God’s Word for You
Philippians 4:10 A gift
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, April 23, 2026
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but without any opportunity to show it.
In the final thirteen verses, we come at last to the main reason that Paul was writing to the Philippians. Unlike his other letters, this is not a warning about dangerous false doctrine (although there were some concerns; remember his words about “those dogs” in chapter 3), but rather this is a thank-you note for a gift. We don’t know what sort of gift the Philippians had sent to Paul, but obviously it had been carried to him by Epaphroditus.
There is no way to know the size of this donation, but if it had been, say, two or three hundred denarii, that would have been the equivalent of perhaps a thousand dollars, which would be a lot of money for a man whose main expenses in prison were bread, meat, and wine. But I think that the Philippians actually gave Paul more than this. Lydia knew what real wealth was, and the jailer at Philippi understood the true needs of Roman prisoners.
If Paul is saying “Thank you” here, it might not seem to some like it’s much of a thank you. Something that’s hard for us to remember when we read the Bible, or any ancient text, is not to overlay our way of thinking onto the words, as if Paul should have used emojis or dotted his js and is with little hearts, or that he should have said “Thank you so very much!” in giant capital letters. It isn’t as if Paul didn’t know these people well. They were not just sometime acquaintances. Paul and the Philippians had a long-standing and deep emotional affection for one another. “I rejoice greatly… for your concern” is the more important message for Paul to communicate here. They wanted him to know about how concerned they were for him, and that is what he is most grateful for. As for the gift? Yes, I’m sure it was significant, and he was very grateful, but as my mom used to remind me when I opened a card from my godmother on my birthday, “The note is more important than the five dollars.” And she was always right.
There is also Paul’s lifelong policy, his own personal preference, not to accept financial help from anyone if possible. “I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so” (2 Corinthians 11:8-9). The Philippians were from Macedonia!
When Paul says that they had been “without any opportunity” to show their concern, he means that there was no communication between them and him, not until Epaphroditus was setting out, unless his main reason for coming was to bring Paul this gift, which is entirely possible. This was probably on account of the distance between Philippi and Rome. It is also possible that some financial setback had afflicted some or all of the Philippians, but either way, Paul does not blame them in any way for being “without any opportunity” to show their concern for him. Quite the reverse, he is overwhelmed by their kindness, thoughtfulness, and their generosity.
Another point for us to consider is that while Paul was traveling to collect help for the Jerusalem church on account of a famine (Acts 11:28-30), and while collecting for this gift, Paul had refused money, taking it as a reward to be able to preach free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:18). But now that the gift had been delivered (indeed, that delivery had indirectly led to his imprisonment), he was once again willing to allow himself to be helped, and especially by the spiritual mature Philippians over anyone else. A fair rule to follow is this: “If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion. If few, do not be afraid to give according to the little that you have.” We give out of love for Christ; we give when others are in need. It’s possible that someone might take advantage of us when we are willing to give. But if that opens a door to the gospel, isn’t that a good thing?
With every gift show a cheerful face; give it with gladness.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.