I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
One of Steven Chapman’s greatest ballads goes like this,
I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me. No great success to show, No glory on my own; Yet in my weakness, He is there
To let me know…
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong.
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.
A beautiful expression of perfect submission to God in the midst of brokenness, insecurity, and vulnerability. The songwriter had found the deepest revelation when he created this song. His personal revelation echoes on God's purpose in his life. He often contemplates, "Can God uses me in my weakness?" On the other hand, he still believes what God has told him, "I can use you if you continue to depend on me in your brokenness." He sang this song beautifully and won five Dove Awards in a year. Although sometimes his heart is still troubled by fear. The fear if the audiences will expect more from him and this fear has made him feel guilty whenever he couldn’t.
Chapman's story is slightly different from mine. On Christmas day in 2017, I received a phone call from my mother. She gave me the news that broke my heart to pieces. My biggest fear has raised like a greatest sorrow comes towards my way. The phone call was about my father's health condition. They drove him to the hospital just right after they run the service. My father had been suffered from heart and lungs failure for about four years. It's still clear in my mind when I rang him a few weeks before Christmas, I said, "Dad, have you ever thought about taking early retirement from ministering the Church? You should consider your health. We all love you, dad." He then replied with an answer that challenged my faith, "HEY you know what? This is the only reason why I live. This pain and suffering will never stop me to fulfill God's purpose in my life to serve Him. I cannot stop until my last breath. If you take this from me, then there is no more reason for me to live. I will keep serving my Master, the Heavenly Father until He calls me back one day. Don’t worry Novy (my childhood nickname), I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."
I heard the great terror. It's like I was in the darkest valley and God is trying to show me something different at this time. My father passed away on 29th December 2017. He had proven his commitment just like what he said when the first time he gave his life to Jesus. He had done a good fight, fulfilling the Great Commission in his life by planting a church and ministering God's people till his last breath. I have never seen my father lose his faith even when he was going through the greatest pain in life. After the loss, I found his journals -- one thing that caught my attention was about being content through pain and suffering. There multiple times he intensively wrote the word healing in these last four years.
>> Picture of myself with my father when I was 8 years old. He often brought me to many occasions where he's preaching. I used to see him spread the gospel to the crowd since I was at a very young age. He did all that passionately and tirelessly.
In my personal understanding, this scripture is an emotional credit between Paul to God, the one who called him. Paul would have been fully aware when he decided to submit his life to be filled with God’s purpose. A perfect submission has brought Paul to all kind of seasons in life to be able to find the ultimate joy on facing the hardships for the seek of the gospel (Philippians 4:11). In response to all his pain and sufferings in ministry, he reminded himself to be content and knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for him. To examine my own understanding, there is one question from David M. Parker that helps me processing this scripture. He goes like this, “Many Christians isolate Philippians 4:13 from its setting in Philippians and use it as a universal positive confession. Do you think this is what Paul’s first recipient would have done?”
Then to answer David’s question, there are several key themes to support the idea of why this scripture is written in this way :
Paul’s Writing Style
We can fully believe that the author was Paul. Firstly, because the vocabularies we found in Philippians was similar to Paul’s other letters. Secondly, there was a claim that found in Philippians verse 1 and 19. Verse 19 is indicating the deliverance that happened because of the earthquake after Paul and Silas have been praying for the whole night when they were in prison. Paul believed that the congregation in Philippi had also joined in prayer for the deliverance. And thirdly is the content of the letter. Seems like this letter is written based on Paul’s own experience that motivate him to encourage the congregation in Philippi to imitate his ways of life when going through suffering. In Philippians 4, Paul addressed how to respond to the problem that was going on in Philippi. Perhaps, Paul took antisemitism as a consideration when he wrote this letter.
Paul Knows the Situation in Philippi
Philippi was established as a Roman colony for veterans from their victorious army. Acts 16 records that Paul and Silas were visiting Philippi during the reign of Emperor Claudius in 49 C.E. At this period of time, the main political issue related to anti-Semitism were extremely sensitive. The number of Jews in this city was very little which opens up huge pressure on Jews. They were facing injustice treats from Romans-colony, like being persecuted for their refusal to follow the way Romans worship their gods.
