Philippians themselves had of the circumstances, and, as is obviously suggested, might thus have, also, of his peculiar satisfaction in the renewal of such sweet communications of Christian love from spiritual children whose early proofs of thoughtful and self-sacrificing affection had greatly cheered him. His mind goes back ten or eleven years to ‘the beginning of the gospel,—so far, that is to say, as regarded Philippi and Europe generally,—the early days of their Christian era. He remembered how, when he left Macedonia, pecuniary aid had come to him from Philippi, and from Philippi alone.

The words, ‘when 7) departed from Macedonia,’ *ead us to suppose that the apostle had in his mind some contribution sent to him just before he left Berea, or when he was on his way to Athens,’—a time when, not improbably, he was somewhat low- spirited, from having seen the virulent hostility to the religion of Jesus shown at Thessalonica and Berea by his brethren after the flesh, and when, consequently, the considerate Christian kindness of his friends at Philippi would be felt by him as peculiarly soothing and strengthening. But, while he writes, yet earlier proofs of their love rush in upon his memory, and occupy the foreground, so that the *‘for’ of the 16th verse, instead of introducing, as we expect, a specific notice of the gift sent ‘when he departed from Macedonia,’ brings in an account of help ministered while he was still in the midst of his labours in that region. ‘Even in Thessalonica’—whilst it might not unreasonably have been anticipated that the Philippian believers would still feel confused and dispirited, in consequence of the persecution which had driven Paul from their town—they had ‘ sent once and again unto his necessity.’

The evidence given in this little retrospect, of the distinct- — ness and the satisfaction with which the apostle recalled their efforts to help him in former days, could not but be most —

1 Acts xvii, 10-15,

gratifying to the good Philippians. With respect to the sufficiency of their present gift, too, his assurances in the 18th verse are most ample and satisfactory: ‘ Having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, I have all that I need ; indeed, 7 abound,—TJ am full.

In the 15th verse, you will observe, the apostle states that, at the time when he departed from Macedonia, no church except that of Philippi ‘ communicated with him,’ or ‘ entered into fellowship with him’ ‘ as concerning giving and receiving,— more exactly, perhaps, ‘as regarded an account of giving and receiving.’ In these words he shows us the light in which such a transaction as he is speaking of appeared to him, and in which, as he knew, it appeared also to the Philippians. While their gifts were a true and beautiful expression of love to Christ and Christ’s servant, justice had its voice in the matter also. What in legal phraseology is called a ‘deed of gift’ might be, in one aspect, the image from the ordinary life of the world suitable to illustrate the conduct of the apostle’s warm-hearted spiritual children; in another, an ‘account of giving and receiving’—a ledger, with credit and debit columns or pages—was not unsuitable. Paul had ‘sown unto them spiritual things,—was it a great thing if he should reap their carnal things?’ In ordinary circumstances, if a minister of Christ is at all satisfactorily to edify his people, and exercise pastoral care over them, he must not attempt to conjoin with his ministerial labours worldly means of earning a livelihood. The church, therefore, to whose interests he gives his energies, is clearly bound in justice to provide for his support. ‘ Do ye not know,’ Paul asks the Corinthians, ‘that they which minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple; and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.’ The Philippians understood all this ; and felt that in giving, according to their ability, for the temporal comfort of him who had brought to them the know-

ledge of ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ,’ and who had in every way devoted himself so heartily to the promotion of their spiritual interests, they were displaying justice as well as love.

It is of the very highest importance, however, for a Christian minister, that he exhibit no ground for any suspicion, on the part of his people, that he labours among them merely or mainly for temporal reward,—but distinct proof that ‘ he seeks not theirs, but them.’ In so far as a man is believed to have had himself ‘ put into one of the priest’s offices, that he may eat a piece of bread,’ his influence for spiritual good is destroyed. ‘Observe then,’ says the apostle in the 17th verse, ‘that the warmth of my acknowledgment of your past and present kindness to me is wot because I desire a gift.

