Youversion, the makers of world's most downloaded bible app for all platforms (123 million installs) recently published an infographic to show how users engaged with the bible in 2013. Their "Verse of the Year" was Philippians 4:13 – "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" – having been "bookmarked, highlighted, and shared" more than any other verse during 2013. This got me thinking...
During the past few years i have heard this verse used, overused, abused and misused. Let me illustrate a few such instances from the more serious - an acquaintance has no gifting or ability to accomplish a task which has been wrongfully expected of and thrust onto him; his response? I can do all things... People have no money to make a much desired purchase; pep themselves up with, I can do all things... Students have not studied for an exam and walk into the exam hall thumping their chest saying, I can do all things... To the trivial - a viral infection has caused the person's throat inflammation and pain on gulping / swallowing; person claims, I can do all things... before eating. Person's teeth pain when drinking anything cold as infection has set in; person claims, I can do all things... before drinking water. Its really cold and foggy, going out is not the most pleasant thought; person says, I can do all things... before stepping out. Power is out and person has to climb 5 flights of stairs; I can do all things... To the absolutely comic - Guy wants to propose to girl, musters courage by saying, I can do all things... Girl wants to speak to dad to break news of love for boy, peps herself up with, I can do all things... Faced with food that has never been eaten by person, but common in traveled to local culture; I can do all things... Stomach is full, can't eat more; relatives are force feeding? How do we survive it? Absolutely - Philippians 4:3: I can do all things... It is sad but true that most times people use of I can do all things... is grossly out of context and intended application; with little or no correlation to what Paul intended to say.
So what is the true meaning of the verse? And what is its application to our lives? To start with most basic hermeneutics we need to remember that context (the text before and after a passage) is critical for the most accurate, robust interpretation. On close examination, we find that this famous verse is closely "hinged" with the preceding two verses (Phil. 4:11, 12) in which Paul explains how he is able to come to the point that he can make the glorious, profound declaration in this passage. Paul knew that God was able to change his circumstances, but that He was much more interested in changing Paul and this is still His desire for His children. In short, he had learned the "secret", he had counted the cost and paid the "cost", and in the crucible of testing wrought by both good times and bad times, he had come to the point of realization that his sufficiency was solely in his Savior. This principle is echoed in his second letter to the church at Corinth, where Paul writes...
"It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. (Greek = hikanotes = sufficiency, competency, ability, capacity, fitness = state of being qualified for something) He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." 2 Cor. 3:5,6 (NLT)
In this context, a look at the original Greek script for Phil. 4:13 will read as "panta ischuo en to endunamounti me". The verb ischuo is mentioned 28 times in the New Testament - Mt 5:13; Mt 8:28; 9:12; 26:40; Mk 2:17; 5:4; 9:18 = (here ischuo refers to power as evidenced by extraordinary deeds); Mk 14:37; Lk 6:48; 8:43; 13:24; 14:6, 29, 30; 16:3; 20:26; Jn. 21:6;Acts 6:10; 15:10; 19:16, 20; 25:7; 27:16; Gal. 5:6; Php 4:13; Heb 9:17; Jas 5:16; Rev 12:8. Ischuo which mean 'Can Do' means to be strong in body or in resources. Ischuo can speak of physical power (Mk 2:17, 5:4, 9:12). It can speak of having the required personal resources to accomplish some objective as here in Phil. 4:13 or conversely with the negative speaks of that which is good for nothing (Mt. 5:13). Ischuo is the equivalent of to have efficacy, to avail or to have force. So in essence, when Paul said that he could do all things, he meant all things which were God’s will for him to do. He had learned that the Lord’s commands are always the Lord’s enablements. Where the finger of God points, the hand of God provides the way. Therefore Paul is constantly to putting His trust on Christ—to attain a greater knowledge of Christ—more rich and sweet experience of His grace and love—to be more strongly rooted in His love. He must have his heart, his hopes, his affections more with Christ, and his soul more swallowed up in the ocean of God's everlasting love in Christ—that he may be more conformed to Christ's image; and that thus, as a good soldier of Christ, he may manfully fight under His banner against the world, the flesh, and the devil, unto his life's end.
