Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
Summary: In this passage, Paul lays down a challenge: What or whom do you see in him?
If you heard an ordinary person say these words, you would have every right to question whether or not they were serious. You might rightly wonder if they were being egotistical. But Paul is no ordinary man.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:9a – No Ordinary Man”
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Summary: Wrapping up Paul’s instructions on what to think about, we are left to ponder the power of God and the importance of choosing the right field to allow our minds to graze in.
As we come to the end of Paul’s sentence, he wraps up his ‘thinking challenge’ with two more thought goals: Think about things that are excellent and praiseworthy.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8g – Heavenly Healing”
…whatever is admirable …think about such things.
Summary: Paul’s use of the word “admirable” can be taken several ways. By looking at the original Greek and meditating on the context, we can better understand his meaning.
English is not Greek.
That sounds obvious, of course, perhaps even “stupid,” but it is important. The reason it is important is that it is very easy to read an English translation of the New Testament and forget about the Greek.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8f – Language Matters”
Whatever is lovely …think about such things.
Summary: Paul’s use of words continues to challenge translators and readers alike.
What do you think of when you hear the word “lovely?”
If you look up this verse in all the available English translations, you will find that most of them use the word “lovely” just like the NIV does. A few use other words like “right,” or “commendable.”
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8e – Things That Are Lovely”
… whatever is pure …think about such things.
Summary: Trying to tell ourselves what NOT to think about is doomed to fail. Paul’s solution is to redirect our thinking towards something without any worldly contamination.
Paul is clever!
There is a scene in the 1984 “Ghostbusters” movie where the four Ghostbusters are in the final battle with “Gozer the Gozerian.” After blasting the apparition with their “proton beams,” Gozer disappears. Thinking that they have “won,” the four heroes relax for a moment until the ground starts to shake and the building begins to sway.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8d – The Choice”
…whatever is right …think about such things.
Summary: Thinking about “whatever is right” is really another way of saying that we are going to think about what God thinks is right. That is a good thing, but it is also good to be aware that not everyone will agree.
So far, Paul has advocated for us to think about whatever is true and noble. Now he urges us to think about “whatever is right.” This sounds easy, but it begs the question, “What is ‘right’?”
Continue reading “Philippians 4: 8c – Things That Are Right”
…whatever is noble…think about such things.
Summary: Diving into Paul’s list of things to think about, he begins with the word “noble.” Looking closer, we discover that it has been a long time since we thought about this word.
What kinds of things do you think about?
In our modern culture, we are bombarded with “things to think about” all day long. Ads on television and the internet scream for our attention. Vendors vie for our business by trying to get us to think about how much we need or want their products.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8b – Things That Are Noble”
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true…
Summary: Paul starts his list of things to think about with “whatever is true.” That sounds simple, until we realize that everyone has a different idea of what “truth” is.
Paul wants us to think about things that are “true.”
Do you find that odd?
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8a – Learning to See”
… with thanksgiving…
Summary: Thankfulness is a key ingredient to prayer.
Since it is Thanksgiving Day, let’s take a leap back to verse six and fill in a spot we glossed over earlier.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:6b(2) – Happy Thanksgiving!”
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Summary: Paul’s instructions on what to think about reflect his understanding of what led Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden.
There is a lot to ponder in this passage, but before we get into the details, it is useful to stand back and admire the whole verse.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:8 – What Matters”