I do not know that to an attentive reader anything in the Epistle more conclusively proves Paul’s singular confidence in ~ the Christian intelligence and right feeling of the Philippians, than the slightness and casual nature of this remark, on a point about which he was peculiarly sensitive. In his intense anxiety to remain absolutely free from any suspicion of worldliness, he, in many places, whilst constantly maintaining the duty of believers to support their ministers, abstained personally from asking or receiving pecuniary aid. The circumstances in which he was placed,—surrounded by virulent opponents waiting eagerly for any opportunity of charging him with self-seeking,—seemed to him to make this the right course. To the Thessalonians he writes, ‘ Ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for, labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.’ To the Corinthians, after giving them that explicit teaching regarding what ‘the Lord hath ordained’ on the subject of ministerial support, which I quoted a little ago, he goes on thus,—‘ But I have used none of these things; neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me ; for it were better for me to die, than that any man

should make my glorying void.’ To the elders of Ephesus, convened at Miletus, he said, ‘I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel : yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.’ But the gifts of the Philippians he accepted freely ; and the only reference he thinks it needful to make to the possibility of any thought entering their minds of his being at all under the influence of selfish motives, is this quiet ‘ Not that I desire a gift.’ He knew his whole life to be such an ample exposition and confirmation of this statement, and to be so well understood as such by his beloved Philippians, that he had no need to say anything further on the subject. :

These words lead into the presentation of another, and a most important, aspect of Christian giving. ‘ Not that I desire a gift,’ he says, ‘but 7 desire fruit that may abound to your account,— more exactly, ‘the fruit which abounds to your account’ from every such contribution to the cause of Christ. The image of the account-book comes up here again, you observe, but in another connection. Every act of genuine piety is like the sowing of seed, which ‘in that day,’ and throughout eternity, will yield rewards of grace. Of these ‘fruits’ God has an ‘account,’ ‘a book of remembrance,’ for every one of His people. For gifts from his spiritual children Paul had but little desire, in so far as their ministering to his own comfort was concerned ; but for the sake of his converts themselves he desired such gifts exceedingly, that the record of enduring ‘fruits’ of glory and joy, yielded by ‘faith working by love,’ might be full.

The closing words of the 18th verse exhibit the basis on which rested the apostle’s assurance that ‘fruits’ of glorious reward would spring from liberality. He knew that such a gift as his friends had sent him, suggested by a true and ardent love to Christ—to Christ’s people—to Christ’s work,—was looked upon by their Father in heaven with gracious approval, —was ‘an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-

pleasing to God.’ These expressions are as nearly as possible equivalent to each other. We read in the 8th chapter of Genesis, that Noah, after coming out of the ark, ‘builded an © altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar, and the Lord smelled a sweet savour ;’ and frequently elsewhere, throughout the Old Testament, the same phrase is employed to describe the acceptance of a sacrifice. In the New Testament, it is used .of the great propitiation: ‘Christ hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour.’ And, in Christ, His people’s thank-offering of holy thoughts and affections—holy activity and liberality and patience—is ‘an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.’

The doctrine of these words, you observe, is that giving for the cause of Christ is worship—acceptable worship. It belongs to the same class of acts as the presentation of sacrifices under the old economy, which was the central act of worship. The same representation of giving is found, you will remember, also in the Epistle to the Hebrews,—‘ To do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased’ (Heb. xiii. 16). Worship is the direct expression to God, in any way, of the love, and trust, and devotion of His moral creatures. The grateful Christian heart, recognising in all its powers, and possessions, and opportunities, gifts of God, finds everywhere materials for dedication to Him,—for sacrifice,—for worship. The sincere surrender of the whole life to God is represented and attested by the conscious, definite, direct surrender of somewhat, in the exercise of the powers, and employment of the possessions. The lips are, of necessity, much engaged with the matters of this world ; but ‘the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name,’ is an acknowledgment that the lips are His. Our time is, of necessity, largely given to the business of earth ; but sincerely and gladly to give the Lord the Sabbath — Day, is to worship Him with our time. The case is similar

with money. Our Master has instituted ordinances for fostering the spiritual life of His people,—some of which cannot, in ordinary circumstances, be maintained without money. He has given to His church the duty and privilege of spreading the knowledge of His salvation throughout the world. He has told us to ‘consider the poor.’ No intelligent Christian, then, who ponders the matter, can doubt either the reasonableness and the needfulness, or the appointed way, of worshipping God with his money—‘ honouring the Lord with his substance.’