After all, He is the bread of life, we are to feed upon Him daily. He is the water of life, which our souls are to drink of constantly. He is our righteousness, we are to put Him on continually. So then, we not only have a precious Christ—but we are also to use Him—and enjoy His preciousness! He is not only a well of salvation—but we must draw water out of it with joy—and drink of it to the refreshing of our souls! For we are strengthened in Him alone. Further, Paul uses endunamoo commanding the Ephesian saints to be strong (endunamoo = present imperative = command to continually be empowered via union with Christ) in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Paul used this word repeatedly in his epistles to Timothy, initially writing "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him" (1 Tim. 1:12 NLT). Knowing the trials that Timothy would experience, Paul exhorted him "Timothy, my dear son, be strong (present tense = be continually empowered) through the grace (God's enabling power) that God gives you in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. 2:1 NLT) In the last recorded chapter knowing that his death is imminent, Paul affirms the trustworthiness of the Lord's empowerment, writing to Timothy "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death." (2 Tim. 4:17 NLT) From these uses of endunamoo note how from from beginning to end Paul expresses his need of and dependence on the empowerment of His Lord.
Through Christ who strengthens me: Of the strength which Christ can impart, Paul had had abundant experience; and now his whole reliance was there. It was not in any native ability which he had; not in any vigor of body or of mind; not in any power which there was in his own resolutions; it was in the strength that he derived from the Redeemer. By that he was enabled to bear cold, fatigue, and hunger; by that, he met temptations and persecutions; and by that, he engaged in the performance of his arduous duties according to the will of the Lord and His leading.
Application of Phil. 4: 13 to our lives:
Vernon McGee wrote, "When Paul says all things, does he literally mean all things? Does it mean you can go outside and jump over your house? Of course not. Paul says, "I can do all things in Christ"—that is, in the context of the will of Christ for your life. Whatever Christ has for you to do, He will supply the power. Whatever gift He gives you, He will give the power to exercise that gift. A gift is a manifestation of the Spirit of God in the life of the believer. As long as you function in Christ, you will have power...Now Paul is not saying that we can do all things. I can’t jump like a grasshopper can jump. When I was in school I was the high jumper, but I can’t jump anymore. You see, I can’t do all things, but I can do all things which God has for me to do from the time He saved me to the time He will take me out of this world." Thus from Phil. 4: 13 we learn:
1. That we need not sink under any trial, for there is one who can strengthen us.
2. that we need not yield to temptation. There is one who is able to make a way for our escape.
3. that we need not be harassed, and vexed, and tortured with improper thoughts and unholy desires. There is one who can enable us to banish such thoughts from the mind, and restore the right balance to the affections of the soul.
4. that we need not dread what is to come. Trials, temptations, poverty, want, persecution, may await us; but we need not sink into despondency. At every step of life, Christ is able to strengthen us, and can bring us triumphantly through.
Dr. Ben Witherington calls Philippians 4:13 "the superman verse," because it is sometimes referenced by athletes during high-stakes games. But in actuality Witherington's suggested rendering of Phil. 4:13 is "I know a humbled state, and I know also surplus. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of how to be satisfied, even if hungry and being able also to do without. I am able/strong enough [to endure] all things in Him who empowers me." Repeating that the apostle Paul was not suggesting that he could accomplish anything "with a little help from the Lord," the Asbury professor adds of Phil. 4:13, "It is about Paul submitting to God's goals and plan, and God giving him the strength to do so, even when he must endure house arrest (as he did when he wrote this), and hunger, and deprivation."
That verse is not a manifesto for self-esteem and possibility thinking —although it is often used that way. People quote the verse as if it meant "With Jesus' help you can achieve whatever dream you have for yourself." That’s not the idea at all. Phil. 4:13 is Paul’s secret for being content in all situations. That's it! Do every thing through Jesus and you can be content in everything. It isn't about what you accomplish, it is about how you do whatever you do.
Some people may think they've lost something special when they realize they've misinterpreted the verse. But did they really think that Jesus was going to help them win every race, get every job, get A’s on every test, leap tall buildings, etc.? Being content sounds bland compared to our worldly desires, but what a phenomenal blessing the real interpretation of Philippians 4:13 is! How wonderful would it be to have contentment in every situation in life? That's the true promise of scripture that we seek and rejoice in.
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