In this context, I learn that the reason for Paul was being prisoned is giving us a clue. Perhaps, there is a misperception between Roman's magistrates toward Paul. In the scenario when the servant who's also a fortune-teller, shouted: “These men are servants of the Highest God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” This event became a big deal because of the involvement of her master. Her master may have known that if the spirit is leaving her, then there was no way for him to make money (Acts 16:19). So this man had brought Paul and Silas to the marketplace, in the public space to face the Philippians authorities. This man was so threatened that if his fortune-telling servant repents to Christ, he will no longer have clients for his fortune-telling clinique. His accusation biased from his desperation of money and greediness. So it is clear that it is not because of the unlawful practices that Paul and Silas were prisoned. But there was a hidden agenda by this man. Can you imagine if you're treated unfairly by the authorities not because you are doing crime, but because you are doing the right thing?
The worse scenario of this event is that the law was not really functioned as a tool to protect their right as a human being. This is Philippi, the place where Paul and Silas were not only battling with the authorities to survive but also battling with the mindset. The message of Gospel brings restoration, a new way of living, deliverance from the captivation by the evil, breakthrough, and new mindset. The antisemitism practice increased the curiosity from the crowd to take part in advocating and attacking Paul and Silas. This is why Paul understands how hard it is for Jews living under Roman’s colony. So here it is, I have explained to you the context of his writing, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Paul and Silas did not write this in the situation where they were about to attend a sports tournament or joining a singing audition or follow the election. They really face mistreatment due to lack of justice and liberation in the city. They face serious conflict that even speaks up for themselves wasn't even an available option.
Paul’s Concern
Paul’s Greek writing is decisive. It contains the solid teachings about Salvation in Christ, Sacrificial Deeds and Radical Transformation of Life. His words were inspired by the Holy Spirit and his personal experience of facing the pain and suffering for the seek of the gospel. Philippians 4:13 was also Paul’s response to facing his inability to provide enough foods to support himself during in prison (verse 12). It is ironic when people have taken this scripture to suggest sort of indomitable faith like what Paul S. Jeon has highlighted in his book. In this 21st century, many Christians have thought that this scripture was for people who are facing moments in life where their physical resources are minimal.
Some of the football players or some kind of athletes are often using this scripture as a positive confession to win the race. This scripture had been taken too far for the benefit of an individual or a certain group. Surely we believe that only through God’s strength we can do everything we do. By knowing the context, we would be able to find a better understanding of what kind of situation this scripture can be applied and in which situation God’s strength can be fulfilled. Rather than using this words to gain the victory, Paul humbly wrote this to remind himself and the Philippians that the Spirit of God enables them to survive to go through all those kind of persecution, pain, and suffering. Now, how can you relate this scripture into your personal life? It is an encouragement in the middle of your pain and suffering if you're facing one right now. It is an invitation to fully surrender to God rather than rely on our strength. Sometimes, when we obey God, we feel it's even harder. We can easily turn to the other side and take a shortcut. But following God's way is always a better way to survive.
Don't be small when life gets harder, but grow bigger in your capacity of facing problems in life. There is no single man can grow a muscle without perseverance in their numerous repetition workouts. Same with our faith will be examined throughout challenges in life. But remember that God's strength is always your portion.
I would like to quote my favourite insight from one of my best lecturers who taught us about the theology of pain and suffering when I was in his theology class. It's Shane Clifton's who wrote Crippled Grace - Disability, Virtue Ethics, and the Good Life. He wrote, "Suffering serves God's justifying grace, by bringing [one] to surrender to the love of God and, through that surrender, to the act of will in faith constitutive of justification."
Notes :
Chapman, Steven C. Between Heaven & the Real World. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2017.
Parker, David M. Reading Philippians Now and Then. Sydney: Macquarie Centre, 2008.
Harding, Mark. All Things to All Cultures: Paul among Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Grand Rapids: Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing, 2013.
MacArthur, John. Philippians: Christ, the Source of Joy and Strength. Illinois: Thomas Nelson, 2007.
Martin, Ralph P. The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing, 2002.
Hiebert, D. Edmond. An Introduction To The New Testament. Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2002.
Jeon, Paul S.Empowered by Joy: Reflections on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. Oregon, WIPF&STOCK, 2012.
Clifton, Shane. Crippled Grace - Disability, Virtue Ethics, and the Good Life. Texas: Baylor University Press, 2018.
Bình luận