But ah! my brethren, worldliness often deafens us to the call of duty in this matter. We are prone to act as if we thought that, after all, what we possess is our own, and not God’s,—forgetting that not merely by every original right are we and all we have entirely His, but that Christians are their Lord’s by a new and glorious and most tender right, being ‘bought with a price.’ From the frequency with which our Lord speaks on the subject, we see the importance which He attaches to our considering ourselves as not proprietors, but stewards for God, of all that we have. Forgetfulness of this, and of what it involves, is the true root of all sin in this matter. ‘It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful ;* and the main elements of faithfulness are the cherishing always of a full sense that the property in his hands is not his own, but his master’s, and constantly acting in reference to it with a view to the advancement of his master’s interests. Now, our stewardship for God extends to all our means of glorifying Him—all our ‘talents,’ whether five, or two, or but one. With regard to them all, self-denial is needed for faithful discharge of duty. The steward of a rich man peculiarly requires self-restraint if his master is at a distance, or exercises but a slight supervision. How strong, then, are the temptations with which even true believers have to struggle, dealing, as we do, with the entrusted goods of a God who reveals Himself to faith and not to sight,—a faith, alas, which, amid

the attractions and distractions of sense, is not seldom dim of vision, and which permits us often to think of Him as far away, ‘though He be not far from every one of us!’ For the proper use of no talent is self-denial more needed than for that of money; because the old nature deems this its peculiar glory, its unfailing spring of happiness. Serious and steady consideration of duty, and severe restraint of nature’s tendencies to self-seeking, are here therefore peculiarly needful ; and with respect to no department of stewardship is failure more common among Christians. ‘ The deceitfulness of riches chokes the word.’

The grand counteractive to this evil tendency is thoughtful and prayerful contemplation of the marvels of divine grace. As we grow in experimental acquaintance with that ‘love which passeth knowledge,’ the sense of privilege becomes ever more prominent, in connection with every form of worship. In this, worship with money fully shares. It comes to be held as a joy—as that use of money which, of all uses, yields immeasurably the greatest happiness—to give to Him who gave Himself for us. We discern more clearly that no claim on our wealth, itself His own gift, can by possibility be more reasonable than His who, ‘though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich.’ With growing spirituality, we learn to appreciate also more accurately the necessity for liberal expenditure on the work of Christ. Rejoicing in our own light and liberty of soul, we recognise more distinctly the gloom of the darkness, and the terribleness of the bondage, in which sin keeps such vast multitudes of our fellows. The ear is opened to hear, alike from the dens of ignorance and wickedness in our own cities, and from the regions of heathenism and superstition abroad, a cry for help, of intense pathos and power.

How sweetly persuasive, too, is the assurance which the apostle has given us here of ‘ fruit abounding to the account’ of every one who, in sincere love, gives to the Saviour! Liberality for ¢ T r d ‘ fi i eee a

