Philippians 4:14-16

14. Howbeit ye did well that ye had fellowship with my affliction. 15. And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; 16. for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need.

Translation and Paraphrase

14. Yet, you (Philippians) did well (in your act of) sharing with me in my affliction, (in sending your offering to me here at Rome, which Epaphroditus delivered).
15. Now you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, (that is, when you first heard the gospel and accepted it,) when I departed from (you folks in Macedonia, that) no church had a part with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.
16. (How very greatly you have participated in giving is very plain) because even in Thessalonica, (the first place I preached after leaving Philippi,) you sent (assistance) for my need once, and (then) again.

Notes

1.

Philippians 4:14-16 contains a commendation of the Philippians-' giving, both at the present (to Paul in Rome), and in the past for their giving to Paul right after he left Philippi and went to Thessalonica.

2.

The Notwithstanding or Howbeit in Philippians 4:14 makes a contrast between Paul's state of self-sufficiency (described in Philippians 4:11-13), and the fact that the generosity of the Philippians was truly beneficial both to Paul and to them.

3.

Communicate in KJV Philippians 4:14 is a suitable translation, if it be understood in the old meaning of share, or have in common. See Romans 12:13. The Philippians had made common cause with Paul's affliction by sending help to him, and by sending Epaphroditus to assist him. In doing these things they had done well. See Hebrews 10:33.

4.

The reference to affliction in Philippians 4:14 indicates that Paul was in dire need before the gifts from the Philippians came.

5.

Paul did not often address his churches by name as he does here. (Philippians 4:15; Compare 2 Corinthians 6:11). The times when he did so express special earnestness, or affectionate remembrance. Paul usually preferred to refer to provinces, rather than to individual cities. (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:15; 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:2).

6.

The beginning of the gospel in Philippians 4:15 obviously refers to Paul's first preaching tour in Macedonia and Philippi.

7.

There are many ways that we as Christians can have fellowship with one another. See notes on Philippians 1:5. The Philippians had fellowship (a participation) with Paul in the matter of giving and receiving.

8.

We should here recall the list of places visited by Paul during his second missionary trip right after leaving Philippi. (They are narrated in Acts 17:1-34; Acts 18:1-28). Philippi, Amphipolis, Appolonia, Thessalonica, Beroea (all of these were in Macedonia); Athens, Corinth (these last two were in Achaia). Thessalonica is about a hundred miles from Philippi, in a generally southwest direction.

9.

No church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only. In that period of time right after he left Philippi for the first time, Paul did not receive nor request offerings for his personal needs from any church except that at Philippi. (Compare 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; 2 Corinthians 12:13very important verses.) Paul does not say that he had never previously accepted offerings from other churches, or that in later times other churches had not helped him. But at that particular time none except the Philippians did help. The church at Antioch had previously helped him. Acts 15:3; Acts 15:40.

We do not know all of Paul's reasons for refusing to take money from other churches at that time. But in the case of the Corinthians Paul felt that there was a need of cutting off any opportunity for the pretended apostles to say that Paul was just like them in preaching for money. Therefore Paul would take no money from the Corinthians for himself. He did later request money from them to help the poor saints in Jerusalem.

As a general rule the more the leaders can be led to give, the better it will be with that church. Where your treasure is there will your heart also. Matthew 6:21. By giving, fruit increases to your account. Philippians 4:17. Paul himself wrote to the Corinthians about how he had taken no money from them, and then adds, Forgive me this wrong. (2 Corinthians 12:13). We recognize that these words might have been spoken in sarcasm, but then again they may have been at least partly serious.

10.

Fellowship in the matter of giving and receiving. Matter here (Gr. logos) means an account, a reckoning, a score. The word logos has the same meaning in Philippians 4:17. Paul here by a charming figure of speech refers to the gifts of money which the Philippians gave him as being entered into their bookkeeping records as expenses, while he himself enters them in the account of receipts.

11.

The Philippians sent offerings to Paul in Thessalonica at least twice. These cared for his need, which was apparently then quite acute. We know from 2 Corinthians 11:9 that while Paul was at Corinth (during his second missionary trip) that brethren from Macedonia (presumably Philippi) came down to Corinth and supplied the measure of his want. In these actions the Philippian church was unique at that time.

Besides the gifts to Paul personally, they also contributed beyond their power and out of their deep poverty for the poor saints in Judea. 2 Corinthians 8:1-4.

12.

All of this giving had been done by the Philippians in the face of grinding poverty.

The district of Macedonia had suffered three civil wars, and had been reduced to such poverty that Tiberius Caesar, hearkening to their petition, had lightened their taxes. But in addition to this general poverty, the churches had been made poor by persecution.[1]

[1] J. W. McGarvey, and P. Y. Pendleton, Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans, (Cincinnati: Standard Pub. Co. 1916, p. 210.)