Christ is a holy prudence, in which duty and the highest interest kiss each other. The more faithful the steward is in giving God His own, the more is he laying up for himself ‘a treasure in the heavens, that faileth not.’ What we spend on ourselves, passes away from us ; what we spend for Christ, we shall find again. Or, according to that most winning exhibition of the case by our Lord,—to lay out the ‘mammon of unrighteousness’ in aiding our brethren, and in winning souls, is thereby to ‘make to ourselves friends, who, when we fail, shall receive us into everlasting habitations.’ True and powerful friends, assuredly. Many of them we know not, and shall never know in this life. Yet all the richest and strongest influences of friendship are acting for our highest good from every soul that ever, in true Christian love, we have been privileged to succour. As of old, so still ‘the Lord sits over against the treasury, and beholds how the people cast money into the treasury.’ Marking also the destination and the effect of all the gifts, He sees all the ‘friends’ who are ‘ made’ thereby. Now too, as then, the greatness of the gifts in His sight accords not with their value in man’s finance, but with the greatness of the love and devotion from which they spring. Let the ‘poor widow,’ then, who, in glowing love to her Redeemer, and profound pity for perishing souls, has cast in what men ~ call but a little offering, know that the offering is great in His sight, ‘an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.’ And the ‘friends’ she has made by her offering help her mightily. Every prayer which rises from the hearts of those who, by the city or foreign missionary she has helped to support, have been turned to God, or strengthened in holy purpose,—every aspiration of gratitude which ascends from homes that through the influence of the gospel, proclaimed by him, have been made happy,—will drop as a genial and refreshing rain of blessing on her. And, at the last, ‘ when she “ faileth,’ these ‘friends’ ‘ will receive her into everlasting habitations,’— Jesus looking upon her with a smile of ineffable love, as He

welcomes her home, and says, ‘Inasmuch as thou didst it unto one of the least of these My brethren, thou didst it unto Me.’

That this is the line in which the apostle’s own thoughts are running, is shown us by the great assurance in the τοί verse, ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. Most of the Christians in Philippi, like most Christians in all ages, were poor. The apostle, haying occasion, in writing to the Corinthians, to speak of a former contribution made by the church of Philippi, along with the other churches of Macedonia, for another Christian object, says, ‘The abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality.’ He knew that the same was the case with respect to the present gift. ‘ Now,’ says he, ‘ for your loving ministry to my need I cannot repay you. But my God will repay you,—He whose I am, and whom I serve, and who looks with a Father’s interest on everything that concerns me. According to His riches in glory—the plenitude of power, and wisdom, and grace, which constitutes His glory, and makes Him to all His creatures the Fountain of all blessing—He shall supply all your need, in Christ Jesus,—in whom He has reconciled you to Himself, and regards you with complacency and love.’

The primary reference of this promise seems to me to be undoubtedly to supply for temporal need. This is shown by the whole tenor of the context, and particularly by the distinct allusion in ‘a// your need’ to ‘my necessity,’ or ‘need’ (the same word in the original), of the 16th verse. The apostle’s declaration, then, is, in substance, that through God’s kindness the generous Philippians will find themselves none the — poorer for their care of him. ‘They will have proof that ‘there is that scattereth and yet increaseth,’— that, if we ‘seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,’ all other things which are truly good for us ‘shall be added unto us,’— 4 that ‘ godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of

the life that now is,’ as well as ‘of that which is to come.’ But Observe, that it is our ‘eed’ which is to be supplied,—not every desire, which may be of mere nature. ‘No good thing will He withhold.’

It is clear, however, to the spiritually-minded reader, that Paul’s assurance, while pointing in the first instance to temporal blessings, reaches—and by him, and by the Divine Spirit speaking through him, was meant to reach—far beyond these. In ministering to the apostle’s physical wants, the Philippians had, at the same time, ‘supplied a need’ of his heart. It is evident from the whole tone of the Epistle that God had made their gift a most efficient instrument of cheering His servant amid the dispiriting influences of his imprisonment. Like need of the Philippians, in all its length and breadth, their heavenly Father would supply. They would find that, in the richest sense of the word, ‘ the liberal soul was made fat, and he that watered was watered also himself.’ Spiritually, as well as temporally, ‘they were poor and needy, yet the Lord thought upon them,’ and, ‘according to His riches in glory, would supply all their need, in Christ Jesus.’ Hungering and thirsting, they would receive of their Father the bread and the water of life. Wandering at times, in ignorance and folly, from the fold, they would by ‘ the Good Shepherd’ be brought back to safety and peace. Sorrowing, they would find in Him ‘the Consolation of Israel.’ Weak, they would have ever fresh experience that He is ‘ the Strength of Israel.’ ‘There is no want to them that fear the Lord.’

My brethren, how sublime, how imperial, is the position of God’s saints, as illustrated in Paul here! A prisoner, in chains, needing pecuniary aid from his friends, who themselves are very poor,—he looks calmly up, beyond the prison, beyond the sky, to the treasure-house of the great King, to the King Himself, already stretching forth His hand to reward the helpers of His servant, and this with the fulness of divine munificence, ‘according to His riches in glory.’ How utterly insignificant the glory of earth is, or its power, in the light of such a scene as this! Nero can imprison this man, or behead him ; but the prisoner can say, ‘ All things are mine—the world, and life, and death, and things present, and things to come,— all are mine, for I am Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.’

The sweet assurance of the 19th verse leads most naturally into a doxology, which—also most naturally after the reference made to the paternal care that ‘supplies all the need’ of believers—assumes the form of praise to ‘ God and our Father,’ or rather, ‘ our God and Father.’

The salutations are brief and comprehensive. The apostle desires his affectionate greetings ‘zz Christ Jesus’ (for these words are probably to be taken with ‘ salute’) to be given to all the members of the church. ‘ very saint’ was to consider himself remembered by Paul with sincere regard. ‘Similar kind wishes are sent also,’ he adds, ‘by the brethren which are with me,’—that is, evidently, as in the 2nd verse of the 1st chapter of Galatians, those ministers who at the time were closely associated with him, and ‘labouring in the gospel’ under his direction. With the exception of Timothy, whom the references made to him in the 2nd chapter lead us to think of as in Rome when the Epistle was written, we cannot definitely determine the persons meant,—for in all likelihood the apostle’s companions varied at different periods of his imprisonment. Still further, “αὐ the saints’ who were aware that Paul was writing to the church of Philippi, wished to have their loving greetings given. Many of them might never have seen any of the Philippian Christians, but they knew the closeness of their relation to them in the common Lord, and delighted to hail them as brethren. Specially affectionate salutations were sent by ‘them of Cæsar’s household’ who were believers. What a triumph of divine grace these words bring before us, my friends,—the gospel, which is ‘the power of God unto salvation,’ known and loved in the house of that emperor whose name has become for all generations —

a by-word for cruelty and universal wickedness! The expression, ‘they that are of Cæsar’s household,’ may designate either kinsfolk of Nero, or servants in the palace. It is certainly improbable that so many near relatives of the emperor should have yielded themselves to Christ, as to be described by this phrase ; and it seems hardly natural to suppose a combination of these two classes grouped under the one head. In all likelihood, therefore, the apostle’s reference is to servants holding more or less important positions in the imperial household, some of them, no doubt, slaves. It is not unreasonable to think that, as Paul had been sent to Rome because, from the jurisdiction of a provincial governor, he had ‘appealed unto Cæsar,’ and consequently, while awaiting the decision of his case, was under the charge of the commander of the emperor’s body-guard, servants of the palace might frequently have opportunities of meeting him, and hearing his teaching. One can easily suppose, too, that in the close intercourse with the apostle thus permitted by their position, those of them who became ‘obedient to the faith’ might hear from him more regarding the high Christian excellence of the members of the church of Philippi, which was so dear to him, than could be known to the saints in Rome generally. This may account for their being ‘chie#@y’ wishful that the apostle would send to the Philippian brethren the expression of their warm regards.

Paul closes the letter, according to his custom, with a solemn and affectionate benediction,—‘ Zhe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, —or, according to another reading, which has better manuscript authority, and which is found also in the closing doxology of several of the other Epistles, ‘ de with your spirit” ‘May His favour be manifested to you, especially in enriching the noblest element of your nature with His choicest blessings,—in making you to grow in spiritual wisdom, and energy, and beauty, and happiness!’ ‘ Amen,’